For most families cross-shopping hybrid three-row SUVs, the Telluride Hybrid’s standard powertrain outguns the Highlander Hybrid’s only engine (329 hp vs 243 hp) with no upcharge, backs it with Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty (double Toyota’s 5-year/60,000-mile) plus Warranty Forever, and offers hands-free-ready Highway Driving Assist 2 on SX and up — a feature the Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer at any trim or price (Toyota reserves that tech for the larger, pricier Grand Highlander). The Highlander Hybrid answers back with genuinely better fuel economy in AWD form and an available 8-passenger seat, so it’s a close, honest cross-shop. See live Telluride Hybrid inventory.

It’s not close. The Telluride Hybrid’s 329 hp / 339 lb-ft turbo-hybrid beats the Highlander Hybrid’s only available powertrain — a 2.5L hybrid four-cylinder rated at 243 hp — by 86 horsepower, on every single trim. Toyota doesn’t offer a higher-power hybrid option on the Highlander; that’s reserved for the larger Grand Highlander’s optional Hybrid Max.

In its standard configuration, yes — and we’ll say so plainly. Every Highlander Hybrid comes standard with AWD and is EPA-estimated at 35 MPG combined, matching the Telluride Hybrid’s most efficient front-wheel-drive trims (EX/SX). But step the Telluride Hybrid up to one of its AWD trims (X-Line SX and up) and its EPA-estimated combined rating drops to 31 MPG — 4 MPG behind the Highlander Hybrid’s AWD-standard 35 MPG. If AWD and maximum highway efficiency are the top priority, the Highlander Hybrid genuinely wins that trade-off.

On paper, yes, at the very base: the Telluride Hybrid EX starts at $46,490 versus the Highlander Hybrid XLE’s roughly $47,620 (both excluding destination). But that’s not quite apples-to-apples — the Highlander Hybrid’s cheapest trim already includes standard AWD, while the Telluride Hybrid’s $46,490 EX is front-wheel drive. Step the Telluride Hybrid up to its least expensive AWD trim, the X-Line SX at $54,490, and the Highlander Hybrid is the more affordable AWD hybrid three-row by a wide margin. Where the Telluride Hybrid pulls it back is what’s standard for the money: 329 hp and Warranty Forever on every trim, FWD or AWD.

Kia’s is significantly longer: 10 years / 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage and 5 years / 60,000 miles limited, vs Toyota’s 5 years / 60,000 miles powertrain and 3 years / 36,000 miles basic (Toyota’s hybrid battery and related components alone carry a separate 10-year/150,000-mile warranty). Every new Telluride Hybrid at Dean McCrary Kia also includes Warranty Forever.

The Highlander Hybrid has real strengths: AWD is standard on every trim at a lower starting price than an equivalent AWD Telluride Hybrid, its AWD-standard EPA-estimated 35 MPG combined beats every AWD Telluride Hybrid trim, and the XLE and Limited grades offer an available 8-passenger second-row bench — one more seat than the Telluride Hybrid’s 7. If AWD-inclusive pricing, top efficiency, or an extra seat matters most, it’s worth a look. For standard power, hands-free-ready tech, and warranty coverage, the Telluride Hybrid leads.

Dean McCrary Kia at 1733 E I-65 Service Rd S in Mobile stocks the full Telluride Hybrid lineup — convenient to Daphne, Spanish Fort, Saraland, Fairhope, and the Gulf Coast. Come drive one and see the difference in person.