Kia Telluride vs Hyundai Palisade
Three-row SUVs · head to head, 2020–2027
The Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade were both sold for 8 model years (2020–2027). Among the Telluride's own years, its best bet is 2022; no year to avoid; the newest year rated a good buy is 2025. Among the Palisade's own years, its best bet is 2022; no year to avoid; the newest year rated a good buy is 2025.
Kia Telluride
SUV · 2020–2027
- Best bet 2022
- Newest good buy 2025
- Avoid none
- Be careful 2020
Hyundai Palisade
SUV · 2020–2027
- Best bet 2022
- Newest good buy 2025
- Avoid none
How to read this: each model's verdicts compare that model's own years with each other (serious owner complaints per car on the road against that model's usual year, using New York registrations). They are not a reliability ranking of one model against the other, so a good-buy Telluride year says nothing about whether it beats a Palisade. (How we judge.)
Year by year, side by side
| Year | Kia Telluride | Hyundai Palisade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | TOO NEWOnly 0.2 years of owner reports | TOO NEWOnly 0.2 years of owner reports | Side by side |
| 2026 | Not rated | TOO NEWOnly 1.1 years of owner reports | Side by side |
| 2025 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.7× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.1× usual | Side by side |
| 2024 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.9× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.3× usual, mostly brakes and collision avoidance | Side by side |
| 2023 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.1× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual | Side by side |
| 2022 | BEST BUYSerious complaints 0.6× usual | BEST BUYSerious complaints 0.5× usual | Side by side |
| 2021 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.2× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.7× usual | Side by side |
| 2020 | CAREFULSerious complaints 2.0× usual, mostly engine and power train | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual | Side by side |
Each chip rates that year against the same model's other years. Tap a chip for the year's details; "Side by side" compares both models that year, trim by trim.
Compare any year, trim by trim
2027: the newest shared year, at a glance
| 2027 Kia Telluride | 2027 Hyundai Palisade | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict (vs the model's own years) | TOO NEW | TOO NEW |
| Starting price (MSRP range) | $39,190 to $57,590 base price by trim, 16 trims | $39,735 to $57,680 base price by trim, 13 trims |
| Engines and horsepower | 2.5L 4-cyl turbo, 274–329 hp 2.5L 4-cyl turbo hybrid, 274–329 hp | 2.5L 4-cyl turbo hybrid 3.5L 6-cyl |
| Fuel economy (EPA combined) | 19–35 mpg | 19–34 mpg |
| Seats | 7–8 | 7–8 |
| Third row | Yes | Yes |
| Cargo behind last row | — | 19.1 cu ft |
| Max cargo | — | 86.7 cu ft |
| Max towing | 4,500–5,000 lb | 4,000–5,000 lb |
| NHTSA crash rating | Not rated | 5 of 5 stars |
| Recalls · owner complaints (NHTSA) | 3 · 35 | 0 · 5 |
Sources: OpenSpec and the makers' equipment guides, NHTSA vPIC, EPA and NHTSA ratings. Cargo, towing and bed length rows appear when we have them. "—": not in our data. Compare every 2027 trim →
Key features: base trim vs top trim
| Telluride LX lowest price, $39,190 | Telluride Hybrid X-Line SX Prestige highest price, $57,590 | Palisade SE lowest price, $39,735 | Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy Black Ink highest price, $57,680 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wireless Apple CarPlay | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Adaptive cruise control | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Blind-spot warning | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Heated front seats | — | Standard | — | Standard |
| Ventilated front seats | — | Standard | — | Standard |
| Sunroof or moonroof | — | Standard | — | Standard |
| 360-degree camera | — | Standard | — | Standard |
| Power liftgate or tailgate | No | Standard | — | Standard |
| Remote start | Standard | — | Standard | — |
"Standard" and "Optional" are for that trim as the 2027 data lists it (a package or option adds an "Optional" item); "—": not verified in our sources, never a guess. The cheapest and most expensive trim of each model; every trim is on the model's 2027 page (Telluride, Palisade).
Known fixes and extended coverage
Kia Telluride
13 manufacturer programs on file: 3 extended coverage, 10 repair programs.
- Extended coverage WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (WTY045) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage to all owners for certain repairs related to… (WTY045, 2020–2025 models)
- Extended coverage WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (WTY040) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for repairs related to noisy… (WTY040, 2020–2024 models)
- Extended coverage This warranty extension addresses, at no cost to the customer, the potential failure of the halogen headlamp assembly, which may cause a loss of high-beam functionality. WARRANTY EXTENSION: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO -This document is the… (WTY030, 2020 models)
Hyundai Palisade
18 manufacturer programs on file: 8 extended coverage, 10 repair programs.
- Extended coverage Certain 2020 – 2025 model year Palisade vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due to deterioration of the housing seal. In an effort to meet this commitment, the warranty coverage for the Engine… (Z15, 2020–2025 models)
- Extended coverage Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due to deterioration of the housing seal. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the engine oil filter housing seal to 15 years /… (26-EM-012H, 2020–2025 models)
- Extended coverage Certain 2020 – 2024 model year Palisade vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving over rough roads. In an effort to meet this commitment, Hyundai is extending warranty coverage for the… (Z12, 2020–2024 models)
- Extended coverage Certain 2020 – 2024 model year Hyundai Palisade vehicles may experience seat belts that are twisted due to excessive space in the D-ring. In an effort to meet this commitment, Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the seat belts… (TXX1, 2020–2024 models)
From manufacturer bulletins filed with NHTSA, counted per program. A count is how many programs exist, not how good or bad a model is: a maker that extends coverage is paying for a known problem. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
Which should you buy?
- Buying used, years both are rated a good buy: 2021–2025. In those years, choose on price, size and features.
- Years to skip: neither model has a year we rate avoid.
- Newest year rated a good buy: Telluride 2025; Palisade 2025.
- Third row: both the 2027 Telluride and Palisade offer one.
- Lower starting price in 2027: the Telluride, from $39,190 against $39,735. Prices are the maker's listed base prices, not what dealers charge.
- Best EPA combined rating in 2027: Telluride at 35 mpg (Palisade: 34), for the most efficient version of each.
- Before you buy either: run the VIN for open recalls and ask the dealer whether the extended-coverage repairs above were done.
Rules applied to the data on this page: no overall winner is declared, because our verdicts compare each model with itself.