2023 Hyundai Palisade vs 2022 Honda Passport

The 2022 Honda Passport's new styling closely resembled the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, especially from the doors forward. This similarity was due to the shared vehicle platform that Honda also used for the Odyssey minivan and the Pilot three-row SUV. Essentially, the Passport was a shorter version of the Pilot, minus the third-row seat and with different styling. Honda aimed to give the Passport a tougher look with its new nose design, which was applied across all three trim levels: EX-L, TrailSport, and Elite. The TrailSport trim, new for 2022, was designed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts, although it was more about aesthetics than actual off-road capability. The TrailSport featured standard all-wheel drive, 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and traction management driving modes for snowy, muddy, and sandy conditions. Prices ranged from $37,870 to $45,430, with the TrailSport trim adding unique 18-inch wheels, a roof rack, and other design modifications.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai’s largest SUV, received a styling update that gave it an even more commanding presence. The new front fascia featured bolder strokes, new headlights, and a squared-off grille that made the SUV look stronger. LED accents, daytime running lights, and headlights were standard across the lineup, with LED taillights standard on SEL and up. The top Calligraphy trim was distinguished by premium rear accent lighting, body-color bumpers, a unique grille, and a wider rear spoiler. The new XRT trim featured a dark grille, roof cross rails, and black 20-inch wheels. The Palisade also introduced a new color, Robust Emerald, for the Calligraphy models. Inside, the Calligraphy trim featured premium Nappa leather, a dual-pane sunroof, and horizontal quilting and dash lines reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz. The Palisade offered various seating configurations, with heated and ventilated seats available in higher trims.

The 2022 Honda Passport retained its 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport offered front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), with the latter being standard on TrailSport and Elite trims. The V6 engine was smooth and felt stronger than its power ratings suggested. The EPA rated the Passport at 22 mpg combined for FWD and 21 mpg for AWD. The TrailSport test vehicle averaged 21.3 mpg. The Passport's i-VTM4 AWD system featured mechanical torque vectoring, delivering up to 70% of the engine's power to a single rear wheel when necessary. The Passport offered a firm, communicative ride and surprisingly athletic handling, although the brakes could heat up and vibrate during mountain descents.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade came with a 3.8-liter V6 engine, producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This made the Palisade more powerful than several competitors, including the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Atlas. The eight-speed automatic transmission could be manipulated with paddle shifters, and power was routed to the front wheels by default, with AWD available for an additional $1,900. The Palisade's AWD system, HTRAC, was capable on muddy off-road courses. The Palisade offered a comfortable ride and a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds. Fuel economy for FWD models was 19 mpg city, 27 highway, and 22 combined, while AWD models achieved 19 city, 25 highway, and 21 combined.

The 2022 Honda Passport featured large doors and a low step-in height, making it easy to enter and exit. The front seats were large and comfortable, with leather upholstery and heated front seats standard. The Elite trim added ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The Passport offered plenty of storage, including a massive center console storage bin and various door panel shelves. Cargo space was generous, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade comfortably seated seven or eight passengers, with 44.1 inches of legroom in the front row, 42.4 in the second, and 31.4 in the third. Passenger volume measured 155.3 cubic feet. The second-row seats featured a one-touch slide for easy access to the third row, and the third-row seats folded flat. Cargo space totaled 18 cubic feet with all seats in place, 45.8 behind the second row, and 86.4 with the second and third rows folded flat. The Palisade offered HVAC vents in all three rows and two cupholders per person. The center console included a phone holder and space for a bag. Automatic dual-zone climate control was standard in SEL and up.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite radio. The TrailSport trim added a navigation system, while the Elite trim featured a 10-speaker premium sound system and HondaLink connected services, including a WiFi hotspot. The system had shortcut buttons for the Home menu, a Back button, a screen brightness button, and a stereo volume and power knob. However, it lacked a stereo tuning knob. The Passport's navigation system was clunky, and Apple CarPlay was preferred for navigation. Wireless smartphone charging was standard.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade introduced several new technology features. It became the first Hyundai to offer WiFi hotspot capability, standard on all trims. A new 12.3-inch color touchscreen infotainment system was also standard, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, HD Radio, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth connectivity. A premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system was available in SEL models and standard in Limited and Calligraphy. The Palisade offered a 4.2-inch color driver info display or a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in higher trims. An in-car intercom and rear-seat quiet mode were available. Hyundai’s Bluelink connected vehicle system was standard on all trims, with enhancements for 2023. The Palisade also introduced Digital Key 2 Touch, compatible with Apple and Samsung devices.

The 2022 Honda Passport came with the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. It also included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beam headlights. A rear-seat reminder system and seatbelt reminder system were new for 2022. However, the lane-departure warning and lane-centering assist functions were intrusive, and the adaptive cruise control was not smooth in heavy traffic. The Passport received five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in most categories but earned four stars for front passenger protection and rollover resistance. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Passport top ratings in most respects but rated it Acceptable for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.

The 2022 Hyundai Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. The 2023 model added new active and passive safety features, including second-row side-impact airbags. The Palisade came with Hyundai’s Smart Sense suite of safety features, including forward collision avoidance, driver attention warning, high beam assist, and lane-keeping and lane-following assist. Blind-spot collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance were newly standard. All trims featured navigation-based Smart Cruise Control with stop and go and curve control functions, as well as intelligent speed limit assist. Highway Driving Assist I was standard in SE, SEL, and XRT models, while Highway Driving Assist II was available in SEL and standard in Limited and Calligraphy. A full-display digital rearview mirror was available. Safe exit warning and rear seat occupant alert were standard on most trims.