Used 2020 Hyundai Palisade

#2 in Best Midsize SUVs for 2020

The all-new 2020 Hyundai Palisade is a midsize 3-row SUV offered in 7- and 8-passenger configurations. Sharing its structure, engine, and most features with its corporate sibling, the Kia Telluride, the 2020 Palisade nonetheless possesses a distinct persona, due in large part to its unmistakable styling inside and out.

Pitched against heavyweights like the Honda Pilot and VW Atlas plus all-new renditions of the Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander, the 2020 Palisade is a surprisingly capable adversary. We say “surprising” because the Palisade is Hyundai’s first true foray into the midsize 3-row-SUV category. With a welcoming interior, pleasing road manners, robust feature list, and competitive pricing, the 2020 Hyundai Palisade deserves serious consideration by SUV shoppers.

Do you remember your Mac-owning friends proclaiming their computers “just worked”? That’s kind of what it’s like to drive the 2020 Palisade. Take the 3.8-liter V6. It delivers competitive, if not stellar, thrust, but it operates with commendable refinement. Predictable responses from the accelerator blend with smooth and timely shifts from the 8-speed automatic transmission to inspire confidence.

A similar feel is expressed through the suspension, which mellows road harshness without sapping the Palisade’s cornering competence. No one buys an 8-passenger SUV for spirited blasts over winding mountain passes but weary parents facing sweeping onramps will enjoy reassuring stability and a direct feedback through the steering wheel. Given Hyundai’s disconnected-steering feel in years past, we view the Palisade as a major step in the right direction.

On the freeway, cabin noise is modest while outward visibility is mostly unimpeded, aside from an outboard 2nd-row headrest that blocks much of the rear-quarter window during right-hand lane changes. Set your mirrors appropriately and you’ll manage just fine.

RELATED: Best Midsize SUVs for 2020

The 2020 Palisade’s interior boasts quality materials and a premium aesthetic, especially when adorned with Nappa Leather in the Limited trim. Above all, the cabin is functional, offering numerous storage nooks including an area below the center console made possible by the Palisades’ compact electronic drive selector.

Passenger space is abundant, even in the third row, where an average adult male can sit in reasonable comfort. Helping apportion passenger space are highly adjustable sliding and reclining 2nd-row seats, offered as a bench or captain’s chairs. Unlike many SUVs, the Palisade provides a generous 18 cubic feet of storage behind the third row.

All Palisades feature vivid LED running lights that paint an imposing face in the rearview mirrors of drivers ahead. That said, actual LED headlights are not available on the base SE trim. Speaking of the SE, it and the mid-level SEL trim ride on 18-inch wheels while the Limited trim rolls on 20’s.

Regardless of which version you choose, your 2020 Palisade will come accented with chrome trim, deemed by Hyundai to be an essential element in the SUV’s design. Fun fact: The “misaligned” chrome trim that highlights the C-pillar is meant to evoke the imagery of strong, interlocking components.

STANDARD ONE-TOUCH SLIDING SECOND ROW
Hefty 2nd-row seat levers can confound passengers boarding the third row, which is why we love the Palisade’s solution. With two simple 2nd-row release buttons, boarding or departing the third row is so easy…well…even a child can do it.

POWER-OPERATED THIRD ROW
Sure, you could lower your SUV’s 3rd-row seats manually but wouldn’t it be easier if the car did that for you? That’s what Hyundai thought. And so, a power, reclining third row is offered on the 2020 Palisade but not on the Kia Telluride. Something to note if you’re wavering between the two.

Even in its most basic form, the Hyundai Palisade comes well-equipped. Among its standard delights are automatic headlights, one-touch sliding 2nd-row seats, keyless access with push-button start, an 8-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and smart cruise control with stop-and-go abilities.

Filling out the “basic” safety roster are lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and seven airbags including a driver’s-knee airbag. Another standard perk of buying a Palisade is Hyundai’s reassuring 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Live lavishly and the 2020 Hyundai Palisade Limited trim indulges with heated front- and 2nd-row seats, Nappa leather, power-folding 3rd-row seats, an 8-way-power driver’s seat, full LED headlights and taillights, a hands-free power liftgate, and Driver Talk, an intercom system that amplifies the driver’s voice to rear-seat passengers.

The Palisade Limited trim also boasts audio/visual panache via a large 10.25-inch touch screen, a 12-speaker, 630-watt Harman Kardon audio system, and a vivid 12.3-inch instrument cluster.

All versions of the Hyundai Palisade are propelled by a 3.8-liter V6 matched to a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission. For normal commuting there’s plenty of power but with a full load of passengers or when towing the Palisade’s 5,000-pound maximum some drivers may wish for more V6 oomph.

For customizing the drive experience in both front-wheel (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD), the Palisade offers several modes including ECO, Comfort, Sport, Smart that automatically selects a mode based on driver behavior, and, for vehicles equipped with AWD, Snow Mode.

Speaking of, the 2020 Palisade’s HTRAC all-wheel-drive system uses an electronic clutch to send up to 50 percent of available power to the rear tires. For slippery conditions, HTRAC offers a 50/50 lock mode that helpfully apportions torque evenly between the front and rear tires.

3.8-liter V6
291 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
262 lb-ft of torque @ 5,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/26 mpg (FWD), 19/24 mpg (AWD)