Compare the2026 Hyundai PalisadeVS 2025 Acura MDX

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Palisade are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Acura MDX doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Both the Palisade and MDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Palisade has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The MDX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Palisade has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The MDX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Palisade’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Palisade and MDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Palisade has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The MDX’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Palisade and the MDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Palisade comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The MDX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Acura covers the MDX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the MDX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Palisade’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the MDX’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Palisade for 2 years and 24,000 miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the MDX (3/36,000 vs. 1/12000).

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Palisade’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is ranked 15th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 27 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Acura.

The Palisade’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 39 more horsepower (329 vs. 290) and 72 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 267) than the MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Palisade 3.5 DOHC V6 HTRAC gets better fuel mileage than the MDX Type S 3.0 turbo V6 (18 city/24 hwy vs. 17 city/21 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Palisade uses regular unleaded gasoline. The MDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Palisade higher (6 out of 10) than the Acura MDX (4). This means the Palisade produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the MDX every 15,000 miles.

The Palisade’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The MDX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Palisade’s wheelbase is 3.1 inches longer than on the MDX (116.9 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Palisade XRT PRO’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the MDX’s (39 feet vs. 40.5 feet). The Palisade’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the MDX’s (39.2 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Palisade has a greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (7.4 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Palisade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Palisade uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The MDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Palisade offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the MDX can only carry 7.

The Palisade has 22.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MDX (161.9 vs. 139.1).

The Palisade has 3 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, 2.6 inches more rear headroom, 4.5 inches more rear legroom, .7 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.6 inches more third row headroom, 3 inches more third row legroom, 4.7 inches more third row hip room and .4 inches more third row shoulder room than the MDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Palisade’s middle and third row seats recline. The MDX’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Palisade’s cargo area provides more volume than the MDX.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Palisade’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Palisade Limited/Calligraphy’s third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Palisade’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

The power windows standard on both the Palisade and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Palisade is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The MDX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy/Hybrid has standard heated front seats and second and third row heated seats also avaiable, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Acura doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the MDX.

The Palisade SEL Premium/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy/Hybrid has standard front air conditioned seats and the Palisade SEL Premium/Limited/Calligraphy/Hybrid also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The MDX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Palisade Calligraphy’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Hyundai Palisade outsold the Acura MDX by over two to one during 2024.