Ford vs Kia
2020 Ford Explorer vs 2020 Kia Telluride- Car Comparison
The Kia Telluride isn’t the brand’s first attempt to go head to head with the Ford Explorer, in spite of the fact that we wouldn’t accuse any individual who disregarded the 2009 Kia Borrego the instant they first heard of it. That original Korean SUV was so poorly timed then wildly uncompetitive that it flopped before sales started. Kia only sold Borrego for a pair of years before abandoning the segment.
2020 Ford Explorer

The Koreans are doing their homework within the decade since the Borrego debacle. Their second took shots at the section, the new-for-2020 Telluride has all the makings of a legitimate contender on paper and in pictures. To decide whether that holds up inside the universe, we tapped a Telluride SX all-wheel-drive model to live against the fair size SUV reserve, the Ford Explorer.
2020 Kia Telluride

Ford‘s notorious SUV has experienced its very own re-examination for 2020. Following a nine-year toss imparting a transverse-motor engineering to vehicles like the Ford Taurus, the Explorer turns the motor back to its unique situation, with the crankshaft guiding front toward the back. Rear-wheel drive comes standard, but our 2020 Ford Explorer XLT AWD directs torque to any or all four wheels as necessary.
On the Road
The Explorer is growing with little motors, coupled with a turbocharged inline like the average powertrain. Don’t mistake small for slow, though. Ford’s 2.3-liter engine puts out a robust 300 horsepower, which pays off with a 6.2-second run to 60 mph that places the Explorer at the pinnacle of the category. It is thrifty, too, within the right situations. While the Ford arrived at the midpoint of 21 mpg more than 700 miles of blended heading to Kia’s 20 mpg, on our 75-mph roadway mileage test, the Explorer restored an increasingly noteworthy 28 mpg versus the Telluride’s 24 mpg. Unfortunately, these strengths are offset by the Ford engine’s uneven power delivery around town that creates the powertrain calibration that feels unfinished.
The switch from a transversely mounted engine to a longitudinally mounted one is also a boon to Ford’s manufacturing flexibility, but it does nothing for patrons in terms of packaging or dynamics. The Explorer isn’t any more athletic than a chosen hitter. It is capable of constructing the occasional, brief straight-line dash but falters when asked to vary directions fluidly. But then, for being as delicate and separated from the street since it is, the Explorer doesn’t ride especially well. At the point when the street turns unpleasant, the Explorer is overpowered by its eavesdropper movements.
Still on the road…
Kia takes a more traditional powertrain approach than Ford, employing a 291-hp V-6 with a comparatively large 3.8-liter displacement. It’s more polished, which may be a good thing since the unboosted engine needs more revs to maneuver swiftly in traffic. Pushed to its maximum capacity, the Telluride hits 60 mph in a satisfactory 7.0 seconds. Also, to the more refined motor, Kia’s eight-speed programmed drive is best arranged than the Explorer’s 10-speed, which shifts with longer and increasingly articulated torque interferences.
The Telluride conveys a stamped improvement in both ride and taking care of contrasted with the Ford Explorer. It’s front and rear ends move in sync through quick turns and over broken pavement. Body roll is buttoned down during cornering, but it isn’t so taut that it elicits side-to-side head toss over uneven roads. It’s quiet, too. Sound-level measurements in Kia’s cabin registered three decibels not up to the Ford’s at a 70-mph cruise. That each one adds up to a relaxed and picked up demeanor because the Telluride rolls down the road.
The Inside View
Ford’s XLT trim level is the section point into the Explorer run, while the Telluride SX sits on Kia’s lineup. If that looks like an unfair comparison, consider that Kia’s as-tested price comes in slightly over the Ford’s, and yet the Telluride’s list of features handily outnumbers and outclasses the Explorer’s.
2020 Kia Telluride

Here’s a partial accounting of apparatus found within the Kia that was conspicuously absent from the Ford: heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, a heated wheel, driver’s seat memory, a head-up show, front stopping sensors, a sunroof, remote telephone charging, a bird’s-eye 360-degree camera framework, an incorporated carport entryway opener, and second-push overhangs.

In inside style and quality, the Telluride doesn’t simply beat the Ford. It punches well above its weight and delivers a near-luxury experience despite a price that screams “value.” In contrast, the Explorer may be a somber study in penny-pinching cost savings and hard, black plastic. If you measure luxuriousness by anything aside from size, there are compact cars that are more upscale than this particular Explorer.
2020 Ford Explorer

Even once you score them by interior space alone, the Kia easily beats the 1.9-inch-longer Ford. While the middle- and third-row passenger volumes of those two Utes are identical, the Kia prioritizes legroom, which makes for a tangible difference.

Its second and third rows are among the foremost spacious and cozy within the SUV business. You’ll seat six-footers one behind the opposite within the front, second, and third rows of the Telluride with none negotiating over how the seats should be positioned. The Explorer’s rearmost column will swallow a full-size grown-up if the grown-up inside the subsequent line slides his seat awkwardly close to the front seatback. Furthermore, to its increasingly open seating, the Telluride additionally beats the Explorer on load volume behind the third column.
Check out the below table for a quick look at the specifications of both vehicles:
Features | 2020 Ford Explorer XLT AWD | 2020 Kia Telluride SX AWD |
VEHICLE TYPE | front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 4-door hatchback | front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door hatchback |
ENGINE TYPE | turbocharged and inter-cooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block, and head, direct fuel injection | DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block, and heads, direct fuel injection |
Displacement | 138 cu in, 2264 cc | 231 cu in, 3778 cc |
Power | 300 hp @ 5500 rpm | 291 hp @6000 rpm |
Torque | 310 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm | 262 lb-ft @5200 rpm |
TRANSMISSION | 10-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
CHASSIS | Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink Brakes (F/R): 13.6-in vented disc/12.6-in disc Tires: Michelin Primacy A/S, 255/55R-20 110V M+S | Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink Brakes (F/R): 13.4-in vented disc/12.0-in disc Tires: Michelin Primacy Tour A/S, 245/50R-20 102V M+S |
DIMENSIONS | Wheelbase: 119.1 in Length: 198.8 in Width: 78.9 in Height: 69.9 in Passenger volume: 156 cu ft Cargo volume: 18 cu ft Curb weight: 4498 lb | Wheelbase: 114.2 in Length: 196.9 in Width: 78.3 in Height: 69.3 in Passenger volume: 155 cu ft Cargo volume: 21 cu ft Curb weight: 4443 lb |
FUEL ECONOMY | Observed: 21 mpg 75-mph highway driving: 28 mpg Highway range: 500 miles | Observed: 20 mpg 75-mph highway driving: 24 mpg Highway range: 450 miles |
EPA FUEL ECONOMY | Combined/city/highway: 23/20/27 mpg | Combined/city/highway: 21/19/24 mpg |
The Bottom Line
Kia’s second took shots at the three-push, moderate size SUV market might be a top-notch vehicle that is flawlessly receptive to the International market. It presumably required a huge exertion on Kia’s part to convey this knockout, yet the Telluride’s success seems easy. The large Kia proves the higher buy irrespective of whether you prioritize interior space, style, value, driving dynamics, and convenience features as your most vital need. The Ford’s points of interest in straight-line execution and parkway mileage basically aren’t sufficient to legitimize its less obliging inside, its unpolished powertrain, or its unremarkable driving elements.
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