One of the best models on the market right now is the Telluride, which has won multiple awards despite being . That said, just like any other car, the Telluride isn’t perfect and has a problem that many owners don’t like. Here’s a look at and it’s an issue that owners would change.
This is the only part of the 2023 Kia Telluride that the owners would change
Every year, thousands of owners survey their cars and one of the main aspects of that survey involves owners rating their car’s performance into 10 categories. The lowest-scoring category is what owners like least about their car, and for Telluride, its lowest-scoring category is fuel economy.
which is paired with an eight-speed automatic. It gets 291 hp and front-wheel drive is standard.
In front-wheel drive, the Telluride gets an estimated 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, for 23 mpg combined. Adding all-wheel drive will reduce its fuel economy to 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, for a combined 21 mpg.
The 2023 Kia Telluride has decent fuel economy, but it can get better
The Telluride competes in the midsize SUV segment, but unlike other midsize SUVs, Kia has given the vehicle three rows of seats as standard. As a result, the Telluride is larger and that will naturally hurt its fuel economy.
Midsize SUVs that also have three rows, like the Subaru Ascent or Toyota 4Runner, will have fuel savings that are in the same ballpark as the Telluride.
That means Telluride has average fuel economy for its segment, but it also means there are far more efficient options. These models are efficient largely because they feature a hybrid powertrain. For example, it has three rows of seats and, thanks to its hybrid powertrain, gets about 35 mpg combined.
Giving Telluride a hybrid powertrain option is one of the simplest ways Kia can boost the SUV’s fuel economy. Indeed, Kia already has a midsize SUV with three rows of seats and a hybrid powertrain with
It’s possible that the Sorento Hybrid’s powertrain is powerful enough for the Telluride. For now, though, Kia doesn’t appear to have any plans to add a hybrid powertrain option to the Telluride.
However, the owners liked many other parts of the 2023 Kia Telluride
If Kia improves the Telluride’s fuel economy, then the South Korean automaker will have made a nearly perfect car even better. The 2023 version of the popular SUV already brings some noticeable improvements. Some features of the Telluride have simply gotten bigger or better, as is the case with its new 12.3-inch touchscreen display.
Kia has also made changes to the Telluride’s exterior styling, and the owners seem to really like those changes. In fact, the car’s exterior styling was its top-rated category by JD Power’s owner survey. Owners also appreciated the midsize SUV’s interior design and interior comfort. Not only is the Telluride great to drive, but drivers and passengers feel safe as well when they’re aboard the Kia SUV.
