A man has taken to TikTok to say millennials should avoid buying a Kia Telluride if they want a car with nearly perfect reliability. TikTok user Trey (@treybugatti) voiced his opinions in a video that has 123,000 views at the time of writing.
Reliability is a word on everyone’s lips at the moment. A 2025 study found that 65% of those surveyed chose reliability as one of their three most important criteria when buying a car. A more reliable car equals lower maintenance costs.
The Kia Telluride is incredibly popular, and over the last four years, America has sold over 100,000 Tellurides annually. The Kia brand as a whole has been getting more popular, and the Telluride figures back that up. But Trey thinks there are other good options out there.
The TikTok user says that in reality, millennials should be buying the Mazda CX-90. He claimed in his video that it is “nicer, by a lot,” and that even though it doesn’t look as flashy, “it’s put together better.” But do his claims hold up in reality?
Why Trey Thinks the Mazda CX-90 Is a Better Option
@treybugatti STOP BUYING KIAS buy a Mazda instead #telluride #CX90 #carsoftiktokcontest #carreviewstiktokcontest ♬ original sound – Trey Bugatti
“Sure, it doesn’t look as flashy, but it’s put together better,” said Trey. “It’s more reliable, and it’s the same money,” he added. Trey said the Mazda is filled with leather and plastic that is “actually nice” and that, overall, it offers a bit more refinement than its Kia counterpart.
“Nothing jumps out at you, but it’s all nice high-quality stuff — compared to the Telluride, which is, of course, a [expletive]box,” said the TikTok user. “When you start touching buttons, you don’t realize they’re [expletive] because you’ve never touched a nice button before,” he added. “You don’t touch the leather and realize it’s plastic. You just see a 10-year warranty and don’t question why it has a 10-year warranty.” While Trey is convinced he is right, is that really the case?
Both the Kia Telluride and Mazda CX-90 are well-reviewed cars, and they both do an excellent job. However, studies say that the Kia is actually the more reliable car. Consumer Reports stated that the 2025 Kia Telluride has “average reliability.” Not great, but not terrible. In contrast, Consumer Reports said the 2025 Mazda CX-90 was “less reliable than other cars from the same model year.” J.D. Power also scored the Telluride at 84/100 for reliability, whereas the CX-90 was ranked lower at 76/100.
What Did Viewers Think of Trey’s Opinion?
Both interiors also offer real leather. While they accent it differently, both cabins use real leather, and it comes down to personal preference. Car and Driver also said the Telluride has more cargo space overall than the CX-90, so for families, it is the slightly more practical option compared to its Mazda rival. TikTok viewers also waded in on the debate.
“You’re basing your opinion on 2000s Kia,” offered one user. “You called a CX-90 reliable???” asked another TikTok user. “I looked into the Mazda CX-90. Cramped 3rd row and unreliable inline 6 with turbo. Expensive to [fix] and unreliable,” said a third person.
Clearly, there is a strong feeling that the Kia is still the better of the two cars in this scenario.