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Kia Telluride vs Toyota Highlander

2025 Kia Telluride vs 2025 Toyota Highlander — two rivals compared on efficiency, size, safety and reliability.

Kia Telluride

2025 Kia Telluride

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WDAWD/4WD
VS2 – 4Toyota Highlander wins 4 of 6 categories
Toyota Highlander

2025 Toyota Highlander

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WDAWD/4WDHybrid/EV

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The short version

The Toyota Highlander is more fuel-efficient: 35 vs 22 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $1,150 a year less in fuel for the Toyota Highlander (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Kia Telluride is the bigger car, about 2 inches longer.

Both earned 5 stars overall in NHTSA crash tests.

Across all model years since 2005, the Kia Telluride has had fewer recall campaigns (20 vs 47).

The two cars

The 2025 Kia Telluride is a small SUV offered with a 3.8L 6-cyl engine and front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It measures about 197 inches long and 78 inches wide on a 114-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 4,343 lb.

The 2025 Toyota Highlander is a standard SUV offered with 2 engines (2.5L 4-cyl and 2.4L 4-cyl turbo), including a hybrid version and all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive. It measures about 195 inches long and 76 inches wide on a 112-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 4,123 lb (4dr SUV L FWD).

Buying used? The 2024 Telluride and the 2024 Highlander have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2020 Telluride and the 2021 Highlander.

Basics

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Class
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Regular Gasoline
Fuel
Hybrid, Regular Gasoline
3.8L 6-cyl
Engines
2.5L 4-cyl, 2.4L 4-cyl turbo
Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive

Efficiency

22 MPG
Best combined MPG
35 MPG
20 city
City / highway MPG (best)
35 city
$3,050
Fuel cost per year (EPA)
$1,900

Performance & space

–
Horsepower (most powerful)
265 hp
–
Seats (most)
7
196.9 in
Length
194.9 in
78.3 in
Width
76 in
69.3 in
Height
68.1 in
4,343 lb
Curb weight (lightest)
4,123 lb

Safety & reliability

★★★★★
NHTSA overall rating
★★★★★
12
Driver-assist features standard
13
3
Recalls (2025)
4
20
Recalls, all years since 2005
47
122
Owner complaints (latest year)
10

Interest

19,618
Wikipedia views, 30 days
21,118

Buying used

2024
Best used year
2024
2020
Year to avoid
2021

Green = clearly better. Prices are not included. How we calculate this →

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Kia Telluride if…

  • You put reliability history first (20 vs 47 recalls since 2005)

Choose the Toyota Highlander if…

  • You want lower fuel bills (35 vs 22 MPG)
  • You want a hybrid or electric option

Pros & cons of each

2025 Kia Telluride

  • AWD / 4WD available
  • 5-star NHTSA safety ratingTop overall score in federal crash tests.
  • Lots of standard safety tech5 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
  • Below-average fuel economyBest version gets 22 MPG combined, 24% below the 2025 small SUV average of 29 MPG.

2025 Toyota Highlander

  • Excellent fuel economyUp to 35 MPG combined — 77% better than the average 2025 standard SUV (19.8 MPG).
  • Hybrid version availableOffered as a hybrid as well as gas.
  • AWD / 4WD available
  • Seats up to 73 rows of seating.
  • 5-star NHTSA safety ratingTop overall score in federal crash tests.
  • Lots of standard safety tech5 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.

Full 2025 Kia Telluride specs →Full 2025 Toyota Highlander specs →Compare fuel costs for your driving →Compare size & garage fit →