Volkswagen Atlas vs Kia Telluride: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
The 2025 Volkswagen Atlas and Kia Telluride tie on EPA's best combined rating at 22 mpg.
Volkswagen Atlas
22mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic
Kia Telluride
22mpg
Best 2025 version: 3.8L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2025 Atlas and 3 recalls for the Telluride.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | Atlas | Telluride |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 22 mpg 2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic | 22 mpg 3.8L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 22 mpg | 22 mpg |
Hybrid or plug-in available | No | No |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $2,950 | $2,950 |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Costs $3,250 more | Costs $3,250 more |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 5 | 3 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 47 | 113 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars | 5 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | 13.6% to 15.9% | 14.3% to 15.5% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2018. The Atlas rated higher in 1 and the Telluride in 2 of the 6 years both were sold; they tied in 3.
- Volkswagen Atlas
- Kia Telluride
2025: Volkswagen Atlas 22 mpg · Kia Telluride 22 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Volkswagen Atlas | Kia Telluride |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 24 | – |
| 2019 | 22 | – |
| 2020 | 22 | 23 |
| 2021 | 22 | 23 |
| 2022 | 23 | 23 |
| 2023 | 23 | 23 |
| 2024 | 23 | 22 |
| 2025 | 22 | 22 |
| 2026 | 23 | – |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Volkswagen Atlas (left bar)
- Kia Telluride (right bar)
2026: Volkswagen Atlas 2 recalls · Kia Telluride no dataTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Volkswagen Atlas | Kia Telluride |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 17 | – |
| 2019 | 12 | – |
| 2020 | 4 | 7 |
| 2021 | 17 | 5 |
| 2022 | 7 | 7 |
| 2023 | 5 | 6 |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 |
| 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| 2026 | 2 | – |
More on each model
- 2025 Volkswagen Atlas MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Volkswagen Atlas by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Kia Telluride MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Kia Telluride by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the Atlas or the Telluride?
Neither, for 2025. The best version of each is rated 22 mpg combined.
How do they compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 Atlas is rated 5 stars overall and the Telluride is rated 5 stars overall. Rollover risk is 13.6% to 15.9% for the Atlas and 14.3% to 15.5% for the Telluride.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.