The Kia Telluride is a wildly popular midsize SUV. It provides incredible value for its price. Does the Kia Telluride hold its value well over time?

Do Kia Telluride SUVs hold their value well?

Buying a Kia Telluride may seem like a no-brainer because of the midsize SUV’s amazing reviews, but what about resale value? The average new vehicle is kept for about 8.4 years. What happens when you’re ready for a new vehicle after those years have passed?

Kelley Blue Book is a trusted source for finding the fair market value of used vehicles. The 2020 Kia Telluride had an MSRP of $31,890. Kelley Blue Book claims that a 2020 Telluride with under 35,000 miles has a fair market value of $38,155. Astonishingly, used Telluride models are more expensive than new Tellurides in some cases.

Why is the Telluride valued so highly? The midsize SUV retains its value well because of the demand for the popular vehicle. While it may not necessarily be more reliable than other SUVs, it does have the attention of the consumers. Spikes in demand and lack of supply can cause used vehicle price hikes. This is the case with the popular Toyota Tacoma as well.

So, in short, the Telluride apparently has amazing resale value, at least for the time being. The nameplate only debuted in 2019, so we’ll have to wait and see how it ages to truly gauge how well it retains its worth. Based on KBB’s fair market value estimate, the Telluride is great to buy as a new vehicle and not the best used vehicle choice.

Is the Kia Telluride better than a Ford Explorer?

Consumer Reports gave the 2022 Kia Telluride a 97 overall score, which is incredibly high for the review site. The 2022 Ford Explorer got a measly 47 overall score.

Some of the Explorer’s main problem areas were its predicted reliability, its fuel economy, and its value. Its ride quality and emergency handling got 3/5 scores. The Explorer scored well for noise, front seat comfort, rear seat comfort, interior fit and finish, and for its trunk/cargo area.

The Kia Telluride got a perfect 5/5 for predicted reliability, an extreme contrast from the Explorer’s score of 1/5. It got perfect scores for noise and rear seat comfort as well. The midsize SUV has its weaknesses, but it outscored the Explorer in nearly every category.

The Telluride is slightly cheaper than the Ford Explorer. It outscores the Explorer overall according to most automotive publications, including Car and Driver.

Where are Kia Tellurides built?

Kia Tellurides are built in West Point, Georgia. The nameplate debuted in 2019 as a 2020 model year. In just two short years, the Telluride has distinguished itself among midsize SUVs.

The 2022 Kia Telluride starts at $33,090. The slightly updated 2023 model year has debuted at the NY International Auto Show. Will the Telluride continue to assert its dominance over the midsize SUV vehicle segment, or will something come along to challenge it?