2026 Land Rover Defender vs 2025 Hyundai Palisade

The Palisade is the company’s largest SUV, debuting in 2020 as a replacement for the Hyundai Santa Fe XL. Since then, the automaker has steadily improved the SUV’s styling, technology, and packaging, and that’s also true of the 2025 Palisade. This year, the SEL Premium is a trim level instead of a trim package, and the XRT adds some standard equipment. A redesigned 2026 Palisade is on the way and will undoubtedly improve on this outgoing version.

Verdict: Though the 2025 Palisade marks the last year for the current-generation model, you should still consider one, especially if the deal is too good to pass up. This Hyundai has aged remarkably well and remains more appealing than many of its rivals in the midsize three-row SUV arena.

As the rest of the lineup has trended toward luxury, the Land Rover Defender has stayed true to the brand’s roots of tough off-roaders ideal for the military and farmers alike. That’s mainly because Land Rover put off updates for decades, but a redesigned Defender that’s more passenger car than farm implement arrived for 2020, bringing the nameplate back to the U.S. Changes for 2026 include subtle styling changes, a larger touchscreen, and new color and accessory options.

Verdict: The Defender offers an unmatched combination of off-road capability and everyday civility.