2020 Hyundai Palisade vs 2021 Lincoln Aviator

When your job is to test drive cars, you start to see trends happening before your eyes. You mention something once, then again, and before you know it, it's unavoidable. The downside is I end up sounding like a broken record to a lot of shoppers. Car reviewers started seeing huge improvements from Kia and its parent company, Hyundai, years ago. Now, these Korean automakers are so good, they're genuine contenders in nearly every segment.

We saw this earlier this year with the 2020 Kia Telluride, which Cliff Atiyeh reviewed. Now we’re seeing it again with the all-new 2020 Hyundai Palisade. This is a spacious, comfortable, and versatile 3-row SUV, and one you should seriously consider against cornerstones of the family SUV market, like the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot.

The Palisade has been a long time coming for Hyundai, which has been without a true contender in the segment. From 2008 to 2012, Hyundai offered the 3-row Veracruz, but that was more of a glorified 2-row SUV that had extra-small seats in the back for kids. More recently, Hyundai has offered the Santa Fe XL with three rows, but that was a stopgap car. This is a similar situation to Subaru, which offered the Tribeca for a number of years but didn't become a serious contender in the space until it debuted the Ascent. There are no half-measures in the family-hauler market.

This little history lesson serves to indicate the lengths to which automakers will go to stand out in the 3-row family SUV segment. The Palisade is already making headlines, but will it move the needle for Hyundai? Read on to find out, and to learn which trim of the Palisade CarGurus recommends.

Only a few years ago, Lincoln was in a confusing space. Confusing because many of its cars overlapped with the nicest trims of vehicles from parent company Ford. It was also confusing because of the alphanumeric vehicle names. But Lincoln has ended both of those trends. First, Lincoln has returned to real names for its vehicles, such as the Corsair and Nautilus (Cadillac, are you listening?!).

But what’s in a name? This rebranding would be moot without a compelling product. In this respect, the American luxury brand has delivered, highlighted by the 2021 Lincoln Aviator. This three-row midsize SUV boasts modern technology, potent drivetrain options, and creature comforts that you might sooner find in a high-end German luxury sedan. But this newfound quality comes with a steeper price tag. So is it worth consideration against the likes of the Audi Q7 and RX 350L? Read on to find out.