Compare the2023 Lexus GXVS 2023 Hyundai Palisade

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Lexus GX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Palisade doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The GX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Palisade doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Lexus GX 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 Lexus GX 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.

The GX has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Palisade doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the GX. But it costs extra on the Palisade.

Both the GX and the Palisade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Lexus GX weighs 620 to 1021 pounds more than the Hyundai Palisade. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 GX’s reliability 32 points higher than the Palisade.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GX second among midsize premium 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 Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 6th.

The GX’s 4.6 DOHC V8 produces 10 more horsepower (301 vs. 291) and 67 lbs.-ft. more torque (329 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lexus GX is faster than the Hyundai Palisade:

The GX has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Palisade (23 vs. 18.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The GX’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.

The GX stops much shorter than the Palisade:

For better traction, the GX has larger tires than the Palisade (265/60R18 vs. 245/60R18).

The Lexus GX’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 GX 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 GX has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Palisade doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The GX 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.

The GX has engine 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 GX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Palisade’s (56% to 44%). This gives the GX more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the GX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Palisade (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the GX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

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

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the GX is quieter than the Palisade Limited AWD (73 vs. 74 dB).

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

The GX has a standard third row seat which folds 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 GX. The Palisade doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The GX’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the right swing out door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Palisade’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The GX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Palisade’s (6500 vs. 5000 pounds).

The engine in the GX 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 66% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 29th.

The GX’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Palisade, and is not available on all models.

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

If the windows are left open on the GX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or 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.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The GX offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Palisade doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the GX offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Palisade doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The GX 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 GX is less expensive to operate than the Palisade because it costs $427 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the GX than the Palisade, including $33 less for a water pump, $115 less for front brake pads, $161 less for front struts and $29 less for a power steering pump.

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