Toyota Highlander vs Kia Telluride
Three-row SUVs · head to head, 2020–2027
The Toyota Highlander and Kia Telluride were both sold for 8 model years (2020–2027). Among the Highlander's own years, its best bet is 2018; years to avoid: 2020; the newest year rated a good buy is 2025. Among the Telluride's own years, its best bet is 2022; no year to avoid; the newest year rated a good buy is 2025.
Toyota Highlander
SUV · 2010–2027
- Best bet 2018
- Newest good buy 2025
- Avoid 2020
- Be careful 2021
Kia Telluride
SUV · 2020–2027
- Best bet 2022
- Newest good buy 2025
- Avoid none
- Be careful 2020
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 Highlander year says nothing about whether it beats a Telluride. (How we judge.)
Year by year, side by side
| Year | Toyota Highlander | Kia Telluride | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Not rated | TOO NEWOnly 0.2 years of owner reports | Side by side |
| 2026 | Not rated | Not rated | Side by side |
| 2025 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.6× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.7× usual | Side by side |
| 2024 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.9× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.9× usual | Side by side |
| 2023 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.1× usual | Side by side |
| 2022 | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual | BEST BUYSerious complaints 0.6× usual | Side by side |
| 2021 | CAREFULSerious complaints 2.4× usual, mostly power train and brakes | GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.2× usual | Side by side |
| 2020 | AVOIDSerious complaints 2.9× usual, mostly power train and brakes | CAREFULSerious complaints 2.0× usual, mostly engine and power train | 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
2025: the newest shared year with full data, at a glance
Newer years (up to 2027) have thinner price and equipment data for one or both models, so this table uses 2025. Use "Compare any year" above for the others.
| 2025 Toyota Highlander | 2025 Kia Telluride | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict (vs the model's own years) | GOOD BUY | GOOD BUY |
| Starting price (MSRP range) | $40,320 to $54,475 base price by trim, 10 trims | $36,390 to $53,685 base price by trim, 10 trims |
| Engines and horsepower | 2.4L 4-cyl turbo, 265 hp 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, 186 hp | 3.8L 6-cyl |
| Fuel economy (EPA combined) | 24–35 mpg | 20–22 mpg |
| Seats | 7–8 | 7–8 |
| Third row | Yes | Yes |
| Cargo behind last row | 16 cu ft | — |
| Max cargo | 84.3 cu ft | — |
| Max towing | 3,500–5,000 lb | 5,000–5,500 lb |
| NHTSA crash rating | 5 of 5 stars | 5 of 5 stars |
| Recalls · owner complaints (NHTSA) | 4 · 10 | 3 · 116 |
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 2025 trim →
Key features: base trim vs top trim
| Highlander LE lowest price, $40,320 | Highlander Hybrid Platinum highest price, $54,475 | Telluride LX lowest price, $36,390 | Telluride X-Pro SX Prestige highest price, $53,685 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wireless Apple CarPlay | 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 | — | — |
| 360-degree camera | — | Standard | — | Standard |
| Power liftgate or tailgate | Standard | Standard | — | Standard |
| Remote start | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard |
"Standard" and "Optional" are for that trim as the 2025 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 2025 page (Highlander, Telluride).
Known fixes and extended coverage
Toyota Highlander
30 manufacturer programs on file: 15 extended coverage, 15 repair programs.
- Extended coverage Customer Support Program ZKG ? (Z3G, 2010–2018 models)
- Extended coverage Multiple Models and Model Years Vehicles Painted with Blizzard Pearl (070) or Super White (040) Paint Color Coverage for Peeling of Factory-Applied Paint Toyota has added approximately 430,700 2008 ? 2018 model year Highlander and… (2010–2018 models)
- Extended coverage Technical Instructions Customer Support Program ZKG Multiple Models and Model Years Vehicles Painted with Blizzard Pearl (070) or Super White (040) Paint Color Coverage for Peeling of Factory-Applied Paint (2010, 2012–2016, 2018 models)
- Extended coverage Customer Support Program ZKG - Paint Repair Process Operation Flow Chart (2011–2017 models)
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)
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: 2022–2025. In those years, choose on price, size and features.
- Years to skip: Highlander 2020.
- Newest year rated a good buy: Highlander 2025; Telluride 2025.
- Third row: both the 2025 Highlander and Telluride offer one.
- Lower starting price in 2025: the Telluride, from $36,390 against $40,320. Prices are the maker's listed base prices, not what dealers charge.
- Best EPA combined rating in 2025: Highlander at 35 mpg (Telluride: 22), for the most efficient version of each.
- Towing: up to 5,500 lb for the Telluride in 2025, against 5,000 lb for the Highlander.
- 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.