2025 Kia Telluride vs 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained its rugged charm with a few updates to the Wilderness trim, including a new front fascia and LED fog lights. The dark gray cladding contrasted beautifully with the Autumn Green Metallic paint on the Touring XT model, offering a surprisingly appealing aesthetic. The Outback's various trims featured different levels of black and chrome exterior fittings, with the Touring trim showcasing the most chrome, which was tastefully done. Wheel designs varied across trims, with the Wilderness trim sporting matte black 17-inch alloy wheels, while the Onyx Edition and higher trims upgraded to 18-inch wheels. Inside, the top-trim Touring XT impressed with Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery, providing a luxurious feel uncommon for Subaru, which typically leans towards capability over luxury.

The 2025 Kia Telluride was a striking SUV with its distinctive design and upscale details. However, the blacked-out X-Line and X-Pro treatments somewhat muted its personality, especially against the Midnight Lake Blue paint. Inside, the Telluride's black-over-Terracotta interior contrasted sharply with the exterior, featuring simulated wood trim, metallic accents, and chevron-pattern Nappa leather for a luxurious ambiance. The dual-screen display on the dashboard added a modern touch, though some metallic finishes made markings hard to discern in daylight. Despite some lower-quality plastics, the Telluride's interior was thoughtfully designed, offering comfort and convenience for passengers.

The 2024 Subaru Outback was powered by a "Boxer" horizontally opposed engine, with the base model featuring a 2.5-liter flat-four engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT trims, including the Wilderness, were upgraded to a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, increasing towing capacity to 3,500 lbs. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and a Lineartronic CVT were standard across the lineup. The turbocharged engine in the Touring XT provided a more powerful and balanced driving experience, with the CVT mimicking eight distinct gears. The Outback offered a comfortable ride, with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, which increased to 9.2 inches in the Wilderness trim, equipped with all-terrain tires and advanced X-Mode for off-road adventures.

The 2025 Kia Telluride featured a 3.8-liter V6 engine generating 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard on lower trims, while AWD with a center locking differential was available on higher trims. The Telluride offered Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with AWD models adding a Snow mode. Despite some competitors switching to turbocharged four-cylinders, the Telluride's V6 provided smooth and ample power, achieving 20.2 mpg over a 1,200-mile road trip. The X-Pro package's all-terrain tires excelled off-road but sacrificed some on-pavement grip. The Telluride's suspension and tires handled rough terrain well, though brake pedal behavior was occasionally inconsistent in heavy traffic.

The 2024 Subaru Outback offered impressive interior space despite its sleek design. It provided more front headroom than competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, with ample legroom in both rows. The cargo area measured 32.6 cubic feet with seats up and 75.6 cubic feet with seats folded. Feature availability was a strong point, with dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver's seat standard on most trims. Higher trims added heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The hands-free power liftgate and power moonroof were standard on higher trims, and the roof rails with retractable cross bars were a practical touch.

The 2025 Kia Telluride's interior was thoughtfully designed, with heated and ventilated front and second-row seats, USB-C charging ports, and smartphone storage sleeves. The driver's seat offered a lumbar massage function, enhancing long drives. The second-row captain's chairs provided comfort and convenience, with ample legroom and a rear climate control zone. The third-row seat, while folded for luggage during the trip, was accessible and comfortable for adults. The Telluride offered 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 46 cubic feet with seats folded, and 87 cubic feet with all rear seats down. While not class-leading, the space was sufficient for most needs.

The 2024 Subaru Outback Touring featured an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, with the base trim retaining dual 7-inch screens. The Subaru Starlink multimedia platform, though dated, offered standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with wireless connectivity starting from the Premium trim. The climate controls were integrated into the touchscreen, with hard buttons for essential functions. Wi-Fi capability, Bluetooth, HD Radio, and SiriusXM were standard, with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system available on most trims.

The 2025 Kia Telluride SX and SX Prestige trims featured a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system under a single glass panel, complemented by a 10-inch head-up display on the SX Prestige. The head-up display provided blind-spot alerts, while the Blind Spot View Monitor showed live video feeds. However, the Telluride lacked wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the data port was USB-A. The native voice recognition system was basic, but Bluetooth connectivity allowed streaming from multiple devices. The 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system delivered impressive sound quality.

The 2024 Subaru Outback earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features included the EyeSight suite with adaptive cruise control, lane-centering, automatic emergency braking, and more. Reverse automatic braking was standard from the Onyx trim, and the Touring trim added a wide-angle camera, digital rearview mirror, and driver-attention monitor.

The 2025 Kia Telluride featured the Drive Wise suite of ADAS, including forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and more. Highway Driving Assist was standard, offering semi-autonomous driving capabilities. The SX Prestige X-Pro trim added advanced features like the Blind Spot View Monitor, evasive steering assist, and a surround-view camera. The Telluride earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.