2021 Honda CR-V vs 2021 Hyundai Palisade

Critically acclaimed and selling well, the 2021 Hyundai Palisade enters its sophomore year with more standard equipment, expanded infotainment capabilities, and a new luxury-themed trim level.

The 2021 Palisade lineup includes Essential, Preferred, Luxury, and the new Ultimate Calligraphy trim, with pricing ranging from an MSRP of $41,399 to $54,899 Canadian—not including a destination charge of $1,925. For this review, we evaluated a Palisade Ultimate Calligraphy, which is priced at the top end of that spectrum.

Even in a grim year, Honda is selling a staggering number of CR-Vs. The CR-V is the best-selling Honda in Canada, edging out the home-built Honda Civic. The CR-V is also the second best-selling compact SUV, just behind the Toyota RAV4. And it was the sixth best-selling vehicle in Canada in 2021.

So, it’s hard to argue against the CR-V formula. Honda’s been at this almost as long as crossovers have been a thing, launching the CR-V in 1997—a year after the RAV4 debuted.

The funny thing is, aside from sales volume, there’s only one thing the CR-V particularly excels at. Aesthetics are subjective, but it would be hard to argue the CR-V is the best-looking vehicle in its class. It’s not the cheapest. It’s not the best equipped, especially at the middle to lower trim levels. It’s not the fastest, nor is it the quietest, or the most fuel efficient. It’s not even the most reliable, showing up nowhere in J.D. Power's Most Reliable list.

So, what makes it so appealing to Canadian consumers? Let’s see if we can figure that out.