2023 Kia Telluride vs 2022 Ford Explorer

In 2022, the Ford Explorer offered eight distinct models, ranging in price from $33,745 to $54,495, excluding a $1,495 destination charge. Ford added the rugged Timberline and luxurious King Ranch trims in the previous year, and 2022 introduced the sporty ST-Line.

Our test drive featured the King Ranch model, equipped with 4WD, Rapid Red paint, a Premium Technology package, and a twin-panel sunroof. This brought the MSRP to $59,880, including the destination charge. Visually, the King Ranch was distinguished by its emblems, shiny 20-inch 10-spoke wheels, and quad exhaust outlets, though it didn’t stand out dramatically from other Explorers. The Explorer’s design, rooted in a rear-drive platform, boasted a long and tall hood, short front overhang, rakish roofline, and a tapering greenhouse for an athletic look. Blacked-out roof pillars (except those behind the rear doors) gave the Explorer a popular “floating roof” effect.

Inside, the King Ranch trim offered Del Rio leather seating with lasso-perforated inserts and exclusive branding on seats and the center armrest pad, featuring a chocolate brown over caramel color scheme. The cabin’s quality was a mix, displaying both premium materials and some elements that reminded you of the base model. Though largely worthy of its price tag, there were occasional hints of lower-grade materials in the otherwise luxurious interior.

The 2023 Kia Telluride saw significant stylistic updates, including fresh front and rear styling, new headlights and taillights, and updated wheel designs. Popular new paint colors were Midnight Lake Blue, Dawning Red, and Jungle Green, while the interior gained new color options—Terracotta, Navy, and Sage Green.

This year replaced the Nightfall Edition with the X-Line, featuring a raised suspension, unique grille, raised roof rails, body-color door handles, and black 20-inch wheels. The X-Pro build advanced these features with exclusive 18-inch wheels and all-terrain tires. These new trims, combined with updated bumpers, gave the Telluride a mildly aggressive off-roader aesthetic.

Inside, the 2023 Telluride’s updates were more subtle but impactful, notably a new digital instrumentation panel and a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system housed under a single 24-inch curved glass panel, pushing the SUV's interior design into the future. Other updates included new interior colors, minor trim changes, a new steering-wheel design, and a more functional center console. Additionally, both the X-Line and X-Pro trims had their names embossed into the front seatbacks, enhancing the SUV's sporty yet luxurious feel.

Ford offered three powertrains for the 2022 Explorer. The base engine, found in trims like Base, XLT, ST-Line, Limited, and Timberline, was a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder, producing 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic and RWD, with 4WD as an option. This engine delivered up to 24 mpg in combined driving and towed up to 5,300 pounds.

An optional hybrid drivetrain for the Limited trim, and available as a downgrade on the Platinum trim, consisted of a 3.3-liter V6 combined engine, generating 318 hp and 322 lb-ft of torque. Offering up to 27 mpg combined and towing up to 5,000 pounds, this hybrid also came with a 10-speed automatic, available in RWD or 4WD.

For those trading fuel economy for power and towing capacity, the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine—standard on the ST, Platinum, and King Ranch trims—produced 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic and available in RWD or 4WD. This powerhouse engine, capable of towing up to 5,600 pounds, offered a maximum of 21 mpg combined. During our test of the King Ranch 4WD, we averaged 20.6 mpg.

The Explorer King Ranch's ride felt robust and energetic, suitable for traditional SUV and off-roading without the typical discomfort over bumps and potholes. With a Trail setting and 7.9 inches of ground clearance, it handled moderately challenging off-road landscapes. Explorer Timberline models offered even better off-road performance with 8.7 inches of ground clearance. For daily driving, the King Ranch was athletic and engaging, but enthusiasts would likely prefer the sport-tuned Explorer ST with its High-Performance option package.

Mechanically, the 2023 Kia Telluride retained its 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Drivers had multiple driving modes—Eco, Comfort, Smart, Sport, and Snow—with the AWD system offering a low-speed Lock setting for even power distribution.

The Telluride’s V6 was responsive, averaging 24.1 mpg in the X-Line trim, with mixed driving conditions. The X-Pro trim returned 20.4 mpg, including off-roading. Official EPA ratings suggested 21 mpg combined for the AWD Telluride.

Kia enhanced the Telluride’s X-Line and X-Pro trims by raising the suspension 10mm, increasing ground clearance by 0.4 inches to 8.4 inches, and improving angles of approach and departure. These updates, coupled with a new Downhill Brake Control system, better prepared the Telluride for off-road adventures. In off-road tests, the Telluride performed capably, showcasing features like AWD Lock mode, all-terrain tires, ground clearance, wheel articulation, and stability on slopes.

On regular roads between San Antonio and Austin, the Telluride offered a smooth, comfortable ride. Despite some wind noise at highway speeds and a slight squishiness in turns due to the 245/60 all-terrain tires, the driving experience remained enjoyable and connected. An Individual mode for steering would have been helpful, but overall, the Telluride was a delight to drive.

The 2022 Ford Explorer offered ample comfort for a family of four. With a second-row bench seat, it could occasionally seat five, but the third-row was suitable only for children due to the rear-drive platform, low rear roofline, and tapered tail.

The King Ranch model came fully equipped with triple-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row captain’s chairs. The front seats, with massaging functionality and extensive power adjustments, were exceptionally comfortable, suitable for long drives. However, the third-row was cramped, difficult for access, and unsuitable for adult passengers.

Practical storage within the cabin was limited. The center console storage bin was small, and missed opportunities for additional storage were evident. However, features like built-in cupholders in the rear seat door panels and a shallow tray between the captain’s chairs partially compensated for the lack of overall storage.

The Explorer’s cargo space was 18.2 cubic feet behind the third-row seat. Folding the 50/50-split, power-folding third-row seats down increased the cargo volume to 47.9 cubic feet. With both rear rows folded, maximum cargo capacity reached 87.8 cubic feet.

Conversely, the 2023 Kia Telluride accommodated seven or eight passengers, depending on the second-row seating configuration. Our test vehicles featured premium Nappa leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, and heated and ventilated front- and second-row captain’s chairs, along with a heated steering wheel.

Both front seats were comfortable, with a new power lumbar stabilization system to keep drivers alert on long journeys. The second-row seats were equally accommodating, with additional features like manual side-window sunshades, USB ports on the front seatbacks, storage pockets, and overhead climate control for rear passengers.

Access to the third-row was facilitated by a sliding second-row seat design, and the third-row seating was comparatively more comfortable than competitors, though not as spacious as found in the Volkswagen Atlas.

Storage was abundant, with well-placed compartments and conveniences. The Telluride’s “smart” power tailgate, with proximity-sensing and automatic closing function, made loading easier, though could activate unintentionally.

With seats up, the Telluride offered 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row. Folding the third row expanded this to 46 cubic feet, and fully folded, the Telluride provided 87 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity.

The 2022 Ford Explorer featured two versions of its Sync 3 infotainment system. The standard was an 8-inch horizontal touchscreen, with an optional 10.1-inch portrait-style display that seemed like an afterthought.

Our King Ranch test model included comprehensive Sync 3 technology, ranging from FordPass Connect services, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, Ford+Alexa, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, and a navigation system. Other features included wireless smartphone charging, a surround-view camera system, and a 14-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system. However, the Sync 3 system's voice recognition was lacking, often failing to interpret commands correctly.

Additional tech included a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and Active Park Assist 2.0 for autonomous parking. An optional rear-seat entertainment system with dual touchscreens was available.

For 2023, Kia made significant advancements, equipping all Telluride models with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, navigation, and Kia Connect services with a new Wi-Fi hotspot. Testing the voice recognition showed impressive accuracy, though climate control adjustments required manual input.

Kia Access offered remote functions through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, with OTA updates keeping the system current. The Telluride also included six USB ports, Driver Talk and Quiet Mode features, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, wireless smartphone charging, and digital-key technology for smartphones and smartwatches.

The Full Display Mirror and a new 10-inch HUD with more information added to the tech package. Notably, Leading Vehicle Departure Alert reminded drivers when the car ahead moved.

The 2022 Ford Explorer earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS across all trims. At the time of review, NHTSA hadn’t published complete crash-test ratings for the 2022 model, though previous year ratings were mostly five stars with a four-star rollover rating.

Ford equipped the Explorer with Co-Pilot360, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. A Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, and evasive steering assist. Other features included post-collision braking and MyKey programmable functions.

The systems generally worked well, though the sensitivity of the steering wheel to driver touch needed improvement. Adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist showed good performance but had occasional quirks in certain scenarios.

Kia equipped the 2023 Telluride with a comprehensive suite of safety features, expanding its ADAS for the new model year. Standard equipment included forward-collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction turning assistance, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking.

Additional features in the Telluride were Safe Exit Assist, adaptive cruise control with navigation-based speed adjustments, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, and Highway Drive Assist 1.5 or 2.0, depending on trim. Higher trims added advanced collision avoidance, front parking sensors, evasive steering assist, surround-view camera, Blind-Spot View Monitor, automatic high-beam headlights, driver attention warning, and Rear Occupant Alert with ultrasonic sensors.

During road tests, the ADAS performed admirably, with Highway Drive Assist 2.0 particularly impressing in stop-and-go traffic.