The Kia SUV is every bit as good and in some ways superior to the Honda Pilot. The Telluride, along with the Stinger sports sedan, is the pinnacle of this. Heavy-duty 10-year/100,000-mile warranties took the fear away from buyers.īut now Kia (and Hyundai and the premium Genesis brand) has shown it can offer great value alongside wonderful quality.

So first impressions were that the cars were cheap, sticker-wise and quality-wise. The South Koreans entered the fray after the Japanese impact had been felt, leaving price as the only real avenue to competition.

The Japanese brands gained instant cred decades ago when their well-built and fuel-efficient cars put Detroit on notice. I'll just say it: When Hyundai and Kia arrived in the US market, they didn't make a Japanese impression. And it went away once the Telluride's transmission automatically snicked into the overdrive gears. I noticed but one 'problem': a bit of buzz from the 291-horsepower engine under hard acceleration in sport mode. This SUV was as close to perfect at its price point as possible, if you ask me. The uptick in price was $15,000, much of which was worth it, though the only extras offered for this trim were stuff like Nappa leather seat trim and a head-up display, as well as second-row seats that were heated and cooled. My test vehicle was the top SX trim level and consequently optioned within an inch of its automotive life. That still gets you AWD and the V6, so, therefore, is a monumental bargain. If you want to go bare-bones, the Kia Telluride can be had for about $32,000. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

Kia crossover 2019