2022 Hyundai Palisade vs 2022 Honda Passport

The 2022 Hyundai Palisade had a striking and elegant exterior design, standing out as Hyundai's SUV flagship since its introduction in 2020. It replaced the Santa Fe XL and featured distinctive lines, a prominent grille, and expressive LED headlights. The Palisade's design included a continuous strip of glass surfaces around the tailgate, giving the impression of a floating rear roof. Inside, the Palisade offered a polished and near-luxury feel with high-quality materials, a horizontally arrayed screen, and spacious seating for up to eight passengers. The top-of-the-line Calligraphy model was particularly stunning with its Steel Graphite paint and black interior combination.

In contrast, the 2022 Honda Passport shared its platform with the Ridgeline pickup truck, Odyssey minivan, and Pilot SUV, resulting in a familiar and rugged design. The Passport's new nose gave it a tougher look, and the TrailSport trim aimed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts with standard all-wheel drive and 8.1 inches of ground clearance. Inside, the Passport boasted one of the largest interiors in the two-row midsize SUV segment, with quality materials and ample storage. The TrailSport trim added unique design elements like orange contrast stitching and amber ambient lighting.

The 2022 Hyundai Palisade featured a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, provided a smooth and powerful driving experience. The Palisade's fuel efficiency was estimated at 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway/22 mpg combined for FWD models and 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway/21 mpg combined for AWD models. The Palisade's handling was commendable, thanks to its four-wheel independent suspension and self-leveling system on higher trims. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds with trailer brakes.

The 2022 Honda Passport retained its 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport's fuel efficiency was rated at 22 mpg combined for FWD models and 21 mpg combined for AWD models. The TrailSport test vehicle averaged 21.3 mpg. The Passport's i-VTM4 AWD system provided mechanical torque vectoring, enhancing its performance on twisty roads and off-road trails. However, the Passport's brakes showed some issues during mountain descents, and its adaptive cruise control was not as smooth as expected.

The 2022 Hyundai Palisade excelled in interior space and functionality. It offered comfortable seating in all three rows, with ample legroom and headroom. The third row provided 18.0 cubic feet of luggage space, expanding to 45.8 cubic feet with the third row folded and 86.4 cubic feet with both rows folded flat. The Palisade featured a compact shift-by-wire gear selector, intuitive controls, and a dual-panel sunroof on higher trims. Luxury features included rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated and ventilated front seats, premium Nappa leather upholstery, and a hands-free liftgate.

The 2022 Honda Passport provided easy access with large doors and a low step-in height. The front seats were large and comfortable, with leather upholstery and heated front seats as standard. The Passport Elite trim added ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The rear passengers enjoyed ample space and a slightly elevated seating position. The Passport offered 41.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, expanding to 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. The SUV's simple utility and comfort made it easy to live with.

The 2022 Hyundai Palisade showcased Hyundai's technological prowess. The standard display audio system on SE and SEL models featured an 800 x 480 resolution screen, while the Limited and Calligraphy models had a 1920 x 720 color touchscreen with a 630-watt Harman Kardon premium audio system. The infotainment system included wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, HD Radio, satellite radio, and multiple USB ports. The Palisade also offered a Qi wireless charging pad, a rear-view monitor with parking guidance, and a head-up display on higher trims. Hyundai's Blue Link connected car system provided remote engine start and vehicle monitoring.

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 Passport Elite featured a 10-speaker premium sound system and HondaLink connected services with a WiFi hotspot. The Passport's infotainment system had shortcut buttons for easy navigation, but its navigation system was clunky. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, but the Passport lacked advanced technological features compared to the Palisade.

The 2022 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with a comprehensive list of standard and available safety features. Passive safety features included seven airbags, three-point seat belts, LATCH anchors, active head restraints, and more. Standard active safety features included anti-lock braking, electronic stability control, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and more. The Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA.

The 2022 Honda Passport came with the Honda Sensing collection of driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. Additional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beam headlights. However, some of these features were less refined and could be intrusive. The Passport earned five-star ratings from the NHTSA in most categories but received a four-star rating for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision and rollover resistance. The IIHS gave the Passport top ratings in most respects but rated it Acceptable for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.