Kia Telluride vs. Toyota Grand Highlander: Which 3-Row SUV Would We Choose?

If you’re shopping for a three-row SUV, the Kia Telluride and Toyota Grand Highlander are probably going to end up on the same shortlist. Both give families plenty of space, three usable rows, modern technology, and the flexibility to handle everything from weekday errands to a packed-up road trip. We aren’t going to tell you the Grand Highlander isn’t a good SUV. It is. But if you’re asking us which one we’d rather walk out to every morning, the Telluride makes a very convincing case.

At Destination Kia of Utica, we’ve watched the Telluride become one of those SUVs people specifically come in asking about, and the latest generation gives them even more reason to. If you’re comparing your options around Yorkville, Utica, New Hartford, Whitesboro, or the surrounding Mohawk Valley, you can browse our New Kia Inventory, check our current New Vehicle Specials, or explore our Kia Certified Pre-Owned Inventory before you even make the drive to 5056 Commercial Drive.

The Kia Telluride Makes a Much Stronger First Impression

The Telluride simply takes a different route than the Toyota Grand Highlander. Its stronger proportions, distinctive lighting, broad stance, and available X-Line and X-Pro treatments give the 2027 Telluride considerably more presence. The Telluride can carry the family, groceries, luggage, sports equipment, and everything else a three-row SUV gets volunteered for while looking great. If you’re already curious which Telluride fits your budget, our Trade Appraisal tool can help you see what your current vehicle may contribute toward the switch.

The Telluride’s Interior Is Where This Comparison Gets Really Interesting

Open the doors and the difference becomes harder to ignore. Depending on trim, the Telluride offers features that push it surprisingly close to luxury-SUV territory with class-leading second-row legroom, and available heated and ventilated captain’s chairs turn that row into somewhere adults might actually volunteer to sit. Redline Reviews ultimately preferred the Telluride’s seats and described its cabin as quieter and more upscale overall.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Gives You Gas and Hybrid Choices

There’s another reason the newest Telluride deserves attention: the 2027 model offers a turbocharged gas powertrain, while the newly available Telluride Hybrid gives drivers another option if fuel economy is higher on the priority list. The gas Telluride featured in the comparison produces 274 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Telluride Hybrid raises output to 329 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque while giving families an efficiency-focused alternative.

Telluride Technology Feels Designed for the Driver Using It Every Day

A long feature list only matters if those features make the vehicle easier to live with. Available Blind-Spot View Monitor is a great example. Activate a turn signal and a live camera view of the corresponding blind spot can appear directly in the driver’s display. Add available Surround View Monitor technology, a digital camera rearview mirror, wireless smartphone connectivity, multiple USB-C charging ports, available dual wireless charging, and an available head-up display, and the Telluride starts making a lot of small daily tasks easier.

Which Is Better, the Kia Telluride or Toyota Grand Highlander?

It depends on what you’re asking your three-row SUV to prioritize. The Toyota Grand Highlander deserves consideration if maximum cargo capacity and its established hybrid lineup sit at the very top of your list. It is spacious, efficient in hybrid form, and deliberately straightforward.

The Kia Telluride makes its argument somewhere else. It gives you a cabin that can feel substantially more premium than you might expect from a mainstream three-row SUV, standout technology, excellent second-row comfort, distinctive styling, available adventure-oriented X-Line and X-Pro models, and now a choice between gas and hybrid power. That combination is why we’d choose the Telluride.

If you’d like to make the comparison yourself, visit Destination Kia of Utica at 5056 Commercial Drive in Yorkville, NY. Browse our Telluride Inventory and current Kia Specials online, check our Vehicles Under $20K if you’re considering other price points, or use our Trade Appraisal before you visit. Sometimes the easiest way to settle an SUV comparison is simply to get behind the wheel.

Tags: Kia Telluride
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