sportsguy

Any thoughts on how the RDX stacks up vs new Telluride?
1. Probably more of MDX competitor, but price of top trim Telluride SX is roughly same as RDX Advanced / A-Spec.

2. Telluride - Better infotainment screen and interior

3. Telluride - Lot more room for driver, backseat

4. Telluride - more advanced safety features , better back up camera

5. RDX - Better driving performance + handling

6. Telluride - better looking? better value?

ceb

Wait 'til you try to sell it? Oh, and when you get it serviced?

Have you been in a KIA dealership?

Tony Pac

HotRodW

I don't think too many will cross-shop the RDX and Telluride, so I won't bother attempting to compare the two. That said, the Telluride is an impressive package. On paper at least, it shits all over the Pilot. Possibly the MDX, too. If I were looking for something in that class, I'd have it very high on my list. Only the new Explorer offers more appeal in my opinion.

RDX10

I really don't understand why the Telluride is being compared to the RDX. It is lIke a foot longer than the RDX, a whole class higher, and carries 3 more people. I can understand comparing the RDX to top level mainstream compact crossovers and possibly even some mid sized ones but comparing it to something like a Telluride really doesn't make any sense to me.

With the comparison aside though, the Telluride is a really compelling package to me if I were lookint for something in that class. I LOVE the interior and I think it's really good looking from all angles except for that front end. Just something about the headlights being so far apart really bothers me.

Aside from the looks, it offers a lot of neat features such as the suede headliner and cooled rear seats, if I recall correctly it even has heated third row reats!! Kia/Hyundai have the best and most straightforward infotainment system in the industry IMO (also offering both carplay and Android auto). They also try really hard when it comes to their top models in terms of really bumping up against the premium models so IMO it really does give the MDX a proper fight.

I predict it will be a sales success.

Perfectly stated!

Alias1431

Lol, next let's compare a mini with a F150.

Midnight Mystery

Looks too much like an XC90 and a Pilot had a baby. Otherwise, I'm sure it's nice! But not at all like an RDX...

NJMaverick

At best Kia can be optioned up to luxury adjacent. Having now had a true luxury car in the Acura RDX and two prior luxury adjacent SUVS (fully loaded Edge and Murano) there is just no comparison. Luxury is just better.

sportsguy

there is no comparison:
Premium Nappa Leather Seats
Ambient Mood Lighting, 64 Colors
Power-Folding Outside Mirrors
Smart Key w/ Push-Button Start
Sliding & Folding 2nd-Row Seats
Reclining 3rd-Row Seats
Heated / Cool Front Seats
Heated / Cool Rear Seats
UVO link w/ Navigation, Remote Features
10.25-inch Touch-Screen Display
Apple Carplay (with no glitches), Android Auto
Wireless Charging
​​​​​​Harman/Kardon 10-Speaker, External Amplifier & Subwoofer
7 Passenger Seating w/ 2nd-Row Captain's Chairs
Park Distance Warning - Forward (PDW-F)
Blind Spot View Monitor
Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist-Rear
Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA), w/ Pedestrian Detection
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
6 USB Ports
7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) Color LCD Display
High Beam Assist
Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) w/ Auto-Hold
Automatic Rain Sensing Windshield Wipers
20-inch Alloy Wheels, Black Sport Finish
LED Projector Beam Headlights
10-year/100,000-mile warranty

NJMaverick

I test drove a fully loaded Kia Sorento. Sure the feature list is long but it's simply lacking the refinement of a true luxury car. No matter how you dress it up, it's still a Kia

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the Sorento isnt meant to be a luxury car, that's why you dislike it.
it's meant to be a mommy mobile/soccer mom/Daddy Wagon/ kid hauler/ old people hauler with technology sprinkled in.

if you are viewing it as a luxury car, of course you'll think it's the shittiest value on earth....however, if you think of it as a people mover with fresh amenities built in, it's a great proposition.

Just like how you cant compare the Telluride with the RDX..
KIA isnt aiming for the luxury marque. Kia is aiming for the everday person.

What does the Telluride look like? an Explorer/Expedition of course. That's the target market. NOT luxury. While they CAN be luxurious, the Telluride is aiming more for the lifestyle segment.

Where as Acura is still confused on what they want to be.

Midnight Mystery

This is why I want an Accord V6 or TL again^^^^


I know a Honda isn't a luxury brand, but to me, they still feel a lot like driving an Acura, enough where I probably wouldn't notice it much!

Wander

YES! Finally, a voice of reason.

Who could imagine driving a car to see what it's like, instead of endlessly poring over "feature lists"?

HotRodW

But the Telluride wasn't driven, so it's not a voice of reason, but one of preconceptions. I get that badges matter to some people, but comments like "it's still a Kia" tell me that no matter how good the vehicle, there will always be a group of buyers who will avoid certain brands. Too bad for those people, because the Koreans seem to understand what many of us want in a vehicle. If the Telluride is any indication, the next Sorento will be a legitimate threat, and not just to the mainstream brands.

NJMaverick

Not just buyers. When I told people I bought an Acura their faces and tone of voice is one of being impressed (at least some of them). In the past when I told people I bought a Ford or Nissan the reaction is "meh" There is prestige that comes with luxury brand ownership

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wtf; acura has been shit for 10 years! lol

rephrased another way; Acura hasnt been relevant for a decade.

NJMaverick

Well it appears someone forgot to tell the rest of the world

HotRodW

I mean no offense to anyone here when I say that there are far more prestigious brands than Acura. One could do worse than Acura if cachet is all that matters. One could do better as well.

I'm not saying a badge shouldn't be a factor, but if that's your primary motivator, you're no better off than the customer buying from a features spreadsheet.

NJMaverick

Well said! Cachet is just one of many factors that go into a car choice. Acura isn't a big the most prestigious name among luxury brands but it is when you compare it to the most common brands on the road. In reality, any criteria that isn't functional is an emotional one just like looks. The practical ones are features, price, reliability, function, performance, quality, and comfort.

sportsguy

If you put a BMW or Mercedes badge on the Telluride then 99% of the people on this forum would say the Telluride SX offers amazing value and features for $45k price point. I actually own a Mercedes and will likely be buying a Telluride SX this summer. I care more about what the SUV offers for tech / interior, overall looks, and drive quality. I love the RDX Advance tech/interior and drive quality as well, but too many issues/complaints with Carplay, etc has me looking at Teluride now (which has much better infotainment, extra space / captains chairs, more safety / driving features).

RDX10

Perfectly stated. Nobody has EVER stopped to comment on my Acuras. Ever.

The Telluride is an AMAZING vehicle. Don't listen to the people shitting on it because of the bage. Most of those people probably have never even been in a modern Kia let alone driven one. They completely ignore Kia and Hyundai's ability to build some seriously nice vehicles. The K900 with the twin turbo V6 is a thing. A lot of the niceties from that car have made it into more mainstream Kia products.

This current gen Sorento in SXL trim is insanely well built. Things like suede headliner and pillars, carpeting covering the whole hatch area, felt lining inside the glovebox and center console, more than half the doors covered in soft touch materials...etc. It is the little details like those that really stand out to me and I am certain the Telluride will take all those things and improve on them. So good for you for not being a badge snob.

NJMaverick

I test drove one of them (the same day I test drove the RDX. On paper, the features stack up nicely. I drove the Kia after the RDX and all I could notice was it was lacking the refinement of the RDX

Njbrandon

I've actually been looking at trading my RDX for the Telluride. The V6 is smooth and the infotainment system boots immediately, doesn't take 45 seconds to load like the RDX. I've been following the Telluride forum and unlike the RDX there have been no build issues or complaints at all. Seems like a solidly built vehicle with a lot more features and a lot less headaches.

RDX10

Hey good on you for actually giving it a solid go! I think the RDX being so refined is more of a testament to how refined this generation RDX is vs the Kia being unrefined if that makes sense. Basically the Kia is good but the RDX is Excellent, which is what I would expect. Congrats on your RDX though!

I'm surprised that people even have the Telluride already. Didn't know it was even on sale yet!

Midnight Mystery

I know.

Midnight Mystery

I remember the refreshed 2014 Sorento hit the lot in February 2013 because I sat in one after plane spotting at our two local airporrs seeing what planes I'd see visiting for super bowl weekend.


However, the Telluride is a completely new vehicle and I am beyond amazed to see they're on the lots after just being unveiled barley a couple months ago.

Njbrandon

Obviously Telluride won't have the driving dynamics as RDX but with most of my driving being the same daily commute I'm not fully taking advantage of SH-AWD so I don't know if I'd miss that. Or the acceleration, which again questionable as early tests were 5.6 0-60 and now we're seeing 6.6 secs. Comes down to whether I can utilize the better driving dynamics or are ok with a larger, seemingly better in most other ways vehicle. Looking at all the features the Telluride comes with versus what the RDX doesn't, and my unlucky flawed experience it's something I'm considering.

Madd Dog

EXCALIBUR1

When some people found out I bought my 2019 Acura RDX, they asked, "Why didn't you buy a Lexus?" Go figure.

ross7777

I was pretty impressed with the 2019 Santa Fe. However, my wife wouldn't let me buy it because of the brand.... and she is from Korea....

JB in AZ

That's actually pretty funny! My daughter had a friend in college whose family was from Korea. Her dad bought her a car when she graduated from High School. He insisted it had to be Korean...Bought her a Kia Sephia. This was about 1998. We all know there were MUCH better choices at that time. Kia and Hyundai have really come a long way since then.

flames9

We were going back over seas and wanted a 2nd car...knew would only be keeping it for a short while and knew Kia/Hyundai were popular there. Wife really liked the Kia Soul....We ended up buying a CPO Hyundia Tucson.....never had a single issue with it and was a good vehicle. But many still dont associate Hyundia/kia with quality, even though many reports say they are on par (or better) than honda/Toyota. When it comes to cars, its about name and stickers....I'm sure there are a few that bought the A-spec based on that it had a fancy extra badge on it,lol

bobby2478

While the Telluride will more closely compete with the Pilot and MDX, on paper both the Telluride and Hyundai Palisade both look pretty impressive and will certainly give the Pilot and 3rd Gen MDX a run for their money. Time will tell when they are both readily available and some reviewers have had time to get their hands on them and do some road testing with them. But both Telluride and Hyundai Palisade look very impressive so far

ToniRDX19

Just saw this review on YT. Terrible looking car. The design took cue from Honda Pilot, Land Rover Discovery, Ford Explorer etc. The design is all I ver the place with no personality. It will not age well. Telluride is ugly in my opinion.

Midnight Mystery

I thought the exact same thing, however, I think the Sorento will still look fresh for a lomg time.

Comfy

That is exactly what I generally felt about driving Kia and Hyundai in the last few years. Coming back to the RDX after driving these cars feels so nice. But as I understand, refinement is a very subjective term and therefore each person has his own interpretation about it. Some simply don't get it so there's no point talking about it. Now I admit I haven't driven this Telluride but it looks butt UGLY to me and therefore I have no desire to drive it, unless I'm forced to use one when renting a car which happens occasionally.

Midnight Mystery

I'm sure it might make a nice rental...

deanoatkinson

I watched the video.

The Bad:
The name is terrible.
The look is terrible. It is a deformed Ford Explorer from the back. The front looks horrendous. Those LED cubes are fugly.

The Good:
The inside looks great, center stack looks like it out of a Honda.
Big family hauler, nice usable fold down seats. Competition is Pilot Explorer. I wouldn't consider the MDX at it's current size is much smaller than this.
Seating looks nice.
Power i think would be acceptable as long as the buyer isn't looking for sporty. 3.8l with their 8sp Auto, older stuff that works well.

Overall:
Someone who is looking for best bang for the buck would buy this and is willing to sacrifice looks to save 10k+ vs the competition. I like all the other KIA designs and styles. I have no idea how that became acceptable. I was very interested in the KIA optima back in 2012 or 2013 after its redesign so I'm not anti KIA at all.

If they offered an optional paper bag to place over the front over the car, I could bring her around my friends.

DrWoo

I'm new to Acura, the 2019 RDX is my first, so I have no long-term experience yet, and my Hyundai experience is a decade old, but I had a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. I loved it when I first got it, but they have a long warranty for a reason. I couldn't believe all the stupid things that happened with that car - power seat switch failed (would only go forward and wound up getting stuck in forward position and had to be towed), door arm rest replaced twice for cracking, plus a few other things. But the fuel tank sending unit failing just before the 60k warranty ran out was the final straw. Car always had a faint odor of gas after that was replaced. Maybe the quality has improved in the last decade, but to me, bang for the buck means nothing if the car is cheaply made.

neoshi

Hmm seems like you had a pretty bad experience. I had a Genesis until recently and it was pretty much problem free except for a few headliner rattles and broken welds that they were able to fix. Oh and taillight that took in water but was easily resolved with some caulking. The thing barely needed any maintenance and the power/drive train was stout (Lambda II RS though was built tough and so was the ZF6). But in all fairness, the Santa Fe and the Genesis are a bit different animals for the brand and it seems like they have focused Genesis toward more quality now vs the main brand. You might find that your RDX may present just as many issues with time. At least, my MDX has been waaaaay more problematic than my Genesis ever was (fit and finish, NVH development, and now drivetrain issues).