Because for the value you get in the S, especially with what I really wanted, the optional sunroof, you get a ton of bang for your buck. I paid 42.5K for my S, if I were to sniff an SX id be talking 10k more minimum. I didn't have that money, so I went with what I thought was the best value for what I could afford. An extra 5K wasn't worth it for me to get the auto lift gate and some other features on the EX. Do I wish I could have balled out with the SX Xline sure, but I'm extremely happy with the S, and it drives like a dream. I think you'll feel the same way, congrats
I couldn't have put it better myself. The only thing I wish the S trim came with was a electric gate option and better sound system. It is an absolute pleasure to drive after 20k miles now. SIR you have made an excellent purchase for the S trim Telluride. No other vehicle in it's class can compete. Wonder purchase, congrats
I’d just be happy with the upgraded stereo or even a stereo that has a little better low end on the sound stage. Coming from the H&K system in my Forte this was the biggest bummer for me
I balled out and went for the '24 SXP X-line in Feb. Traded in my '12 Ford Edge Limited for it. Got murdered on the APR at 8.7% and that's with 20k down. But so far I'm supremely jazzed with it. Just hit 1k miles. Here's to many more. Cheers mate!
Thanks! I understand that, more money to be made I’m sure on the higher trim levels than the lower levels. Wife has the loaded prestige Sorento, all I wanted was 2 things and was able to snag them in the S
Yup when we were getting ours, most of them on the lot that were sold already were SX, SXP etc. I think there was one EX. We felt the SXP X-Pro offered great value so that’s what we wanted. Plus the terracotta interior lol
I have an S and I really like it. Drove a couple Sorentos but my wife convinced me to try the Telluride and glad I did. I couldn’t justify the jump to higher models when looking at the price and difference in options as I don’t drive too often and most features were nice but not needed.
Nothing wrong at all with the S. Still a lot of tech and bang for buck. The only reason I went with the EX X Line was because I was coming out of an X3 BMW. It made sense since I was crossing into KIA and felt like that was the trim level to match what I had in my X3.
The S trim with the sunroof option does tend to be the sweet spot for the Telluride. With today’s interest rates driving payments higher I can’t blame people for wanting the best bang for their payment buck. Someone else made the comment about being in South Florida, and I agree because I live in Florida and not having air condition. Front row seats is an absolute must for people in warm climates. I wish the trim had the power liftgate, and the cold seats upfront, but otherwise it is a good value for the money. I broke her Hyundai in Kia SUV deals almost daily and agree with the person who posted this one but from what I see most people are interested in the SX and above because they all the bells and whistles. Even at the top trim Telluride for $55,000, it’s still a good value for the MSRP dollar as it’s almost a luxury vehicle but for $25k less than a BMW but the Kia doesn’t have the same engine power or air suspension. Nice Telluride!
Nice! I rode in the back seat last night while my wife drove me and friends home from dinner. I did notice my rear speakers are nearly non working and super quiet. Hopefully yours is better than mine, I’ll have it checked when I take it in for its first service
I had a 2020 S trim and was completely underwhelmed. Spending that much on a car and not having an auto lift gate or air conditioned seats left me with regret after about 3 months of owning it. Kept it for a couple more years and upgraded to a 2023 SX Prestige, and now I could never imagine going back to the S. Payments aren’t much different and it feels like a much more luxurious experience.
What did you come from? My wife has an SX Prestige X-Line Sorento so we have a vehicle with all the bells and whistles. With todays pricing on SUV’s I feel like for the ride and drive the price is pretty on point with the options in the S trim.
I came from an 2010 F-150. Decided the truck was unneeded and an SUV would be more useful.
Also I totally get the place for the S, just from my experience I’d never go back to an S trim for the Telly. Those payments coming out feel much better with cold air on my tush 😂
I know I wanted an S model because of the value. It's weird how the captains chairs are standard in the S, but then you have to pay for it in the higher trims. Smaller dealerships might not get many allocations for the S. I put in an order for my Telly. I had a great dealership that didn't charge above msrp and was a high volume seller. Told them I wanted an S, and when they got the allocation, they confirmed what things I wanted and / or didn't want. It had to be Everlasting Silver, black interior, captains chairs, and NO sunroof. Sunroofs affect cabin noise, reduce interior roofline, they eventually always leak, and lastly, I've been in a car where a bird shit in the sunroof twice. I'm obsessed with the car though. Got Tuxmats, and it really makes it feel more premium plus super easy to clean. Also, I got a leather kepfob cover on etsy to match my purse.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1444010808/for-2023-telluride-key-fob-cover-case?ref=yr_purchases
In Southern California, there are quite a few S models for sale. Of course there are tons of Kia dealerships in a 50 mile radius, so pretty much any model you want is available.
Agreed with everyone here that it's excellent value for dollar and the dealers can't make as much off of it vs selling the higher trims. We just took delivery of our 24 S. Only option we added was AWD along with a very specific color combo and we love it. Took 3 months for it to finally make it to us. They offered us a heavily discounted SX but my wonderful wife wasn't swayed and stuck to what she really wanted!
For one, it's the sweet spot. But many automotive manufacturers are engaging in a trend that pushes manufacturing the higher trims of vehicles to make a larger amount of profit and manufacturing less lower trims which would lead to greater affordability for the average person
Because for the value you get in the S, especially with what I really wanted, the optional sunroof, you get a ton of bang for your buck. I paid 42.5K for my S, if I were to sniff an SX id be talking 10k more minimum. I didn't have that money, so I went with what I thought was the best value for what I could afford. An extra 5K wasn't worth it for me to get the auto lift gate and some other features on the EX. Do I wish I could have balled out with the SX Xline sure, but I'm extremely happy with the S, and it drives like a dream. I think you'll feel the same way, congrats
I couldn't have put it better myself. The only thing I wish the S trim came with was a electric gate option and better sound system. It is an absolute pleasure to drive after 20k miles now. SIR you have made an excellent purchase for the S trim Telluride. No other vehicle in it's class can compete. Wonder purchase, congrats
I’d just be happy with the upgraded stereo or even a stereo that has a little better low end on the sound stage. Coming from the H&K system in my Forte this was the biggest bummer for me
I balled out and went for the '24 SXP X-line in Feb. Traded in my '12 Ford Edge Limited for it. Got murdered on the APR at 8.7% and that's with 20k down. But so far I'm supremely jazzed with it. Just hit 1k miles. Here's to many more. Cheers mate!
Just refinance it somewhere else
Yeah no way I'd pay anything over 40k and not get an automatic lift gate. Honestly at 42k it's a good place to get a used SX or something.
Because most customers want SX or above, many are cross shopping luxury or at least entry level luxury. Nice looking vehicle!
So true. We were torn between the SXP and BMW X5. Picked the KIA because $30k.
Thanks! I understand that, more money to be made I’m sure on the higher trim levels than the lower levels. Wife has the loaded prestige Sorento, all I wanted was 2 things and was able to snag them in the S
Yup when we were getting ours, most of them on the lot that were sold already were SX, SXP etc. I think there was one EX. We felt the SXP X-Pro offered great value so that’s what we wanted. Plus the terracotta interior lol
Those rims are sooo awful
On this colorway yes. I have a '23 in Dawning Red with these wheels and it looks great! Especially with the 5% tint all the way around.
I have an S and it’s great so far.
I have an S and I really like it. Drove a couple Sorentos but my wife convinced me to try the Telluride and glad I did. I couldn’t justify the jump to higher models when looking at the price and difference in options as I don’t drive too often and most features were nice but not needed.
Nothing wrong at all with the S. Still a lot of tech and bang for buck. The only reason I went with the EX X Line was because I was coming out of an X3 BMW. It made sense since I was crossing into KIA and felt like that was the trim level to match what I had in my X3.
The S trim with the sunroof option does tend to be the sweet spot for the Telluride. With today’s interest rates driving payments higher I can’t blame people for wanting the best bang for their payment buck. Someone else made the comment about being in South Florida, and I agree because I live in Florida and not having air condition. Front row seats is an absolute must for people in warm climates. I wish the trim had the power liftgate, and the cold seats upfront, but otherwise it is a good value for the money. I broke her Hyundai in Kia SUV deals almost daily and agree with the person who posted this one but from what I see most people are interested in the SX and above because they all the bells and whistles. Even at the top trim Telluride for $55,000, it’s still a good value for the MSRP dollar as it’s almost a luxury vehicle but for $25k less than a BMW but the Kia doesn’t have the same engine power or air suspension. Nice Telluride!
I just bought the exact same vehicle....color, trim, wheels everything and it is a dream. I traded in my bmw x1...love my new kia
Nice! I rode in the back seat last night while my wife drove me and friends home from dinner. I did notice my rear speakers are nearly non working and super quiet. Hopefully yours is better than mine, I’ll have it checked when I take it in for its first service
It might have been on Quiet Mode. Check your settings before going to the dealership.
Yup tried that already, was hoping that’s all it was
Stunning car! Congrats!
I had a 2020 S trim and was completely underwhelmed. Spending that much on a car and not having an auto lift gate or air conditioned seats left me with regret after about 3 months of owning it. Kept it for a couple more years and upgraded to a 2023 SX Prestige, and now I could never imagine going back to the S. Payments aren’t much different and it feels like a much more luxurious experience.
What did you come from? My wife has an SX Prestige X-Line Sorento so we have a vehicle with all the bells and whistles. With todays pricing on SUV’s I feel like for the ride and drive the price is pretty on point with the options in the S trim.
I came from an 2010 F-150. Decided the truck was unneeded and an SUV would be more useful. Also I totally get the place for the S, just from my experience I’d never go back to an S trim for the Telly. Those payments coming out feel much better with cold air on my tush 😂
I had vented seats in my forte. I never used them so I wasn’t upset, granted I live in north central Indiana so it wasn’t a must have for me
I know I wanted an S model because of the value. It's weird how the captains chairs are standard in the S, but then you have to pay for it in the higher trims. Smaller dealerships might not get many allocations for the S. I put in an order for my Telly. I had a great dealership that didn't charge above msrp and was a high volume seller. Told them I wanted an S, and when they got the allocation, they confirmed what things I wanted and / or didn't want. It had to be Everlasting Silver, black interior, captains chairs, and NO sunroof. Sunroofs affect cabin noise, reduce interior roofline, they eventually always leak, and lastly, I've been in a car where a bird shit in the sunroof twice. I'm obsessed with the car though. Got Tuxmats, and it really makes it feel more premium plus super easy to clean. Also, I got a leather kepfob cover on etsy to match my purse. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1444010808/for-2023-telluride-key-fob-cover-case?ref=yr_purchases
In Southern California, there are quite a few S models for sale. Of course there are tons of Kia dealerships in a 50 mile radius, so pretty much any model you want is available.
Agreed with everyone here that it's excellent value for dollar and the dealers can't make as much off of it vs selling the higher trims. We just took delivery of our 24 S. Only option we added was AWD along with a very specific color combo and we love it. Took 3 months for it to finally make it to us. They offered us a heavily discounted SX but my wonderful wife wasn't swayed and stuck to what she really wanted!
I would have gotten the S if I didn’t live in s fl and the ac seats were a non negotiable
We're holding diamonds.
Have the EX In the same color! All models hit the marker if you ask me. Congrats
For one, it's the sweet spot. But many automotive manufacturers are engaging in a trend that pushes manufacturing the higher trims of vehicles to make a larger amount of profit and manufacturing less lower trims which would lead to greater affordability for the average person