Compare the2023 Toyota HighlanderVS 2023 Hyundai Palisade

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander 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 Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Palisade doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the Hyundai Palisade:

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Palisade:

There are over 49 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

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 Highlander’s reliability 17 points higher than the Palisade.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 13th.

The Highlander’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

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

Both the Highlander and the Palisade have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Highlanders 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.

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Palisade’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Palisade (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Highlander has .5 inches more front headroom and 1.9 inches more third row hip room than the Palisade.

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

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

The Highlander’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 Highlander 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. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Palisade can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

The Highlander 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.

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

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Hyundai Palisade by almost three to one during 2022.