2022 Chevrolet Suburban vs 2022 Kia Telluride

The 2022 Kia Telluride attracted consumers with its muscular design and balanced proportions. It featured trendy blacked-out wheels and trim, making it a handsome midsize SUV. For 2022, Kia made only minor changes to the grille pattern and added new badges. The Telluride continued in LX, S, EX, and SX trims, with pricing ranging from $32,790 to $44,590, plus a destination charge of $1,225. The interior was well-designed, with logical control arrangements, though the glossy plastic on the lower half of the cabin looked cheap, especially in the SX Prestige with its Nappa leather upholstery and simulated suede headliner. Despite this, the Telluride offered numerous new standard features, including a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, automatic climate control, and advanced driving aids.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban shared its exterior styling with the shorter Tahoe SUV and the Silverado 1500 pickup, giving it a supersized appearance with a tall hood, long proportions, and large wheels. The Suburban was available in six trims: LS, LT, RST, Z71, Premiere, and High Country. Our RST test vehicle featured a Cherry Red Tintcoat exterior and 22-inch bright-machined black-painted wheels, giving it a sporty look. Inside, the Suburban offered a spacious cabin with varying levels of comfort and luxury depending on the trim. Our RST tester had 10-way power seats, Jet Black perforated leather seats with Victory Red stitching, and the optional Luxury package. However, the predominantly black interior made the cabin feel a bit dark.

The 2022 Kia Telluride was remarkably satisfying to drive, despite its size and taller center of gravity. It featured a 291-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 engine with 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Telluride offered AWD with a Lock mode for even power distribution and had eight inches of ground clearance. It performed well in snow and muddy conditions and was good on dry pavement, thanks to its brake-based Torque Vectoring Cornering Control system. Drivers could choose between Eco, Comfort, Smart, and Sport driving modes. The Telluride's ride quality was smooth, and it cruised effortlessly on the open road. It returned 21.1 mpg in combined driving during testing, matching the EPA estimate. The Telluride's towing capacity was 5,000 pounds.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered three engine choices: a 5.3-liter V8, a 6.2-liter V8, and a new 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six, all paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The 5.3-liter V8 produced 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, while the 6.2-liter V8 delivered 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. The 3.0-liter diesel engine provided 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The Suburban's independent rear suspension improved ride and handling, and the larger 6.2-liter V8 in our RST test vehicle offered noticeable power and acceleration. The Suburban's maximum towing capacity was 8,300 pounds, and it performed well during an 80-mile tow test, pulling a Chevrolet Impala sedan on a trailer with ease.

The 2022 Kia Telluride balanced form and function with an upscale, organized, and appealing interior. It featured thoughtful details like overhead air vents, manual rear side window shades, rear smartphone storage pouches, and USB ports in the front seatbacks. Dual-zone automatic climate control served front-seat occupants, while a single-zone panel served the rear. The SX Prestige package added premium Nappa leather upholstery and a simulated suede headliner. The Telluride's three rows of seats were comfortable for adults, and the one-touch sliding and folding second-row seat mechanism made accessing the third row easy. The Telluride offered 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 87 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban excelled in space, offering seating for up to nine occupants with the optional front-row bench seat. Most Suburbans offered seven- or eight-passenger seating. The third row was livable for adults, with adequate headroom, knee room, and legroom. The Suburban had 41.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 144.7 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded flat. The second-row seats could slide forward or backward up to 5.5 inches. The Suburban's cabin featured an optional power-sliding center console with additional storage space and a hidden storage drawer. However, its size made it challenging to maneuver and park in tight spaces, and it might not fit in some garages due to its height.

The 2022 Kia Telluride came standard with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, though it lost the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality of the previous 8-inch system. USB charging ports were available in all three rows, and a wireless smartphone charging pad was standard in all trims except the LX. Kia Connect offered a range of connected services, including emergency assistance, remote engine start, and home-to-car integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The Telluride also featured a Quiet Mode and Driver Talk function. Our SX test vehicle had a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a head-up display, and a surround-view monitoring system.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered a surprising level of technology, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and Google built-in on LT trims and above. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System with an 8-inch touchscreen was standard on the LS, while a 10.2-inch system with Google built-in was standard on the LT and above. Wireless device charging and a WiFi hotspot were standard on the LT and above. The Suburban LS had a six-speaker audio system, while the LT had a nine-speaker Bose system. The Premier and High Country trims featured a Bose 10-speaker Surround with CenterPoint audio system. Our test vehicle had the nine-speaker Bose system, which provided decent sound quality.

The 2022 Kia Telluride included numerous standard driver assistance and collision avoidance technologies under the Kia Drive Wise umbrella. These features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and adaptive cruise control with curve speed reduction. The Telluride also had Highway Driving Assist, Smart Cruise Control-Curve, and Safe Exit Assist. Our SX test vehicle featured Blind-Spot View Monitor technology. The Telluride earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick" designation from the IIHS.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban came with standard safety features as part of the Chevy Safety Assist suite, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, front pedestrian braking, rear park assist, following distance indicator, automatic high-beam headlights, and an HD rear-vision camera. For 2022, front park assist, lane-keeping assistance, and lane-departure warning were added. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, HD surround vision, rear pedestrian alert, reverse automatic braking, lane-changing assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and a head-up display. The Suburban received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA.