Review: The Kia Telluride is the perfect SUV for all your family's adventures

• The 2022 Kia Telluride SUV starts at $33,090. The top-trim Telluride SX model starts at $42,990.
• We drove a 2022 Telluride on the track and on an off-road course, and it was impressive all around.

Although the Kia Telluride was a brand-new model back in 2020, it remains a standout contender among midsize SUVs for the 2022 model year. This eight-seater's interior is commodious for passengers and for cargo, and sports a long list of features inside the cabin and under the hood. The 2022 Telluride is a beautiful family vehicle for drivers looking for a three-row SUV packed with practical equipment.

The 2022 Kia Telluride earned a great score on its J.D. Power reliability rating, standing out among midsize SUVs. Other 2022 rivals such as the Chevy Traverse and Toyota Highlander earned slightly lower reliability ratings.

Behind Kia's newly redesigned logo, the 2022 Telluride runs on a 3.8-liter V6 engine that produces 291 horsepower, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This Telluride setup can earn about 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA, and about 21 mpg combined.

The 2022 Kia Telluride comes in four models:

• Telluride LX ($33,090): comes standard with synthetic leather, 10.25-inch touch screen, smartphone integration, voice recognition, six speakers, six USB ports, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and remote start
• Telluride S ($35,590): adds an eight-way power adjustable driver's seat, wireless device charging, second-row captain's chairs, heated front seats, and a power sunroof
• Telluride EX ($38,090): adds authentic leather upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat, a hands-free power liftgate, and ventilated front seats
• Telluride SX ($42,990): adds LED headlights and foglights, surround-view parking camera, automatic high-beams, front parking sensors, blind spot camera, Harman Kardon sound system, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat with memory settings, a seven-inch display cluster, and a dual-pane sunroof

Our 2022 Telluride SX was outfitted with the Prestige Package ($2,300), which adds the head up display, Nappa leather seat trim, heated and ventilated second-row seats, and rain-sensing front wipers.

We test drove the all-wheel-drive Telluride on a pavement track and took it on an off-roading course. On both types of tracks, the Telluride provided a great ride and handling experience.

The Telluride's powertrain and brakes are both powerful and responsive, and the tech features like the head-up display significantly aid the driving experience, easily showing up in the driver's line of sight.

I had no problems maneuvering the Telluride over a steep dirt hill, through a puddle, and over a loose log bridge. The SUV offers a grippy, grounded feel, even around inclined corners.

The exterior design looks cool, and the interior is extraordinarily comfortable, providing numerous tech features that are reasonably easy to figure out how to use.

With all these tech features at their fingertips, drivers will feel tricked out in the sumptuous cabin — and downright safe while they're driving on the streets or on rough terrain.

The Telluride comes standard with advanced driver technology that includes forward-collision assist, rear blind-spot collision avoidance assist, lane-keep assist, lane-follow assist, rear cross-traffic assist, reverse parking distance warning, smart cruise control and safe-exit assist. Further safety features include electronic stability control and rear occupant alert.

The 2022 Telluride earned a safety rating of five out of five from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, scoring five stars in the side crash test, four stars in the frontal crash test, and four stars in the rollover test. The 2022 Telluride has not been crash tested yet by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but the similar 2021 model was named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.

While the high safety scores and numerous features make the Telluride a sensible SUV, it also provides a practical amount of cargo space and hauling ability so you can pack up all your gear. In the back, the Telluride can stash up to 87 cubic feet of gear — or 21 cubic feet in the cargo area behind the back seats, which is pretty good for a midsize SUV.

The Telluride SX we drove included the Towing package ($795), adding the tow hitch and self-leveling rear suspension, which maintains the vehicle's ride and handling balance. Properly equipped, the Telluride can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

The Telluride's exterior also sports power-folding, heated outside mirrors with turn signals, a sliding sunroof, and a hands-free power liftgate that all come standard, streamlining your whole driving experience.

Our Telluride SX featured the added bonus equipment of the wolf gray paint ($495) and Nightfall edition package ($1,395), which included the 20-inch black alloy wheels, stylish black front grille, and black exterior trim.

Overall, the tech application, driving experience, and user comfort of the 2022 Kia Telluride make it a great choice for family-friendly luxury driving — and even if you end up on a beach at the coast or on a dirt road on your way to a winery, this Telluride can handle it with the best of its class.