Compare the2022 Hyundai PalisadeVS 2021 Volkswagen Atlas

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Palisade and Atlas have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Palisade has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Atlas’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Palisade are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Atlas doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Hyundai Palisade has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Atlas doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Palisade’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Atlas and is not available with S.

The Palisade’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Atlas doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Palisade and the Atlas have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Palisade is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Palisade	Atlas
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	160	307
Neck Injury Risk	19%	30%
Neck Stress	161 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	42 lbs.	59 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	94/151 lbs.	67/229 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	39%
Neck Compression	43 lbs.	117 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Palisade is safer than the Volkswagen Atlas:

	Palisade	Atlas
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	57
Hip Force	303 lbs.	345 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	189 lbs.	527 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	223	279
Spine Acceleration	45 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	724 lbs.	800 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Palisade its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 63 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Atlas last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Palisade comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Atlas’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Atlas. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Atlas ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Palisade’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Atlas runs out after 100,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Palisade for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Atlas (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

There are over 29 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Palisade’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Palisade has a standard 800-amp battery. The Atlas’ 680-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Palisade’s reliability 46 points higher than the Atlas.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 62 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 18 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 56 more horsepower (291 vs. 235) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 258) than the Atlas’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 15 more horsepower (291 vs. 276) than the Atlas’ optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Palisade is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas V6:

	Palisade	Atlas
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.6 sec	20.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.5 sec	8.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93 MPH	89 MPH
Top Speed	132 MPH	116 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Palisade gets better mileage than the Atlas:

			MPG
Palisade
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	19 city/24 hwy
Atlas
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/23 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	16 city/22 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Palisade uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Atlas with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Palisade higher (5 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Atlas (3 to 5). This means the Palisade produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Atlas every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Palisade’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Atlas:

	Palisade	Atlas
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	13.2 inches

The Palisade stops much shorter than the Atlas:

	Palisade	Atlas
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Palisade has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Atlas’ suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Palisade has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Palisade flat and controlled during cornering. The Atlas’ suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Palisade offers an optional automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Atlas doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better maneuverability, the Palisade’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Atlas’ (38.7 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

Chassis

The Palisade is 4.6 inches shorter than the Atlas, making the Palisade easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Palisade Limited AWD is quieter than the Atlas SEL Premium 4Motion:

	Palisade	Atlas
At idle	38 dB	41 dB
Full-Throttle	74 dB	76 dB

Passenger Space

The Palisade has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Atlas can only carry 7.

The Palisade has 2.4 inches more front legroom, 4.8 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Atlas.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Palisade’s middle and third row seats recline. The Atlas’ third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Palisade’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Palisade’s (not available on SE) optional third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Atlas doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Palisade’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Atlas’ (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Palisade (except SE)’s optional Easy Access Seat glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Atlas doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Palisade Limited/Calligraphy has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Atlas doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Palisade has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Atlas only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Palisade’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Atlas’ headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and second seat rows keep the Palisade Limited/Calligraphy’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Atlas doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Palisade is less expensive to operate than the Atlas because typical repairs cost much less on the Palisade than the Atlas, including $259 less for a water pump, $217 less for a muffler, $325 less for a starter, $135 less for fuel injection, $203 less for front struts and $437 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Palisade, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its May 2020 issue and they ranked the Hyundai Palisade Limited AWD five places higher than the Volkswagen Atlas SEL 4Motion.