One of the best Kia models on the market right now is the Telluride, and it’s won many awards while also being popular with car shoppers. That being said, just like any other car, the Telluride is not perfect, and it does have one issue that many owners don’t like. Here’s a look at the 2023 Kia Telluride and its one issue that owners would change.

This is the one part of the 2023 Kia Telluride that owners would change

Every year, J.D. Power surveys thousands of owners about their cars, and one of the main aspects of that survey involves owners ranking how their car performs in 10 categories. The category that has the lowest rating is what owners like the least about their car, and for the Telluride, its lowest-rated category is fuel economy.

Unsurprisingly, the Telluride’s powertrain, which currently is only one engine option, also didn’t do well. The Kia SUV still comes with the same engine that the South Korean automaker gave it when it debuted in the 2020 model year. It’s a 3.8-liter V6 engine that’s paired to an eight-speed automatic. It gets 291 hp, and front-wheel drive is standard. 

With front-wheel drive, the Telluride gets an esimated 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on highways, for 23 mpg combined. Adding all-wheel drive will knock its fuel economy down to 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on highways, for 21 mpg combined. 

The 2023 Kia Telluride has a decent fuel economy, but it can get better

The Telluride competes in the midsize SUV segment, but unlike some other midsize SUVs, Kia gave the vehicle three-rows of seats as standard. As a result, the Telluride is on the larger side, and that will naturally hurt its fuel economy.

Midsize SUVs that also have three rows, such as the Subaru Ascent or the Toyota 4Runner, will have fuel economies that are in the same ballpark as the Telluride.

That means that the Telluride has an average fuel economy for its segment, but it also means that there are options that are far more efficient. Those models are efficient largely because they come with a hybrid powertrain. For example, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid has three rows of seats, and thanks to its hybrid powertrain, it gets about 35 mpg combined.

Giving the Telluride a hybrid powertrain option is one of the easiest ways that Kia can boost the SUV’s fuel economy. In fact, Kia already has a midsize SUV with three rows of seats and a hybrid powertrain with the Sorento Hybrid.

It’s possible that the Sorento Hybrid’s powertrain will be powerful enough for the Telluride. For now though, Kia does not appear to have any plans on adding a hybrid powertrain option to the Telluride.

Owners liked many other parts of the 2023 Kia Telluride however

If Kia improves the Telluride’s fuel economy, then the South Korean automaker will have made a near-perfect car even better. The 2023 version of the popular SUV already makes some notable improvements. Some features of the Telluride simply got bigger or better, such is the case with its new 12.3-inch touchscreen display. 

Kia also made changes to the Telluride’s exterior styling, and owners seem to really like those changes. In fact, the car’s exterior styling was its highest-rated category from J.D. Power’s owner survey. Owners also liked the midsize SUV’s interior design and interior comfort. Not only does the Telluride feel great to drive, but drivers and passengers also feel safe when they’re in the Kia SUV.