Compare the2024 Hyundai PalisadeVS 2023 Lexus GX

Both the Palisade and GX 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 GX’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.

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 GX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Palisade and GX 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 GX’s Rear Cross-Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Palisade uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The GX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

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

The Hyundai Palisade achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The GX has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the GX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the GX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Palisade’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the GX’s (7 vs. 6 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Palisade for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the GX (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

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

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Palisade’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the GX’s camshafts. If the GX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Palisade has a standard 180-amp alternator. The GX’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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 Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Palisade is faster than the Lexus GX:

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Palisade’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip with its optional disable switch. The GX doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Palisade higher (6 out of 10) than the Lexus GX (3). This means the Palisade produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GX every 15,000 miles.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Hyundai Palisade, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the GX.

The Palisade stops shorter than the GX:

The Palisade’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GX’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Palisade offers optional 20-inch wheels. The GX’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Palisade has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus GX has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Palisade’s wheelbase is 4.4 inches longer than on the GX (114.2 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Palisade is 4.8 inches wider in the front and 5.2 inches wider in the rear than on the GX.

The Palisade Limited HTRAC handles at .81 G’s, while the GX pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Palisade Calligraphy HTRAC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the GX (27 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Palisade’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the GX’s (38.7 feet vs. 41.1 feet).

The Hyundai Palisade may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 950 pounds less than the Lexus GX.

Unibody construction lowers the Palisade’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The GX doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

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 GX (.35) 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 at idle, the interior of the Palisade Limited HTRAC is quieter than the GX (38 vs. 43 dB).

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

The Palisade has 25.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the GX (155.3 vs. 129.7).

The Palisade has 2.7 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front hip room, 5.8 inches more front shoulder room, 8.3 inches more rear legroom, 2.5 inches more rear hip room, 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.6 inches more third row headroom, 2.1 inches more third row legroom, .6 inches more third row hip room and .7 inches more third row shoulder room than the GX.

The front step up height for the Palisade is 3.7 inches lower than the GX (18” vs. 21.7”). The Palisade’s rear step up height is 2.5 inches lower than the GX’s (19.5” vs. 22”).

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

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 GX’s liftover is 34.4 inches.

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

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Palisade’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The GX doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The Palisade’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The GX’s swing out door blocks loading from the passenger’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy’s power cargo door can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Palisade’s power cargo door can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The GX doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening cargo door.

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 GX 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 GX’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Palisade’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The GX’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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

The Palisade’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The GX’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

The Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy has standard heated front seats and second and third row heated seats also available, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Lexus doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the GX.

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 GX 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 GX.

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 GX 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 GX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Palisade is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GX 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 GX 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 GX because typical repairs cost much less on the Palisade than the GX, including $46 less for a muffler, $376 less for a starter, $40 less for fuel injection, $15 less for a fuel pump and $281 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Palisade will be $14369 to $19006 less than for the Lexus GX.

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

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 GX isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Hyundai Palisade outsold the Lexus GX by almost three to one during 2023.