Compare the2024 Cadillac EscaladeVS 2024 Hyundai Palisade

The Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport’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.

The Escalade has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Palisade doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

An active infrared night vision system optional on the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Palisade doesn’t offer a night vision system.

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

The Cadillac Escalade weighs 1129 to 1844 pounds more than the Hyundai Palisade. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Cadillac Escalade is safer than the Hyundai Palisade:

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

The Escalade has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Palisade doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Escalade has a standard 220-amp alternator (250-amp - Escalade Diesel). The Palisade’s 180-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Escalade first among large premium suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Palisade isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated lower.

The Escalade’s 6.2 V8 produces 129 more horsepower (420 vs. 291) and 198 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

The Escalade’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 198 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cadillac Escalade is faster than the Hyundai Palisade:

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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Escalade V8’s fuel efficiency. The Palisade doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

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

The Escalade has 5.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Palisade (24 vs. 18.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Escalade has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Palisade doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is available on the Cadillac Escalade, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Palisade.

For better stopping power the Escalade’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Palisade:

The Escalade’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 Escalade stops shorter than the Palisade:

For better traction, the Escalade has larger tires than the Palisade (275/50R22 vs. 245/60R18).

The Escalade’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Palisade’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Escalade has standard 22-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Palisade. The Palisade’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Cadillac Escalade’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 Escalade has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Palisade doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Escalade 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 Escalade 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Escalade’s wheelbase is 6.7 inches longer than on the Palisade (120.9 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Escalade is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .5 inches wider in the rear than on the Palisade.

The Escalade’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.1% to 49.9%) than the Palisade’s (56% to 44%). This gives the Escalade more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Escalade has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Palisade (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Escalade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Escalade Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 2.1 inches higher than on the Palisade (10 vs. 7.9 inches).

The front grille of the Escalade (except Diesel) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Palisade doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD is quieter than the Palisade Limited HTRAC (66 vs. 69 dB).

The Escalade has 13.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Palisade (168.4 vs. 155.3).

The Escalade has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, 3.6 inches more front hip room, 4.3 inches more front shoulder room, 3.5 inches more rear hip room, 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room, .4 inches more third row headroom, 3.5 inches more third row legroom, 5.7 inches more third row hip room and 7.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Palisade.

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

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

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Escalade. The Palisade doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Escalade’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Palisade’s (8000 vs. 5000 pounds).

The Escalade 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Escalade can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Palisade can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The engine in the Escalade 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 Cadillac service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 49% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 29th.

The Escalade’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 Escalade’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Palisade does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Escalade’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 Escalade the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Palisade can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Escalade’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Palisade SE/SEL/XRT’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport 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 Escalade has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Palisade.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Cadillac Escalade has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy offers wireless charging.

Insurance will cost less for the Escalade owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Escalade with a number “5” insurance rate while the Palisade is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Escalade is less expensive to operate than the Palisade because typical repairs cost less on the Escalade than the Palisade, including $104 less for a water pump, $37 less for front brake pads, $104 less for a starter and $24 less for fuel injection.