2020 Subaru Ascent vs 2020 Hyundai Palisade

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade had a striking design that could easily be mistaken for a luxury vehicle. Its bold styling featured a massive grille and thin headlights, with a unique headlight assembly that included what appeared to be larger fog lights. The Palisade also showcased Hyundai's signature chrome accents, with a large chrome strip running from the base of the A-pillar over the side door windows, ending just after the rear door. This design choice visually broke up the vehicle's length but left it looking somewhat busy. Inside, the Palisade's cabin exuded elegance and simplicity, with a fully digital instrument panel, a large touchscreen, and a center console filled with controls. The top-of-the-line Limited trim added personalized ambient lighting, leather upholstery, and a host of other premium features.

In contrast, the 2020 Subaru Ascent had a more practical and utilitarian design, resembling a larger Subaru Forester. It featured gray plastic cladding for protection, an oversized grille, exaggerated fender flares, and robust roof rails. The Ascent's interior, especially in the Touring trim, was more stylish than previous Subaru models, with quality materials and thoughtful details. The Touring trim included premium leather, a panoramic sunroof, and special wood trim. The Ascent's cabin was comfortable, with heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat. The second-row captain's chairs were comfortable and offered sliding adjustments for legroom, while the third-row seats provided acceptable space for shorter trips.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade came equipped with a 3.8-liter V6 engine, producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, which could send power to either the front wheels or an available all-wheel-drive system. The Palisade offered various drive modes, including Sport, Comfort, Eco, Snow, and Smart, which adjusted the vehicle's performance based on driving conditions. The V6 engine provided solid acceleration, and the automatic transmission managed power well. The Limited trim featured a self-leveling rear suspension, enhancing driving dynamics and handling. Fuel economy for the Palisade was 19 mpg city, 26 highway, and 22 combined for the front-wheel-drive model, while the all-wheel-drive version achieved 19/24/21 mpg.

The 2020 Subaru Ascent, on the other hand, was powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. This engine was mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and came standard with all-wheel drive. The turbocharged engine provided good acceleration, but the Ascent's fuel economy fell short of expectations, averaging 18.9 mpg during testing, compared to the EPA estimate of 22 mpg combined. The Ascent's handling was less impressive, with a relatively low center of gravity and brake-based Active Torque Vectoring system, but the steering felt slow and numb. The suspension struggled with undulating road surfaces, and the brakes heated up quickly. The CVT produced uneven power delivery, and the shifter felt cheap and clunky. However, the Ascent excelled in off-road conditions, thanks to its Active Torque Split AWD system, X-Mode off-road traction system, Hill Descent Control, and 8.7 inches of ground clearance.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade offered impressive interior space and versatility, with 45.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 86.4 cubic feet with all rear seats folded down. The power-folding third-row seats could be individually dropped with the push of a button, although they were slow to rise and drop. The third-row seats provided manageable space for longer trips, making the Palisade suitable for adults. The second-row captain's chairs were comfortable and offered plenty of storage options, including multiple cup holders and seatback pockets.

The 2020 Subaru Ascent also provided a comfortable and spacious interior, especially in the Touring trim. The front seats were heated and ventilated, and the steering wheel was heated. The driver's seat was 10-way power-adjustable, and the armrests were densely padded. The second-row captain's chairs were comfortable and offered sliding adjustments for legroom. The third-row seats provided acceptable space for shorter trips, with easy access thanks to large side doors and seats that moved well out of the way. The Ascent offered 17.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 47 cubic feet with the third row folded down, and 86 cubic feet with the second row folded down. The upright liftgate and rear glass made the cargo space more useful, and the underfloor storage compartment included a spot to stash the cargo cover.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and multiple USB ports. The system was user-friendly, with tactile buttons and dials for easy navigation. The SEL trim offered an optional Driver Guidance package, which included a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, satellite radio, and an in-car intercom system. The Limited trim featured a Harman Kardon premium audio system with 12 speakers, Clari-Fi music restoration technology, a surround-view monitor, and a head-up display.

The 2020 Subaru Ascent featured the Starlink infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, HD Radio, and a CD player. The Premium trim added a larger 8-inch touchscreen, text-messaging capability, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and Starlink Safety and Security connected services. The Touring trim improved the display's resolution and added navigation. The Ascent's voice-control system was outdated and struggled with natural commands. The navigation system occasionally misplaced the vehicle's location, causing frustration. However, the premium Harman Kardon speakers provided rich sound quality, and USB ports in all three rows helped compensate for the lack of a wireless smartphone charging pad. The Ascent Touring also offered a 180-degree front camera view, a 180-degree rear camera view, and a PIN Code Vehicle Access system for active lifestyles.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It came standard with a reversing camera, child-seat anchors, front- and side-impact airbags, forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, driver-attention warning, and parking sensors. The Palisade's fully digital instrument panel displayed parking sensor warnings and featured a unique blind-spot camera system that projected live images on the instrument panel when the turn signal was activated.

The 2020 Subaru Ascent also received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. It featured Subaru's EyeSight system, which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The Premium trim added a blind-spot-monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, while the Limited trim included LED steering-responsive headlights with automatic high-beam operation and reverse automatic braking. The EyeSight Assist Monitor projected green and orange lights onto the windshield to indicate the status of the adaptive cruise control and lane departure. The Ascent also included a rear-seat reminder system and Starlink Safety Plus connected services, which offered automatic collision notification, SOS emergency calling, and quick access to roadside assistance.