Compare the top SUVs, 2020 Kia Telluride vs 2020 Mazda CX-9! Find your perfect vehicle to fit your lifestyle. Look at breakdowns of their awards & ratings, a top trim level comparison, and a base trim level comparison. When side-by-side, which one’s the better buy?
The 2020 Kia Telluride vs 2020 Mazda CX-9 breakdown will assist in your SUV search! As you’ve seen since the Telluride’s release this year, it has been making waves and surpassing the competition in many ways. If you’re wondering why the Kia Telluride is coming head to head with seasoned SUVs, we’ve broken down several factors for your convenience:
- Awards and Ratings
- Comparison of the Base Trims: 2020 Telluride LX FWD vs 2020 CX-9 Sport FWD
- Comparison of the Top Trims: 2020 Telluride SX AWD vs 2020 CX-9 Signature AWD
2020 Kia Telluride vs 2020 Mazda CX-9
Deciding which SUV fits with your lifestyle is a big decision and involves some thorough research! You can see both contain 3 rows of seating, several trim options, and FWD and AWD engine configuration to customize your vehicle.
Let’s get started with a look at awards and customer ratings from the top car sites.
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Awards and Ratings
With many competitors, earning a title is not an easy feat. From the SUV segment, the Telluride and CX-9 compete head to head. Along with giving awards, the top Automotive sources rate vehicles based on reliability, safety, features, cost, and more to give the their readers an overview of the best potential next vehicles. Here is a breakdown of where the SUVs ended up:
| 2020 Telluride | 2020 CX-9 | |
| World Car of the Year, Winter SUV of the Year, 10 Best Interiors List, Best New Cars of 2020, Best 3-Row SUV for Families, 2020 MAMA Family Vehicle of the Year | Awards | World Car Design of the Year, Top Safety Pick |
| Ratings | ||
| 10/10 | Car and Driver | 8.5/10 |
| 8.4/10 | Edmunds | 7.9/10 |
| 8.4/10 | US News & World Report | 8.3/10 |
Both with impressive awards and ratings, but with the Kia Telluride coming a little ahead of the CX-9. Now let’s take a closer look at why the vehicles have these achievements.
Base Trims: 2020 Telluride LX FWD vs 2020 CX-9 Sport FWD
Are you looking for a larger vehicle to fit the family? Don’t worry, you don’t have to move into a boring minivan when you have options like the Telluride and CX-9.
Opening the door and hopping inside, you’ll find in both SUVs Leather-wrapped steering wheels, Push-to-Start, and advanced driver assist features. Both also come with available AWD upgrade and tow packages.
Each one has their strengths and weakness with their base models, but neither is short of features.
| 2020 Telluride LX FWD | 2020 CX-9 Sport FWD | |
| $31,890 | Starting MSRP | $33,890 |
| 3.8L V6 | Engine | 2.5L I4 |
| 291 hp/262 lb-ft | Horsepower/Torque | 227 hp/310 lb-ft |
| 8 | Passenger Seating | 7 |
| Standard | Android Auto/Apple CarPlay | Not Available |
| 23 | Combined Fuel Economy | 24 |
| 8-in touch screen | Infotainment | 7-in touch screen |
| 157.1 cu.ft. | Passenger Volume | 135.8 cu.ft. |
| 21.0 cu.ft. | Cargo Volume | 14.4 cu.ft. |
| 5,000 | Standard Towing | 3,500 |
| 60 mo / 60,000 mi | Basic Warranty | 36 mo / 36,000 mi |
| 120 mo / 100,000 mi | Powertrain Warranty | 60 mo / 60,000 mi |
As you can see, quality is found in both SUVs. Depending on what you are looking for, a little boost of Torque the CX-9 has that, or the extra cargo space will be significantly more in the Telluride. Overall, the base trims are close with the Telluride coming out on top. If more features are wanted, fully load your SUV to the top trim level. Let’s see what’s in store for the SX and Signature levels.
Top Trims: 2020 Telluride SX AWD vs 2020 CX-9 Signature AWD
The models offer a few options in between the base and top trims: SE, EX, Touring, and Grand Touring. But we find it most beneficial to stick with comparing the top levels.
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Similar to the base levels, the price ranges are close with tons of features to make your drive experience extraordinary. The features listed above in the base trims still apply or are upgraded in these trim levels. Here’s a breakdown of some of the available features:
| 2020 Telluride SX AWD | 2020 CX-9 Signature AWD | |
| $43,790 | Base Price MSRP | $46,215 |
| 21 mpg | Combined Fuel Economy | 23 mpg |
| 10 1/2 in Touch Screen, Wireless Phone Charger, 64 color Mood Lighting, and Harman/Kardon® 10-Speaker Surround Sound | Infotainment | LED accent lighting, Bose® Centerpoint® Surround Sound 12 speakers |
| 7 | Standard Seating | 6 |
| Double Sunroof, Standard | Sunroof | Standard |
| 8 Speed Automatic | Transmission | 6 Speed Automatic |
| Standard | Head-Up Display | Standard |
| Standard | Cooled & Heated Front Seats | Standard |
| Standard | Cooled & Heated Rear Seats | Cooled Not Available |
| Standard | Remote Engine Start | Not Available |
Are you surprised the Telluride stands tall even when compared to an old market favorite? Kia has really been stepping up their game the past few years as you can see. With an affordable price and an abundant amount of safety and convenience features, you’ll just have to stop by to test drive it for yourself.
If you are looking for more information about the Telluride’s individual trim levels and Telluride interior, learn more with our articles: Inside the 2020 Kia Telluride: What each trim level has & Kia Telluride Interior: What’s in each trim level?
CONTACT US – BROWSE TELLURIDE INVENTORY
| Telluride | CX-9 |
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Warranties include 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/60,000-mile basic. All warranties and roadside assistance are limited. See retailer for warranty details.