Compare the2025 Kia TellurideVS 2025 Buick Enclave

Both the Telluride and Enclave have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Telluride has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Enclave’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Kia Telluride has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Enclave doesn’t offer knee airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Telluride’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Enclave doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Telluride and the Enclave have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Kia Telluride has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Enclave has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Telluride comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Enclave’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Buick covers the Enclave. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Enclave ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride third among upper midsize suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Enclave isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Buick vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Buick is ranked fifth.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 2 places higher in reliability than Buick.

For better stopping power the Telluride’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Enclave:

The Telluride has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Enclave doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is .2 feet tighter than the Enclave’s (38.8 feet vs. 39 feet). The Telluride’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Enclave w/22” wheels’ (38.8 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (8 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the Telluride to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Telluride X-Line’s minimum ground clearance is 1.6 inches higher than on the Enclave (8.4 vs. 6.8 inches).

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Buick Enclave.

The Telluride is 10.7 inches shorter than the Enclave, making the Telluride easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Telluride has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Enclave can only carry 7.

The Telluride has .2 inches more front hip room, .2 inches more rear headroom and .9 inches more rear legroom than the Enclave.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Telluride’s middle and third row seats recline. The Enclave’s third row seats don’t recline.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Telluride. The Enclave doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Telluride’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (5000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Telluride’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Enclave’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Telluride to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Enclave doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Telluride EX/SX has standard front air conditioned seats and the Telluride SX Prestige also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Enclave doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Telluride, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Telluride was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 4 more times in the last 5 years. The Enclave has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The Enclave has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Telluride as the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Enclave has never been chosen.

The Kia Telluride outsold the Buick Enclave by almost three to one during 2023.