cvp33

So here's a review I never thought I'd write. We've been looking for a new SUV, mostly for my wife to replace our 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Frankly at the time, no other 2-row SUV could touch the Jeep GC for value. $37K and a ton of options like heated 2nd row and steering wheel, heated/cooled front seats, PANO sunroof, nappa leather, NAV and on and on. Well with 84K miles and our 2nd grand-baby on the way we decided to give our son the GC and set out on a search for a 3 row SUV family hauler trying to stay under $55K (so no Mercedes, BMW or Audis). We also wanted new (with 1 exception) and based on some reviews I read we decided the Toyotas (highlander/land cruiser) were not going to make the cut.

Quick disclaimer. I love the Chrysler Pacifica. Nothing hauls people or stuff better than a minivan. My wife will NOT drive one ever again. She's made this very clear. As a Z06 owner, obviously I believe in driving something you love. So with that out of the way. Here's the vehicles we drove:

Infiniti QX80, Honda Pilot, Subura Ascent, Cheverolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, Volvo XC90, VW Atlas, Kia Telluride and finally the Hyundai Palisade. Now for the cut:

Infiniti QX80 - This was always going to be a used option only as new ones are north of $85K to get the technology package and limited trim. The 2017 we drove was surprisingly quick and agile, especially for a truck framed SUV riding on air shocks. Seats are super comfy in every row and plenty roomy. This one was a tough walk away, but not being new and with a very dated electronics package it was always going to feel like a used older model.

Honda Pilot - What a great vehicle. I hate the styling, but my wife wasn't nearly as turned off by it. Inside, it's just very well put together. Test drive was nice, peppy engine, good ride. But, to get this optioned the way we wanted put it squarely at $55K OTD after negotiating. It still was missing several options that both the Kia and Hyundai had, not to mention the warranty.....more on that later. Again, tough walk away here as well.

Subura Ascent - Our dealer just got these in about a month ago. I very much like how rugged these look. Very purpose buit, or so they appear. Inside feels very modern, good materials, good options, but somehow a step down from even Honda in quality. The back row though is tight and not easy to get to. I honestly can't imagine putting anyone back there. Price was right at $50K but so much else was wrong....easy to say good bye.

Chevy Traverse - Easily one of the roomiest we looked at. I really like the way these look, especially the blacked out versions. But, let's cut to the chase, the worst dash layout, worst technology and cheapest feeling of everything we looked at except the VW Atlas and at over $52K another easy one to kick off the list.

Buick Enclave - We've always like the styling on these, in fact we owned a 2012 for about 6 months. The A-pillar was so large my wife had a huge pedestrian blind spot. After nearly killing a couple people she said it had to go. The new ones are only slightly better in this regard, but the real deal breaker was the $60K sticker when optioned the way we wanted, inferior technology and another cramped 3rd row.

Volvo XC90 - Awesome technology, my favorite interior hands down, technology was nearly best in class, but impossible 3rd row and $65K sticker optioned the way we wanted it. On a side note, we saw one of these in San Diego on vacation with custom forged, brushed aluminum rims, lowered about 2".......damn it looked good. If you really only need 2 rows, this should be on your list.

VW Atlas - The roomiest of the bunch but let's be honest. Only the rear end of this thing looks decent. The worst styling IMHO. The carachter line around the wheel arches does nothing for the vehicle. And in an odd way, especially considering Audi's parts bin, surfaces/materials/switch gear that feel well built but look cheap. Like 5 years ago Kia cheap. And this thing was slow. I didn't look up the 0-60 but I'm guessing closer to 8 seconds than 7. Even my wife commented. Great warranty though, post-EPA-gate, with 6yrs/60K B2B. An excellent appliance, but terrible vehicle to me.

Finally the Kia Telluride. If it was up to me, this would've been the choice. Nearly everything I'm about to tell you about the Hyundai Palisade would be a me-too for the Kia. Ultimately you choose Telluride = tough OR you choose Palisade = palatial/plush. My wife preferred, well just about everything in the Palisade when compared to the Telluride. They're different enough to make choosing pretty cut and dry.

Remember I started with "I never thought I'd write this". In fact, I haven't written a review like this since buying my first Z06 in 2016. And yes, this new 2020 Hyundai Palisade is that good. First off, let's get the quality thing out of the way. Hyundai/Kia have been climbing up the quality/reliability rankings steadily over the last 6 years. And with their 5yr/60K B2B and 10yr/100K mile drivetrain warranties I'm feeling pretty safe.

Even though the Kia is built basically the same there were notable differences on the test drive and in their amenities. The Palisade's ride is geared for comfort. It definitely soaks up the bumps better than the Kia. Neither vehicle 'falls over' in the corners, both stay remarkably flat and stable. But these are still large vehicles and there's no denying that on a test drive. The V6 has similar power to our Jeep with 291hp/262tq. That sound like a lot when straddled with over 4,000 lbs of curb weight, but both Kia and Hyundai are peppy with 0-60's in 7.2seconds (way better that the Jeep), mid-15 second 1/4 mile and stops from 60mph in under 118'. (Stolen from M/T's road test). The Palisade is also more quiet. Thicker glass and sound deadening make this one the choice for those that like their road trips with a side of serenity.

Now there's no way to make this concise as I've droned on for far too many paragraphs already, but here's a quick list of amenities and tech that surprised us in the Palisade:

Exterior
- 20" wheels, look very much like Infiniti's Limited wheels (that's a good thing), smoked chrome looks stunning
- Bright work is all in that smoked chrome/nickel finish....very classy
- LED head/tailights, with automatic high beams. And these things are bright. Wish the Corvette headlights were this good.
- Signal indicators in side view mirrors
- Rear hatch opens when you linger at the back of the vehicle. No foot wagging, magic dance or button-pushing. Why else would you just stand there unless your hands were full and you wanted in......GENIUS!!!
- Rear hatch has a slow or fast open option. Fast is...well...fast at less than 5 seconds from start to finish.
- Front end grill that only Hyundai could dream up. Gotta admit, this thing is pretty homely in pictures. Somehow in person it just works. There are character lines that are echo' by the daytime running lights and the stacked projector beam headlights.....well, there's a lot going on, but seeing it in person I'm beginning to warm to it.
- Profile is very Range Rover and rear is definitely got some Volvo influence. Neither is a bad thing.
- Suspension is self-leveling and with dealer added tow hitch, capable of towing 5,000 pounds

Interior
- Wow, just wow. Nappa leather, quilt stitched heated and cooled front and rear seats. Most comfy I've sat in in quite some time.
- 12 way adjustable driver's seat with adjustable thigh pad. 8 way passenger. 2nd row adjusts fore/aft and reclines. 3rd row seats recline with push button. Yes push button.
- 3rd row has push button fold and rise, 2nd row has push botton down only (not available on the Kia)
- Push button on 2nd row seat/should and seat folds away for great access to 3rd row. News flash, a normal sized human (6' / 200lbs) can not only get back there, but has room to breathe especially with seat reclined. Wouldn't want to do a 5 hour road trip, but 2 hours is doable.
- 2 sunroofs, front opening/tilting, rear pano with sun shade
- 2nd row manual sun shades
- Every row has 2 USB ports
- Tilt/telescope steering wheel that is definitely ripped from the last gen' Mercedes
- rain-sensing wipers
- Everything you touch is either leather, soft touch rubber or a metal-flaked piano black accent. Looks very rich. Everything you could kick or knee is highly durable, scruff resistant plastic.
- Door sills are brushed aluminum with Palisade engraving
- Plenty of storage, behind 3rd row, under cargo area, door pockets and a thoughtful opening under the center console large enough for my wife's purse
- roof and A-pillar are lined with synthetic suede (they did not call it alcantara, but it looks like it), classy.
- there's a cool feather to 'lock' unused seatbelts in a holder to minimize chatter as well

Technology (and there's a ton!)
- Adaptive cruise
- Emergency braking
- Lane keep assist
- Combine the 3 above and you can set the cruise at 80mph, let go of the steering wheel for up to 45 seconds (then it beeps asking you to place your hands on the steering wheel). It will drive itself even around a decently sharp curve at speed. It's no a Tesla, but pretty damned cool.
- Driver's info center is a 10.25" projection with 2 dial style gauges + center programmable info. It also changes the animation based on Eco, Sport, Comfort or Smart settings. (Not available on the Kia which has analog gauges)
- Select L/R turn signals and a blind spot camera illuminates in you L or R gauge. Also genius!
- Center infotainment screen is 10.25" as well. Programmable home screens (3) and all the standard tech bits.
- Parking cameras front, rear, side, aeria - you select the view based on your parking needs.
- Hyundai's blue link APP. Similar to GM's with remote lock/unlock, start, find my car and diagnostics.
- Standard suite of NAV, XM, Bluetooth, local weather, wifi hotspot, (I'm sure I'm missing a ton here)
- wireless phone charging in center console
- HUD that's actually better than the Z06, here's why. In addition to the brightness and position you can program - font size, color, information to include/or not like NAV directions, blind spot warning and more.
- There are also redundant buttons on the steering wheel and dash so you decide how you want to interface versus Hyundai deciding. Genius again!
- Push button shifter on center console with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The push button shift is cool/functional in the way the Jaguar shift **** is cool. It gets rid of hardware (shift lever) and allows the designer to create a classy center console. It functions great so it works in this case. Doubt I will ever use the paddle shifters anymore than I do in my Toyota Avalon (company car).
- Position hold feature. You don't need it, until you find your self in B2B traffic. Push the button and the car won't move until you apply the gas. Come to a stop and take your foot off the brake. Great for those with long B2B commutes.
- Interior accent lighting is programmable via the center stack, rainbow color wheel has at least 50 options. Gotta admit that purple aura looks pretty cool at night.
- Quiet talk feature that turns off the radio and plays the driver's voice through the rear speakers so you can have an actual conversation without screaming 3 rows back. Or for actual screaming at passengers 3 rows back that deserve it.

There's even more tech, but really this review has gone waaaayyyyyyy longer than I intended. MSRP for the limited is ~$47K with destination and NC sales tax. Our dealer (2nd Hyundai in 6 months, never thought I'd say that either) was great to work with. They knocked off $2K so net $45K OTD for us. $500 for conquest since we own a Jeep GC and $1,500 which is a large piece of their 3% hold back. Ultimately Hyundai finance did our loan at 1.9% for 60mos which was better than our credit union's quote of 2.49%.

One last thing that I didn't expect. The MPG is listed at 19city/26hwy. We recently took a 150 mile trip. I reset the MPG on the Palisade and achieved over 31mpg using the Hyundai's Atkinson cycle V6. That's infinitely better than our Jeeps best of 23mpg. Call me smitten.

Here's a couple of media pictures in the same color combo we chose. Way better photos than I could take.

cvp33

Strange stablemates to say the least. Like I said you can choose from 50+ ambient light colors. Wife loves purple aura......notta fan, but not my vehicle.

SLO VETTE

nice rig!

cvp33

Thanks.

RAGS747

Your review does not surprise me as both KIA and Hyundai are light years from where they were. Check out their Genesis line and you will see further evidence of that. I will say that the KIA emblem/badge sucks unfortunately where Genesis is Aston Martin like...smart move on their part. I just retired and we will be moving to Sarasota from NY so I was also in the mkt for a great highway cruiser as our daughter will stay in NY. I had the hots for a Pacifica as well as I knew it would be great for the back and forth but my wife was having no part of that, she preferred the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Anyway, sounds like you made a great choice, at what speed are you able to get 31mpg?

Ha, you said Hyundai not Kia so forget my badge comment!

cvp33

I helped my son negotiate a great deal on a 'leftover' 2018 Tucson about 6 months ago. $21K OTD. How do I know it was a good deal? KBB used price with 10K miles was $22K. Also, the "we beat everybody by $500" dealer in town refused to match my deal and called me a liar. Selling dealer admitted it was below invoice and included all of their 3% holdback. That dealer experience plus walking around the showroom opened my eyes. I actually did test drive a leftover G90 with the 3.8. Very impressive. In fact I was very close to buying 2 cars that day. I'll wait a couple years as the resale on the Genesis sedans is horrific for sellers, great for buyers. I'll find one under $36K I'm sure.

As for the Hyundai emblem. Not ashamed to drive with the giant H on the back, just hate the looks. Thought the same when Mercedes did that with their logo. I already tried the fishing line trick to pull the emblem and of course there's 2 giant positioning holes for the emblem. Really a shame as it would look so much better/cleaner without it.

The 31mpg was 55 to 65mph. We followed that up with a 75 to 80mph trip and got 29mpg. I'm good with that.

Kozzzz

Nice looking vehicle, hope you enjoy it!

cvp33

So far my wife loves it.

RAGS747

My emblem comment was initially on the KIA badge, The Hyundai badge is not so bad. Good luck and enjoy...

silversport

looks nice and a great write up...enjoy!

Bill

PCMusicGuy

Is there a button on the normal key FOB to remotely start the car?

One thing I hate about Subaru is that they say the vehicle has remote start, but what they mean is you can remote start the car through an app on your phone, assuming you pay the $75 ~ $100 a year for the privilege. If you don't want to do that, they will sell you a separate FOB for remote start for $700 that is even more bulky than the normal one for the car.

fyreline

As our need for the third seat is based on occasional grandchildren occupying them when their parents are with us to help get them in and out, we bought the Volvo XC90. This is a thoroughly excellent vehicle that we have enjoyed very much, and we intend to replace it soon with another one (we are at 3 years / 35k trouble-free miles). The styling and in particular the interior is exceptional, the amenities too numerous to mention, and (quite importantly) the crash test ratings are the best there is. The grandkids actually like the third seat "adventure", and there is a factory pop-up center booster seat in the center of the second row as well. I love how Volvo seems to have thought of everything - and the over-500-page owner's manual is a testament to that. Yes, they can be a little pricey but we do feel we got what we paid for. Cost and value are two very different things. The new Hyundai Palisade looks like a good choice as well, and I hope you have many safe & enjoyable miles in it.

cvp33

Yes, key fob for remote start OR via the APP. It has both. We were not impressed with the Subaru Ascent. Didn't even make our top 3.

cvp33

The Volvo was my favorite. Best interior bar none and better than the Palisade. The tech was intimidating to my wife and the 3rd row was arguably the worst of everything we test drove. $65K versus $45K also made it an easy decision. The tech is in the Palisade is very user friendly and intuitive. I do like that there are 4 ways to access the most common functions - voice, steering wheel buttons, dash buttons and center screen. The way I interact with the tech is unique to me and same for my wife. It just works.

fyreline

Ours was an "easy decision" as well - the Volvo was just by FAR the nicer car. And yes, you pay a premium for that. No wrong choices here - you do what works for you.

cvp33

Agree on the Volvo. If it weren't for that 3rd row being so tight we migh have gone for it. Most reviewers are now calling it a 2 way tie for 3 row SUV/CUV between the Palisade and the equally impressive Kia Telluride. Even the self driving aspect is beating the likes of BMW. I think between the 2 (Telluride/Palisade) the deciding factors will be:

1) Styling interior/exterior - 100% subjective and it should be. You're the one who has to look at it everyday.
2) Center console - You either like the Palisade's push button shifter and how this enables more efficient use of the center console, or you don't.
3) Driver info center - Palisade is 12.3", 100% programmable and digital versus 7" digital + 2 analog, non-customizable gauges in the Kia.
4) Push button 3rd row decline is only available in the Palisade.
5) 20" wheels - black only on the Telluride, black chrome on the Palisade.
6) Palisade has different rear end suspension. Makes the ride VERY compliant. Shocks are supplied by 2 different suppliers. Palisade uses Sachs/ZF and are tuned to react faster than Kia which means it can actually be both more compliant and a better handler.
7) Palisade has more sound deadening and thicker glass. Makes for a very quiet ride, although the Telluride is not far behind.
8) Telluride has more space (2") behind the 3rd row. Slightly different length and body lines for the Palisade surrenders the space.
9) Palisade limited comes standard with self-leveling suspension. Telluride you need to order the trailering package.
10) Kia has power folding mirror, Hyundai does not. We've never needed them, not even on our Tahoe, but some of course do.
11) Both have a 630watt stereo. Kia has 10 speakers, Hyundai 12. I couldn't tell the difference, but some audiophile I'm sure could.

That's really it for differences between the 2. 600 miles is not enough to judge quality yet, but I can tell you that initial fit/finish in the Hyundai was better than the Kia we drove. The Kia is built in West Point, GA while the Palisade is built in Ulsan, South Korea alongside the Genesis G sedans. I won't argue that this makes the quality better in any way, just that we could see some ill-fitting interior plastic pieces on the Kia that we didn't see on our Hyundai.

Since buying the Hyundai we made 4 changes/upgrades:

1) $9 - We pulled the GIANT Hyundai logo off the rear of the vehicle. The intent was to leave this off entirely. Nothing against Hyundai, I just don't like giant emblems on cars, didn't care for it when Mercedes did the same thing. Unfortunately we discovered 3 rather large mounting holes. Solution was to add a more subdued, non-branded Genesis wing. (not up-branding, just trying to kill an ugly giant chrome emblem.

2) $70 - Tinted the driver/passenger side windows with legal 25%. They're the only windows that weren't tinted on the side. It looks MUCH better and is definitely cooler.

3) $30 - Added the OEM mud guards (4) direct from Hyundai in Korea. We added them to our Jeep Grand Cherokee as well. They definitely help, especially with 20" wheels.

4) $39 - Added side vent shades (4), again directly from Korea. These are unfortunately 3M taped versions. Hoping that someone will design a set like WeatherTech did for the Jeep that snap in. Ours lasted 6 years on the Jeep with no fading and discoloration.

cvp33

I did a little research to find out why the XC90 felt so much smaller to us. I didn't realize the the Volvo is actually in the small SUV category versus mid-size for the Palisade. Makes sense now.

Overall length: XC90 194.9" Palisade 196.1"
Overall height: XC90 69.9" Palisade 68.9"
Overall width: XC90 79.1" Palisade 77.8"

Strange with only 1.2" deficit in length, but an inch taller and 1.3" wider the XC90 gives up so much interior space, especially the 8" of leg room. Almost doesn't make sense.

Cargo Volume: XC90 80.3 cu. ft. Palisade 86.4 cu. ft.

Front Row
Head room: X 38.9" P 40.7"
Leg room: X 40.9" P 44.1"
Shoulder: X 57.7" P 61.2"

2nd Row
Head room: X 38.5" P 40.1"
Leg room: X 37" P 42.4"
Shoulder: X 56.5" P 60.8"

3rd Row
Head room: X 36.3" P 37.8"
Leg room: X 31.9" P 31.4"
Shoulder: X 46.9" P 55.2"

It really surprised me to see that only ~1" shorter equates to a loss of 8" of leg room. I think, now that I see that the Volvo does have .5" more leg room in the 3rd row, the 1.5" less headroom and more importantly, the 8.3" of missing shoulder room just makes it feel tighter. And with the second row giving up 5.4" your entry to the 3rd row is much tighter.

fyreline

….and none of those numbers mean a thing when the only ones riding back there are 5 years old. Again, enjoy your car, it's a good choice for you. I had occasion to drive a new Palisade recently, and you're right, it's a nice car.

WICKEDFRC

Ironically, I just rode 80 miles to see the new Pallisade in Tucson. The first dealership I went to sold all four before they arrived and had none on the floor. I went across town to see their entry level and was quite impressed. But their upper level trim Pallisade was just recently sold. I find it strange that Hyundai does not take special orders though. Whatever they get from the assembly line, is what they get. And that, is what you get to pick from. No options.

But overall, a nice looking new SUV.

cvp33

For us we 'stack' the car seats on the driver's side (1 second row, 1 third row) so the 3rd row will end up with an adult in it occasionally. Just surprised by the seemingly very close exterior dimensions that yield such a smaller interior. The Dodge Durango was the same way.

Yeah, not sure what Hyundai is thinking there, but maybe the boat trip from Korea is limiting their ability to properly handle custom orders. Our dealer had 3 and we bought the last one they had. They will be receiving 1 per month for the next 6 months. Whichever dealers sell theirs the fastest get additional allotments. My wife initially wanted a white one but there were none in our area. I liked the silver immediately. She's now glad she went with the silver, she's owned white vehicles for the last 17 years.