Compare the2023 GMC YukonVS 2023 Hyundai Palisade

The Yukon (except SLE with front bench seat) has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Palisade doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Yukon and the Palisade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The GMC Yukon weighs 984 to 1751 pounds more than the Hyundai Palisade. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 GMC Yukon is safer than the Hyundai Palisade:

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

There are over 2 times as many GMC dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Yukon’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Yukon has a standard 220-amp alternator (250-amp - Yukon Diesel). The Palisade’s 180-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Yukon second among large suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Palisade isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

The Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8 produces 64 more horsepower (355 vs. 291) and 121 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6. The Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8 produces 129 more horsepower (420 vs. 291) and 198 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

The Yukon’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 198 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the GMC Yukon 6.2 V8 is faster than the Hyundai Palisade:

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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Yukon V8’s fuel efficiency. The Palisade doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Both the Yukon and the Palisade have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Yukons have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch costs extra on the Palisade.

The Yukon has 5.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Palisade (24 vs. 18.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Yukon has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Palisade doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Yukon, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Palisade.

The Yukon’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Palisade are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Yukon has larger standard tires than the Palisade (265/65R18 vs. 245/60R18). The Yukon’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Palisade (275/60R20 vs. 245/60R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Yukon offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Palisade’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The GMC Yukon’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Hyundai Palisade only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Yukon has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Palisade doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Yukon has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Palisade; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Yukon offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Palisade’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Yukon’s wheelbase is 6.7 inches longer than on the Palisade (120.9 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Yukon is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .5 inches wider in the rear than on the Palisade.

For better maneuverability, the Yukon’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Palisade’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Yukon has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Palisade (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Yukon to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Yukon AT4 Air Ride’s minimum ground clearance is 2.1 inches higher than on the Palisade (10 vs. 7.9 inches).

The front grille of the Yukon (except Diesel) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Palisade doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Yukon offers optional seating for 9 passengers; the Palisade can only carry 8.

The Yukon has 13 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Palisade (168.3 vs. 155.3).

The Yukon has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, 3.4 inches more front hip room, 4.8 inches more front shoulder room, 3.6 inches more rear hip room, 4 inches more rear shoulder room, .4 inches more third row headroom, 3.5 inches more third row legroom, 5.7 inches more third row hip room and 7.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Palisade.

The Yukon’s cargo area provides more volume than the Palisade.

The Yukon’s cargo area is larger than the Palisade’s in almost every dimension:

A standard locking glovebox and optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Yukon. The Palisade doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Yukon’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Palisade’s (7700 vs. 5000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Palisade is only 5000 pounds. The Yukon offers up to a 8400 lbs. towing capacity.

The Yukon 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Yukon can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Palisade can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The engine in the Yukon is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Palisade. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

The Yukon’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Palisade does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Yukon’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Palisade’s standard power windows’ rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

On a hot day the Yukon’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Palisade can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Yukon’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Palisade SE/SEL/XRT’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Yukon has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Palisade SEL/Limited/Calligraphy.

Insurance will cost less for the Yukon owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Yukon will cost $140 less than the Palisade over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Yukon is less expensive to operate than the Palisade because typical repairs cost much less on the Yukon than the Palisade, including $53 less for front brake pads, $94 less for a starter, $18 less for fuel injection, $75 less for front struts and $630 less for a power steering pump.