The Kia Telluride and Toyota Grand Highlander are among the top midsize 3-row SUVs. They offer almost minivan levels of family-friendly practicality, impressive convenience and safety technology without the bulk or fuel costs of a full-size SUV.
Picking one over the other is no easy task so let’s take a closer look at the Kia Telluride and Toyota Grand Highlander.
2025 Kia Telluride
The Kia Telluride debuted in 2020 to plenty of acclaim. With a stylish and masculine exterior and a V6 engine putting out 291 horsepower, it gives buyers looking for room and capability an excellent starting point.
Perhaps even more impressive is that you can dress this ute up, pushing it from handsome to dashing. There are 10 different trim combinations available to interested buyers, from the base model LX to the SX Prestige X-Pro. The LX comes with front-wheel drive (FWD), but for $2K, you can add all-wheel drive (AWD). Once you move into the EX X-Line, all-wheel drive is standard equipment.
The Telluride is a great place to be if you need your technology. It features five USB-C ports throughout the SUV, and new for 2025 is its Highway Driving Assist 1.5, which is standard across the portfolio. Pricing for the Telluride starts at $37,585.
Kia Telluride Highlights
Big power: The Kia Telluride features a 291-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and front- or all-wheel drive. That kind of power helps when tooling around town or trying to get out of town. It’s also more than you can get in the Grand Highlander.
Money well spent: The Telluride won the KBB Best Resale Value award for its class in 2022. It finished just behind its sibling, the Hyundai Palisade, in 2023. A trend you can expect to continue in the years ahead.
Safe space: The Telluride can carry up to eight people, so it’s important to know it’s a safe vehicle. It features a 5-star overall rating from NHTSA and the Top Safety Pick+ award from IIHS.
Read our Kia Telluride Expert Review or see 2025 Kia Telluride models for sale near you.
2025 Toyota Grand Highlander
The Toyota Grand Highlander takes everything we love about the regular Highlander and makes it more Grand. The main difference is that the Grand Highlander is bigger, yielding quite a bit more interior space while retaining the safety, reliability, and resale value Toyota is famous for.
New for 2025 is the entry-level LE trim. It replaces the two second-row Captain’s chairs with a bench seat. It’s less impressive, but does allow seating for eight instead of just seven. The company offers a Nightshade Edition with a blacked-out grille and complementary exterior trim pieces. Pricing starts at $42,310.
Toyota Grand Highlander Highlights
Bigger interior: Three more inches of third-row legroom and 10 more cubic feet of maximum cargo space make the Toyota Grand Highlander considerably roomier than the Kia Telluride. Choose the Toyota, and your passengers will thank you.
More efficient: The Toyota Grand Highlander has two optional hybrid powertrains, and the most efficient version gets up to 36 mpg combined. But even the non-hybrid Grand Highlander is more efficient than the V6-powered Kia Telluride. More interior space and better fuel economy is a one-two punch for the Toyota.
Many standard features: Just a few of the many standard features in the Toyota Grand Highlander include a 12.3-inch infotainment display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, SofTex seats (heated in front), an adjustable power liftgate, and the Toyota Safety Sense
Read our Toyota Grand Highlander Expert Review or see 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander models for sale near you.
Similarities
They’re midsize SUVs with attractive exterior styling, top safety ratings, and robust engines — a fantastic combination.
Pricing
New 2025 Kia Telluride Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (08028)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$37,805 |
$36,614 |
|||
$40,805 |
$39,650 |
|||
$43,505 |
$42,573 |
|||
$47,605 |
$46,419 |
|||
$47,900 |
$46,870 |
|||
$48,800 |
$47,072 |
|||
$51,300 |
$49,925 |
|||
$52,805 |
$51,347 |
|||
$54,200 |
$52,693 |
|||
$55,100 |
$53,656 |
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Kia Telluride vehicles and New 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
Specifications
| 2025 Kia Telluride | 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 3.8-liter 6-cylinder | 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 291 hp @ 6,000 rpm | 265 hp @ 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 262 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm | 310 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Fuel Economy | 20 city/26 highway/22 combined | 20 city/27 highway/23 combined |
| Also Available | AWD | AWD |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 5 stars | Not rated |
| Max Seating Capacity | 8 | 8 |
| Wheelbase | 114.2 inches | 116.1 inches |
| Overall Length | 196.9 inches | 201.4 inches |
| Width | 78.3 inches | 78.3 inches |
| Height | 68.9 inches | 70.1 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 38.8 feet | 38.1 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 40.9 inches | 41.5 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 40.2 inches | 40.2 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 41.4 inches | 41.7 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 42.4 inches | 39.5 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 61.6 inches | 60.2 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 61.2 inches | 58.8 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 21/87 cubic feet | 20.6/97.5 cubic feet |
Conclusion
This is a tough choice to make. One’s a little bigger, but the other’s a little more powerful, and the fuel economy is a tie. Take ‘em for a drive. Get a good look at ‘em and pick the one you think looks and drives better. No losers here.
