#HyundaiPalisade #ToyotaHighlander #Hybrid

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Let’s talk behind the wheel feel: and for that we need to keep in mind what this is

The Highlander hybrid spits out 243 hp from its 2.5 4 cylinder and 2 electric motors

This may not sound like a lot of power, but the instant electric torque makes this puchier than you’d think

The driving position is fairly low, but visibility is great

The steering isn’t sports car and neither is the dynamics, but its comfortable and responsive

The best thing during my week with this was the AWD confidence I got on snowy roads.

Clever system sends power to the front until the computer thinks the rear needs traction - works really well and saves on fuel

While the highlander focuses on comfort and efficiency, the palisade gives you a little more fizz….

And that is a result of the more powerful 3.8L n/a v6 making 291 hp - almost 50 more

You may be thinking, more power, bigger engine means less efficient - and you’d be right. The palisade gets 26 mpg - which is a full 10 mpg less - and that’s on the highway

Thw 3.8 does run on an atkinson cycle so it does make n attempt to be efficient, but where this Palisade shines, funny enough is in the corners.

I went to Idaho and took this carving some mountain roads when it launched and i was blown away by how neutral it was in a turn

The body just rotates around and then power down and you’re off! It’s honestly fantastic to drive and makes you forget about the size for a minute

So the palisade does fuel economy worse, comfort about the same if not a little better, and driving fun towering above the Highlander….but that’s not the most important thing on vehicles like these…

The most important thing is what’s going on inside the cabin andin the Highlander here we have the Limited trim

That gussys up the cabin with this lovely two tone coloring, contrast stitching, leather wrapped everything, charger everywhere and a plethora of other amenities.

Now Toyota has never lead the pack in terms of tech, but you still get a big screen, the processors are quick enough, and lets be honest, you’re just going to use ACP or AA anyway.

Fun little gimmick in both thse SUVs is they have a PA system so people all the way in the back can hear you clearly

The toyota is quite nice, but the Palisade we have is the Caligraphy trim and is about as fancy as you can get

The interior on the Paliade seems a little more formal - quilting on the leather, real wood inserts, and excellent craftsmanship.

You could probably fool a normal person into thinking they’re in a mercedes with this interior.

The build is better, the materials are better, and the tech is better in the Hyundai

Hyundai/Kia delivers one of the best driver assist packages in the game second possibly only to Tesla.

The front cabin in the Highlander was nice, but it doesnt keep up with the Pali

Ok, but this is a family SUV and you’ll sometimes need to put...yanno...kids in it

The Highlander is quite spacious. Even at the front the dash is short and makes the cabin feel open.

The second row is adequate. Roomy enough for kids certainly, but with the second row pushed back for adults makes the third row very cramped indeed.

Sure you get charging ports and another zone in the climate control, but this issue is that while most vehicles are getting bigger with each generation the Highlander shrunk a little from it’s last go round.

So it’s comfy and it works, but It leaves the door open a little for the Palisade

And the palisade capitolizes here

There’s similar amenities, but there’s a little more room in the second row, especially with captains chairs and there is a shocking amount of space in the third row

Not only that, but this extremely high grade materials and design don’t stop at the front - rear passengers feel like royalty too

Last thing to talk about would be exterior styling and for some this can make or break the consideration of a vehicle….

The Highlander, in outgoing form was more aggressive looking. It was more angular and sporty you could say.

This appeals to me, but for the 4th gen it’s a little softer, more rounded, and friendlier

Now this being the limited trim, you get special wheels and accenting and I do really like the deep red paint

Now I think the palisade takes a little more risks in the design
I like the waterfall running lights and on the calligraphy you get the little accent light
Most importantly though are the wheels - wheels can make or break a vehicle for me
For me, the exterior design of the Pali was always its weak point, but with this calligraphy and the wheels it gets here I like it a lot more

Now let’s jump outside for final thoughts.