Compare the2023 Chrysler PacificaVS 2023 Hyundai Palisade

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Chrysler Pacifica are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Hyundai Palisade doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

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

Both the Pacifica and the Palisade 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, 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, 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 Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Hyundai Palisade:

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 Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Hyundai Palisade:

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

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

As tested in Motor Trend the Chrysler Pacifica V6 is faster than the Hyundai Palisade:

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running on electricity gets better mileage than the Palisade:

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Palisade:

The Pacifica Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 32 miles. The Palisade can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Pacifica Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Palisade doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Pacifica 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 nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chrysler Pacifica, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Palisade.

The Pacifica Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Palisade doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The Pacifica stops much shorter than the Palisade:

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Pacifica can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Palisade doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The Pacifica has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Palisade doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Pacifica’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Palisade doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Pacifica’s wheelbase is 7.4 inches longer than on the Palisade (121.6 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pacifica is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Palisade.

The front grille of the Pacifica 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 Pacifica uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Palisade doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Pacifica has 9.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Palisade (165.1 vs. 155.3).

The Pacifica has .9 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 7.1 inches more rear hip room, 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room, .9 inches more third row headroom, 5.1 inches more third row legroom, 5.8 inches more third row hip room and 6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Palisade.

The front step up height for the Pacifica is 1.7 inches lower than the Palisade (16.3” vs. 18”). The Pacifica’s rear step up height is 1.3 inches lower than the Palisade’s (18.2” vs. 19.5”).

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

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pacifica easier. The Pacifica’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 24.3 inches, while the Palisade’s liftover is 29.6 inches.

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

The Pacifica has standard Stow ’n Go second and third row seats (except Hybrid for the second row), which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Palisade doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Pacifica. The Palisade doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Pacifica’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 Pacifica’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 Pacifica has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Palisade.

The Pacifica 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.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pacifica is less expensive to operate than the Palisade because it costs $745 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Pacifica than the Palisade, including $172 less for a water pump, $203 less for fuel injection, $97 less for a fuel pump, $74 less for a timing belt/chain and $777 less for a power steering pump.

The Pacifica was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 6 years. The Palisade has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

The Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager outsold the Hyundai Palisade by 2263 units during the 2021 model year.