Compare the2027 Kia Telluride VS 2027 Dodge Durango

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Kia Telluride have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Dodge Durango doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Telluride and Durango have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Telluride has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Durango’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Telluride has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Durango doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Kia Telluride is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Dodge Durango, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Telluride	Durango
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH	AVOIDED	No Slowing
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Brights	1.8 sec	No Warning
37 MPH Low beams	-23 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.2 sec	No Warning

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Telluride achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Dodge Durango has not been tested.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Telluride AWD’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Durango doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Telluride’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Durango.

The Telluride SX/Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Kia Telluride’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Dodge Durango does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Telluride and Durango have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Telluride has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Durango’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

The Telluride’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Durango doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Telluride and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all-wheel drive.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Telluride is safer than the Durango:

	Telluride	Durango
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	99	119
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	24 cm	26 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Femur Force R/L	1.8/.4 kN	5.3/2.5 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	6%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.38/.4	1.53/.59

The Kia Telluride (built after June 2026) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Durango is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2026.

The Telluride comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Durango’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Dodge covers the Durango. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Durango ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Telluride have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engines in the Durango.

On the EPA test cycle the Telluride gets better mileage than the Durango:

			MPG
Telluride
	FWD	EX 2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	34 city/36 hwy
		EX 2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	32 city/34 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	30 city/32 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	18 city/24 hwy
		X-Pro 2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	17 city/22 hwy
Durango
	AWD	5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
		6.4 OHV V8	13 city/19 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Telluride Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Durango doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Telluride’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Durango doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Telluride uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Durango R/T 392 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Telluride has a standard locking fuel door, which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Durango. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Telluride higher (6 out of 10) than the Dodge Durango (1 to 4). This means the Telluride produces up to 45.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Durango every 15,000 miles.

The Telluride stops shorter than the Durango:

	Telluride	Durango
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Telluride X-Line has standard 21-inch wheels. The Durango’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Telluride has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Telluride flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Telluride is 3.6 inches wider in the front and 3.9 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Durango.

For better maneuverability, the Telluride’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Durango’s (39.2 feet vs. 41 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride X-Pro has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Durango R/T 392 (9.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Telluride to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 950 pounds less than the Dodge Durango.

The front grille of the Telluride uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Durango doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Telluride SX Prestige is quieter than the Durango R/T 392:

	Telluride	Durango
At idle	28 dB	54 dB
Full-Throttle	71 dB	82 dB
70 MPH Cruising	68 dB	69 dB

The Telluride offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Durango can only carry 7.

The Telluride has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 4.4 inches more rear legroom, 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room and 4.9 inches more third row shoulder room than the Durango.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Telluride’s middle and third row seats recline. The Durango’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Telluride’s cargo area provides more volume than the Durango.

	Telluride	Durango
Behind Third Seat	22.3 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	48.7 cubic feet	43.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	89.3 cubic feet	85.1 cubic feet

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Telluride’s second row seats and a control in the cargo area automatically lowers the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Durango doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Telluride’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Telluride Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Durango doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Telluride’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Durango’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Telluride’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Durango’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Telluride’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Durango’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Telluride to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Durango doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Telluride EX/SX/Prestige has standard front air conditioned seats and the Telluride Prestige also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Durango doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Telluride Prestige has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Durango.

The Kia Telluride stands out above the Dodge Durango by offering not one, but two Qi-compatible phone chargers. This convenience helps travelers with multiple devices to keep powered up on-the-go. Wireless charging eliminates lost or cluttered charging cables and two of them provide more flexibility.

The Telluride Prestige’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Durango doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Telluride is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Durango doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2027 Kia Telluride retains 51.21% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 50.72% resale value of the 2026 Dodge Durango after five years, which can save the Kia’s owner up to $1218 in depreciation.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The Durango has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Telluride as the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Durango has never been chosen.

The Kia Telluride outsold the Dodge Durango by 52% during 2025.