2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vs. 2021 Kia Telluride

2021 Kia Telluride ・ Photo by Kia

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is an all-new three-row version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It offers seating for up to seven passengers with a premium interior and impressive capability. There are multiple engines and a variety of four-wheel-drive systems available.

The 2021 Kia Telluride was introduced just last year as an all-new three-row SUV with seating for up to eight people. It has a wide range of trims, a beautiful interior, and the capability of all-wheel drive. The Telluride also has affordable pricing across the trim range that makes it budget friendly. Let’s take a closer look at these two SUVs to see which is the best.

More Trims... But at a Price

The Grand Cherokee L comes in six trims with seating for up to seven. All are offered with rear-wheel or four-wheel drive except for the Top Summit Reserve, which is four-wheel drive only. There are two engines with a standard V6 or optional V8. Pricing starts at $36,995 and tops out at $65,290.

The Kia Telluride is available in four trims with seating for up to eight. It offers front-wheel or all-wheel across the range. All are equipped with a V6 engine. Pricing ranges from $32,190 to $44,390. Although the Telluride accommodates an extra passenger and has lower pricing, it doesn’t offer the range of trims or capability of the Grand Cherokee L.

: Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Photo by Jeep

Only One has an Available V8 Engine

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L has a standard 3.6-liter V6 engine with 290 horsepower and 257 lb-ft of torque paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This is the only option on base trims, but top trims have an available 5.7-liter V8. It delivers 357 horsepower with 390 lb-ft of torque for a more aggressive ride and is paired to the same eight-speed automatic.

The Kia Telluride is powered by a 3.8-liter V6 with 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s the only option for the Telluride and it exceeds the power of the base Grand Cherokee L engine, but the V8 is a far stronger option.

: Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Photo by Jeep

Which Has More Budget-Friendly Fuel Economy?

The Grand Cherokee L gets an EPA-estimated 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined with the V6 and rear-wheel drive. Add four-wheel drive and numbers fall to 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. The V8 engine, which is four-wheel drive only, comes in with 14 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined.

The Kia Telluride gets 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive figures drop to 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. If fuel economy is your priority, there’s a clear choice.

: Kia Telluride

Photo by Kia

One Excels in Off-Roading

The Grand Cherokee L offers Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, or Quadra-Drive II as four-wheel drive options depending on the trim. In addition, there’s an available air suspension system, hill descent control, and Selec-Terrain with five traction control settings. It’s a capable off-road vehicle.

The Kia Telluride has a single all-wheel drive system available for all trims. It also offers drive modes of Comfort, Eco, Sport, and Smart to tailor the drive experience to road conditions. While the Telluride can handle winter weather, muddy roads, and light off-roading, the Grand Cherokee L is far more capable.

: Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Photo by Jeep

Composed, Quiet Rides

The Grand Cherokee L has the capability to handle rugged off-road adventures but balances this with good on-road manners. The ride is quiet with minimal road and wind noise with good control, even during quick highway lane changes.

The Telluride offers more modest off-road capability, but a more comfortable on-road ride. Its remarkably smooth and quiet. The noise of snow, wind, and even heavy rain is kept at bay making for a relaxing passenger environment. It also soaks up the bumps and dips in the road and evens out imperfect pavement more consistently than the Grand Cherokee L.

: Kia Telluride

Photo by Kia

Room to Handle All Your Stuff

The Grand Cherokee L has 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, 46.9 cubic feet behind the second row, and 84.6 cubic feet behind the first row. It can tow up to 6,200 pounds with the V6 or 7,200 pounds with the V8.

The Telluride has a room interior with 21.0 cubic feet behind the third row, 46.0 cubic feet behind the second row, and 87.0 cubic feet behind the third row. It can also tow up to 5,000 pounds of additional cargo. Although the Grand Cherokee L can tow more, the Telluride offers more interior cargo room, which is key for day-to-day versatility.

: Kia Telluride

Photo by Kia

Space for the Whole Family

The Grand Cherokee L has a spacious and attractive interior with room for up to seven passengers. Choose either a bench seat or second-row captain’s chairs that drop seating to six. The third row is for two-people only with plenty of room for even taller adults to get comfortable. Materials are attractive and high quality with available premium leathers for a more luxurious experience.

The Kia Telluride also offers a comfortable and attractive interior with a surprisingly luxurious vibe despite its modest pricing. Where the Telluride outdoes the Grand Cherokee L is in available seating with its three-person third row.

: Kia Telluride

Photo by Kia

Easy-to-Use Infotainment

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L has a standard 8.4-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 6-speaker audio. Upgrades include navigation, 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless charging, and 19-speaker McIntosh audio system.

The Telluride has a standard 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 6-speaker audio. Also available is a 10.25-inch touchscreen, navigation, wireless charging, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Grand Cherokee L wins for its larger standard screen and wireless connectivity.

: Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Photo by Jeep

Extensive List of Safety Features

This is close because both the Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Kia Telluride have an extensive list of standard safety features. These include adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind spot monitoring, forward collision avoidance with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear parking sensors, lane keeping assist, and lane departure warning.

Where the two differ is in optional features. The Grand Cherokee L has a few extra, including hill descent control, night vision camera with pedestrian and animal detection, and parallel and perpendicular park assist, that aren’t available on the Kia Telluride.

: Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Photo by Jeep

And the Winner Is…

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L comes out on top. It has a wider range of trims, more powerful engine options, and superior off-road capability. While matched on standard safety, the Grand Cherokee L offers more optional safety features than the Telluride.

The Telluride comes in with more affordable pricing to fit the family budget and has better fuel economy. It’s also a better choice if you need seating for eight since the Grand Cherokee L only seats seven. Though both are great three-row SUVs, the Jeep comes out ahead.

: Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Photo by Jeep