VW Atlas vs. Kia Telluride: Compare SUVs
Three-row crossover SUVs have become the most popular suburban family wagons—and of course, some are better than others.
The VW Atlas and Kia Telluride are two large popular family crossover SUVs with lots of space for families. The former keeps things simple while the latter punches above its price class in top trims. The Atlas is the automaker’s largest vehicle and received a fluff and buff of the smallest order for 2021, with another due for the 2024 model year. The Telluride launched in 2020 and moved Kia into a league some never saw coming.
If there’s any confusion about their intentions, they begin and end with their names. The Atlas? Big enough to carry a family with a world of cargo. The Telluride? Plush enough to look at home in a tony Colorado mountain town.
Which one is right for you and your family? Our TCC Ratings indicate a relative landslide for the Kia over the Volkswagen, but the reality is closer than the numbers suggest.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
VW Atlas vs. Kia Telluride prices and features
The base Telluride costs about $37,000
A base Atlas costs $38,225
Best picks: VW Atlas SEL, Kia Telluride EX
For our money the win goes solidly to the Telluride as it offers nearly everything one can get in the Atlas for the same or less money. It’s not only a solid value, it’s tempting luxury buyers into Kia showrooms which is something to write home about.
How much is a VW Atlas?
The base Atlas SE costs under $37,000 and includes cloth upholstery, a 6.5-inch touchscreen for infotainment, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, active safety features, and 18-inch alloy wheels. Cross Sports cost $700 less. Opting for all-wheel drive drives the price up to about $38,000, but also adds weight without adding power to the already stressed turbo-4.
We’d step up to the Atlas SE with VW’s Technology Package, which adds a 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a hands-free power tailgate, and 20-inch wheels.
The Atlas SEL with the optional Premium R-Line package runs about $54,000 and includes a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment, leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, Fender premium audio, 21-inch wheels, and a panoramic sunroof.
The Atlas carries a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with 2 years of free maintenance.
How much is a Kia Telluride?
The base Telluride costs about $37,000—with a V-6—and includes synthetic leather upholstery, active safety tech, a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and 18-inch wheels. All-wheel drive costs $2,000 more.
We recommend the $42,955 Telluride EX. It has leather upholstery, heated front seats, a hands-free power tailgate, and wood trim.
In top trims, the $55,000 Telluride SX-Prestige X-Pro has everything we could ask for and more: nappa leather upholstery, cooled front and second-row seats, a wireless charging pad, six USB ports, a power tailgate, Harman Kardon audio, 20-inch wheels, a surround-view camera system, and a sunroof.
The Telluride’s warranty stretches for 5 years/60,000 miles.
Advantage: The Telluride, across the board.
2024 Kia Telluride
2024 Kia Telluride
2024 Kia Telluride
2024 Kia Telluride
VW Atlas vs. Kia Telluride performance specs and towing
The Atlas sports a turbo-4 or V-6, for now
The Telluride’s V-6 has 291 hp
AWD can be fitted on any of these
Are the VW Atlas and Kia Telluride 4WD? How fast are the VW Atlas and Kia Telluride?
Under the hoods of the Telluride and Atlas, most shoppers will find V-6 engines that make similar power. The Telluride’s 3.8-liter 291-horsepower V-6 is paired to a slick-shifting 8-speed automatic that drives the front wheels, or all four wheels when optionally equipped. The Atlas’ 3.6-liter V-6 makes a similar 276 hp, driven through an 8-speed automatic to power the front or all four wheels. (VW offers a 235-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4; it will be the only Atlas engine for the 2024 model year.)
Both V-6 engines are tasked with lugging more than two tons of crossover before fuel, passengers, pets, cargo, Cheerios, iPads, snacks, and juice boxes are aboard. Fully laden both crossovers feel confident but very heavy.
Both are rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, when properly equipped, and we’ve only hooked a trailer up to the Atlas Cross Sport. It was basically 5,000 pounds worth of boat, trailer, fuel, and fishing gear. It did what was asked of it, but the smell of burning brakes was ever present and passing power was non-existent. The Telluride can be had with a rear air suspension to level things out and it might fare slightly better than the Atlas in this situation.
It’s a coinflip for what’s better behind the wheel. Both steer confidently but lean into corners, and the Atlas and Telluride both keep pace with traffic but won’t win any drag races. The Telluride’s all-wheel-drive system features a center locking differential that can lock the power split 50:50, which is a neat trick and one the Atlas, along with the rest of the competition, simply can’t touch.
Advantage: The Kia’s V-6 is less strained; call this a draw.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
Kia Telluride vs. VW Atlas size and cargo space
The Explorer’s suitable for seven
…but its third-row seat lags the Pilot
Honda’s third row can seat tall people better
Cargo space gives Honda the win
Is the VW Atlas a 7-seater? How many does the Kia Telluride seat?
The Atlas and Telluride trade on available space for seven or eight passengers, respectively, with room for cargo.
The Atlas rides on a wheelbase that’s about three inches longer than the Telluride, but both SUVs span about 198 inches from bumper to bumper.
Between the two, the Telluride uses its available interior room better. The first two rows are spacious and comfortable for long legs, with more than 40 inches of legroom available in the second row
The third row in the Telluride is good for small children who don’t require car seats, although only two will realistically fit back there, even if there are three seatbelts. The second row can be a bench or captain’s chairs, depending on the configuration.
With all three rows in place, the Telluride can hold up to 21 cubic feet of cargo—although that space is mostly vertical. With the third row stowed, the Kia holds 46 cubic feet of gear. Behind the front seats it holds up to 87 cubic feet of stuff.
The Atlas, by comparison, seats six or seven, while the Telluride can squeeze in up to eight passengers. The Atlas and Telluride’s interior space is nearly identical, but VW affords more legroom in the third row than Kia (33 inches vs. 31 inches), which we’re not sure will be as useful. The Atlas only seats two in back, which is more practical, with a second-row bench standard or captain’s chairs optional.
The Atlas has about 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row; even in the Cross Sport it can lug 40.3 cubic feet of stuff behind row two, though it’s 55.5 cubic feet in the three-row Atlas. In all the three-row Atlas can bring along 97 cubic feet of cargo behind the front seats.
VW makes cloth standard in the Atlas, with synthetic and real leather available. The Telluride comes standard with synthetic upholstery or real leather on the upgrade list. We’d give the Telluride the nod here for its higher-quality interior, but the Atlas gets upgraded for 2024 and has more cargo space.
Advantage: A draw—Kia’s extra seat gets offset by VW’s 10 extra cubic feet of space.
2024 Kia Telluride preview
VW Atlas vs. Kia Telluride gas mileage
The Telluride tops out at 22 mpg combined
The Atlas gets up to 23 mpg combined
Neither offers hybrid or EV editions
Is the Kia Telluride good on gas?
The EPA pegs it at 20 mpg city, 26 highway, 22 combined with front-wheel drive, or 18/24/20 mpg with all-wheel drive.
Alternatives like the Toyota Highlander Hybrid sip fuel at a 35-mpg combined rate—there’s potential here, though Kia will sell an electric EV9 SUV next year.
Is the Volkswagen Atlas good on gas?
It’s best in its front-drive version with the turbo-4, which scores an EPA rating of 21/25/23 mpg. All-wheel drive lowers that to 20/24/22 mpg, while the V-6 checks in at just 20 mpg combined.
Advantage: The Atlas on paper—but in the real world, they’re in a tie.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
Kia Telluride vs. VW Atlas safety
The Telluride’s crash test scores are impressive
The Atlas misses the IIHS mark
Both come with automatic emergency braking
Options range from adaptive cruise control to surround-view camera systems
How safe is the Kia Telluride?
It’s great, with a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The Telluride has standard blind-spot monitors, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and active lane control. SX-Prestige versions get parking sensors and a surround-view camera system.
How safe is the Volkswagen Atlas?
The NHTSA gives it five stars overall, but the IIHS’ “Marginal” rating in its new moderate front-overlap test prevents the VW from earning a Top Safety Pick. Blind-spot monitors and automatic emergency braking come standard; options include adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system.
Advantage: Telluride.
2024 Kia Telluride
2024 Kia Telluride
2024 Kia Telluride
2024 Kia Telluride
VW Atlas vs. Kia Telluride styling
The Telluride has a smart, luxurious interior
The Atlas comes in Cross Sport spec
Kia’s upscale outline trumps the Atlas’ plain shape
Is the VW Atlas a good-looking car?
Among three-row crossover SUVs, the VW Atlas looks less exciting than math homework—it’s by design. The Atlas started VW down the path for its current crop of crossovers that includes the Tiguan, the Atlas Cross Sport (which is related to the Atlas), and the new Taos. VW needed to adapt its shape to various body sizes, which is not an easy task with wild curves. The clean lines and simple outline of the Atlas are classic VW—and not many of their designs have aged poorly, though they might put you to sleep faster than revisiting the quadratic formula.
The interior of the Atlas is nothing if not utilitarian. The VW has nearly as much tech inside as the Telluride, but its plain presentation hardly feels special or on display.
Is the Kia Telluride a good-looking car?
In contrast, the Kia Telluride looks nothing like the rest of the Kia lineup. It’s a gamble that paid off. The Telluride is related to the Hyundai Palisade but the two look very different. The Telluride looks tougher, more angular, with more masculine lines and a hint of last-generation GMC Yukon in the front end with those upright headlights.
Inside, the Telluride widens its lead with a sharp interior shod in synthetic or real leather. It looks like it costs far more than it does and is filled with very user-friendly tech.
Advantage: The Telluride.
2024 Kia Telluride
Which is better: VW Atlas or Kia Telluride?
The Telluride has great looks, a spacious and well-outfitted cabin, a comfortable ride, and chiseled good looks. It earns a 7.2 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.) The Atlas, meanwhile, carves out more space for its passengers, but gives them more drab styling and acceleration. It earns a TCC Rating of 5.8 out of 10.