politique

I drove the Hyundai Palisade and Subaru Ascent — here’s which SUV I’d buy for my family

September 12, 20240
A 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy and a 2024 Subaru Ascent Touring.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The base 2024 Subaru Ascent starts at $34,195, while the Hyundai Palisade SE starts at starts at $36,650.

Despite starting at a lower price, the Ascent comes standards with Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system while all-wheel-drive is a $2,000 option on the Hyundai.

As a result, you’ll need to pay at least $38,650 for an all-wheel-drive Palisade or roughly $4,500 more than the comparable Ascent.

At the other end of the spectrum, the top-spec Ascent Touring starts at $48,495. With fees, my test car clad in Dark Mahogany Pearl paint carried an as-tested price of $49,931.

The Palisade lineup features six trim levels topping out at $53,850.

My fully loaded Palisade test car starts came with a very similar as-tested price of $53,650.

Which one looks better?
The Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The Ascent and the Palisade have virtually identical external dimensions.

The Ascent is 0.1 inches longer and 2.7 inches taller than the Palisade, which is about two inches wider than the Ascent.

However, the Ascent’s longer hood means the Palisade actually has a roomier cabin with 155.3 cubic feet of interior passenger volume versus 150.2 cubic feet for the Subaru.

How much ground clearance do they have?
The Hyundai Palisade’s V6 (top) and the Subaru Ascent’s turbocharged boxer four-cylinder.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Subaru and Hyundai approached propulsion very differently.

Power for the Ascent comes from Subaru’s F24F 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine. It produces a strong 260 horsepower and 277 ft. lbs. of torque and is mated to Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The only engine available on the Palisade is Hyundai’s 3.8-liter, naturally aspirated Lambda II V6 engine. The 3.8-liter V6, shared with the Kia Telluride, produces 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Both test cars delivered identical EPA fuel economy figures of 21mpg in combined highway and city driving.

How do they drive?
The Palisade’s (Top) and Ascent’s front dash.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Subaru and Hyundai did great work with the Ascent and Palisade cabins.

Both cabins are thoughtfully designed with excellent ergonomics and a great mix of useful storage.

Even though the Ascent’s interior is solidly constructed with high-quality materials, the Palisade’s cabin exuded a level of luxury the Subaru couldn’t reach.

The Palisade stands out for its quiet, isolating ride, design features like the airplane seat-style wing-out headrests, and creature comforts like the massaging ergo-motion driver seat.

Simply put, the Ascent Touring feels like a mainstream family SUV with upgrades like Nappa leather seats and woodgrain accents. On the other hand, the Palisade Calligraphy feels like a luxury SUV room for the whole family.

Which SUV has more room for passengers?
The Palisade’s 12.3-inch touchscreen (Top) and the Ascent’s 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Both the Ascent and Palisade have upgraded infotainment screens that come standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Palisade’s 12.3-inch touchscreen screen runs Hyundai’s corporate infotainment system, while the Ascent’s 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen runs an updated version of Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system.

Both systems worked well and were easy to navigate. However, Palisade felt better sorted than Ascent’s system and didn’t lag when using Apple CarPlay.

How much cargo can they haul?
The Hyundai Palisade’s turn signals

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Of the two, I’d choose the Hyundai Palisade.

That’s high praise, considering I own a 2022 Subaru Ascent Touring.

The Ascent is an excellent family SUV with a smartly designed cabin made with high-quality materials. It is also a great deal for consumers, with a lower starting price and standard all-wheel drive.

Even fully equipped, the Ascent is about $4,000 cheaper than the comparable Palisade.

The Hyundai Palisade is just better.

I was simply blown away by its stylish design, refined cabin, superior cargo capacity, smooth V6 engine, and advanced tech content.

The Palisade is truly a luxury SUV with a mass-market badge. I wouldn’t be offended if Hyundai hiked the price up by $10,000 and slapped a premium Genesis badge on it.

And for that, I’m prepared to weather the anger of my fellow Subaru owners and declare the Hyundai Palisade the winner.