Compare the2024 Hyundai PalisadeVS 2023 Mercedes GLS

Both the Palisade and GLS 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 GLS’ 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 GLS 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 GLS doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

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 GLS.

Both the Palisade and the GLS 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 GLS has not been tested, yet.

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 GLS’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLS. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the GLS ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Palisade’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the GLS’ (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, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLS.

There are over 2 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Palisade’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 Palisade’s reliability 24 points higher than the GLS.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

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 Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 47 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 11 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Palisade uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLS requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Palisade stops shorter than the GLS:

For better maneuverability, the Palisade’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the GLS’ (38.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Hyundai Palisade may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1300 to 1600 pounds less than the Mercedes GLS.

The Palisade is 8.2 inches shorter than the GLS 450, making the Palisade easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Palisade has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 3.8 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear legroom, 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room and 4.9 inches more third row shoulder room than the GLS.

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

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

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 GLS’ liftover is 31.8 inches.

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

A Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Palisade, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the GLS.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Palisade has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLS only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Palisade’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the GLS’ headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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 GLS’ automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The Palisade is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GLS doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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 GLS 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 GLS because typical repairs cost much less on the Palisade than the GLS, including $314 less for a water pump, $87 less for a muffler, $63 less for front brake pads, $294 less for a starter, $190 less for fuel injection, $207 less for front struts and $32 less for a power steering pump.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Palisade second among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The GLS was rated third in its category.

The Hyundai Palisade outsold the Mercedes GLS by almost four to one during 2022.