2024 Hyundai Palisade vs 2023 Toyota RAV4

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 was available in six trim levels, offering a variety of options from the budget-friendly RAV4 LE to the more luxurious RAV4 Limited, with two off-road-oriented trims in between. The design remained consistent with the 2019 model, especially in the Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims, which featured a distinctive two-part face. The Adventure trim, which was tested, had a more aggressive grille with a repositioned Toyota badge, blacked-out wheels, and additional black cladding, giving it a rugged appearance. However, it was more about style than substance in terms of off-road capability. Inside, the Adventure trim added orange accents, including stripes and contrast stitching on the seats, enhancing the otherwise basic interior. The frameless rearview mirror added a touch of sophistication, but those seeking a more premium feel might have considered the Toyota Venza.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Palisade stood out with its distinctive styling, which set it apart from other family-friendly SUVs. It was available in several trims, including the new Calligraphy Night Edition, with prices ranging from $36,650 to $53,850. The Calligraphy Night Edition, tested with Hyper White paint, featured a blacked-out appearance with dark chrome and gloss black trim. It came exclusively with all-wheel drive and a luxurious interior, including an artificial suede headliner and quality upholstery. The Palisade's interior exuded sophistication, making it feel like a luxury SUV. The Calligraphy Night Edition's interior was particularly impressive, with leather and artificial suede inserts, metal speaker grilles, and a striped dashboard, offering a premium experience.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 came standard with front-wheel drive, except for the Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims, which had all-wheel drive by default. The RAV4 offered a single engine choice, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. While the transmission was preferable to a CVT, it didn't enhance acceleration significantly. The RAV4's performance was more "unobjectionable" than "exciting," and it was somewhat noisy. The Adventure trim, with its 19-inch wheels and all-season tires, was not as off-road capable as the TRD Off-Road trim, which had 18-inch wheels with Falken All-Terrain tires and a TRD-tuned suspension.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade, on the other hand, featured a 3.8-liter V6 engine generating 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered several driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow, and had a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. The Palisade's V6 engine provided ample power and satisfying acceleration, with the transmission always in the right gear. The AWD system distributed power effectively on dirt and gravel roads. The Palisade averaged 18.8 mpg in Comfort mode during testing, slightly below the EPA's 21 mpg estimate. The suspension was tuned for a firmer ride, providing excellent handling on mountain and canyon roads. The brakes performed well under stress, and the Palisade's overall driving experience was enjoyable.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 was designed to seat five passengers. With the moonroof, it offered 37.7 inches of front headroom and 39.5 inches in the rear, providing more rear headroom than competitors like the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester. Front legroom measured 41 inches, while the second row had 37.8 inches, comparable to the CR-V but less than the Forester. The RAV4's back seat was narrower than its rivals. It offered convenient storage options, including a shelf along the glove compartment and generous door pockets. Cargo space was 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row, expanding to 69.8 cubic feet with the seats folded, placing it in the middle of the pack.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade offered a range of seating options, with the base SE trim featuring cloth seats and higher trims offering H-Tex artificial leather, real leather, or premium Nappa leather. Heated and ventilated front seats were available, with the Limited trim adding memory settings and adjustable thigh support. The Calligraphy trim included an Ergo Motion massage function for the driver. The Palisade's interior was spacious, with configurable storage options and a large storage bin between the front seats. Second-row passengers enjoyed captain's chairs with optional heating and ventilation, while the third row was more comfortable than most rivals. The Palisade provided 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.4 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 introduced a new infotainment system with an 8.0-inch touchscreen as standard, upgraded to a 10.5-inch screen for Limited and TRD Off-Road trims. It supported over-the-air updates, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Adventure trim tested had the upgraded multimedia system with a 10.5-inch screen and an 11-speaker JBL Premium audio system. A 7-inch driver-information display was standard, with a 12.3-inch version available on the Limited trim.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, available with the SEL Premium package or higher trims. All Palisades had a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, supporting 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 USB-A cable. The Palisade offered a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, a digital key function, a digital rearview mirror, and a semi-autonomous remote parking system. The head-up display provided navigation instructions and safety feature status.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 came with standard safety features, including lane-departure warning with steering assist, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam LED headlights, and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection. Adaptive cruise control was also included. The RAV4 was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which included Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. It earned a 2023 Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade featured the SmartSense collection of driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and more. Highway Driving Assist paired adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assist. The Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, with top scores in side-impact collisions and a four-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA.