Is the Kia Telluride a Better SUV Than the Toyota RAV4?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Kia Telluride is quickly becoming one of the most popular SUVs on the market. SUVs are dominating the auto industry as consumers have begun to move away from sedans and smaller vehicles. The SUV vehicle class often offers the best of both worlds and provides performance and comfort. The Toyota RAV4 has a long history of being a reliable, popular SUV. Is the new Kia Telluride going to overtake the Toyota RAV4 in rankings?

The Kia Telluride Vs. the Toyota RAV4: Which is better?

The Kia Telluride | Paul Marotta via Getty Images

The Toyota RAV4 may not get recognition as the best SUV on the market yearly, but it is always a contender. Japanese automaker Toyota has worked hard to ensure that the RAV4 looks good, drives well, and offers convenient new features every year. The Toyota RAV4 is also extremely affordable and can be equipped with a hybrid powertrain for better gas mileage. But is the RAV4 competitive enough to stave off the threat of the Kia Telluride?

The Kia Telluride is the largest Kia model ever made. South Korean automaker Kia is known for its smaller vehicles, so the creation of the Telluride SUV was shocking, to say the least. It was even more shocking that the Telluride exceeded expectations. The Telluride continues to excite consumers every year and has consistently proved itself to be a standout model.

The Kia Telluride has been out for less than five years and has already made a name for itself in its vehicle class. In contrast, the Toyota RAV4 nameplate has been around for decades. The RAV4 has had ample time to prove itself throughout multiple generations and has established itself as an SUV staple. It has earned its place alongside great SUVs like the Honda CR-V. The Toyota RAV4 has much more history than the Kia Telluride, but according to consumers and Car and Driver, the Telluride is the better SUV this year. Let’s run through pricing, specs and explore why consumers like the Telluride more.

Is the Kia Telluride worth the money?

The Kia Telluride SUV.
The Kia Telluride | Kia

The 2022 Kia Telluride starts at $32,790. It is available in eight color options and has nine different leather seat color options. The base model LX has a V6 engine that makes 291 horsepower. It has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. The Kia Telluride uniquely offers three rows of seating for a total of eight passengers. It comes with several driver-assist features and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The 2022 Kia Telluride’s interior is where it really shines. It is the height of luxury, and the higher-level trims offer opulence that you would never expect from a Kia. The Telluride’s fuel economy isn’t great, and it does lack powertrain options. Other than that, the 2022 Kia Telluride does just about everything well and is a great, affordable SUV.

The Toyota RAV4 needs an update to compete

A green Toyota RAV4 SUV.
The Toyota RAV4 | Toyota

Toyota has a winning formula, and it has stuck to it for better or worse. The 2021 Toyota RAV4 starts at $26,250. It is an affordable SUV that boasts great fuel economy and different powertrain options. The base model LE uses a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that makes 203 horsepower. It has a towing capacity of just 1,500 pounds compared to the Kia Telluride’s 5,000-pound towing capacity.

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 may have seniority in its vehicle class, but it is a slower, less powerful SUV than the 2022 Kia Telluride. Additionally, its interior isn’t as luxurious. The RAV4 is still a great SUV. It’s just a bad match-up for the Telluride. If Toyota doesn’t want to be outdone by Kia in the SUV vehicle class, the RAV4 will need some major sprucing up.
RELATED: 2021 Kia Telluride: Consumer Reports, KBB, and Edmunds Review Roundup

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Tesla Closed Its First Supercharger Over Security Concerns

by Gabrielle DeSantis

You may see Tesla Supercharger everywhere, but have you ever been to the very first Tesla Supercharger? It’s been a pretty popular spot since it opened(as far as Tesla Superchargers go, anyway), but now it’s closed. Why would Tesla close its very first Supercharger site? Rumor has it security concerns were an ongoing issue at the Tesla headquarters thanks to the Supercharger’s location.

Tesla Supercharger | Tesla

Where is Tesla’s first Supercharger?

Tesla’s first Supercharger is in Hawthorne, California, at Tesla’s design headquarters. It’s been there since September 24, 2012. Now Tesla is shutting it down due to security concerns. To get to the first Supercharger, drivers have to drive the backroads of SpaceX. As one might imagine, people love this part of getting to the Supercharger, and it’s a pretty popular spot to charge Teslas. At the same time, that’s not a spot most people drive on a regular basis, and for good reason; it’s the place where Tesla’s ideas are generated and hashed out.

The Tesla Supercharger also has the first solar canopy that Tesla used, which makes it a point of interest for Tesla enthusiasts. It has a capacity of 120 kW, which is far below the upgrade other Tesla Superchargers will be getting soon, which will be 350 kW. 

Why is Tesla shutting down its first Supercharger?

Tesla's first Supercharger site with a sign announcing its closure.
A sign announcing the closure of Tesla’s first Supercharger | u/jamesf10603/ Reddit

Tesla owners are pretty upset about the closure. It seems to have been a favorite charging spot for a lot of people, despite its popularity. So why would Tesla close this Supercharger?

It turns out that people are trying to sneak into Tesla’s design studio. On top of that, some of them have tried to get past the part they’re not supposed to be in to ‘explore’ Tesla’s headquarters. Although it would certainly be tempting to want to get a peek at where Tesla comes up with all of its ideas, it’s obviously a huge problem for Tesla. Electrek notes that some of the conference rooms are even visible from the Supercharger. 

As of July 19, 2021, the Supercharger at the Tesla headquarters is closed. 

Apparently, Tesla took the Supercharger at SpaceX off of the Supercharger navigation several months ago. This shouldn’t present an availability problem, as Tesla currently has more than 25,000 Superchargers. The Tesla Supercharger will stay open for Tesla and SpaceX employees. It’s good to know that it will still be there, even if it won’t be available for public use. 

Tesla has been expanding its Supercharger network. In addition to upgrading its Superchargers to have a greater (and faster) charging capacity, Tesla has been looking for new Supercharger sites. Business owners who would like to host a Supercharger can apply to be added to their network. With the amount of traffic that would come for the Supercharger, and perhaps stay for what the business is offering, this could be a good deal for many businesses owners and Tesla drivers. 

It’s not surprising that Tesla had to shut down its first Supercharger site to the general public, but it sure is disappointing. There are probably many Tesla drivers who would love to take a trip out to see the Supercharger that began it all. Instead, maybe they can try planning a trip across China, using the longest Supercharger route in the world.

RELATED: 5 Ways the Tesla Cybertruck Is Like Doctor Who’s Cybermen

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How Fast Is a Karma GS-6?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When it comes to luxury eco-friendly cars, Karma Automotive may produce some of the best options on the market. Karma is a startup, kind of like Tesla, but Karma’s been through some uncertain times in the past. However, Karma’s bounced back, and it recently unleashed the Karma GS-6, which could very well be the next best eco-friendly sports car.

The Karma GS-6 is a more affordable option 

Karma GS-6 | Karma Automotive

Karma seems to be following Tesla’s master plan, as the first car from Karma, the Revero, was an expensive luxury sedan. It wasn’t an EV like Tesla, but rather, a PHEV. According to Car and Driver, the Revero costs close to $150,000, a similar price tag to the earliest Teslas on the market. Like those early Tesla models, though, the Revero was a sports car with some impressive numbers.

For example, Car and Driver said that the Revero GT had a 536-hp hybrid powertrain and that it could go from 0 to 60 MPH in roughly 4.5 seconds. Since it was a PHEV, it could also go about 71 miles on battery-only mode. However, as Tesla fans know, after Tesla sold a few of those early cars, Tesla started working on more affordable options. Karma did something similar, and that’s why the GS-6 exists at an $86,000 price point.

How fast is the Karma GS-6?

While the GS-6 is different from the Revero in many ways, they have quite similar powertrains. This is because the GS-6’s powertrain gets the same amount of horsepower as the Revero GT does. As such, its performance is about the same as well. For instance, Car and Driver said that the GS-6 goes from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.4 seconds.

That said, there does seem to be a difference in batteries. The GS-6 gets, at most, 61 miles on a single battery charge. However, regardless of the differences, the GS-6 is still fun to drive. As Car and Driver said, “Once ready, simply release the brake and the car catapults forward like a ball bearing out of a slingshot, mashing you into the seatback while the engine emits a flatulent, high-pitched wail until you release the accelerator. It’s fun, if not terribly pleasant to hear.”

As such, Karma customers can have a similar high-performance car with the GS-6 as they’d get with the Revero GT. Additionally, GS-6 customers would save over $60,000 from that choice. According to Car and Driver, the main reason why the GS-6 has the same power as the 2020 Revero GT is that Karma plans on significantly overhauling the latest Revero GT. The newest Revero GT will get about 1,100 hp instead.

An overview of this sports sedan

So, while the GS-6 will soon be much slower and weaker than the newest Revero GT, the GS-6 still has a few great features up its sleeves. After all, it’s still an $86,000 luxury car. As a result, the GS-6 features a well-refined interior that’s decked with leather, as well as an infotainment system that includes a digital gauge cluster and a 10.2-inch touch screen display.

Additionally, the GS-6 also has a suite of smart safety features that would be common on any luxury car. Some of those features include automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. However, one of the GS-6’s glaring issues is its seating. It only seats four people, and that may not be enough for some customers.

RELATED: Good Karma: The Volt of Sports Cars Returns Quicker and Greener

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The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss Gets Controversial Option

by Gabrielle DeSantis

While the rest of the truck world is scrambling to get with the times and make more efficient, in many cases, fully-electric pickup trucks, the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss will have a 3.0-liter inline-six cylinder Duramax diesel engine. Many companies and even states are beginning to stand against the oil-burners, and all the while, Chevy presses forward. 

2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Chevrolet

The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss is getting a diesel 

Even a year ago, this news wouldn’t be so much as a drop in the pool that is the internet. However, in the past year, many major automotive companies have been moving toward more ecologically friendly cars and, in some cases, even set a date to end the production of internal combustion engines (ICE). 

Meanwhile, the 2022 Silverado – which still comes with a 5.3-liter V8 – just added the 3.0-liter diesel Duramax engine with 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque as a third engine option. This new optional engine will come paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Many people see adding things like this diesel engine as grossly out of touch and severely outdated given the growing issue of climate change. 

At the moment, Silverados that offer the Duramax charge $1,045 for it over the 5.3-liter V8. If that price difference holds for next year, the Chevy diesel will just about evenly split the price difference between the LT Trail Boss with the 5.3 -liter V8 and the 6.2-liter V8. 

GM Authority covered previously that GM will offer the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Limited as a sort of “stop-gap” to bridge the 2021 model-year vehicle with the fully refreshed 2022 Chevy Silverado. This makes the diesel make a bit more sense. This will undoubtedly be a strong option for anyone looking to do serious work or off-roading with the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss. 

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has seen chip shortage delays too

2019 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss running through the dirt
2019 Chevy Silverado Trail Boss | Chevrolet

GM Authority says the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 Limited Trail Boss carries over several aspects of the 2021 Chevy Silverado into the 2022 model year. This is meant to usher in the new model year before the arrival of the refreshed 2022 Chevy Silverado; the second of the two has been delayed, like so many others, due to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to AutoBlog, to put it a bit more simply, GMC is slapping the “Limited” on the Silverados and Sierras to make up for the delayed 2022 models. So, even though the flagships are stuck at sea, these alternate versions will have many of the same features. 

How will the 2022 Silverado Limited Trail Boss Sell when the fully-updated versions come out? 

GM has yet to say if it plans to keep the Limited models going once the fully-refreshed 2022 Chevy Silverados hit the lot. It may be hard to sell them with all of the new bells and whistles of the new Silverado sitting right there. However, According to Autoblog, that is exactly what GM did only a few years ago. GM sold the previous-gen truck as a Limited trim alongside the current-gen of the time. GM certainly wouldn’t be the only company to do so, either. Hell, Ram still sells the previous-generation Ram 1500 with the “Classic” designation. 

Given the current supply chain quagmires the automotive industry is stuck in, it’s unlikely that any automakers won’t sell everything they possibly can to catch up from the massive loss in revenue for this year. And the same goes for customers. Folks are quickly tiring of paying premium prices for dusty used cars. If GM offers buyers a new Chevy Silverado of any flavor, customers will likely stack up to buy them. Especially when you consider the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado LT Tail Boss could be one of the last of the oil-burning diesels.

RELATED: The 2022 Chevy Silverado is Finally Receiving Interior Upgrades

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