Compare the2023 Hyundai PalisadeVS 2023 Dodge Durango

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Palisade and Durango 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 Durango’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.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Palisade are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Durango doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Palisade Calligraphy has standard Parking Collision Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Durango doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

The Palisade’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Durango and is not available with SXT.

The Palisade (except SE/XRT) offers an optional Multi-view Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Palisade and Durango 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.

The Palisade’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Durango doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Palisade and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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 Dodge Durango:

	Palisade	Durango
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	19%	34%
Neck Stress	161 lbs.	236 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	94/151 lbs.	339/364 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Neck Stress	132 lbs.	156 lbs.
Neck Compression	43 lbs.	86 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Hyundai Palisade is safer than the Durango:

	Palisade	Durango
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	109	119
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	25 cm	26 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Femur Force R/L	1.2/1.4 kN	5.3/2.5 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	6%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.38/.35	1.53/.59
Tibia forces R/L	1.4/1.3 kN	1.9/1.4 kN

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 Dodge Durango:

	Palisade	Durango
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	46
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.1 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	189 lbs.	446 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Palisade its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Durango is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

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 Durango’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Dodge covers the Durango. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Durango ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Palisade for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Durango.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Palisade has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Durango.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Palisade has a 180-amp alternator. The Durango’s standard 160-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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 Palisade’s reliability 11 points higher than the Durango.

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 Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 8th.

Engine

As tested in Consumer Reports the Hyundai Palisade is faster than the Dodge Durango V6:

	Palisade	Durango
Zero to 30 MPH	2.6 sec	3.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.1 sec	8.3 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.2 sec	6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	87.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Palisade
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	19 city/25 hwy
Durango
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Palisade uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Durango with the 5.7 V8 engine requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Palisade stops much shorter than the Durango:

	Palisade	Durango
60 to 0 MPH	132 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	160 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Palisade has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Palisade flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Palisade is 3.3 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Durango.

The Palisade Limited AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the Durango GT pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Palisade Limited AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Durango GT 4x4 (28.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Palisade’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Durango’s (38.7 feet vs. 41 feet).

Chassis

The Hyundai Palisade may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 850 pounds less than the Dodge Durango.

The Palisade is 4.1 inches shorter than the Durango, making the Palisade easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Hyundai Palisade amounts to more than styling. The Palisade has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the Durango (.36) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Palisade get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Palisade Limited AWD is quieter than the Durango GT 4x4 (74 vs. 76 dB).

Passenger Space

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

The Palisade has 13.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Durango (155.3 vs. 141.4).

The Palisade has .8 inches more front headroom, 3.8 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom, 2.2 inches more rear hip room, 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.3 inches more third row hip room and 4.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the Durango.

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

The front step up height for the Palisade is 1.7 inches lower than the Durango (18” vs. 19.7”). The Palisade’s rear step up height is .2 inches lower than the Durango’s (19.5” vs. 19.7”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Palisade	Durango
Behind Third Seat	18 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	45.8 cubic feet	43.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	86.4 cubic feet	85.1 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Palisade easier. The Palisade’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.6 inches, while the Durango’s liftover is 31.4 inches.

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 Durango doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Palisade’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The Palisade Limited/Calligraphy has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Durango doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Palisade’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Durango’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Palisade Calligraphy’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 Durango’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Palisade’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Durango’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Palisade to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Durango doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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. Dodge doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Durango.

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 Durango doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Palisade Calligraphy has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Durango.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Durango doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Durango doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Palisade owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Palisade with a number “8” insurance rate while the Durango is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Palisade is less expensive to operate than the Durango because typical repairs cost less on the Palisade than the Durango, including $67 less for a starter and $148 less for front struts.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Palisade will be $2069 to $7949 less than for the Dodge Durango.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Palisade, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Dodge Durango isn't recommended.

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 Durango isn’t in the top three.

The Hyundai Palisade outsold the Dodge Durango by 49% during 2022.

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