Compare the2027 Kia TellurideVS 2026 Lexus GX

Both the Telluride and GX 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 GX’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 GX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Kia Telluride’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Lexus GX.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Telluride uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The GX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Telluride and the GX 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, 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 GX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the GX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the GX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

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

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

Regenerative brakes improve the Telluride Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The GX 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 GX 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 GX requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Telluride higher (6 out of 10) than the Lexus GX (5). This means the Telluride produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GX every 15,000 miles.

The Telluride LX/EX Hybrid’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GX 550 Overtrail’s standard 70 series tires. The Telluride X-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the GX’s optional 50 series tires.

The Telluride offers an optional automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The GX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Telluride’s wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than on the GX (116.9 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Telluride is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the GX.

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 1200 pounds less than the Lexus GX.

Unibody construction lowers the Telluride’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The GX doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

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 GX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Telluride offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the GX can only carry up to 7.

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

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

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 GX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Telluride has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console for two separate devices. Wireless charging costs extra on the GX, and only charges one device.

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 GX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

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

The Kia Telluride outsold the Lexus GX by over three to one during 2025.