2025 Kia Telluride vs 2026 Jeep Cherokee

Family-friendly, midsize three-row SUVs are a favorite of Americans, and nearly every mainstream car company offers one. Kia has three, and the Telluride is the largest of its gas-powered models (the electric-only EV9 is slightly larger). The Telluride debuted in 2020 to critical acclaim and commercial success, and since then has received several updates but not a redesign. We took a 2025 Kia Telluride on a 1,200-mile family road trip to Northern California and Yosemite, and remain impressed with this stylish and capable Kia.

Verdict: Aging technology caused some irritation during a five-day road trip in the 2025 Kia Telluride. Otherwise, the Telluride was perfectly suited to long-distance travel–whether rolling down an Interstate, roaming a major city, or romping down trails near a national park.

The Jeep Cherokee returns for the 2026 model year after a two-year hiatus. It’s once again a compact crossover SUV aimed at popular models such as the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4, but features more traditional styling than its predecessor. That’s not the only thing about the Cherokee that got a major rethink, because this is also the first Cherokee—and the only current North American-market Jeep—with a hybrid powertrain.

Verdict: The redesigned Cherokee successfully merges traditional Jeep styling with the winning template for mainstream crossover SUVs.