What Are The Best Years For The Kia Telluride?

Kia’s released their first Telluride model in 2020.

Even though this vehicle is new to consumers, many are curious about which year is the best so far.

What Are The Best Years For The Kia Telluride?

Currently, 2022 is the best model year for the Kia Telluride. This model received a 5-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This model also received the highest reliability rating from J.D. Power of all Telluride models. MSRP for this model is $36,500.

If you’re hoping to get the brand new Kia Telluride, you should opt for the 2022 model.

Keep reading to learn more about the best years for the Kia Telluride.

2022 Kia Telluride: the Best Model Year

It likely won’t surprise you that the most recent model of the Kia Telluride is the best so far. 

Before we get into the specifics of this model, let’s cover the basics of the Telluride.

All Kia Telluride model years are available in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. 

With all-wheel capability, you can use the Kia Telluride as an off-roading vehicle as well as a daily driver.

All Kia models received a 4.8-star expert rating and a 4-star consumer rating, according to the Kelley Blue Book.

The 2022 Kia Telluride is equipped with a 3.8L V6 Engine and 8-speed Automatic Transmission. 

With all that power under the hood, the Kia Telluride has up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity. 

For an SUV, that is an incredible amount of power.

Currently, the 2022 Kia Telluride only has one safety recall issued by the National Highway Traffic Administration.

This recall is for the LCD display. 

On occasion, information such as the speedometer and the odometer would disappear. 

This NHTSA recall only affected 5,143 vehicles. 

The NHTSA awarded the 2022 Kia Telluride with an overall safety rating of 5 stars.

Not only is the 2022 Kia Telluride safe, but it is reliable too. J.D. Power gave this model year a reliability rating of 85 out of 100. 

This is the highest reliability rating that the Kia Telluride has received yet. 

MSRP for the 2022 Kia Telluride is $33,090. 

Because this model is so new, there is not yet an estimate for how much it costs to own this vehicle.

While this model year currently has the best ratings in terms of safety and reliability, it is still new to the streets. 

Time will tell how reliable the 2022 Kia Telluride really is. 

2021 Kia Telluride

While the 2022 Kia Telluride has excellent safety ratings, the 2021 model follows closely behind. 

Like the 2022 model, the 2021 Kia Telluride received an overall safety rating of 5 stars from the NHTSA. 

So far, the NHTSA has only issued one safety recall for this model year. 

This recall was issued for the vehicle’s occupant detection system.

The occupant detection system–that activates the airbag–is most likely to malfunction if there is a child in the passenger seat.

In other words, the system is not sensitive enough to detect lightweight passengers. 

Luckily, this recall only affected 142 vehicles.

Before purchasing a 2021 Kia Telluride, verify that this recall has been addressed.

The 2021 Kia Telluride is likely to be a reliable vehicle. J.D. Power gave the vehicle a reliability rating of 82 out of 100.

This ranks it right below the 2022 model.

MSRP for the 2021 Kia Telluride is $35,560. 

According to the Kelley Blue Book, you can expect to spend an additional $43,443 in the first five years. 

These expenses will cover the cost of fuel, insurance, maintenance, and repairs. 

In other terms, you can expect to spend $8,688 every year.

That is quite a bit more than many other vehicles on the road today. 

While the 2021 Kia Telluride may be an expensive vehicle, it is guaranteed to keep your family safe whether driving to the grocery store or exploring off the road. 

The 2021 Kia Telluride gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway. 

This is about average for an SUV.

The main reason people love the 2021 Kia Telluride is its roomy interior. 

You can fit all your passengers and their cargo comfortably in this vehicle.

2020 Kia Telluride

Since the 2020 Kia Telluride was the company’s first attempt at this model, it is expected to have some struggles and issues.

So far, the NHTSA has issued two safety recalls for the 2020 Kia Telluride.

The first recall, issued in August of 2019, was for the seatbelt assemblies. 

Over 30,000 vehicles were affected by this recall. 

Since seatbelts are necessary safety precautions, they must be in working condition. 

Before purchasing a 2020 Kia Telluride, ensure that this critical safety system is in place.

The second recall was issued in July of 2020. 

For this recall, nearly 87,000 vehicles were alerted that their trailer brake lights may not work.

Like the other Kia models, the 2020 model received a 5-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

The 2020 Kia Telluride’s J.D. Power reliability rating reflects this. 

The 2020 Kia Telluride received a 3.5 out of 5 reliability. 

This would be a 70 out of 100 compared to the newer models 82 and 85 out of 100 ratings.

MSRP for the 2020 Kia Telluride was $35,460. 

Even though this vehicle was only released two years ago, you can already find them at a lower price. 

According to the Kelley Blue Book, the fair purchase price of a 2020 Kia Telluride is between $32,000 and $34,000.

Not only is the 2020 Kia Telluride cheaper than the newer models, but it is more affordable to own. The Kelley Blue Book predicts the five-year cost of ownership to be $41,296. 

This equates to about $430 less a year than the 2021 model. 

Additionally, the 2020 Kia Telluride will depreciate approximately $17,730 in the first five years of ownership.

If you’re hoping to get a Kia Telluride at a more affordable price, wait until 2025 and then purchase the 2020 Kia Telluride.

The 2020 Kia Telluride gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway.