2021 Dodge Durango vs 2020 Hyundai Palisade

Hyundai absolutely nailed the Palisade's styling. This vehicle could easily be mistaken for a Cadillac, thanks to its bold, in-your-face design characterized by a massive grille and thin headlights. The upper headlight assembly was only part of the headlight puzzle, with larger fog lights completing the setup. The Palisade also featured a large chrome strip that ran from the base of the A-pillar up over both side door windows, finishing right after the rear door. This design choice visually broke up what might otherwise be a very long design, making the Palisade a handsome and eye-catching SUV.

Inside, the Palisade continued its upscale feel with elegance and simplicity. The dash could easily be mistaken for one from a luxury brand, featuring a fully digital instrument panel, a large touchscreen, and a center console bristling with controls. The Limited trim added personalized ambient lighting, leather upholstery with unique stitching, heated and cooled front seats, and a dual sunroof. The mid-range SEL trim offered many of these features for nearly ten grand less, making it a recommended choice.

Dodge kept the Durango's muscular stance and athletic styling, which was revised for the 2021 model year. The new 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat model featured a cold-air scoop, throaty twin-pipe exhaust, LED headlamps, rear spoiler, and a different front end. Six different 20-inch wheel varieties and one 18-inch version were available, with 11 exterior colors and six interior color schemes to choose from.

The Durango’s cabin featured a new-for-2021 instrument panel and either an 8.4-inch or 10.1-inch touchscreen running FCA’s fresh Uconnect 5 infotainment system. Moving up through the trim levels, the Durango became increasingly more premium and sophisticated. Cloth upholstery was standard on lower-level models, while leather, suede, Nappa leather, and Laguna leather were options as you moved up the grades. The updates to the Durango’s dashboard gave it a much more modern appearance, aligning it with the Charger and Challenger muscle cars.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade came equipped with a 3.8-liter V6 engine, producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Power was sent to the front wheels or available all-wheel drive (AWD) through an 8-speed automatic transmission. The automatic transmission managed power well, and the V6 engine provided solid acceleration. The drive mode dial offered Sport, Comfort, Eco, Snow, and Smart modes, with Smart mode toggling between the other modes based on driving habits. Fuel economy for the Palisade FWD was 19 mpg city, 26 highway, 22 combined, while AWD models achieved 19/24/21.

The 2021 Dodge Durango offered four different engines: a 3.6-liter V6, a 5.7-liter HEMI V8, a 392 HEMI V8, and a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8. The V6 produced 293-295 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, while the 5.7-liter V8 made 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. The 392 HEMI V8 delivered 475 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, and the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 in the Durango SRT Hellcat produced 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. The Durango's steering was on-point, but the chassis showed its age, with the suspension allowing bumps to be passed on to the cabin. The Durango R/T with the Tow N Go Package had a towing capacity of 8,700 pounds, and the SRT models offered SRT Performance Pages for track days.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade excelled in versatility and handling everything a family could throw at it. It offered 45.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row down and 86.4 cubic feet with all rear seats dropped. The third row was manageable for longer trips, and the second-row captain's chairs provided plenty of space and comfort. The Limited trim featured power-folding third-row seats, although they were slow to rise and drop.

The 2021 Dodge Durango was a versatile family hauler with comfortable seating, good storage space, and family entertainment options. It came standard with seating for five in two rows and could seat up to seven across three rows. The front and second-row seats were spacious, and the optional third row was more spacious than many other models. The Durango had a good amount of cargo space, about average for its class, and its fit and finish had improved significantly since the early part of the last decade.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The SE trim had three front-row USB ports, two second-row USB ports, and Bluetooth connectivity. The SEL trim offered a $1,250 Driver Guidance package that included a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, satellite radio, and the Driver Talk in-car intercom system. The Limited trim featured a Harman Kardon premium audio system with 12 speakers, a surround-view monitor, and a head-up display.

The 2021 Dodge Durango featured an 8.4-inch touchscreen on the SXT and GT trims, with higher trims getting a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the new Uconnect 5 system. Uconnect 5 was five times faster than the old system and offered greater personalization, connected services, two Bluetooth connections, Amazon Alexa connectivity, TomTom navigation, SiriusXM with 360L, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and over-the-air updates. The Durango also offered a family entertainment system with a Blu-ray and DVD player and two high-resolution 9-inch screens.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It came with a reversing camera, child-seat anchors, and a full array of front- and side-impact airbags. Standard driver-assistance tech included forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, a driver-attention warning, and parking sensors. The Palisade also featured a unique blind-spot camera system that projected live images on the instrument panel.

The 2021 Dodge Durango fell short in safety compared to its rivals. It came standard with a rearview camera and passive safety features like airbags and electronic stability control. Optional safety features included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, rear-cross traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and forward-collision warning. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Durango a five-star side crash-test rating and a four-star rollover rating.