Bobeisenberg

I’ve got a 2017 Q7 (Premium Plus) I bought shortly after they came out. Took 2 years to sort out a defective supercharger clutch that made the car stutter when accelerating but now is a great driving car. Very quiet and a great ride. Nice blend of comfort & sportiness.

When it came time for my wife to get a new ride, we looked at less luxury brands and ended up with a 2018 Atlas, top of the line SEL with AWD.

Comparing the two:
Atlas SEL has more features (those that come to mind):
- Adaptive cruise control
- Auto dimming headlights
- Lane assist
- It’s noticeably bigger with more legroom in all rows
- Ventilated front seats

But, Atlas lacks electric up/down for 3rd row
Atlas cost something like $13Kish less than the Q7

Q7 has a much more refined ride:
- Quieter
- Smoother acceleration
- Nicer interior finishes
- Feels much more nimble than the Atlas

Both very nice cars that aren’t trying to compete for the same customer. If roominess, features & price point are what you want, the Atlas is a great choice (and likely the other non-luxury brands noted by others in this forum). If road manners, comfort, finishes and “brand bling” are your thing, as they were for me, the Q7 rocks.

Hope this is helpful.

bananabird

As an owner of several Audis, I'd agree that maintenance isn't nearly as expensive as some think it is. It's above average in cost, but no means ridiculous.

On another note, I'll disagree respectfully regarding the Telluride... I test drove an SX trim telluride 3 different times, because I couldn't get away from the "allure" that it offered... The fit and finish is FANTASTIC, right up there with any Audi I've driven or tested, including the Q7. In addition, the Telluride actually offered MORE in the way of features than the Audi. The Q7 didn't have a rear entertainment system, cabin talk, auto left and right cameras activated by the turn signals, 2nd row captains chairs, etc. It also felt more narrow inside, less headroom, and felt heavier to drive. The telluride was amazing to drive, handled well, and was actually smoother driving than the q7. Honestly, after driving both cars, the Audi felt overpriced and the telluride felt underpriced. The telluride SX with all the bells and whistles competes with some of the luxury brands, and almost makes buying them a moot point, when you get all the quality and refinement, driving dynamics, safety features and an amazing drivetrain with smooth power delivery, acoustic glass to deaden road noise and better reliability... Hands down better than any Lexus RX available, not even a comparison TBH (The Lexus feels low quality and outdated).

bananabird

It's a shame you have no interest in Kia cars, because you don't know what you're missing honestly, but apparently others do as Telluride sells for $12K above sticker price.

Anybody here who owns an Audi of course will bock at the fit and finish in the Kia telluride, comparing to the Audi Q7, however, they are not correct at all. There's a reason the telluride has won so many awards, and why it's JD Powers, Edmunds and motor trend's winner in this segment - anybody who associates KIA with cheap Korean cars is out of the loop regarding cars as Kia is majorly on the upswing. I all but guarantee that a telluride will far outlast a Q7, and as somebody who's owned 3 Audis, I can tell you first hand after testing a Telluride SX-P, that that's what I'll be buying. If somebody completely debadged the telluride and blindly stuck a car enthusiastic inside and let them test drive it, explore the features, etc, they'd easily place it above some of the luxury brands, and never believe it is a Kia. It's that good.

SQ8westcoast

Go Kia Go !! I had a top tier Sorento and a Stinger GT , they were solid cars and the future for Kia / Hyundai and Genesis is bright , I looked at the Telly , too big and underpowered for my needs , same with the GV70 and 80 .................looking forward to my first Audi ! I am not a brand ***** , after owning 9 BMWs ( all v8s ) I was done , had great experience with Kia though

bananabird

The telly is awesome if you have a family, but otherwise, not very practical. I actually think it's pretty powerful for what it is, and will out power most 4 banger turbo sedans on the highway. After testing literally everything in this size class, short of top tier luxury brands (X7, GLE350/43 AMG, a few others), the telluride is by far and away the best in every way, which is probably why it's so highly regarded by critics and consumers alike. I could understand if you'd want something more powerful, though...

Look into an Alfa Romeo Stelvio (much smaller), read the reviews, everybody has nothing but good things to say about them. The base Stelvio is faster than the base Porsche Macan. The ride and handling are the very best in it's class (ask me how I know☺️), it has a 12:1 steering ratio, perfect 50/50 weight distribution, an awesome ZF 8 speed transmission, a one-piece carbon fiber driveshaft, AWD, and a peppy 280 HP engine making 0-60 in 5.1 sec. I actually added a Lorinser piggy back, and mine easily hits 60 in 4.6 sec now. Extremely fun to drive. Just thought I'd mention it.

Force-1

My wife is on her third Kia Sorento. She's had a 2011, 2014, 2019, all purchased new. Each optioned with everything. Super reliable - the only warranty repair with any of them was some burned out LEDs in the high mount brake light of the 2011.

I imagine it's only a matter of time until she wants #4.

ihabd4

I don't understand the logic behind comparing a luxury brand vs. standard brand such as Kia. It doesn't matter how many awards the Telluride won. You are comparing apple to orange. Buyers are paying a premium price for the Audi brand. Audi, BMW and Mercedes may have lower reliability, expensive and are more pain to maintain compared to kia but people are still buying these brands because the comfort level they provide, cabin experience, more fun to drive, luxury interior, and the much better performance. If you are looking for a car to just get you from A to B, then look elsewhere other than Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

bananabird

No offense, but seems like you are either out of the loop, a car snob or just ignorant regarding what "normal" brands like KIA are doing.

With luxury brands such as Mercedes, you're paying a premium for the most expensive leather interior available, the name, the prestige, maybe a few other gimmicks, but you're comparing what used to be, to what is NOW. A Kia telluride SX-Prestige offers everything you just stated in your breakdown of the difference between a normal brand and luxury brand. The Telluride I tested has everything any luxury brand has (in the size class).

Sure, the base line Telluride doesn't match up to a luxury brand of SUV, but the SX (top tier trim level) does, and has better reliability.

I own an Audi S4, a Lincoln Corsair, and recently owned an Audi SQ5, Mercedes GLC300, Lexus IS-F, BMW 340i, etc. I am not ignorant when it comes to luxury brands, but I'm telling you first hand, the Telluride SX is every bit as luxurious, comfortable and smooth/quiet, powerful, etc as anything in it's class of luxury brands. The price tag on a new Telluride SX is upwards of $60K right now for a reason. After testing an Audi Q7, a Lexus RX350L, a BMW X5 and a 2022 Acura MDX, the difference between a telluride and any of those just mentioned, is negligible at best.

retom

One buys a Swatch watch, another an Omega, and yet another Patek Philippe. One wears an Ermenegildo Zegna suit, and the other a suit bought in a popular chain store. And not necessarily because he cannot afford Patek Philippe or Zegna, but because he does not pay attention to the brand and cares less about the more unique and sophisticated style. But no one compares Swatch with Omega or suits from different worlds.
I have a lot of respect for Kia. It is a brand that has made great progress and each new model is getting better and better in almost every aspect, including design. There are those for whom the Kia is a safe and comfortable car to get from point A to point B, and they don't care about the rest. But there are those who are looking for something more, what brands such as Audi, MB or Porsche offer, and what Kia, Hyundai, Ford, etc. do not have and will not have for a long time. And this is " this something" for which we are even able to forgive some imperfections of our cars.
I sincerely express my sympathy to all supporters of Korean cars but this is the Audi forum so maybe let's focus here on this brand, its advantages and disadvantages and let Kia stay on the Kia forum

ihabd4

But I still can’t get over comparing Audi to Kia 😡