Compare the2023 Hyundai PalisadeVS 2023 Acura MDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
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 MDX 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 MDX’s 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Palisade 4WD’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Palisade and MDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Palisade has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic.

Both the Palisade and the MDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, 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 Acura MDX:

	Palisade	MDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	160	244
Neck Injury Risk	19%	29%
Neck Stress	161 lbs.	304 lbs.
Neck Compression	42 lbs.	59 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	94/151 lbs.	463/521 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	43 lbs.	75 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	351/306 lbs.	392/458 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 Acura MDX:

	Palisade	MDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	107
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	41 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	223	549

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

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 MDX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Acura covers the MDX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the MDX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Palisade’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the MDX’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Palisade for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the MDX (3/36,000 vs. 2/24,000).

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Palisade’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Palisade’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the MDX’s camshafts. If the MDX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 7 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Acura.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 96 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 28th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Palisade is faster than the Acura MDX V6:

	Palisade	MDX
Zero to 60 MPH	7.1 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89.1 MPH	88.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Palisade
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	19 city/25 hwy
MDX
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	17 city/21 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Palisade uses regular unleaded gasoline. The MDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Palisade stops shorter than the MDX:

	Palisade	MDX
70 to 0 MPH	177 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	132 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Palisade’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the MDX’s (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the Palisade more stable handling and braking.

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

For greater off-road capability the Palisade has a greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (7.9 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Palisade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Palisade Limited AWD is quieter than the MDX Type S (74 vs. 76 dB).

Passenger Space

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

The Palisade has 16.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MDX (155.3 vs. 139.1).

The Palisade has 2.2 inches more front headroom, 2.5 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom, .5 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.6 inches more third row headroom, 2.3 inches more third row legroom and 3.1 inches more third row hip room than the MDX.

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

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Palisade’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Palisade Limited/Calligraphy’s third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Palisade’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Palisade and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Palisade is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The MDX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Palisade’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The MDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy has standard heated front seats and second and third row heated seats also avaiable, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Acura doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the MDX.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Palisade’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The MDX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Palisade Calligraphy’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

The Palisade will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Palisade will retain 53.3% to 53.86% of its original price after five years, while the MDX only retains 45.63% to 46.51%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Palisade will be $13264 to $14621 less than for the Acura MDX.

Recommendations

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Palisade first among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The MDX isn’t in the top three.

The Hyundai Palisade outsold the Acura MDX by 78% during 2022.

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