2024 Hyundai Palisade vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe had a more conservative exterior design compared to some of Hyundai's other recent models. While it was still an attractive SUV, it didn't stand out as much as some of its siblings. The five-passenger SUV continued with the same look and feel as the 2022 model, available in five trim levels: SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy. Our test vehicle was the top-of-the-line Calligraphy AWD trim, featuring Stormy Sea paint and a black-on-black interior, with a total MSRP of $45,845.

The Santa Fe's exterior was marked by its wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights, giving it a distinctive front look. Inside, the Calligraphy trim had a high-quality, albeit dark and monotone, black interior. The Nappa leather seats were both comfortable and attractive, with heated and cooled front seats standard in the Calligraphy trim. The second row also featured seat heaters, making it a comfortable ride in varying weather conditions.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade stood out with its distinctive styling, making it easily recognizable among family-friendly SUVs. Hyundai offered the Palisade in several trims, including the new Calligraphy Night Edition. Prices ranged from $36,650 to $53,850, excluding the $1,395 destination charge. Our test vehicle was the Calligraphy Night Edition, featuring Hyper White paint and a black interior with leather and artificial suede inserts, with an MSRP of $55,930.

The Calligraphy Night Edition came with a blacked-out appearance, including dark chrome and gloss black exterior trim, badges, and wheels. The interior was luxurious, with an artificial suede headliner, quality upholstery, metal speaker grilles, and sophisticated design elements. The overall look and feel of the Palisade, especially in the Calligraphy Night Edition, rivaled that of a luxury SUV.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a 2.5-liter engine, available in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions. The SE, SEL, and XRT trims featured the naturally aspirated engine, producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Limited and Calligraphy trims had a turbocharged engine, boosting output to 281 hp and 311 pound-feet, with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission.

FWD was standard on all trims, with AWD available as an option. The Santa Fe also featured a drive-mode selector with Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart modes. Our Calligraphy test vehicle had steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, adding a touch of sportiness. The turbocharged engine provided immediate acceleration with no discernible turbo lag, making it a breeze to get up to speed and pass other vehicles. The Santa Fe's handling was smooth, with minimal body lean during cornering. The turbo version could tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the non-turbo could tow 2,000 pounds.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade featured a 3.8-liter V6 engine generating 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. FWD was standard, with AWD available. The Palisade had a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and offered eight inches of ground clearance.

The Palisade came with several driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow. The AWD system could be locked for off-road travel, though the Palisade was better suited for less challenging terrain. The V6 engine provided plenty of power and satisfying acceleration, with the transmission always in the right gear. The AWD system distributed power expertly on dirt and gravel roads. The Palisade averaged 18.8 mpg in Comfort mode during our testing loop. The suspension was tuned for a firmer ride, but it remained comfortable, with excellent outward visibility and a top-down surround-view camera aiding in city driving.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe benefited from not having a cramped third row, resulting in more rear-seat legroom and additional cargo space. The Santa Fe offered 41.7 inches of rear-seat legroom and 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row. Folding down the second row increased storage space to 72.1 cubic feet, with an underfloor storage compartment adding extra utility.

Seat comfort was a strength, with SEL and higher trims featuring an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats. The Limited trim added ventilated front seats, a power driver seat cushion extension, and heated rear seats. The Calligraphy trim included a head-up display, premium door and seat accent trim, a microfiber headliner, and ambient lighting. The panoramic sunroof was a favorite feature, though the wide center console cut into driver leg and hip space.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade offered a range of seating options, from cloth seats in the base SE trim to premium Nappa leather with microfiber inserts in the Calligraphy Night Edition. Heated eight-way power-adjustable front seats were standard in all but the SE trim, with ventilated front seats available starting with the SEL trim. The Limited trim added memory settings and an adjustable thigh support cushion for the driver, while the Calligraphy included an Ergo Motion massage function.

The Palisade's interior featured configurable storage, with a large storage bin between the front seats that could be transformed into cupholders and a wireless smartphone charger. Second-row passengers enjoyed captain’s chairs in all but the SE trim, with optional heating and ventilation. The third row was more comfortable and roomy than most rivals, with standard heating and air conditioning vents. The Palisade provided 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 45.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 86.4 cubic feet with the second row folded.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, with a standard 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display in SE, SEL, and XRT trims, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in Limited and Calligraphy trims. The base SE trim featured an 8-inch display audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher trims had a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio, voice recognition, wireless device charging, digital key, and Bluelink connected services. The Limited and Calligraphy trims also included a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The infotainment system was user-friendly, with clearly marked home screen icons and logical arrangement. The voice-recognition system worked well for finding addresses and points of interest but struggled with music requests and temperature changes. The system was unable to turn on the seat heaters.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, available with the SEL Premium option package or higher trims. All Palisades had a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, Bluelink+ connected services, Wi-Fi access, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a rear-seat Quiet Mode. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto required a cable plugged into a USB-A port. Wireless charging was standard starting with SEL trim.

Bluelink+ offered remote engine starting, automatic collision warning, SOS emergency assistance, safe teen driving features, and more. The 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system was part of the SEL Premium package and standard with higher trims. Additional technologies included a digital key function, a digital rearview mirror, a semi-autonomous remote parking system, and an excellent head-up display.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction-turning detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, driver monitoring, a safe-exit system, and a rear-seat reminder system. Highway Driving Assist was standard on SEL and above, leveraging adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability.

The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS for the 2022 calendar year, with the highest-possible Good ratings in all crashworthiness tests.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with Hyundai's SmartSense collection of driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, intersection assist, safe exit assist, automatic high-beam headlights, rear parking sensors, and a rear-seat reminder system. Highway Driving Assist paired adaptive cruise control with curve speed control and lane-centering assist, with lane-change assist available starting with the SEL Premium package.

The Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for the 2024 calendar year. NHTSA crash tests were incomplete, with the SUV receiving a five-star rating for side-impact collisions and a four-star rollover resistance rating.