Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Kia has expanded its model lineup to cater for all corners of the burgeoning SUV market. At the top of its range are a pair of three-row SUVs vying for market share. The Kia Telluride is a mid-size SUV that thinks it's one class bigger than it is, while the Sorento is a more traditional mid-size offering, but still with enough seating for up to seven occupants.Between them, they cover the needs of most larger families, and are available in a broad range of trims and price points. We decided to compare these two popular SUVs based on their reliability over the past few years, and seeing as both have been in production for some time, there is enough data to accurately gauge their long-term durability.AdvertisementAdvertisementWe use Consumer Reports for this info as it gathers unbiased, real-world feedback from hundreds of thousands of actual vehicle owners rather than relying on manufacturer claims or small test groups.Kia TellurideKiaView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleBase MSRP: $40,735 (2025)Model Years: 2020 – 2025Rivals:Honda Pilot, Toyota Grand Highlander, Hyundai PalisadeThe Kia Telluride has just been completely revamped for the 2027 model year, and was absent from the market for 2026, but the outgoing model has been very popular thanks to its plush interior, smooth ride, and great value for money.Unlike some newer rivals (including the 2027 Telluride) that rely on turbocharged or hybrid powertrains, the 2020-2025 Telluride was available solely with a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Both FWD and AWD options were available. This relatively simple layout should be a boon for reliability, and we shall see how it has fared over the years in a bit.AdvertisementAdvertisementCapable of towing up to 5,500 lbs and seating seven to eight occupants in comfort, the Telluride was a popular three-row SUV that was regularly in the top five best-sellers in its class. The latest Telluride brings a lot of new tech as well as a range of powertrain options, but we will have to wait a few years to accurately gauge its reliability levels. For this comparison, we will be looking solely at the outgoing model.Kia SorentoKiaView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleBase MSRP: $32,390Model Years: 2021 -presentRivals: Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Outlander, Volkswagen TiguanThe Sorento was released a year later than the older Sorento, and it was a big step up in both size and features compared to the old Sorento, but still not quite as generously proportioned as the Telluride. It also offers a three-row layout, but the rear seats are more for occasional use than long journeys. The base trims come with a tepid 191-hp 2.5-liter inline-four gas engine, but higher trims can be had with a far more capable 281-hp turbocharged engine. Both FWD and AWD layouts are available and max towing capacity is 3,500 lbs.AdvertisementAdvertisementWith a recent update in 2024, the Sorento is packed with the latest in tech and features on offer from Kia and seeing as it has been in production since 2021, it should be a relatively solid and reliable platform by now. Let's see what the real-world feedback reveals.Sorento vs Telluride: ReliabilityKiaView the 2 images of this gallery on the original articleModel YearSorentoTelluride2020N/A31202129472022315520233632(facelift)202438 (facelift)2920253360202638 (predicted)N/AAverage34,242,3As is the norm with most new models, both the Sorento and Telluride suffered from some early production issues in their first year of production, and the Telluride went on to improve each subsequent year until a refresh in 2023 brought the reliability score down again. Following this mid-cycle refresh, owners complained about misaligned interior panel trims, loose exterior molding, and annoying cabin squeaks.It ended production on a relatively high note, with the best reliability score of any model year. While a 60/100 was well above rivals like the Ford Explorer (22/100) and Chevrolet Traverse (37/100), it is still well below class leaders like the Toyota Highlander which regularly scores in the 70s. At least Kia's industry-leading powertrain warranty is there to protect customers in case of manufacturer-related faults.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Sorento, meanwhile, improved its reliability score ever so slightly over its production cycle, but the mid-life refresh in 2024 saw the results dip again, and it has generally occupied the bottom half of the reliability table in its class. It has also been outperformed by the Telluride in all but two model years. Complaints from Sorento owners included rough transmission shifting, and low-speed jerking, and there were several reports of frozen display screens, complete blackouts of the digital gauge cluster, and persistent glitches with smartphone integration.The average reliability scores for both models aren't particularly great though, and even though they are both solid choices in the mid-size three-row SUV segment, owner experience over the past few years suggests that reliability levels are still not where they should be.Data Sources:All vehicle data, pricing figures, and technical specifications were sourced from the official manufacturer websites.Pricing figures represent the base manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) and exclude destination charges, and taxes.Reliability data was sourced from Consumer ReportsAdvertisementAdvertisementThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Jul 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. 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