The 2025 Grand Cherokee L vs Telluride: Which Three-Row SUV Is Better for Outdoor Adventures?

If you want to take more than five people along for your next outside adventure, you need a three-row SUV that can handle the great outdoors. If you don’t have the budget or space to get a full-size SUV, though, don’t worry. There are great midsize options out there that still have plenty of space for you, your passengers, and any gear you need to bring along for the ride. For example, the Grand Cherokee L has all of the rugged capability you’d expect from a Jeep in a comfortable package with three rows and a spacious cargo area.

But how does this model stand up to the competition? Let’s take a look and find out. Today, we’re going to be looking at the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vs 2025 Kia Telluride. Specifically, we’re going to see which one is the better off-road option. The two have a lot in common, with three rows of seating, powerful V6 engines that have incredibly similar stats (both cranking out nearly 300 hp and over 250 lb-ft of torque), and a variety of trim levels that let you find the suite of features and price that’s right for you. However, the ways that they differ can make a big difference for your next outdoor excursion. Let us show you why the Grand Cherokee L provides a more adventurous ride.

Four-Wheel Drive vs All-Wheel Drive

Several trims of the Telluride are marketed as being rugged and ready for off-road adventures, and these variants are certainly more prepared for off-roading than the base trims. For example, they come standard with all-wheel drive instead of merely offering it as an available upgrade.

And the Telluride’s AWD system isn’t bad—it features a center locking differential and enhanced traction control to give you grip where you need it. However, all-wheel drive is generally optimized for on-road use and better suited to rain-slicked pavement than rough trail conditions. The gold standard for off-roading is four-wheel drive, which also sends power to all four wheels but does so in a manner better suited to use on uneven surfaces.

The most basic 4WD option on the Grand Cherokee L is called Quadra-Trac I, and it’s perfectly capable of tackling a variety of terrain types, with active on-demand action and a Selec-Terrain Traction Management System. Upgrade to Quadra-Trac II, and you can use the Quadra-Lift Air Suspension System that can keep the SUV low for optimal aerodynamics on the highway, but lift it up while off-roading so you can get more ground clearance and glide over obstacles. At the top, the Quadra-Drive II 4×4 system is truly ready for anything, with the air suspension system as well as a rear electronic limited slip differential to help you out of sticky situations.

Ground Clearance

When driving on unpredictable trails and dealing with rocks, roots, and other obstacles, it’s good to have some distance between the ground and your vehicle’s vital underbody components. With both of the SUVs we’re looking at, the ground clearance varies depending on which trim you choose. The Telluride will give you eight inches of clearance with the base trim, and up to 8.4 inches on off-road oriented models.

The Grand Cherokee L beats both of those with the base trim, which offers 8.4 inches of ground clearance. Upgrade to models with the improved suspension system, and you can get up to 10.9 inches of ground clearance. That can make a big difference when you’re out on your favorite OHV trail.

Suspension

On the rear axle, both the Grand Cherokee L and the Telluride use a multi-link suspension, which, to quote Car and Driver, offers “the greatest sophistication and tuning flexibility” out of all of the common automotive suspension setups, providing excellent control so you can have exactly the settings you need to conquer the great outdoors.

But while Jeep goes the extra mile and provides you with a multi-link suspension on the front axle as well, Kia opts for a strut suspension up front. While this type of suspension is common, it’s generally chosen for its simplicity and low cost, not its off-road prowess.

Towing Capacity

Having a solid towing capacity can do a lot to improve your outdoor adventures. You can bring a camping trailer along to act as home base, a boat so you can get out on the water at your favorite lake or river, or even an ATV to conquer trails that are a little too tight for a large SUV. The more towing capacity you have, the more freedom you have for what you can tow. Since you never know what you might decide to get down the road, it helps to get more capacity than you currently need so you can keep your options open.

The Telluride’s towing capacity of 5,500 lbs is certainly nothing to sneeze at—you can absolutely make use of it in a lot of situations. But the Grand Cherokee L can do you one better with 6,200 lbs of towing capacity. Even if you’re not going to come right up to the upper end of it, having an extra 700 lbs of additional capacity can help you drive with confidence when you have a heavy load in tow. You simply have a bigger margin of error for what’s safe to bring along for the ride, so you can relax and enjoy your vacation.

Driving Range

Finally, let’s take a look at how far each of these SUVs can go on a single tank of gas. As we mentioned, the Grand Cherokee L and Telluride have very similar engines. As you might expect, they also have very similar fuel economy figures. When it comes to miles per gallon, it’s basically a tie.

The Telluride has a 1 MPG advantage when looking at two-wheel drive models (22 MPG combined vs 21 MPG combined), but the Grand Cherokee L has a 1 MPG advantage when looking at four-wheel drive models (21 MPG combined vs 20 MPG combined). However, there’s a significant difference when it comes to driving range, and Jeep is the clear winner.

While the Telluride can drive 414 miles with FWD and 376 miles with AWD, according to the EPA, the Grand Cherokee L can drive 483 miles, whether you opt for 2WD or 4WD. That’s because the Grand Cherokee L has a larger fuel tank that can hold more gasoline. If you’re heading off into a rural area where gas stations are few and far between, this can be a real advantage, allowing you to stay out on your trek longer.

Meet Your New Adventure Companion, the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

At the end of the day, it’s clear that this was never a fair fight. Kia might offer some off-road-oriented trims for the Telluride and some of its other models, but the automaker as a whole largely caters to drivers who spend all of their time behind the wheel on paved roads. Jeep, on the other hand, knows rugged capability forwards and backwards. Even the lower trims of the Grand Cherokee L that aren’t designed to withstand the most strenuous trail conditions are more than capable of handling some light off-roading.

The top-tier trims are truly the kind of go-anywhere SUV that Jeep is known for, so you don’t have to set any limits on your next off-road excursion. Plus, you can take three rows of people along for the ride! If you want to learn more about this model, give us a call or visit us here at Zimmer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for a test drive, and we’ll be happy to show you everything it has to offer.