Description

Hyundai Palisade - you can see it from space. But, two weeks in - I’m still struggling to figure it out. I’m deeply conflicted here, in the domain of love and hate.

Save thousands on any new car (Australia-only): https://autoexpert.com.au/contact

AutoExpert discount roadside assistance package: https://247roadservices.com.au/autoexpert/

Did you like this report? You can help support the channel, securely via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DSL9A3MWEMNBW&source=url

Top 10 things I love  

LOVE: 

1. If you’ve got up to eight people to convey from A to B, and you also need luggage space, Palisade is a beast.   
2. Palisade has a proper, full-sized spare wheel and tyre.    
3. Palisade comes fully loaded.    
4. The cabin space is tremendously configurable.  
5. The 2.2 Diesel powertrain is the one to get. Eight-speed auto plus on-demand AWD is extremely well-suited to this vehicle.  
6. Palisade is a superbly comfortable vehicle to drive long distances  
7. The fundamental choice you have to make on the Palisade is: Seven seats, or eight?  
8. Palisade is actually about $54,000 cheaper than a fully-loaded Toyota Landcruiser.  
9. They’ve put a lot of thought into the interior.   
10. Palisade  really has democratized luxury.  

Top 10 criticisms

DISLIKE:

1. It’s bigger than Santa Fe but doesn’t tow as much.  
2. Hyundai and Kia need to drop the V6 and start running with the 2.5 turbo petrol engine  
3. It doesn’t look like a next-gen Hyundai product externally.  
4. Palisade costs about $10,000 more than a Kia Carnival - which is approximately as versatile and as capable.  
5. White leather - such long-term disaster. Like, everything from the dye in new jeans to the residual on your palms (when it smears onto the white leather door pulls) is going to be a long-term aesthetic disaster.  
6. For all the convenience built into the Palisade, there’s no front passenger grab handle.   
7. When you select ‘park’ the automatic handbrake applies - but only sometimes. And by ‘sometimes’ I mean: if you’re on a slope.   
8. If you are parked and the park brake is deployed, you can’t drive off unless you clip your seatbelt.   
9. Palisade - and it’s not the only Hyundai Motor Group vehicle to do this - comes pre-loaded with fake ambient background audio.   
10. I know I previously talked up the price, but if you want eight seats for eight arses and space for luggage, configurability, versatility - etc., a Kia Carnival is $10k cheaper, ballpark, and also quite a good thing.   

CONCLUSION 

I don’t know that I’ve solved my deep inner conflict here, but I do hope I’ve at least crystallised the cases for and against buying a Palisade - the better to help you make the right choice with a serious wad of cash.