Kia Telluride vs Toyota Highlander: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
On EPA ratings the 2025 Toyota Highlander's best version gets 35 mpg combined against 22 mpg for the Kia Telluride.
Kia Telluride
22mpg
Best 2025 version: 3.8L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic
Toyota Highlander
35mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT
The cheapest Toyota Highlander to fuel costs $1,850 a year at EPA's prices, $1,100 less than the cheapest Telluride. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2025 Telluride and 4 recalls for the Highlander.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | Telluride | Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 22 mpg 3.8L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic | 35 mpg (clearly better) 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 22 mpg | 25 mpg (clearly better) |
Hybrid or plug-in available | No | Hybrid 35 mpg |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $2,950 | $1,850 (clearly better) |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Costs $3,250 more | Saves $2,250 (clearly better) |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 3 | 4 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 113 | 10 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars | 5 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | 14.3% to 15.5% (clearly better) | 16.4% to 16.9% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2016. The Telluride rated higher in 0 and the Highlander in 6 of the 6 years both were sold.
- Kia Telluride
- Toyota Highlander
2025: Kia Telluride 22 mpg · Toyota Highlander 35 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Kia Telluride | Toyota Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | – | 28 |
| 2017 | – | 29 |
| 2018 | – | 29 |
| 2019 | – | 29 |
| 2020 | 23 | 36 |
| 2021 | 23 | 36 |
| 2022 | 23 | 36 |
| 2023 | 23 | 36 |
| 2024 | 22 | 36 |
| 2025 | 22 | 35 |
| 2026 | – | 35 |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Kia Telluride (left bar)
- Toyota Highlander (right bar)
2026: Kia Telluride 0 recalls · Toyota Highlander 0 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Kia Telluride | Toyota Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 | 4 |
| 2019 | 0 | 3 |
| 2020 | 7 | 5 |
| 2021 | 5 | 5 |
| 2022 | 7 | 6 |
| 2023 | 6 | 9 |
| 2024 | 5 | 7 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 |
| 2026 | 0 | 0 |
More on each model
- 2025 Kia Telluride MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Kia Telluride by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Toyota Highlander MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Toyota Highlander by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the Telluride or the Highlander?
For 2025, the Highlander. Its best version is rated 35 mpg combined; the Telluride's best is 22 mpg.
Which is cheaper to fuel?
The Highlander. At EPA's assumptions its cheapest version costs $1,850 a year against $2,950, a $5,500 difference over five years.
How do they compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 Telluride is rated 5 stars overall and the Highlander 5 stars. Rollover risk is 14.3% to 15.5% for the Telluride and 16.4% to 16.9% for the Highlander.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.