Compare the2026 GMC AcadiaVS 2027 Kia Telluride

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the GMC Acadia 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 Kia Telluride has not been tested.

Both the Acadia and the Telluride have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, front parking sensors and driver alert monitors.

The GMC Acadia achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Telluride has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The Acadia’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Telluride’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

There are over 2 times as many GMC dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Acadia’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Kia is rated lower.

The Acadia’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 54 more horsepower (328 vs. 274) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (326 vs. 311) than the Telluride’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

The Acadia FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Telluride Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.3 vs. 18.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Acadia AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Telluride’s standard fuel tank (21.7 vs. 19 gallons).

The Acadia has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Telluride doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better traction, the Acadia has larger standard tires than the Telluride (255/55R20 vs. 235/65R18). The Acadia’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Telluride (275/45R22 vs. 265/45R21).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Acadia offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Telluride’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The GMC Acadia’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Kia Telluride only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Acadia has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Telluride doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Acadia’s wheelbase is 4 inches longer than on the Telluride (120.9 inches vs. 116.9 inches).

The Acadia uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Telluride doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Acadia has 2.6 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear shoulder room, .8 inches more third row headroom and 2.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Telluride.

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

While the Telluride Hybrid can only tow 4000, any Acadia can tow a minimum of 5000 pounds.

The Acadia’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Telluride does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Acadia’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Telluride offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Acadia has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Telluride.