2021 Toyota Highlander vs. 2021 Kia Telluride

Twenty years ago, Toyota was among the first automakers to sell a mid-size crossover suv. Effective replacements for station wagons and more stylish substitutes for minivans, mid-size crossovers like the original Highlander were perfect for American families. Today, that remains true, and what once was a segment of one (the Highlander) now contains almost 20 competitors. The Kia Telluride is one of them.

Introduced last year, the Telluride is known internally at Kia as the Sell-uride. That’s because the company’s West Point, Georgia, factory can’t keep up with demand for the SUV. The Telluride, which has won numerous awards, arrived just ahead of a complete redesign of the Highlander — and too late for Toyota to take it into account. In the battle of 2021 Kia Telluride vs. 2021 Toyota Highlander, which is best? Let’s examine each SUV in key areas and decide.

Proving the benefit of clean-sheet design and engineering without a mandate to adhere to broad corporate styling themes, the Kia Telluride is one of the best-looking SUVs in its class. With an upscale flavor, traditional boxy SUV proportions, and detailing that hits all of the right notes, the Telluride sparks desire. Especially in its SX trim level and the top option package, the Kia’s cabin continues along the same lines, offering luxury-level materials and design at an unbelievable price. It feels roomy, premium, and even rugged, with attention to detail such as airline-style USB ports for rear-seat passengers.

Comparatively speaking, the Highlander’s angry face, jutting chin, swollen haunches, and small glass area certainly do give this historically boring SUV some personality, as does the new sport-themed XSE model. But the Toyota remains a choice people make because they think they need it, not because they want it. Inside, the Highlander’s forms and components are neither as refined nor as deftly rendered as the Telluride.

Winner: Kia Telluride

Climb aboard the Kia Telluride, and the SUV feels big and roomy thanks to its low dashboard and large windows. Especially when outfitted with a panoramic glass sunroof, the sensation is almost one of enlightenment. Get the Prestige Package for the Telluride SX, and the Kia comes with heated and ventilated second-row seats. Comfort is easy to come by in the Telluride, and adults can sit in the third-row seat for shorter trips, especially when the Telluride is equipped with second-row captain’s chairs.

Comparatively, the Highlander’s third row is mighty cramped, though the Toyota’s first- and second-row are comfortable. And while the Highlander offers a panoramic glass sunroof like the Telluride, the Toyota simply doesn’t feel as big or as welcoming as the Kia. Legroom and headroom measurements bear this out. Cargo volume figures favor the Kia, too, except for the measurement behind the second-row seats. The Telluride carries 46 cubic feet here, while the Highlander handles 48.4 cubic feet. Behind the third-row and in terms of maximum volume, the Kia eclipses the Toyota.

Winner: Kia Telluride

If screen size is the determining factor, the Toyota Highlander dominates the Kia Telluride. Optional on the Limited trim and standard on the Platinum, the Highlander’s 12.3-inch touchscreen display is huge. It does, however, suffer from plenty of sun glare and reside within an oddly asymmetrical housing. The maximum screen size in the Telluride is 10.25 inches. Standard with the EX and SX trim levels, it sits on the dashboard like a tablet, presented in a clean and unadorned manner.

Both SUVs include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Only the Toyota offers a Wi-Fi hotspot. A 1,200-watt, 11-speaker JBL premium sound system is optional for the Toyota, while the Kia gets an available 10-speaker Harman Kardon system. Both SUVs also offer expansive connected service plans, with Toyota providing generous free trials of all offerings while Kia is generally more restrictive.

Winner: Toyota Highlander

Closely matched in terms of standard and available driving assistance and collision avoidance technologies, and each boasting a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), both the Telluride and Highlander are safe family SUVs. Kia, however, takes things a step further.

For example, while both the Kia and Toyota have rear seat reminder systems, the Telluride’s is an ultrasonic technology that can detect movement in the vehicle for up to 24 hours, sending the owner a text alert that someone important might be trapped in the vehicle while flashing the SUV’s lights and honking the horn. The Kia also includes standard Safe Exit Assist, designed to prevent kids from opening a side door when traffic is approaching from behind. And an available camera-based blind-view monitoring system supplements the standard blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert. Both SUVs also offer automatic collision notification with emergency assistance. But in the Kia, this service is free for five years. In the Toyota, you get one free year of this feature before a paid subscription is necessary.

Winner: Kia Telluride

Kia offers a single powertrain in the Telluride, a 3.8-liter V6 making 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel or all-wheel drive, and it tows up to 5,000 pounds.

Toyota equips the Highlander with a 3.5-liter V6. It generates 295 hp and 263 lb-ft of torque, delivered to the front or all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic, and it tows up to 5,000 lbs. Unfortunately for Toyota, the Highlander weighs a couple hundred more pounds than the Kia, and its transmission tends to delay downshifts, producing some hesitation at times. Where Toyota one-ups the Highlander is with regard to its available hybrid powertrain. Good for 243 total horsepower, it is based on a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and uses two electric-assist motors (three if you get AWD). Based solely on V6 engine performance, the Kia gets the nod here. But the Toyota's variety brings it back into contention.

Winner: Tie

Rated to get the 23 mpg in combined driving with front-wheel drive and 21 mpg with AWD, the Kia Telluride can’t match the Toyota Highlander when it comes to fuel economy. And the Kia doesn’t offer a hybrid or plug-in hybrid alternative.

Toyota’s V6 returns 24 mpg with FWD and 23 mpg with AWD. The Highlander Hybrid does better still, making its power deficit more palatable. The electrified version of the SUV is rated to get a downright amazing 36 mpg with FWD and 35 mpg with AWD. With the V6 models, there is a silver lining for the Kia: Its 18.8-gallon gas tank is larger than the Highlander’s 17.9-gallon reservoir. But those Highlander Hybrid numbers are unbeatable.

Winner: Toyota Highlander

Most people, most of the time, will like driving either of these SUVs when it comes to the ride quality and handling. But Kia dials in a little more athleticism as a natural extension of its brand DNA. Based on our extensive tests of the Telluride in western Colorado, it is genuinely enjoyable to sit in the driver’s seat, grasp the steering wheel, and explore parts unknown. Whether you’re zipping down a canyon road, driving through a blinding snow squall, or trudging through thick mud, it puts a smile on a driver’s face.

Comparatively, the Highlander often feels more like an appliance designed to get you from Point A to Point B. Examined in the hill country near San Antonio, the Highlander V6 is certainly refined, quiet, and competent, but unexciting. This applies to the Hybrid version, too. The average driver won’t complain about either SUV, but the Kia can make the journey just as satisfying as the destination.

Winner: Kia Telluride

With pricing that runs thousands of dollars less than the Toyota Highlander, and with warranty and roadside assistance coverage that is among the best programs in the automotive industry, the Kia Telluride is a screaming deal. Load one up with AWD, the SX trim level, and the Prestige Package including premium Nappa leather and a simulated suede headliner, and you will feel like you got a bargain even if you pay the sticker price.

Meanwhile, the more expensive Highlander bakes in free maintenance for two years or 25,000 miles and does offer generous free trial subscriptions to all available connected service plans. But this is not nearly enough to unseat the Kia. There is a reason the Telluride is known as the Sell-uride, and its name is astonishing value.

Winner: Kia Telluride

Equipped with terrific styling, a clean and upscale interior, generous passenger and cargo space, enjoyable driving dynamics, impressive technology, and undeniable value, the Kia Telluride isn’t just a better mid-size SUV than the Toyota Highlander. It’s one of the best mid-size SUVs money can buy.

However, if you need three rows of seats and want to maximize your fuel economy while minimizing your ecological footprint on Mother Earth, there is no alternative but to choose the entirely agreeable Highlander Hybrid. And while the standard Highlander is not without its merits, it simply isn’t as compelling a choice as the Telluride.

Winner: Kia Telluride