[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: Got a big family?
Starting a band?
Do you just need a car that's big enough to nap in?
I know that I do.
Look, I am not going to judge your reasons
for needing a lot of seats and a lot of room.
But I can suggest that you look for a three row SUV to find it.
It just so happens that Kia has two three row SUVs.
The new and popular Telluride, and the redesigned for 2021
Sorento.
Choose your fighter.
Oh, no, wait.
That's my job to like, tell you which one is better.
Only in this case, it isn't really
about which is the better car.
These two SUVs aren't direct comparisons,
and they share many of the same features.
So it's more about which is the better car for your family,
and that I think I can help you with.
Let's take a closer look.
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Is there something on my head?
It's an automotive cliche to call a vehicle "handsome."
And what do we mean by that anyway?
What, it's like, got a good jawline and pretty eyes?
Well, yeah, kind of.
I mean, the Telluride does sort of
have leading man looks, with a tall, strong profile,
a fashionable grille-- mid-century modern.
So hip.
And wide-set stacked LED headlights.
Pretty eyes.
SPEAKER 2: It's not that handsome!
ELANA SCHERR: Don't be jealous.
The Sorento isn't quite as big and macho,
but it's redesign gave it a similar profile
to the Telluride.
Now, I don't like the front end quite as much,
but I actually like the side view even more.
I like the cut line, and I like the flared fenders.
Point is, all this stuff is subjective.
These are both very pretty cars.
Both of our Kias here are top of the line trim levels.
That's pretty simple for the Telluride,
which only offers four trims, all with the same drive train.
This is a Telluride SX all-wheel drive.
Sorento has more to choose from.
Six different trim levels, and plus there's
the X-Line off-road package.
This is a Sorento SX Prestige X-Line.
If you're shopping these two, bear in mind that both start
in the $30,000 range and can be optioned--
like our test cars here-- well into the $40,000s.
As makes sense for the larger flagship,
the Telluride is always a little more expensive
than a similarly equipped Sorento.
Which means that if you don't need the extra room
in the Telluride, you can spend your money on upgraded options
in the Sorento, which offers a lot of extras-- from sunroofs,
to smoked silver trims.
Now that you've been properly introduced
let's take a closer look to see if there
are more differences between these two
than just exterior design.
Picking the right car for you is more than just figuring out
what options you need.
I mean, it is similar to picking clothing that you want to wear.
It's, does the style represent you?
And, does it fit you?
One thing that I really like about the Sorento
is that for somebody my size--
I'm like 5 feet 3 inches-ish--
it just is a very comfortable seating position.
I can see out very easily.
The footrest works.
The pedals are in the right place.
And the armrests are in the right place.
It seems like a small thing, but in the Telluride,
as I will show you, I kind of have
to stretch to fit into the armrest.
I've found that in other vehicles too.
Ford's trucks tend to just be too big for me.
So Sorento, perfect size for someone my size.
So the current fashion trend in automotive interiors
is a lot of texture and a lot of different materials.
I mean, similar to fashion trends in clothing.
And you definitely notice that as soon
as you get into the Sorento.
You open the door and the seats have texture.
I mean, in this trim level they're leather too.
But even in the lower trim levels
there's kind of a pattern to them.
There's metal trim.
There's wood trim.
There's piano black, which is terrible.
It is not Kia's fault that piano black sucks.
It sucks in any car that uses it.
It looks really nice right now, but as soon as I touch it,
it just gets like all smeary.
Rant over.
Overall, there's just a lot of interesting things happening.
It's very well laid out.
Like, if I want to use the tuner knob
I can reach it without really having
to stretch out of my driver's seat, which is nice.
And if I don't want to use the tuner knob
there are controls on the steering wheel, as well.
We've got a large touch screen.
It's easy to use.
You can figure out where everything is, even if you have
never been in a Kia before.
Kia's infotainment system is just pretty straight forward.
Also, if you're stressed out, you
can put on some calm sea waves.
Put on the vented seats here.
It's like cool, like a breeze.
It's like being at the ocean.
Of course there's Bluetooth, and Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay
as well.
So you don't have to listen to the sounds of nature.
Now talking about phone connectivity, we've got--
in this nice little console here--
three USB ports and a charging pad.
That's an option.
So there's plenty of places to put your phone.
It's all nice and neat.
You can tuck it away, not leave it
tangled all over the console.
And then you could actually use your cup holders
for holding beverages.
And if like me you tend to put your sunglasses in your cup
holders, there's a nice little sunglass cubby right there too.
And there's another cubby here that's
like good for maybe the key fob, or some change, or some snacks.
Basically, what I'm saying is, this is a good layout.
I am comfortable.
I think it looks nice.
And I can get to everything.
It's smart.
Well done.
All right.
Getting into the Telluride straight from the Sorento
makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland.
Like, the world looks basically the same, only now
it's all so much bigger.
Did I get smaller?
Did the world get bigger?
The world got bigger.
You're going to see a lot of the same materials
that I liked in Sorento.
So it's got wood trim, brushed metal, the piano black--
OK, I didn't like that.
There's less of it in the Telluride.
Screen's in about the same place.
The buttons for the screen run along the center
here, instead of being on the sides.
Which I like better aesthetically,
but it doesn't really matter from like a usability
standpoint.
You're going to see all of the same things
that you liked in the Sorento.
You've got Apple CarPlay.
You've got Android Auto.
You've got some stuff for parents
who might need to interrupt kids in the back.
You've got Driver Talk.
You got Quiet Mode if you want to listen to music,
you don't want it playing through the back speakers.
That kind of thing.
So they're thinking-- they're thinking about you.
Down in the console you've got the piano black
that I don't like.
You've got the layout that I do.
This console is very low compared to the Sorento.
So if you didn't like feeling kind of surrounded
by the interior, you've got a lot more space
in the Telluride.
In fact you have so much space that like--
as I was complaining about--
I can just barely use the armrests.
I'm like-- So if you are bigger than me
you will like this car more.
If you're the same size as me you will like the Sorento more.
Cubbies and connections-- they're all
very similar to the Sorento.
So it's got a charging pad up here.
You've got USB ports.
It's got the little cover, so you can cover it.
It's got little cubby.
Cup holders.
No sunglass holder, though.
It thought that was really clever.
They have one up in the top-- more traditional.
And then you've got a console, and some extra cup
holders in the back that you can share with the second row.
The Telluride makes choosing an engine easy,
because there's only one-- a V6 and an 8 speed, no matter which
trim you choose.
The V6 makes more horsepower than any of the Sorento's
engine options--
291 horses and 262 pound feet of torque.
But it's also in a bigger, heavier vehicle.
And you can feel the extra weight around corners
and when you're slowing down at high speeds.
On the plus side of a bigger, heavier vehicle
you feel less road interference.
So it is a smooth, quiet ride.
Sorento offers several engine options,
plus some hybrid choices.
The turbo 4-cylinder in this SX Prestige
makes 281 horses and 311 pound feet of torque.
That's kind of a lot.
The Sorento feels nimble and quick,
and the engine is responsive.
I'm willing to say, "sporty".
When it comes to which of these two SUVs is the quicker,
you don't need to be a drag racer
to recognize that the lighter, smaller Sorento with the turbo
engine is going to leave the Telluride in the dust.
You know, if that stuff matters to you.
If it's towing that matters though,
the Telluride can hook up to more.
The Sorento's tow rating has been downgraded
with the new smaller engine, and is only 3,500 pounds now,
as opposed to the Telluride's 5,000.
On the other hand, the smaller engine
and lesser weight of the Sorento means better fuel mileage.
In these all-wheel drive models, that
means 26 MPG combined, compared to the Telluride's 21.
So towing and hauling--
Telluride.
Quickly zipping past the gas pump--
Sorento.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Now it seems like a no-brainer that the Telluride
is going to beat out the Sorento for third row comfort,
but let's take a look at them anyway.
This is the Telluride.
As you can see, I've got plenty of leg room
even when the seat is all the way back.
The seats are also quite comfortable.
Like, they're actually soft.
And the seating position is good.
I'm not sitting all bolt upright.
There's an armrest.
I've got two cup holders.
A charging port.
And then two things that are very important when
it comes to third rail comfort.
A large window helps with not feeling claustrophobic.
Not getting carsick.
And you can control the AC or the heating.
You've got your own vent back here.
That's actually pretty unusual, and it's really nice.
All right.
Now we're in the Sorento.
You will not be surprised to hear that there is less leg
room back here, and there's less sort of shoulder and hip room.
I mean, the Telluride had a whole center seat
that we don't have here in the Sorento.
However, for a short trip this would be OK.
You get a cup holder.
A place to put a cell phone.
In this trim you've even got charging ports.
Notice though, that you've got like, a tiny little window,
and there's no air conditioning vent for me to control.
Yeah, I'm hot, I'm sweaty, claustrophobic.
I would rather be in the Telluride.
Luckily, it's easy to get out.
In the beginning of this video I joked
about finding the best car for napping.
I wasn't really joking.
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With all the seats down the Sorento
offers an impressive 75.5 cubic feet of space,
which is enough for a snooze.
If you're taller, or you toss and turn,
you may prefer the Telluride with 87 cubic feet.
Either way, both vehicles are big when
all the seats are down.
When all the seats are up there's
more room in the Telluride behind the third row.
Although neither is big enough to carry six people and six
people's worth of luggage.
Maybe you need one for the peeps and one for the stuff.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Both the Telluride and the Sorento showcase Kia's
move towards design and technology.
They're smart.
They're good looking.
Either would look great in your driveway.
In the end, the difference between them
comes down to size.
How big are your kids?
How big is your garage?
How big is your checkbook?
For larger families the Telluride
offers a superior third row experience.
For city dwellers the Sorento is nimble and easy to park.
It's also a lot of fun to drive.
As is often the case when facing a difficult decision I find
myself wondering, why not vote?
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