Compare the2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee LVS 2027 Kia Telluride

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Kia Telluride doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Telluride doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Grand Cherokee L has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Telluride doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee L Limited Reserve/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Telluride doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Grand Cherokee L and the Telluride have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The Grand Cherokee L’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Telluride runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee L’s warranty.

The battery on the Grand Cherokee L is under the seat, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Grand Cherokee L’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Telluride’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

The Grand Cherokee L Laredo’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 19 more horsepower (293 vs. 274) than the Telluride’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee L gets better mileage than the Telluride:

The Grand Cherokee L has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Telluride Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (23 vs. 18.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Grand Cherokee L has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Telluride’s standard fuel tank (23 vs. 19 gallons).

The Grand Cherokee L 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 stopping power the Grand Cherokee L’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Telluride:

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee L has larger standard tires than the Telluride (265/60R18 vs. 235/65R18). The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Telluride (275/45R21 vs. 265/45R21).

The Grand Cherokee L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Telluride LX/EX Hybrid’s standard 65 series tires.

The Grand Cherokee L 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.

The Grand Cherokee L offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Telluride; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Grand Cherokee L offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Telluride’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee L’s wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the Telluride (121.7 inches vs. 116.9 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee L Laredo/Limited has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Telluride (8.5 vs. 7.4 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s minimum ground clearance is 1.8 inches higher than on the Telluride X-Pro (10.9 vs. 9.1 inches).

The Grand Cherokee L Altitude/Limited/Summit 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.

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Telluride is limited to 5000 pounds. The Grand Cherokee L offers up to a 6200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee L Summit can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee L can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Telluride can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The engine in the Grand Cherokee L is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Telluride. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Telluride SX/Prestige, the Grand Cherokee L Summit has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Grand Cherokee L’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 Grand Cherokee L’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Telluride’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Grand Cherokee L Summit has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Telluride doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Grand Cherokee L’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.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L retains 53.18% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 51.21% resale value of the 2027 Kia Telluride after five years, which can save the Jeep’s owner.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Kia Telluride by 70% during 2025.