2024 Hyundai Palisade vs 2024 Nissan Rogue

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade stood out with its distinctive styling, setting it apart from other family-friendly SUVs. While its design might not have appealed to everyone, those who appreciated its aesthetics likely found other aspects of the vehicle to their liking. The Palisade was available in several trims, including the SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, Calligraphy, and the new Calligraphy Night Edition, with prices ranging from $36,650 to $53,850, excluding the destination charge. The Calligraphy Night Edition, which we tested, featured a blacked-out appearance with dark chrome and gloss black exterior trim, available only in Abyss Black or Hyper White paint colors. Its interior boasted a luxurious feel with leather and artificial suede inserts, an artificial suede headliner, and sophisticated design elements, making it resemble a luxury SUV.

In contrast, the 2024 Nissan Rogue received its first major styling update since its 2021 launch. The lineup included S, SV, SL, and Platinum models. The Rogue featured a new, larger grille that blended with its distinctive stack headlights and daytime running lights. The rear fascia had minor updates, with redesigned inner taillight elements. The Rogue SV received new 18-inch wheels, while the Platinum model sported 19-inch wheels with a machined-finish look. The Platinum trim also included more black exterior trim and an optional black roof. Inside, the Rogue's dashboard was updated to accommodate a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, giving it a more premium feel. The Rogue Platinum test car featured leather seats with quilted stitching, contributing to its upscale interior design.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It came with an eight-speed automatic transmission, powering the front wheels unless upgraded to an AWD model. The Palisade had a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and offered eight inches of ground clearance. Various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow, were available, and the AWD system could be locked for off-road conditions. The 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 EPA estimated 21 mpg in combined driving for the AWD model, but our testing loop averaged 18.8 mpg in Comfort mode. The Palisade's suspension offered a firm yet comfortable ride, with excellent visibility and a top-down surround-view camera aiding city driving. It displayed some athleticism on mountain roads, with predictable handling and reliable brakes.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue featured a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, part of Nissan's VC-Turbo lineup, capable of varying its compression ratio for power or fuel economy. It produced 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, outperforming some competitors' engines. However, the continuously variable transmission (CVT) was slow to transfer power to the wheels, affecting the driving experience. The Rogue came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available. The suspension in the Rogue Platinum test car felt firmer than the segment norm, impacting ride quality without improving handling. While the engine's performance was impressive, the exhaust note was less so.

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, power-adjustable front seats were standard on all but the SE trim, with additional features like a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and memory settings available on higher trims. The Calligraphy Night Edition test vehicle provided comfort with its simulated suede seat inserts and black interior. The Palisade's interior featured configurable storage, including a console-top tray, a large storage bin, and a wireless smartphone charger. Second-row passengers enjoyed captain's chairs with optional heating and ventilation, while the third row offered more comfort and room than most rivals. The Palisade provided 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.4 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue offered nearly identical passenger space to its competitors, with differences in legroom. The Rogue's maximum cargo space was 36.5 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 74.1 cubic feet with them folded, less than some rivals but more than others. The optional Divide-N-Hide system allowed for a flat cargo floor with hidden storage or a lower floor for increased cargo height. The Rogue featured a molded-in space for grocery bags and a power liftgate on SV models, with a motion-activated liftgate on SL and Platinum models. The center console had a pass-through space for added flexibility, though accessing the storage tray at floor level was awkward.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade offered a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation. It supported 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, while wireless charging was standard starting with SEL trim. The Harman Kardon premium sound system provided excellent audio quality, and additional technologies included a digital key function, a digital rearview mirror, and a semi-autonomous remote parking system. The head-up display showed navigation instructions, safety feature status, and blind-spot warnings.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue featured an 8-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on lower trims, while SL and Platinum models received a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless connectivity, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Amazon Alexa, and Google built-in apps. The Rogue was the first Nissan to offer Google built-in, integrating Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play app store. Connectivity was free for five years, with a vehicle data plan required for third-party apps. The dual 12.3-inch screen setup improved the infotainment system, though the touchscreen was occasionally slow to boot up. The Rogue included multiple USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad on higher trims. Nissan extended the free trial period for its Nissan Connect Services to three years, offering features like remote door lock/unlock, remote engine start/stop, and emergency calling.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade came equipped with Hyundai's SmartSense collection of driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and more. Highway Driving Assist (HDA) paired adaptive cruise control with curve speed control and lane-centering assist. The SEL Premium package added lane-change assist, front parking sensors, front cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view camera system. The Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and received top ratings for side-impact collisions from the NHTSA.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue received top "Good" ratings in several IIHS crash tests and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Standard driver assist features included automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and rear automatic emergency braking. ProPilot Assist, available on higher trims, added automated lane centering for highway driving. The SL and Platinum trims offered a more advanced version that used the navigation system to slow for curves and interchanges.