2024 Acura MDX vs 2023 Hyundai Palisade

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, as Hyundai’s largest SUV, had a commanding presence on the road, further enhanced by its 2023 styling update. The new front fascia, with its bold strokes and squared-off grille, gave the Palisade a stronger and more assertive look. Standard LED accents, daytime running lights, and headlights added to its modern appeal, while the Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured premium rear accent lighting and a unique grille. The Palisade's 20-inch alloy wheels, standard across the lineup in Canada, contributed to its premium feel, especially in the Ultimate Calligraphy trim with its new multi-spoke design. The interior of the Ultimate Calligraphy model was stylish and bright, thanks to the dual-pane sunroof, and featured premium Nappa leather seats. The Palisade offered a range of seating configurations, with second-row captain’s chairs standard on the Ultimate Calligraphy, providing comfort and flexibility for up to eight passengers.

The 2024 Acura MDX had a refined and modern exterior, characterized by its large shield grille, rakish headlights, and sleek lower bumper design. Inside, the MDX was high-tech but busy, with a centre console filled with controls that could be overwhelming. The MDX was available in several trims, including the A-Spec and Platinum Elite, with the Type S Ultra offering top-tier features. Standard features included tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic moonroof, and heated seats. The Type S Ultra trim added luxurious touches like massaging front seats and a 25-speaker ELS sound system. The MDX's interior was comfortable, with supportive seating in the first two rows, although the third row was best suited for children. The MDX offered ample cargo space, with a maximum of 2,690 litres available when the second and third rows were folded.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was powered by a 3.8-litre V6 engine, delivering 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This made it competitive within its class, offering more power than the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Atlas, and slightly more than the Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder. The Palisade featured an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and standard all-wheel drive in Canada. Its HTRAC all-wheel drive system performed well in off-road conditions, although the Palisade was not designed for rock-crawling. It offered a comfortable ride and a towing capacity of up to 2,268 kilograms, with a dedicated Tow Mode for optimized shifting. Fuel economy was rated at 12.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 9.5 on the highway, and 11.2 combined.

The 2024 Acura MDX came with a standard 3.5-litre V6 engine, producing 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. The Type S Ultra trim featured a twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine, delivering 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. Power was managed by a 10-speed automatic transmission and Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive System, standard in Canada. The Type S Ultra offered strong acceleration and a comfortable ride, with Brembo performance brakes and an adaptive air suspension. The MDX's Integrated Dynamics System included multiple drive modes, such as Sport, Comfort, and Snow, with a Lift mode for added ground clearance. The MDX had a towing capacity of 2,268 kilograms and was praised for its refined and comfortable highway performance.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade offered spacious seating for seven or eight passengers, with generous legroom in all three rows. The front row provided 1,052 millimetres of legroom, the second row 1,077 millimetres, and the third row 798 millimetres, surpassing the Toyota Highlander. Passenger volume totalled 4,397 litres, and the Palisade featured a standard one-touch seat slide for easy access to the third row. Cargo space was ample, with 509 litres behind the third row, 1,297 litres behind the second row, and 2,447 litres with all but the front-row seats folded. The Palisade included HVAC vents in all rows and a hands-free smart liftgate on all but the base trim.

The 2024 Acura MDX also featured three rows of seating, with comfortable and supportive seats in the first two rows. The third row was smaller and best suited for children. Cargo space was generous, with a maximum of 512 litres behind the rear seats, expanding to 1,367 litres with the rear seats folded, and 2,690 litres with both the second and third rows down. The MDX included a hands-free power liftgate and additional storage under the cargo floor. The centre console offered ample storage, although the centre stack of controls was cluttered and unintuitive, with a touchpad for the infotainment system that was difficult to use.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade featured a 12.3-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, and Bluetooth connectivity. A premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was standard on higher trims, and the Palisade offered multiple USB ports and a wireless charger. The digital instrument cluster was available in Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy models, along with an in-car intercom and a colour head-up display. Hyundai’s Bluelink connected vehicle system was standard, allowing remote access to vehicle information and features.

The 2024 Acura MDX's infotainment system was its weak point, with a 12.3-inch display controlled by a touchpad that was unintuitive. However, the MDX offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The MDX included multiple USB ports, a digital instrument panel, and wireless charging. Despite the clumsy infotainment interface, the MDX had thoughtful details like a leather handrest for the touchpad and cleverly placed charging ports.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and came with Hyundai’s Smart Sense suite of safety features. These included forward collision avoidance, driver attention warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance were standard, along with Highway Driving Assist I and II on higher trims. The Palisade also featured a full-display digital rearview mirror and a rear seat occupant alert system.

The 2024 Acura MDX was equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance and safety features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control. The MDX had not been tested by the NHTSA or IIHS for 2024, but the 2022 model received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS. Despite its strong safety scores, the MDX's infotainment system was a distraction, requiring drivers to look away from the road to operate the touchpad.