Maybe you’ve heard, but there’s a new Kia Telluride on the horizon. It looks kind of strange, but I’m sure the design will have its fans. More importantly, though, the new Telluride has mighty big shoes to fill. This was the SUV that, frankly, put Kia on the map. Sure, it’d been a competent automaker through the 2010s, but with the arrival of the Telluride, Kia was no longer a second (or third or fourth) choice.
Given that, we thought it was time to send off the current Telluride with one final review. And spending a week with one reminded me, especially in these expensive times, that old or last-gen doesn’t mean obsolete. This is still a fantastic all-around SUV, and one of the only new vehicles that offers unquestionable value. Naturally, if you see one used, it’s a no-brainer. Here’s why.
The Basics
Our Telluride was a 2025 SX Prestige X-Pro, and it’s currently the most expensive Telluride you can buy. Mind you, it’s still pretty affordable by the standards of a modern, three-row SUV. The range starts at $37,885, but this top trim model runs $56,240.
What do you get for that price? Well, to offer a better answer than the blanket “everything,” the SX Prestige X-Pro has Nappa leather upholstery, dual power sunroofs, a premium Harman Kardon audio system, a 360-degree view monitor, heating and ventilation for first- and second-row seating (captain’s chairs for the latter, naturally), lumbar adjustment for the driver, dual 12-inch displays for infotainment and the instrument cluster, roof rails, every advanced safety feature you can imagine, and of course, all-wheel drive. It’s got an X-Pro badge, after all.
In fact, where most “off-road” trims of family crossovers tack on some plastic and send you on your way, the Telluride X-Pro does actually ride a bit taller and come with all-terrain tires. Beyond the trim, the only meaningful options on this vehicle were the lovely Midnight Lake Blue paint ($495), Terracotta interior ($295), and carpeted floor and cargo mats ($350), adding up to $1,140.
As far as the powertrain’s concerned, there are no options. Every Telluride of this vintage features Kia’s stout 3.8-liter V6 making 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed transmission. The X-Pro is rated to tow 5,500 pounds, 500 pounds more than other trims.
2025 Kia Telluride Interior
On paper, sure—the Telluride punches above its weight. But opening the door and getting inside, you pretty much get decked in the face. Look, I’m a sucker for caramel-toned leather, and this top-of-the-line model had that in spades. The seats are comfortable, there are tons of physical controls everywhere, and the fit and finish are stellar. Sure, I’ll groan about the USB port situation, but that’s not a deal-breaker by any means. The Telluride’s cabin accomplishes the two things that every great interior should, at any price: It looks great, and it makes sense.
I love the pops of silver trim against the terracotta surfaces, breaking up the black. And my favorite switch in the whole vehicle is the one to heat and cool the front seats, because it’s a rocker and it goes in two directions: hot and cold. How easy is that? OK, if you expect to turn both warmth and ventilation on at the same time, like you can in a Volkswagen, you may be a little disappointed, but I personally admire the simplicity here.
It’s a cinch to move the seats around, too; buttons near the captain’s chair headrests slide the seats up for easy access to the admittedly cramped third row, while levers fold them down entirely. There are also buttons to remotely collapse the second row from the trunk, which is very handy, and the third row folds mostly flat with a pull of the manual handle behind it.
The only respect in which I would prefer a next-gen Telluride is infotainment, because it’s just better in newer Kias. The automaker’s latest software is more responsive and better designed, and the screens have lost their chunky bezels. You also gain wireless phone projection with the new stack, and while I know it’s controversial, I’m personally a fan of the dedicated climate panel just to the right of the steering wheel that the K4 introduced.
Yeah, it’s another screen, and I wouldn’t even necessarily consider it a net win, because the new Telluride trades most of the dedicated HVAC buttons that this first-gen model has to get it. I reckon for most of you reading this, the older setup will be a positive, not a negative. Still, it’s worth highlighting the one small way in which the outgoing SUV might feel a little antiquated.
Driving the 2025 Kia Telluride
When the new Telluride hits showrooms, it’ll drop the 3.8-liter V6 in our test car here for a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder. That change figures to definitely bump the SUV’s fuel economy, which we’ll get to in a minute, but it’ll also sacrifice some horsepower while ratcheting up torque.
I don’t know how to feel about that, because with 291 hp, the V6 feels right for this car. It by no means makes this SUV quick—it has about 4,500 pounds to lug around, after all—but it’s certainly strong enough for passing, and the eight-speed transmission it’s mated to shifts smoothly. “Smooth” is the operative word driving the Telluride; everything about it feels geared for comfort, from its linear power delivery to its light steering, compliant ride, and quiet cabin.
The new four-cylinder will drop about 27 horsepower but tack on nearly 50 lb-ft of torque to the first-gen Telluride’s 262 lb-ft. In terms of usable power, that should be a net improvement, but what I’m really hoping for is a bump to fuel economy. An all-wheel-drive model like this X-Pro is rated for up to 23 mpg highway and 18 mpg around town, and my rural commutes landed me just north of 20 mpg after a week of driving. At least the V6 takes regular unleaded gas.
Verdict
There’s a reason why the Telluride took off six years ago, and it’s the same reason why the outgoing, first-gen SUV is still popular. This is a world-class value, the kind of vehicle that’s hard to fault. Frankly, it’s one of those cars I feel like I’m deliberately poking holes in to criticize.
Yes, the fuel economy isn’t stellar compared to four-cylinder and hybrid rivals, and yes, the infotainment tech is rather out-of-date. And after half a decade of roaming every street in America, the design has started to become a little stale. The 2027 Telluride will arguably address all of those negligible shortcomings, but it’s also guaranteed to cost more. And it’s hard to imagine a better value than what you can already buy right now.
As for competitors, some may have an edge in efficiency (the Toyota Grand Highlander), driving and design refinement (Mazda CX-90), or interior volume (the Honda Pilot), but they all cost more to start, and none match Telluride’s particular blend of capability, versatility, and luxury. It’s arguably the most complete package of the lot.
So, if there’s a first-gen Telluride for the taking, especially a gently used one, take it. This isn’t a case where opting for the prior model should elicit any FOMO. Kia built an SUV so well-rounded that it’s given itself a monumental challenge to improve—but that’s Kia’s problem, not yours.
| 2025 Kia Telluride SX Prestige X-Pro Specs | |
|---|---|
| Base Price (SX Prestige as tested) | $37,885 ($56,240) |
| Powertrain | 3.8-liter V6 | 8-speed automatic | all-wheel drive |
| Horsepower | 291 @ 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 262 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm |
| Seating Capacity | 7 |
| Cargo Volume | 21 cubic feet behind third row | 46 cubic feet behind second row | 87 cubic feet behind first row |
| Curb Weight | 4,455 pounds |
| Max Towing | 5,500 pounds |
| Ground Clearance | 8.4 inches |
| EPA Fuel Economy | 18 mpg city | 23 highway | 20 combined |
| Score | 8.5/10 |
Quick Take
The outgoing, first-gen Kia Telluride may be a known quantity at this point, but it’s still the finest value in midsize SUVs going—and value ages as well as wine.
