Reviewing cars is an odd profession. While you can, and should, weave in some of your own preferences and needs into the recommendation, you’re usually  answering the question of “should you buy it” with “well, it depends”. I’ve been accused by fellow journalists, and likely some manufacturer reps, of being a bit too honest. That’s why I was surprised to get a recent comment on Twitter that my Tundra TRD Pro review on this site was the “most non-committal review I’ve ever read“. While I was honored to get such an award (and to be fair, even he couldn’t commit saying “I think this is the most…”) I thought that was important to put that into context as I drove my next press loaner – the 2020 Hyundai Palisade. So in that spirit:

Is it good? Yes it’s very good.

Should you buy one? Well, that depends.

What is it?

This is our second take on the new midsize SUV. Jeff drove it back in July, so I’ll try and get into some more detail from a consumer perspective. The Palisade is Hyundai’s new flagship midsize SUV, and as a family hauler, they knocked it out of the park. I drove the Telluride back when it came out for a different site (I won’t give them clicks, sorry DeMuro!), you can read the Hooniverse take here. Suffice to say, we both loved it.

The Palisade is basically Hyundai’s version of the Telluride, with the same basic interior layout, same 3.8L V6, and similar pricing. The Palisade starts at $31,775 for the base SE, bumps slightly to $33,725 for the SEL, which Hyundai helpfully denotes as the “most customizable”, thanks bro. The Limited that we tested rings in at $44,925 to start, our as-tested price was $47,605, more on that in a bit.

I personally like this layout of trim levels, it’s simple and easy to understand. They even dumb it down for us, SE is base, Limited is loaded (aren’t we all!), and the mid-range SEL has a ton of packages and options. With all Palisades having the same engine, your major options to consider include AWD, which is actually optional on all trim levels. The rest of the trim breakdown goes as such:

SE: Comes with an impressive list of standard features like an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and five total USB ports (three up front, two in the second row), heated mirrors, 2nd row AC controls, keyless entry, push-button ignition, adaptive cruise control, power-folding 2nd row bench seats, 60/40-split folding third-row seats, and rear parking sensors. Pretty solid for entry-level.

SEL: Adds stuff like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, remote ignition (one of the first non-American cars I’ve seen this on), power heated front seats, second-row captain’s chairs (bench seat is also available), an auto-dimming rear view mirror, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (that actually works). The Convenience Package ($2,200) and Premium Package ($2,400) both ramp up the SEL’s list of features considerably, along with the price.

Limited: Our Palisade loaner came standard with everything from the above trim levels, along with premium leather seating with heated and ventilated front and middle seats, plus additional driver’s seat adjustments, dual sunroof, heads-up display, surround-view camera system, a really cool blind-spot camera, interior ambient lighting with color selector, and a pretty solid 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio sound system.

Our tester only added $160 in carpeted floor mats to get to the as-tested price of $47,605 including “inland freight and handling”. Whatever that is. I drive a lot of press cars, and many end up in this mid-to-upper $40,000 range.

The Palisade actually feels like you’re getting a lot for the money.

It’s Silver!

Many of my colleagues have stated that the Telluride looks better on the outside (agreed) but that the Palisade has a better interior. I think they are very much on par with each other though, which makes sense since they are both produced by the same company. Interesting note though, the Hyundai is built in Ulsan, South Korea, while the Telluride is built in West Point, Georgia.

Regardless, the Hyundai has an upscale interior with nice double stitching on the leather and comfy seats. Of note, the Limited has upgraded power adjustments for the driver’s seat and after multi-hour trips in the Palisade, my backside was happy.

With 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, it’s actually pretty usable with all seats in place. That’s something that large SUVs like the Tahoe can’t always say. You’ll get 87 cubic feet with both back rows folded down for you Home Depot run. Sounds like a nice little Saturday.

On the infotainment end, this was easily the best Apple CarPlay integration I’ve experienced. It doesn’t hop sources when I plug my phone in or when I get notifications. It just continues playing whatever I was listening to. The widescreen setup is great, and I love the fact that you can arrange it in three different sections, it isn’t just Apple CarPlay or nothing.

Overall, it’s a nice interior, although it is definitely a sea of silver in this specific color and trim combination. So I hope you like silver dawg, because I put some silver onto your silver! It’s a pretty pimp ride though.

Especially in purple.

It’s Purple!

The exterior of the Palisade is polarizing, but mostly just from the front end. Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrow headlights and massive fog light/running light area. I feel like the Telluride is a bit better proportioned and didn’t have weird details; even if it is a fairly direct rip off of the GMC Yukon. The Palisade in this Sierra Burgundy color was particularly cool, looking upscale and managing to keep from blending in with the sea of grey and silver SUVs.

Just like the Telluride, I feel like the Palisade looks a bit like the Bentley Bentayga from the side, and a bit from the rear. With the bulging haunches and the large tail lamps, it’s not a twin, but it looks like it could be a distant Korean cousin. The result of some weird shore leave scenario years prior I’m sure.

Driving

the 3.8L engine has 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It’s enough, generally. You aren’t buying something like this to go fast, but the Palisade has enough get-up-n-go to stay out of its own way. Merging onto the highway isn’t a chore, it’s fairly effortless. The transmission was a little clunky on occasion, I feel like the push button gear changes facilitated that awkward transition. I experienced a worrisome “thunk” going from reverse to drive, like it stammered in the middle somehow. Perhaps a premonition of issues to come, or just growing pains on a new model, hard to say?

I should mention the drive modes, the Palisade has several. The coolest part is that the digital gauge cluster changes in a cool animated fashion as you roll through each setting. The “Sport” setting was particularly cool, even if it didn’t seem to do anything to add to the driving experience. The Palisade even includes a Smart setting, whatever that means, but does not have Smaht Pahk, yet.

I love that it has remote start, it remains one of the only non-American vehicles that I have tested that has that feature. We don’t all life in paradise like Jeff, so on a cold east coast day, it’s a life saver. I’ve been tempted to write an article asking why it’s just American companies that use remote start, maybe later.

The safety systems work pretty well, I had automatic braking activate when I got a little too close to a car in front of me stopping at a red light. I had things under control, but unlike some other super-intrusive systems, I felt like this worked pretty well and wasn’t overly cautious.  As I was backing out of the driveway one morning, it panicked and hit the brakes because of a “cross traffic” warning of a car coming down the road. I had quite a few feet to go and it would not have been close, but again it felt more useful than not to have it as a back-up.

The trick blind spot system, similar to the one in the Telluride, is just awesome. You just need to train your brain to use it however. Instead of craning over your shoulder to see your blind spot, you look down into the instrument cluster, the screen is activated any time you click the signal. It’s a wide angle and I loved it, definitely a great example of technology that work sand makes things better.

Summary

So, definitive answer time, is the 2020 Hyundai Palisade worth buying?  One hundred percent, yes! Assuming you want a 3-row SUV. And assuming you aren’t put off by a non-luxury brand name. I think that’s it.

I haven’t seen another midsize SUV on the market that has a better mix of standard features for the price. Plus, Hyundai’s simple trim package layout means it’s not hard to figure out which one meets your requirements and your budget. Starting at an incredibly reasonable $31,775, you get a ton of truck for the money. Well, a ton of crossover, you know what I mean.

Actually, there is one other SUV that compares just as favorably. But would I buy this over the Kia Telluride? Well, no. It’s still damn good though.

Bonus Pics