Kia Telluride vs. Toyota Grand Highlander vs. Honda Pilot vs. VW Atlas | 3-Row SUV Comparison Test

The Kia Telluride has been the gold standard when it comes to three-row midsize SUVs for a few years now, but the competition has been working hard to catch up. In addition to the all-new Honda Pilot and updated Volkswagen Atlas, the Telluride now faces perhaps its fiercest competitor yet: the all-new Toyota Grand Highlander. Will the Telluride hold onto its crown against new-and-improved competitors? Find out with Edmunds’ Brian Wong in our three-row midsize SUV comparison test.

00:00 Intro
00:58 Edmunds' Ratings
01:52 Interior & Comfort
03:24 Technology & Safety
06:12 Cargo & Storage
09:28 Value & Fuel Economy
11:30 Edmunds' Take

[edmundscars]

Each of these three-row SUVs brings something to the table, so what's the most important factor for you if you're shopping for a family vehicle? Let us know in the comments below!

[Szymon.Skorka]

This summer I had the same dilemma. And in the end I finished with a minivan 😂.

[sammyt]

How can a comparison of family haulers like these not have a word about ride quality? I know there's a comfort category in the comparison, but that was more about interior amenities/space than ride quality, as indicated in the video. That's a major omission imo.

[lane]

Out of all the vehicles I test drove, the Honda Pilot got my heart immediately. It sits high up with A LOT of visibility, drives so lightly/smoothly, is spacious with the usability of a minivan, and has a naturally aspirated V6. Not to mention the high resale value with 55% after 5 years. Honda really knows how to tune their I-VRTM transmission because the drive train was incredible. Honda for me.

[sirventagod]

This video was super helpful. I’m in the market for a SUV and needed some quick insight.
Preciate your work

[johns.]

Awesome comparison. Very insightful and a fun edit to watch. Thanks!

[frankxx]

Great video, informative and fun. Keep up the good work. Awesome....

[jbnc]

And the Pilot is still my #1 pick haha. Screen is the perfect size not to big or small.

[justinbelk]

Kia has made great progress, I’m loving my 2023 Sportage X-Pro.

[KaPoW]

Good video but what trims did you compare (All top trims?)? I take issue with the screen size. The bigger screens are just more distraction. I get that bigger screens should give you bigger buttons and things like text size should be bigger but I think that these screens still end up taking too much driver attention away from the driving task. I"ll agree with the other folks about not including a ride and handling as well.

[Yormsane]

I'll happily take that smaller dashboard screen in the new Pilot, I don't want a bunch of multimedia distractions flashing at me as I drive my family around. And the Honda's V6 drivetrain is a winner for me. Powerful, smooth and durable.

[Hazdazos]

What good is Kia's warranty if dealers find sleazy ways of denying warranty coverage?? Kia has the nicest interior, by far, of these 4, but dealing with shady Kia dealers is just not worth the hassle.

[sojourner]

My local Toyota dealer is selling Grand highlander hyb max for $69600... I find it insane how expensive many cars are getting these days.

[sonicliberation]

Yes, if Kia actually honored their warranty commitments they would have a clear winner, unfortunately this is not frequently the case in my experience.

[ahill]

You should have mentioned the trim levels of the vehicles you reviewed. The Kia EX trim level doesn't have the remote second row seat release from the back like you showed. Also, oddly enough, the lower trim models have the backup collision warning, but nothing for the front. I've owned my 2023 Kia Telluride for a year and put about 12, 000 miles on it. It's had 3 recalls (side air bag wiring harness, rear speaker crash pad, instrument panel software) and the left rear passenger door could not be opened from inside the vehicle due to unconnected linkage inside the door (warranty repair). The dealer offered a free oil change to which I added a tire rotation which took 2 hours even with an appointment. The mechanic failed to tighten three lug nuts on my RR tire. I won't use the same dealer in the future, and I'll likely trade it in for a Honda Pilot. The Telluride's switchology is quirky (e.g. "automatic" climate control really doesn't adjust fan speed automatically). It should be noted that the Highlander and VW are only available with a 4 cylinder engine whereas the Kia and Honda still come with a 6 cyl standard engine. To get the equivalent power of a 6 cyl engine, Toyota and VW turbocharge their engines, which adds complexity and possibly worse reliability compared to Kia and Honda.

[ivanperez]

Edmunds is so in love with the telluride and the money they earn from kia

[Maximer]

You guys should figure out a reliability category as this heavily weighed on my decision.

[jihooncha-vsom]

My 2019 Kia Telluride is such a cool and great car.

[rufus]

People keep smack talking Toyotas designs but you have to remember a key thing! Toyota focuses on QUALITY and LONGEVITY vs looks! I'd rather take a car that is going to last, vs one that looks good but dies (or gets stolen, cough KIA!) I just got my Grand and it's INCREDIBLE!!!

[cyndiecityify]

Great video ! Awesome family vehicles to compare . I’m currently debating whether or not I wanna get rid of my 2016 SEQUOIA . 😬 The new technology and safety features got me drooling . Will be test driving the Atlas, Pilot and maybe the telluride . I have to have 3 car seats and I know all of them will accommodate that so it will definitely come down to handling, safety features, visibility, cabin noise, resale value, reliability and smoothness of the ride . 🙌🏻