Kia Telluride vs Toyota Grand Highlander
Summary
The cargo story splits by mode. Third row in use: Telluride, 22.3 vs 20.6 cu ft. Third row folded: Grand Highlander by a wide margin, 57.9 vs 48.7 cu ft — and 97.5 vs 89.3 at maximum.
The rows split too. The Telluride's 43 in of second-row legroom beats Toyota's 39.5 by 3.5 in — the largest gap on this page. The Grand Highlander's 33.5 in third row beats Kia's 32.1 by 1.4 in. Third-row headroom is effectively a tie: 37.4 vs 37.2.
Both sell hybrid trims above a gas base, both tow 5,000 lb, both seat eight. The Telluride runs $39,190 to $57,590; the Grand Highlander $42,260 to $60,175.
The numbers, side by side
| Spec | Kia Telluride | Toyota Grand Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| MSRP range | $39,190 – $57,590 | $42,260 – $60,175 |
| Space | ||
| Row 1 legroom | 41.4" | 41.7" |
| Row 2 legroom | 43" | 39.5" |
| Row 3 legroom | 32.1" | 33.5" |
| Row 3 headroom | 37.4" | 37.2" |
| Cargo behind row 3 | 22.3 cu ft | 20.6 cu ft |
| Cargo behind row 2 | 48.7 cu ft | 57.9 cu ft |
| Max cargo | 89.3 cu ft | 97.5 cu ft |
| Exterior | ||
| Length | 199.2" | 201.4" |
| Width (excl. mirrors) | 78.3" | 78.3" |
| Height | 69.9" | 72.1" |
| Capability | ||
| Max towing | 5,000 lbs | 5,000 lbs |
| Seating | ||
| Max seats | 8 | 8 |
| Second row | Captain’s chairs or bench | Captain’s chairs or bench |
Cargo: pick your mode
With all three rows up, the Telluride is the roomier hold — 22.3 cu ft against 20.6. The moment the third row folds, the comparison flips hard: 57.9 cu ft in the Grand Highlander against the Telluride's 48.7, a 9.2 cu ft swing, and the maximum figures land 97.5 against 89.3.
So the honest question is how the vehicle spends its weeks. Full cabin most days: Kia's number is the live one. Third row folded except for trips: Toyota's two figures are.
Second row vs third row
The Telluride's middle row is the space story: 43 in of legroom against the Grand Highlander's 39.5. Toyota answers one row back, publishing 33.5 in of third-row legroom against Kia's 32.1. Headroom back there is a wash — 37.4 vs 37.2 in.
Households live in the second row; third rows earn their keep on the worst day of the month. Decide which number is doing daily work before letting either one win the page.
Safety: hardware count vs record status
The Telluride documents two LATCH lower-anchor sets and three top tethers in the third row; the Grand Highlander documents one set and two tethers. On child-seat hardware, Kia clearly leads.
The verification status runs the other way. Toyota's record is fully verified, curtain coverage included. The Telluride's stays marked partial: Kia describes its curtain airbags by door rather than by row, so our coverage value is read from Kia's own cabin illustration — weaker evidence than prose, and labelled as such.
Price and powertrain
The Telluride starts $3,070 lower — $39,190 against $42,260 — and its ceiling sits at $57,590 against Toyota's $60,175. Both ladders climb through hybrid trims above a gas base, so electrification is not a tiebreaker here; both offer it, neither offers a plug-in.
Towing is 5,000 lb on both, and both seat eight.
When each one fits
Kia Telluride: The second row, the third-row-in-use cargo figure, the child-seat hardware count, and a lower entry price.
Toyota Grand Highlander: The roomier third row, the much larger folded-row cargo hold, and the fully verified safety record.
Compare legroom yourself
Find your match
Six questions, deterministic scoring, top three matches across the full directory.
Take the quizWill you fit either third row?
Open the fit estimator preloaded with the Kia Telluride and check both models against your height.
Best hybrid family 3-row
The guide lens closest to this pairing — the whole cohort re-sorted on that axis, answer stated up top.
Deciding across the whole segment, not just these models? See Best Family 3-Row SUVs — every published model, ranked from verified specs. A cross-segment pairing gets both rankings, because neither one alone covers the models on this page.