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Some SUVs deserve more time in the spotlight. For the past few years, the Kia Telluride has been the top contender for years, despite missing something important. The 2024 Toyota Highlander offers more efficiency. 

The 2024 Toyota Highlander has hybrid power and the Telluride doesn’t 

If you want something with three rows that’s efficient, then the 2024 Toyota Highlander Hybrid might be the more economical choice than the 2024 Kia Telluride. 

The Kia Telluride has a standard 3.8-liter V6 engine with 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. This delicious amount of power helps the Telluride accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds. 

However, it also makes the Telluride a bit of a gas guzzler. It gets an EPA-estimated 18 mpg in the city and up to 24 mpg on the highway. 

With the Highlander Hybrid, you get a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that’s paired with two electric motors to generate 243 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. 

It helps the Highlander Hybrid accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 8.3 seconds. So, it’s faster and more efficient than the Telluride. 

The 2024 Kia Telluride off-roading
2024 Kia Telluride | Kia

The Highlander Hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 36 mpg in the city and up to 35 mpg on the highway. It can travel about 585 miles between fill-ups. 

But the Kia Telluride starts at $37,355, including the $1,365 destination fee and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid starts at $40,515 including the $1,395 destination fee. 

So, it costs about $3,160 more to go for the Highlander Hybrid over the Telluride. But the fuel savings and needed to stop at gas stations less could be worth it. 

Also, if you need a three-row vehicle for towing, the Highlander Hybrid can only tow up to 3,500 lbs while the Telluride can tow up to 5,500 lbs. Both SUVs are available with all-wheel drive. 

The Telluride is more spacious too, You can access up to 21.0 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 46.0 cubes behind the second row, and 87.0 cubes overall. 

The Highlander Hybrid provides 16.0 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 48.4 cubes behind the second row, and 84.3 cubes total. 

But while the Telluride has more towing power and space, the Highlander Hybrid still beats it at the pump.

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Staff Writer

Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.