Why Is the Kia Telluride So Expensive?
By the CarWhere Research Team · Updated November 14, 2026 · Built from our resale value study, verified buyer deals, used listing prices
Why is the Telluride so expensive?
The Telluride is expensive mostly because dealers barely discount it: CarWhere data shows new ones sold for 98.8% of MSRP at the median in our verified deals, and 6.3% of buyers paid more than sticker; a 3-year-old (2022) Telluride lists for 54.0% of today's median new price vs 62.3% for midsize SUVs.
Updated November 2026 · Sources: Depreciation study · Telluride price & deals · Used prices
Value kept at 3 yrs
54.0%
vs 62.3% for midsize SUVs
Paid vs MSRP
98.8%
median of 64 verified deals
Used median
$30,686
13,161 listings
Resale: the Telluride vs other midsize SUVs
A 3-year-old (2022) Telluride lists for a median $26,445 at 75,143 miles, 54.0% of the $48,963 median price of a new one today. The average across 13 other midsize SUVs is 62.3%, which puts the Telluride 14 of 14.
A 5-year-old (2020) Telluride lists for a median $19,802 at 100,657 miles, 40.4% of the $48,963 median price of a new one today. The average across 11 other midsize SUVs is 48.2%, which puts the Telluride 12 of 12.
High resale cuts both ways: owners lose less when they sell, but used shoppers pay more, which keeps new prices firm. Full year-by-year curve: Telluride depreciation by model year.
| # | Model | 5-year value retained |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Bronco 4-Door | 62.2% |
| 2 | Toyota 4Runner | 61.2% |
| 3 | Toyota Highlander | 52.7% |
| 4 | Honda Passport | 49.9% |
| 5 | Honda Pilot | 46.6% |
| 6 | Hyundai Palisade | 45.1% |
| 7 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 44.4% |
| 8 | Ford Explorer | 43.2% |
| 9 | Volkswagen Atlas | 42.4% |
| 10 | Chevrolet Traverse | 41.8% |
| 11 | Subaru Ascent | 41.1% |
| 12 | Kia Telluride | 40.4% |
Retained = median asking price of a 5-year-old example ÷ median price of the same model new today. CarWhere listings study, October 25, 2026.
What buyers actually pay vs sticker
Across 64 verified new Telluride purchases CarWhere collected from February 2026 to November 2026, the median buyer paid 98.8% of MSRP, or 1.2% ($700) off. The middle half of deals landed between 0.0% and 2.6% off. 6.3% of buyers paid more than sticker.
So dealers give little room on the Telluride: the price is mostly the sticker itself.
| Model year | Deals | Median off MSRP | Median MSRP | Paid over sticker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 63 | 1.1% | $50,200 | 6.3% |
Trim-by-trim prices and the full deal breakdown: Telluride price. Browse every verified deal at What People Paid.
How the Telluride's price climbed
Trim mix matters as much as the base price: the newest full lineup in our data spans $18,400 from cheapest to priciest trim (+47.0%).
| Model year | Cheapest trim | MSRP | Priciest trim | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | LX | $39,190 | X-Line SX Prestige Hybrid | $57,590 |
Automaker starting MSRPs by model year as compiled in CarWhere’s trim-level and price datasets. Starting MSRPs as published for each year; years we haven't priced are left out. Destination charges are excluded where the automaker lists them separately.
The used-price floor
As of November 7, 2026, the median used Telluride lists for $30,686 (middle half $24,556–$35,930) across 13,161 dealer listings, at a median 51,466 miles.
The floor is high: the cheapest model year by median price is the 2020 at $19,500 with 100,792 miles.
| Model year | Listings | Median price | Median miles | % of new today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,101 | $35,587 | 28,038 | — |
| 2024 | 3,595 | $34,860 | 37,773 | 72.3% |
| 2023 | 1,713 | $31,379 | 52,856 | 65.1% |
| 2022 | 2,030 | $25,995 | 75,242 | 54.0% |
| 2021 | 1,544 | $22,800 | 90,438 | 46.9% |
| 2020 | 1,580 | $19,500 | 100,792 | 40.4% |
Median asking prices of used and certified listings at US dealers, November 7, 2026. % of new today is from the October 25, 2026 depreciation study. Years with fewer than 50 listings are left out.
Used price by trim
| Trim | Listings | Median used price | Newest MSRP we hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| SX Prestige X-Line | 807 | $39,274 | — |
| EX X-Line | 941 | $35,981 | — |
| S | 3,418 | $29,266 | $42,090 (2027) |
| SX | 2,432 | $27,583 | $48,790 (2027) |
| EX | 2,551 | $26,045 | $43,790 (2027) |
Trims with 100+ listings. Used medians mix model years, so compare them to each other more than to the new MSRP.
State-by-state and year-by-year detail: used Telluride prices.
How to pay less for a Telluride
- Aim for about 2.2% off MSRP before rebates. That's the CarWhere Index target from 64 verified deals (February 2026–November 2026), about $1,100 on the average $51,700 sticker in our sample. The median buyer got 1.2% off.
- Start at the LX ($39,190 for 2027) and add only what you need. The X-Line SX Prestige Hybrid costs $18,400 more.
- The cheapest model year on the used market right now is 2020, at a median $19,500 with 100,792 miles.
See what other buyers paid, deal by deal, at What People Paid, and check Telluride years to avoid and the best Telluride years before you shop used.
How we got these numbers
- Resale. Median asking price of each model year in US dealer listings (licensed vehicle-data providers) divided by the median price of the same model new today; CarWhere depreciation study dated October 25, 2026. Segment averages exclude the Telluride itself and only include models with 50+ listings at that age.
- What buyers paid. Approved, de-duplicated CarWhere verified new-car purchases (leases excluded) with both MSRP and selling price, model year within one year of the purchase date. The target discount is the CarWhere Index: the 75th-percentile discount of the cleaned pool, before rebates.
- Price history. Automaker starting MSRPs by model year as compiled in CarWhere’s trim-level and price datasets.
- Used prices. Active used and certified listings at US dealers, stats only (no listing rows stored), November 7, 2026.
- Nothing here is projected or estimated: each figure is a median or count from the data above, dated where it appears.
FAQ
Why is the Telluride so expensive?
The Telluride is expensive mostly because dealers barely discount it: CarWhere data shows new ones sold for 98.8% of MSRP at the median in our verified deals, and 6.3% of buyers paid more than sticker; a 3-year-old (2022) Telluride lists for 54.0% of today's median new price vs 62.3% for midsize SUVs.
Does the Telluride hold its value?
In CarWhere's October 2026 listings study, a 5-year-old (2020) Telluride lists for a median $19,802 at 100,657 miles, 40.4% of the $48,963 median new price today. The average for midsize SUVs is 48.2%; the Telluride ranks 12 of 12.
Do dealers mark up the Telluride?
In 64 verified Telluride deals CarWhere collected between February 2026 and November 2026, the median buyer paid 1.2% below MSRP ($700). 6.3% of buyers paid more than sticker.
What's the cheapest used Telluride I can find?
In CarWhere's November 7, 2026 data, the lowest model-year median is the 2020 Telluride at $19,500 (100,792 miles).
Cite or embed this number
“The Telluride is expensive mostly because dealers barely discount it: CarWhere data shows new ones sold for 98.8% of MSRP at the median in our verified deals, and 6.3% of buyers paid more than sticker; a 3-year-old (2022) Telluride lists for 54.0% of today's median new price vs 62.3% for midsize SUVs.”
Source: CarWhere Research, “Why Is the Kia Telluride So Expensive?,” www.carwhere.com/research/why-so-expensive/kia/telluride. Journalists: free to quote with a link. Data downloads, methodology and the media kit are on the CarWhere press page.