Compare the2025 Kia TellurideVS 2025 Mercedes GLS

Both the Telluride and GLS have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Telluride has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The GLS’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Both the Telluride and the GLS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Kia Telluride has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The GLS has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The Telluride comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The GLS’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLS. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the GLS ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Telluride’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Telluride’s reliability 12 points higher than the GLS.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride third among upper midsize suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The GLS isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 21st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Telluride gets better mileage than the GLS:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Telluride uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLS requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Telluride higher (6 out of 10) than the Mercedes GLS (4 to 6). This means the Telluride produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GLS every 15,000 miles.

The Telluride stops shorter than the GLS:

The Kia Telluride may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1400 to 1750 pounds less than the Mercedes GLS.

The Telluride is 8 inches shorter than the GLS 450, making the Telluride easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Telluride has standard seating for 8 passengers; the GLS can only carry up to 7.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Telluride’s middle and third row seats recline. The GLS’ third row seats don’t recline.

The Telluride’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLS.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Telluride easier. The Telluride’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the GLS’ liftover is 31.8 inches.

The Telluride’s cargo area is larger than the GLS’ in almost every dimension:

A Trailer Stability Assist is standard on the Telluride, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the GLS.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Telluride has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLS only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Telluride’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the GLS’ headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Telluride is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GLS doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Telluride owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Telluride will cost $5825 to $13030 less than the GLS over a five-year period.

The Telluride will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Telluride will retain 57.67% to 58.24% of its original price after five years, while the GLS only retains 45.74% to 47.18%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Telluride is less expensive to operate than the GLS because typical repairs cost much less on the Telluride than the GLS, including $314 less for a water pump, $87 less for a muffler, $63 less for front brake pads, $294 less for a starter, $190 less for fuel injection, $207 less for front struts and $37 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Telluride, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes GLS isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The GLS was rated third in its category.

The Telluride was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2025 and 5 more times in the last 6 years. The GL/GLS hasn’t been picked since 2017, and the GL/GLS has only been chosen 3 times.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The GLS has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Telluride as the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The GLS has never been chosen.

The Kia Telluride outsold the Mercedes GLS by almost four to one during 2024.