2024 Acura MDX vs 2023 Hyundai Palisade

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai’s largest SUV, had an even more commanding presence following its styling update. The new front fascia featured bolder strokes, framing new headlights and a squared-off grille that gave the SUV a stronger look. 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 of glossy black and chrome, and a wider, body-color rear spoiler. The new XRT trim had a dark grille, roof cross rails, body-color door handles, special accents on the bumpers and skid plates, and black 20-inch wheels.

Inside, the Calligraphy-trim tester was attractive and stylish, brightened by a dual-pane sunroof. Premium Nappa leather was standard in the Calligraphy, while the base SE model came with cloth seats. All other trims had heated, eight-way power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, covered in leatherette for SEL and XRT, and leather-trimmed in Limited. Limited and Calligraphy models featured heated and ventilated seats in the first and second rows, and heated third-row seats. Second-row seats came in a bench configuration for SE models, with bench seats optional for SEL but unavailable in the top three trims, which all had second-row captain’s chairs.

The 2024 Acura MDX had a modern, refined presence with a large shield grille flanked by rakish headlights and accented by intake vents. The lower bumper area below the grille almost bent, adding to its sophisticated look. Inside, it was high-tech but busy, with a bevy of controls in the center console that could be overwhelming at first. The MDX was offered in several trims, including the Technology Package, A-Spec Package, and Advance Package, as well as the Type-S and Type-S Advance.

Standard features on the MDX included tri-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, synthetic leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable front seats, and heated front seats. The Technology Package added ambient cabin lighting, navigation, a 12-speaker ELS premium stereo system, and genuine leather upholstery. The A-Spec trim level featured unique styling touches, an upgraded 16-speaker ELS audio system, perforated leather seats, and ventilated front seats. The Advance package provided a heated steering wheel, additional USB ports, remote start, and heated second-row seats. The Type-S Advance package added a top-end 26-speaker ELS sound system and massaging front seats.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade came with a single powertrain option: a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This was competitive for the class, making the Palisade more powerful than the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Atlas, slightly more so than the Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder, and just a bit less so than the gas-powered Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer. The eight-speed automatic transmission could be manipulated with standard paddle shifters, and power was routed to the front wheels by default, with all-wheel drive (AWD) available as a $1,900 option. The Palisade could tow up to 5,000 pounds and had a dedicated Tow Mode for AWD-equipped models. Fuel economy for the front-wheel-drive (FWD) Palisade was 19 mpg city, 27 highway, and 22 combined, while AWD models achieved 19 city, 25 highway, and 21 combined.

The standard powerplant in the 2024 Acura MDX was a 3.5-liter V6 engine making 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. The Type S came equipped with a twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that put out 355 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Power was sent through a 10-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels or Acura’s available Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive System (AWD). The Type-S Advance boasted strong acceleration, with quick throttle delivery and a comfortable ride over bumps. The Type-S trims featured Brembo performance brakes and an adaptive air suspension that could automatically level and lower when stopped. The Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) included various drive modes, such as Sport, Sport+, Snow, Comfort, Normal, and Lift mode, which added two inches of ground clearance. The MDX’s towing capacity maxed out at 5,000 pounds with AWD, while FWD models maxed out at 3,500 pounds.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade comfortably seated seven or eight passengers, offering 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. Second-row seating easily gave way to facilitate access to the third row, thanks to the standard one-touch seat slide. Cargo space totaled 18 cubic feet with all seats in place, 45.8 behind the second row, and 86.4 with all but the front-row seats folded flat. A hands-free smart liftgate was standard on all but the base SE trim. The Palisade had HVAC vents in all three rows and provided two cupholders per person. The center console included a phone holder and space to stow a bag on the shelf below. Automatic dual-zone climate control was standard in SEL and up.

The 2024 Acura MDX came standard with three rows of seating. The first two rows were comfortable and supportive, but the third row was on the smaller side and best suited for children. Cargo space measured 16.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 39.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 71.4 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. There was also additional storage underneath the cargo load floor. The MDX came standard with a power liftgate, with a hands-free power liftgate optional on the base model and standard on Advance Package models. The Type-S Advance test vehicle’s second-row bench had a fold-down center console with integrated cupholders, and the center of the bench folded out for easier access to the third row. The center console had plenty of space for various items, but the center stack of controls was a bit of a mess, with a touchpad for the infotainment system that was unintuitive to use.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade upped the ante on the technology front, becoming the first Hyundai to offer WiFi hotspot capability, standard on every trim. 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. Up to two devices could be connected via Bluetooth at any one time, and up to seven could charge using USB ports located in the first, second, and third rows. A wireless charger was standard on all but the base trim. Drivers enjoyed a 4.2-inch color driver info display or a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in Limited and Calligraphy models. An in-car intercom was optional for SEL trims and standard in Limited and Calligraphy. Hyundai’s Bluelink connected vehicle system was standard on all trims, with enhancements for 2023, including remote accessibility and management features. The Palisade was also the first vehicle to get Digital Key 2 Touch, compatible with both Android and Apple devices.

The 2024 Acura MDX’s infotainment system was its Achilles Heel. The 12.3-inch display atop the dash was not a touchscreen, and control was via a touchpad below the shifter, which was painfully unintuitive. However, the MDX’s feature set offered some positives, including standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, satellite radio, HD radio, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The MDX also came standard with multiple USB ports, a fully digital instrument panel, and wireless device charging. The center console had cleverly placed charging ports and a helpful leather handrest for the touchpad. Despite these thoughtful details, the infotainment system’s clumsiness made it a hard luxury crossover to recommend.

The 2022 Hyundai Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2023 model had new active and passive safety features, including second-row side-impact airbags. Hyundai’s Smart Sense suite of safety features was standard, including forward collision avoidance, driver attention warning, high beam assist, lane-keeping and lane-following assist, blind-spot collision avoidance, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance. All trims had 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, with Highway Driving Assist II available with the SEL trim and standard in Limited and Calligraphy. A full-display digital rearview mirror was available, and safe exit warning was standard on all Palisades. The rear seat occupant alert was standard on all but the SE trim.

The Acura MDX came with a comprehensive suite of high-tech driver assistance features, including standard automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-departure warning, driver attention monitoring, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Technology Package added front and rear parking sensors, reverse automatic emergency braking, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The Advance package added a 360-degree parking camera system and a head-up display. The 2024 MDX had not been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but the 2022 model earned a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and a best score of Good in all phases of IIHS evaluation. It was also a 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and earned a best score of Superior for its crash-prevention technology. However, the infotainment system’s clumsiness was a distraction for drivers.