2025 Kia Telluride X-Pro vs. 2025 Pathfinder Platinum?

[Durango1]

Forgive me in advance, folks, for one more interminable tow vehicle thread from me on our new-to-us 2022 E-19. (The "dry weight" is 3200# with the options the buy sheet has the "shipping weight" at 3767#.) And of course in 2022 the E-19's were still rated at 5,000# GVWR. Anyway...

We're torn between two 2025 AWD SUV's as a tow vehicle. The "winner" will be the primary TV until if and when we get around to buying a 4WD, off-road rated 1/2 ton pickup. (As of now I'm leaning toward a 2023 Colorado with the diesel.)

Kia Telluride SX Prestige X-Pro with a 5500# tow rating with "self-leveling" suspension. My research tells me this MAY make adjusting the Fastway E2 WDH more complicated. (But theoretically only for the first time.) Opinions differ on whether "self-leveling" will help after that.

We like the X-Pro for a 1"+ higher clearance than the Pathfinder, being slightly more off-road capable and being generally well reviewed. However we are torn between it and the...

Pathfinder (Platinum trim level) with a 6000# rating but no self-leveling suspension. The higher tow rating obviously is a plus but how much?

Thoughts? Suggestions? Opinions? Yes, I know this if a "first world problem" but we tend to keep cars a long time. (The Highlander we'll trade in is a 2011!) And given we're in our early (but still healthy) 70's this may be a "forever" TV!

We're new to towing a camping trailer so we want to do this right. (I've been unjustly accused of being a bit OCD!) Many, many thanks in advance! Steve

 

[WillyB]

If I’m not mistaken the Pathfinder is a full frame vehicle which I would prefer over unibody cars/suvs.

Try not to focus on just Tow Rating but focus much of your attention on the Payload Capacity of your TV. It gets eaten up really quick with Tongue Weight, Weight of Occupants and the Weight of Gear that goes in or on your TV.

My F150 has something like an 11,000 lb Tow Rating but only has 1,802 lbs Payload Capacity Dry. Just with the trailer dry tongue weight, me, my wife, dog and 36 gallons of gas we are eating up nearly 1000 lbs of that Payload Capacity.

Now pack water, daddy colas, dog food, lawn chairs, tables, charcoal, grill etc in the TV and you’ll push the Payload Capacity quicker than you would think.

Good Luck!

 

[dspratley]

I don't think either will tow much better than your Highlander given the comparable payload and hp/torque specs. I would pass on both and get a 1/2 ton truck. We used to have a older E19 that we towed with a 2012 Highlander and it towed OK but I wouldn't consider towing a newer heavier E19 with a V6 SUV.

 

[Durango1]

If I’m not mistaken the Pathfinder is a full frame vehicle which I would prefer over unibody cars/suvs.

Try not to focus on just Tow Rating but focus much of your attention on the Payload Capacity of your TV. It gets eaten up really quick with Tongue Weight, Weight of Occupants and the Weight of Gear that goes in or on your TV.

Thank you, Willy. The newer Pathfinders are unibody.

Good point on payload. The Pathfinder's is only 1150# and the Kia has a payload of 1325#. The good news is there will only be two passengers (and a crazy 19# dog!) when we are towing. (Even though I admit we tend to travel heavy!)

I don't think either will tow much better than your Highlander given the comparable payload and hp/torque specs. I would pass on both and get a 1/2 ton truck. We used to have a older E19 that we towed with a 2012 Highlander and it towed OK but I wouldn't consider towing a newer heavier E19 with a V6 SUV.

I agree on the towing ability. But our 13 year old Highlander is getting long in the tooth and more importantly, Mama wants a new car!

IF the Escape style of camping works out for us (we're keeping our 4WD flatbed-mounted Four Wheel Camper as an alternative at least for a while) then I'm sure we'll invest in a pickup.

This daily driver SUV will just be a stop-gap alternative to test everything out. (We'll probably go to southern AZ this winter without going over any major passes.)

 

[Mike G]

That's a tough choice. I'm glad to see the Nissan will now have a 9 speed automatic instead of the CVT, but if it's a brand new automatic they might not have the bugs worked out for the first year. The Kias are said to be expensive to insure due to the theft rates, last I heard, and their reliability overall probably won't be quite as high as the Nissans.

Based on the engine specs, both will be pretty close to the same as what you're accustomed to with the Highlander, performance-wise. if you've ever towed with the HL, you pretty much know what to expect.

How many miles on your HL? Just curious. I had a 2008... it was a great vehicle, and I put 140k towing miles on it before selling and getting my Lexus GX470 (V8, yeah!).

 

[Durango1]

That's a tough choice. I'm glad to see the Nissan will now have a 9 speed automatic instead of the CVT, but if it's a brand new automatic they might not have the bugs worked out for the first year. The Kias are said to be expensive to insure due to the theft rates, last I heard, and their reliability overall probably won't be quite as high as the Nissans...

How many miles on your HL? Just curious. I had a 2008... it was a great vehicle, and I put 140k towing miles on it before selling and getting my Lexus GX470 (V8, yeah!).

Thanks, Mike! I'm checking tomorrow with my agent re: KIA insurance rates. And I'll research the tranny issues.

Our 2011 Highlander only has 141,000 one-owner miles on it and has the factory tow package. But I just recently (finally) changed (not flushed) the tranny fluid and it was really dark. But the good news is the fluid didn't smell burned and our mechanic says he things the tranny is OK. But I'm paranoid now.

Also I put a scan gauge on the Highlander and test drove it halfway up a mountain pass gaining about 3,000' elevation in 20 miles. Even without pulling a the trailer the transmission fluid climbed quickly to 210 degrees and showed no signs of stabilizing when I decided to "abort the mission".

So we're leaning toward a new DD that can also pull the E-19 on low altitude stuff till we get a 1/2 ton pickup.

 

[Durango1]

PS: What I REALLY want is the new 2025 Toyota 4Runner! It has a standard 6000# tow rating, will obviously be off-road capable and supposedly is more comfortable as a DD. BUT my dealer says the 2025 4Runner likely won't be available till next spring and Mama wants heated seats and a heated steering wheel before winter hits!

 

[Selkirk]

don't think either will tow much better than your Highlander given the comparable payload and hp/torque specs. I would pass on both and get a 1/2 ton truck. We used to have a older E19 that we towed with a 2012 Highlander and it towed OK but I wouldn't consider towing a newer heavier E19 with a V6 SUV.

How extensively do you plan to travel with your E19? What type of terrain (IE: flatland, mountain grades, high elevation)? Both of your choices might have sufficient ratings to tow your E19...but I question if either possess the capability to tow it well, particularly in adverse conditions.

Personally, I am not a fan of Hyundai/Kia products. I think their vehicles are under-engineered compared to the top Japanese brands. Between those two options, I believe the Nissan is the better choice, but not by a wide margin. Nissan's old-school body-on frame trucks seem to be half-decent. Everything else in their line-up has too much Renault-influenced DNA for my liking.

I fully agree with the suggestion to look at a full-size truck/SUV. I'm not a fan of 1/2 tons, but after towing with a mid-size for two seasons, I really believe that's the class of vehicle required to enjoy a truly effortless / low-stress towing experience with a 2nd gen E19.

 

[Selkirk]

agree on the towing ability. But our 13 year old Highlander is getting long in the tooth and more importantly, Mama wants a new car!

IF the Escape style of camping works out for us (we're keeping our 4WD flatbed-mounted Four Wheel Camper as an alternative at least for a while) then I'm sure we'll invest in a pickup.

This daily driver SUV will just be a stop-gap alternative to test everything out. (We'll probably go to southern AZ this winter without going over any major passes.)

I missed this reply earlier. It sounds like you are well-aware of the limitations associated with a mid-size V6 SUV.....

If that is the case, my suggestion would be to search for one of the remaining 2024 5th gen 4Runners .......or a low-mile pre-owned example. I think that's a superior alternative for a new, exceptionally reliable daily-driver SUV with "sufficient" towing capability to handle an E19.

 

[Chainplate]

My wife and I tow our 17B with a 2016 Kia Sorento (V6 and AWD) and we haven't had any problems. I frequently refer to Consumer Reports for their analytics and one significant difference between the Pathfinder and the Telluride is the Owner Satisfaction rating; on the Pathfinder was 2 out of 5 but for the Telluride it was 4 out of 5. Probably a statistically insignificant percentage of those owners are towing with either.

 

[7Gentex]

..........................................
My F150 has something like an 11,000 lb Tow Rating but only has 1,802 lbs Payload Capacity Dry. Just with the trailer dry tongue weight, me, my wife, dog and 36 gallons of gas we are eating up nearly 1000 lbs of that Payload Capacity.

@WillyB

@WillyB

FYI - Full fuel is already considered in the payload calculation on the "Tire Loading" yellow sticker on the driver's door frame.