The 2022 Kia Telluride is undoubtedly one of the best SUVs on the market today. For the last few years, it’s swept critics’ awards for best SUV along with other categories. Two of the most prominent powerhouse critics and review outlets heavily disagree on the Kia Telluride this year. One critic named it the SUV of the year, while the other didn’t have it in the top 10 and named the 2022 Genesis GV70 SUV of the year.

The 2022 Kia Telluride is Edmunds’ SUV of the year

For the third year in a row, Edmunds named the Kia Telluride its best SUV of the year. It’s only in its third year of production, so it currently has a 100 percent win rate. Edmunds enthusiastically boasts its ride comfort, spacious and upscale interior, and many standard features. Most importantly, Edmunds emphasizes what the Telluride offers for its cost compared to other SUVs.

It’s no secret that the 2022 Kia Telluride is an outstanding value. While many SUVs in the segment don’t offer as many excellent traits, the Telluride offers them for less. That’s what puts it so far ahead of its many opponents, at least to Edmunds. The reviewer also mentions its comfortable third row of seats, large cargo area, and highly intuitive infotainment system.

MotorTrend left the Kia Telluride out of its top 10

Critics disagree on things all the time; it’s nothing new in the automotive space or anywhere else. What’s extraordinary about this particular instance is that MotorTrend did more than disagree. MotorTrend’s SUV of the year was the 2022 Genesis GV70, which Edmunds named its luxury SUV of the year. Splitting the SUVs into more segments isn’t what caused MotorTrend to disrespect the Kia Telluride completely.

For MotorTrend‘s best SUVs, it first revealed contenders, then finalists. The 2022 Kia Telluride wasn’t included on either list. The following vehicles made up MT’s finalists for best SUVs of the year:

• Ford Bronco
• Ford Bronco Sport
• Ford Mustang Mach-E
• Genesis GV70
• Jeep Grand Cherokee L
• Jeep Grand Wagoneer
• Jeep Wrangler 392 and 4xe
• Kia Sorento
• Volkswagen ID.4

You’ll quickly notice that Edmunds SUV of the year is absent from the list. MT even released an additional 14 SUVs that were “contenders” for the award behind the finalists. Between the two lists, the Kia Telluride didn’t crack the top 23. That’s a pretty massive disparity between being #1 three years in a row to being, at minimum, 24th.

The Kia Telluride vs. the Genesis GV70

The best way to decide which of these critics got it right is by looking to a third opinion. One of the most respected opinions comes from a brand that uses real owners’ experiences in its reviews. Consumer Reports rated the Kia Telluride a 97 out of 100 and highly recommends the SUV. For predicted reliability and owner satisfaction, the Kia SUV scored perfectly.

Comparatively, the 2022 Genesis GV70 did not receive such high praise. Its overall score from Consumer Reports is a slightly below average 64 out of 100. Notably, it took a heavy hit because of predicted reliability. One of the most important things to any long-term car owner is how reliable the vehicle will be over its lifetime. For a few reasons, the 2022 Genesis GV70 received a 2 out of 5 reliability rating from Consumer Reports.

One of the leading causes for concern is that there has already been a manufacturer recall. Recalls happen all the time, so that’s nothing out of the ordinary. However, it’s a significant issue for a brand new 2022 model with exploding seatbelt pre-tensioners. Consumer Reports says the recall could cause the seat belt pre-tensioner to release metal fragments when it explodes, which can damage the vehicle’s interior and harm its occupants.

Which SUV is right for you?

The 2022 Genesis GV70 isn’t an overly problematic vehicle by any means. It’s been one of the highest-rated SUVs available since it was released. The Kia Telluride provides nearly everything luxury SUVs do at a fraction of the cost. For the best value SUV available, you’ll want to go with the 2022 Kia Telluride.