The Palisade and Telluride twins are no longer the undisputed cream of the SUV crop, but they are still loaded with value.
2024 Hyundai Palisade review by The Road Beat
Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman
Perhaps the most impressive feature of my tested 2024 Hyundai Palisade XRT is the sticker price: $45,550. As this XRT is a mid-range model featuring an assortment of essential bells and whistles from their premium lines (plus some snazzy gloss black highlights), I was massively impressed at just how nice and accommodating an interior it still provides for the price. When it comes to other brands, only the highest of lines and trims are truly desirable, with retail prices creeping ever higher. Luckily, that is not the case with the mighty Palisade, and while you can go further and spoon for the coveted Limited or Calligraphy editions, it's this XRT that demonstrates what Hyundai does best: value.
Let it be clear that I don't think the Palisade or the Telluride (it's identical Kia twin) are the best mainstream SUVs available anymore. After being on the market for nearly six years, competitors have released wholly-revamped and impressive new models. Some examples include the luxurious Mazda CX-90 that rules the roost when it comes to handling and outright luxury, and the spacious and simple Toyota Grand Highlander that is simply too good at all the things that matter to consumers. Where the Palisade falls notably short is in the engine department, clinging on to life with an aging 3.8L V6.
Now, I love naturally-aspirated and six-cylinder powerplants, but this mill is too thirsty and weak on flexible, usable power. Mazda, with their newly-developed (and powerful) inline-six turbo can achieve anywhere from 23-26 MPG overall in my prior testing, but the Palisade? A paltry 19 MPG. If the tradeoff were an explosive and energetic engine, then sure, maybe that's a compromise worth considering, but that's not true at all here in the case of the Hyundai. In the default driving modes, this big V6 is weak on low-end toque, exacerbated by falling victim to a tall second gear that can spell trouble.
For example, there's a tricky intersection leaving my gym, where you need to merge into moving, 55 MPH traffic, and the view for incoming cars is restricted. All was clear as I initially and casually turned and began to accelerated when I saw a small Ford appear in my rearview mirror, closing the gap very quickly. So I prodded down on the accelerator just as the Palisade already shifted into second gear, and I was met with absolutely nothing. I didn't stamp and floor it, I wouldn't have needed to in other cars, but I should have, as the Palisade refused to kick down back to first, even at 75% throttle, in this awkward grey zone of 20ish MPH. I felt like I was going nowhere, but eventually some revs were built and acceleration piled on. In an engine of this capacity, there should be considerable or enough shove from a low RPM in second gear (a trait people usually refer to as 'torquey'), but this Palisade lacks any and all oomph until higher engine speeds. There were other casual cases and instances of a shift to third on neighborhood roads that required an immediate change back down to second. But most worryingly is the reluctance to drop back down a gear. There is a chance that this is by design to have the car upshift eagerly as a way to reduce emissions while increasing fuel economy, but the dead spot it leaves in the rev range can be frustrating and even debilitating.
Main criticism out of the way, the Palisade is more than spacious and accommodating inside. And among big SUVs of this class that can actually be bought for $45K, the quality and finishing impress. Packaging is also smart and convenient in the way of storage for all passengers in any seat, and the air conditioning is ice cold, one of the best I've experienced for 100+ degrees days. Comfort is good as well, though despite the myriad of USB ports, you do need a wired connection for Apple CarPlay rather than wireless, a trait all Hyundais still share for whatever dumb reason in 2024 (2025 models I believe will finally be wireless in this regard). There are some cheap plastics located about, and the seats aren't real leather, though they're decent enough to fool many, and missing is the panoramic moonroof normally reserved for higher-end models. To put an interesting perspective on how to judge and approach the cabin quality, at first I thought this was a $52,000 or more Palisade, which left me disappointed and thinking, "that's it?" Upon a glance at the attractive window sticker, my thought changed to, "Wow, this is pretty good!"
Safety systems are plentiful with all the usual suit of blind spot and collisions warnings, but I do find Hyundai radar cruise control too intrusive and can struggle to maintain your set speed on hills. Also, there's a start/stop feature to save on gas, but annoyingly, I felt each cycle of ignition was too noticeable with a subtle shake upon startup, and the engine would almost instantaneously turn off when putting the car in park before stupidly refiring once I took my foot off the brake (despite being in park) just to manually turn it off myself; Kind of wasteful and annoying. Push buttons for PRND are not my favorite, and there can be a delay when trying to quickly select a gear, like if you're in a hurry backing up and then push the D for forward, there can be times where it continues to roll back momentarily even after selecting forward drive.
Palisades are not canyon carvers with their lazier, comfort-oriented handling, but they are at least instilled with decent body control when inputs are needed. Quick transitions are average for the class, and so is composure and balance when subjecting the big Palisade to a looping freeway onramp, but the tires dig into the pavement and luckily resist major signs of torrid understeer. Some drivers will appreciate the light steering and the subsequent low effort to drive, but I do prefer increased weighting myself. Luckily, the ride quality is beautiful at most all times and handles bumps with aplomb, and wind noise is minimized, too, helping for long journeys.
This might sound like a negative review, and there are definitely a fair share of demerits mentioned, but the value the Palisade brings is frankly phenomenal. I do think most drivers would be better suited to a Grand Highlander for a mass appealing option, especially when forking over the big bucks for a Platinum trim and the gutsy Hybrid MAX option Toyota offers, but in the range of lower-tier trims and prices, the Palisade dominates with how much relative quality you get for the price. And the engine complaints could also be overcome with more acclimation to its driving style and shift mapping, even if it should be figured out by Hyundai first. If spending over $50,000 for a new big SUV, I don't think I'd look at a Palisade or Telluride anymore, but if your target spend is under less, even quite a ways under $50k, the Palisade brings excellent value that makes it tough to beat.
2024 Hyundai Palisade XRT AWD
Price as-tested: $45,550
Pros: Still incredible value and thoughtful design
Cons: Lazy V6 engine and gearbox; Grand Highlanders
2024 Hyundai Palisade Review by The Road Beat. Photos with mitchellweitzmanphoto.com.
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