12/1 Test Review

I owned my 2023 Kia Telluride SX X Pro for about 60,000 miles, and I can sum up my experience pretty simply: I loved that car. I bought it new with a blue exterior and black interior, and if my family circumstances hadn’t unexpectedly changed, I genuinely believe I would still be driving it today. I didn’t trade my Telluride because it became unreliable. I didn’t get tired of it. There wasn’t some expensive repair that finally pushed me over the edge. In fact, over roughly 60,000 miles, I had no significant mechanical problems at all. I traded it because my family got bigger. When I bought the Telluride, I was regularly hauling two kids under five. Then I got married, which added a 6’6” husband, two teenage girls, and, because apparently we enjoy testing the laws of spatial geometry, two dogs. At that point, the Telluride didn’t become a bad SUV. We simply became too much family for it. And that distinction is important because for a family of four, or even many families of five, I think the Telluride is one of the best family SUVs out there.

When our family grew from four to six after I got remarried, we suddenly needed room for two teens, two little girls, two dogs (including a Great Dane!), and all the gear that comes with family life. That’s what led us to a 2021 Expedition Max. For context, I came from a 2023 Kia Telluride SX Prestige X Pro, which I loved. We simply outgrew it. After hearing so many recommendations from The Car Mom, I decided to give the Expedition Max a try, and I’m glad I did. Most weekdays it’s just me, my 3 and 6 year old, and our lap dog running between school and daycare. Every other weekend, though, we’re hauling all six of us plus our Great Dane. The cargo space behind the third row has been a lifesaver. We’ve already taken a couple of road trips, and it handled them great. For a week long vacation we’d probably add a roof box, especially with the dogs. My favorite features are the power folding third row and the button that drops the third row headrests from the driver’s seat. My teenagers never remember to put them down, so I love getting my rear visibility back with one press. There are also storage compartments everywhere, which is a huge plus for mom life. It doesn’t feel nearly as big as I expected. I like the solid feel when driving, it’s easy to maneuver, visibility is excellent, and even with rear wheel drive it’s handled snow just fine. My biggest complaint is the technology. Coming from Kia, Ford’s infotainment feels dated and lacks customization. Also, my tall teenagers find the third row uncomfortable on long drives. Would I buy it again? Absolutely. If you have a growing family and need real space without sacrificing drivability, the Expedition Max has been a fantastic fit for us.

Love! I have two boys (8 and 5) and we have been so happy with our sorento. We live in a city and needed a car that wasn't too big (we parallel park everywhere) but had enough space to allow us to carpool. We have the bench and typically keep the third row down, but can easily put it up for carpooling. Have road-tripped all over and it has always been enough space for us!