Here's the one tip I give families weighing a Hyundai Palisade against a Honda Pilot: bring your actual car seats, booster and stroller to the test drive and install them yourself. Ten minutes in the lot will tell you more about third-row access and cargo room than any brochure. At Riverhead Hyundai in Riverhead, we see plenty of local families cross-shopping these two, so here's how they stack up, point by point.
Price and Value
What you get for the money
The Palisade has built its name on putting more standard equipment into each trim than families expect. Line the two SUVs up by features rather than by trim name, and you'll often find the Palisade includes more at a similar step in the lineup. Add the hybrid choice, the longer warranty and the complimentary maintenance, and the value picture tilts clearly toward the Hyundai.
Our finance team has helped thousands of customers find lease and loan options. They can walk you through financing and lease choices on a new or certified pre-owned Palisade. Terms and approval depend on your credit and the lenders, so we'll lay out what's realistic for you plainly.
Side by side
| Feature | Hyundai Palisade | Honda Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Seating | Captain's chairs or bench, relaxation seats on top trims | Up to eight, removable second-row middle seat on some trims |
| Driver assistance | SmartSense standard, Safe Exit Assist, available Blind-Spot View Monitor | Honda Sensing standard |
| All-wheel drive | HTRAC available | Available |
| Rugged trim | XRT | TrailSport |
| Hybrid | Available | Not offered |
| Warranty | Longer basic and powertrain coverage, plus complimentary maintenance | Shorter basic and powertrain coverage |
Interior and Cargo Space
Hyundai Palisade
Most families start leaning our way once they sit inside the Palisade. You can choose second-row captain's chairs or a bench, and the materials feel a step above what you'd expect at the price. Upper trims add second-row relaxation seats and a power-folding third row, so switching from carpool duty to a big grocery haul takes a button press instead of a wrestling match.
Getting into the third row is easy enough for kids to manage on their own. Adults fit back there fine for a ride out to the North Fork wineries, too. Behind that last row there's still useful room for a stroller or a week of groceries, and it opens up fast when you fold the seats.
Honda Pilot
Honda's Pilot is also a genuine three-row SUV with seating for up to eight. Its clever trick is a removable second-row middle seat on some trims, which you store under the cargo floor to turn the bench into captain's chairs. That's a smart idea, though you're lifting and stowing a seat by hand. With the Palisade you simply pick the layout you want from day one and enjoy the richer cabin every time you climb in.
Both will carry your crew comfortably. What usually settles it is how the space feels once your own gear is inside, which is exactly why that car-seat test matters.
Safety and Tech Features
Hyundai Palisade
Hyundai builds its SmartSense driver-assistance suite into the Palisade as standard. That covers forward collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist and lane-keeping help. Parents especially like Safe Exit Assist, which can hold a rear door locked when a car or cyclist is coming up alongside. That's a real help when you're parallel parked downtown with kids bouncing out the back.
On the tech side, available Highway Driving Assist helps with steering and spacing on long stretches of the Long Island Expressway. Signal a lane change and the available Blind-Spot View Monitor puts a live camera image of that side right in your gauge cluster. A rear occupant alert reminds you to check the back seat before you lock up and walk away, and Digital Key lets your phone stand in for the fob on many trims.
Honda Pilot
Honda Sensing comes standard on the Pilot, with collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise and lane-keeping assistance. It's a solid foundation. Where the Palisade pulls ahead is in the extras families notice day to day: the camera view of your blind spot and the Safe Exit Assist door lock.
Drive both through Route 58 traffic on a busy afternoon. The way the Palisade's systems handle stop-and-go and lane changes tends to make the case on its own.
Towing and Capability
Hyundai Palisade
Plenty of Riverhead families tow something: a small boat down to the Peconic, a pair of jet skis, a pop-up camper for a weekend upstate. The Palisade handles that kind of light-to-moderate towing comfortably. Available HTRAC all-wheel drive helps on wet boat ramps, sandy beach lots and snowy winter mornings.
If you like a tougher look, the XRT trims add rugged styling without giving up the smooth, quiet ride you'll appreciate on Sound Avenue. Tow ratings can shift with trim and drivetrain, so check the window sticker on the exact Palisade you're considering before you hitch up.
Honda Pilot
The Pilot tows the same kinds of trailers and also offers all-wheel drive. Its TrailSport trim is the real difference, with all-terrain tires and underbody protection aimed at rough trails. That's a fair point in its favor. Still, most of our customers spend their miles on pavement, gravel driveways and the occasional beach parking lot, and there the Palisade's XRT and HTRAC cover the need while keeping a more refined ride the rest of the week.
If you tow regularly, bring your trailer details when you come in. We'll go over the hitch setup and the right Palisade trim for your boat or camper.
Hybrid Option
Hyundai Palisade
Here's the clearest split between these two. The newest Palisade is available with a hybrid powertrain, which gives you a three-row SUV that leans on electric assist around town. You'll notice it most in the driving Riverhead families do all the time: the crawl along Route 58 on a summer Saturday, school drop-offs, short hops to practice and back.
Electric help at low speeds also makes the cabin calmer, which is nice when someone finally falls asleep in the third row. A conventional gas engine is still offered if that suits you better, so the hybrid is a choice, not a requirement.
Honda Pilot
Honda offers the Pilot with a V6 gas engine only. It's a smooth engine, but there's no hybrid version to pick, so families hoping to cut fill-ups and quiet down the daily routine don't have that path with the Pilot.
Think about how much of your summer goes to traffic heading east toward the Hamptons and Montauk. If the answer is a lot, the Palisade Hybrid will change how often you stop for gas and how relaxed you feel when you finally get there. We're happy to set one aside so you can try it on your own roads.
Warranty Coverage
Hyundai Palisade
Warranty is one of the biggest reasons families end up in a Palisade. Hyundai's coverage runs longer than Honda's on the basic new-vehicle warranty and especially on the powertrain. The longest part of that powertrain coverage applies to the original owner, so it's worth knowing if you're buying new and plan to keep the SUV while the kids grow up.
Hyundai also includes complimentary scheduled maintenance for the early years, covering routine items like oil changes and tire rotations. When you do come in, our technicians use certified genuine Hyundai parts. Online service scheduling and parts ordering let you handle it from your kitchen table, and booking service online takes a couple of minutes.
Honda Pilot
The Pilot carries Honda's standard new-vehicle and powertrain warranties, which are shorter on both counts. It also doesn't include a comparable complimentary maintenance program as standard, so routine service costs land on you sooner.
Longer coverage and included maintenance mean fewer surprise bills as the miles pile up on school runs and summer trips. That's a big part of why Palisade ownership stays predictable year after year, and why families who come in for service with us tend to come back when it's time for their next car.
Riverhead, NY
- The Palisade gives you more standard comfort and driver-assistance tech, plus a hybrid choice the Pilot can't match.
- Hyundai's longer warranty and complimentary scheduled maintenance keep Palisade ownership costs predictable.
- Test the third row with your own car seats. The Palisade's cabin tends to win families over in person.
FAQ Common questionsIs the Hyundai Palisade roomier inside than the Honda Pilot?Both are full three-row SUVs, but the Palisade gives you a choice of captain's chairs or a bench from the start, plus a power-folding third row and relaxation seats on upper trims. Most families find its cabin feels more comfortable and upscale. Try your own car seats in a Palisade to see how it fits your crew. Does the Honda Pilot come as a hybrid?No. The Pilot is offered with a V6 gas engine only. The newest Hyundai Palisade is available as a hybrid, which helps most in stop-and-go driving like summer traffic on Route 58 and school drop-offs. Which has the better warranty, the Palisade or the Pilot?The Palisade. Hyundai's basic and powertrain coverage both run longer than Honda's, and Hyundai includes complimentary scheduled maintenance for the early years. That makes Palisade ownership costs more predictable. |
Want to see it in person? Come by for a test drive, or browse what is on the lot right now. Or call (631) 369-0600 · 1800 Old Country Rd, Riverhead |