2026 Honda Pilot Vs. 2026 Hyundai Palisade: Similar in Size With Different Vibes
The 2026 Honda Pilot and 2026 Hyundai Palisade have a lot of similarities to consider with different vibes for those who want extra space or have more passengers in tow.
Ahoy, parents! There are two hot three-row SUVs to consider, featuring fresh redesigns and updated amenities. The 2026 Hyundai Palisade and the 2026 Honda Pilot both offer a flexible third row, suitable for expanding passenger needs.
I know that Honda girlies can be difficult to sway. Your Honda CR-V or Civic was a budget-friendly option that you could depend on. Now you want to provide a safe, reliable, and affordable mode of transportation for your kids and pets. Or maybe you just want more space. If I tried to convince them to consider a Hyundai, I bet I’d get mixed reactions.
However, Hyundai isn’t the same company that it used to be 20 years ago. It has made substantial quality and reliability improvements, especially to the Palisade. Both the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Palisade are companies that are often awarded for being great family SUVs. The Palisade is the recipient of multiple awards for 2025, actually.
Lucky for you, I’ve driven the Palisade around Miami, Florida, and the Pilot around Asheville, NC. Those are pretty diverse regions with few things in common: TRAFFIC and HUMIDITY. But it allowed me a good chunk of time with both.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Both the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Palisade Are Great Bangs for Your Buck, With Plenty of Options
Let’s get started by seeing how far these SUVs stretch your dollar. Both SUVs offer a wide range of trims to choose from, with all-wheel drive being optional in most trims and standard in others. Honda and Hyundai both offer off-road-focused trims, too, for the more adventurous families. Their price ranges are eerily similar, too.
Trims and pricing for the 2026 Honda Pilot are as follows:
- Pilot Sport (Base level, FWD): $42,195
- EX-L: $44,495
- TrailSport (Off-Road trim): $50,395
- Touring: $51,095
- Touring Blackout: $52,295
- Elite: $53,495
- Black Edition: $54,995
For the sake of comparison, here’s the pricing structure for the Hyundai Palisade:
- SE (Base model, FWD, AWD optional): $39,435
- SEL: $41,940
- SEL Convenience: $43,370
- SEL Premium: $45,300
- XRT Pro (Off-Road trim): $49,870
- Limited: $49,770
- Calligraphy: $54,560
The Hyundai, though, is the only one of the two that offers a hybrid version—and we love it. The hybridized model can get close to $60,000 depending on whether or not you choose all-wheel drive. The Pilot doesn’t have a hybrid version, at least not yet.
Both Come With Excellent Convenience and Safety Features—But the Hyundai Felt More Premium
The Pilot does include oodles of standard features, though, as part of Honda’s mission to incorporate more standard features, even at the base level. The Elite trim I drove came with keyless entry, a power liftgate, tri-zone climate control, remote start, and other goodies. Standard safety features include forward collision warning, lane driving assistance, driver attention warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning, and Honda’s post collision braking system.
The Palisade also flaunts tons of standard goodies like a 12.3-inch touchscreen, remote start, a cabin intercom, keyless entry, and integrated navigation. I will admit the Palisade has a more luxurious feeling with premium Nappa leather upholstery, relaxation seats that recline pretty darn far for napping, customizable ambient interior lighting, and a premium Bose Audio system.
But the Pilot doesn’t fall far behind. It has more of a utilitarian feel for getting things done and standing up to dirt, mud, and messes. The Pilot has upscale leather upholstery, a massive panoramic sunroof, and a bench seat with a stow and fold middle seat. The Palisade just sprinkles in a few extra available goodies like ventilated second row seats, to make passengers feel more comfortable.
I Enjoyed Driving Both, Though the Hyundai Felt Better Equipped for City Driving
I haven’t had the chance to test the Palisade’s new hybrid system, but I got to know the Palisade’s standard V6 engine with 287 hp quite well. It’s not short on power, but always give yourself a few extra seconds to merge if it’s full of gear and people. The steering is accurate, and the brakes are confident. It feels solid at highway speeds for a confident feeling in heavy traffic.
The gas engine gets an EPA-estimated 19 mpg in the city and up to 25 mpg on the highway, which is spot on with what I was getting. As for the Honda, the updated Pilot also has a V6 engine with 285 hp, making it similar to the Palisade with sporty acceleration. It feels a bit lighter at highway speeds, and the brakes are a little soft. This isn’t a problem; it just takes a little getting used to.
Fellow writer, Kristen Brown explains, “When the roads were twisty, I noticed a lot of body lean and roll, but it wasn’t unbearable. It just forced me to slow down and anticipate the turns.”
Also, the Pilot gets an EPA-estimated 19 mpg in the city and up to 27 mpg on the highway. I hovered around 21.8 mpg with this SUV. The Pilot feels a bit more agile in tight city areas. Despite being similar in size, the Palisade feels longer while reversing. However, the camera views in the Palisade are clearer to help with navigating around obstacles like random parking lot poles and rogue shopping carts.
The Third Row in the Hyundai is Better, But I Liked the Space in the Honda
The 2026 Hyundai Palisade features 19.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 46.3 behind the second row, and up to 86.7 cubic feet overall. The 2026 Honda Pilot rings in with 22.4 cubic feet behind the third row, 60.1 behind the second row, and up to 133.7 cubic feet total. When the third row is up, both SUVs are slightly lacking behind the third row, but you need to go for a larger car if you need more cargo room.
While the Pilot has more cargo space, the Palisade is a bit better for personal items with larger storage bins and trays to take advantage of. There’s a passthrough space in front of the center console. Also, the Palisade has a little more passenger space, especially in the front and second rows. I found that there was more range to adjust the second row seats in the Palisade. The Honda, though, does have a removable middle seat, that can make accessing the third row easier if needed, or you can have an extra seat if you need it, too.
The Palisade, though, did have a wider entry and a lower floor to make installing car seats easier. The third row in the Pilot and Palisade is pretty similar, with both being surprisingly roomy. At 5’1”, I could fit in both and wouldn’t complain about riding in the back for short distances. It helps that both SUVs have air vents and USB ports in each row. But overall, the Pilot’s third row is more cramped for adults, but provides more space for all your stuff.
Is the Honda Pilot or the Hyundai Palisade more comfortable?
The 2026 Honda Pilot is pretty comfortable. The front seats are well-padded with tons of adjustment controls to find the perfect driving or riding position. They’re ergonomic and energizing for road trips. I found the second row seats to also be large and supportive, but they’re a bit stiffer. Also, they don’t recline very far. The seats in the third row are comfortable enough for shorter trips, but kids under 5’1” probably won’t have any complaints.
The Pilot is extremely smooth over broken sections of pavement, and cabin vibrations are kept at bay, thanks to added padding in the doors, footwells, and acoustic glass (exclusive to the Elite model). This is great for preventing motion sickness. However, the interior is noticeably loud at highway speeds.
It’s hard to beat the 2026 Hyundai Palisade, though. The plush seats in the front row are inviting and well-sculpted to fit all body types with added bolstering. Plus, it gives you a massage every once in a while to keep you energized on the road. The second row seats have an equal amount of padding with a border range of adjustments for taller folks to enjoy. Even the well-padded third row seats recline.
It has a smooth ride over the pavement that quickly smoothes out bumps and impacts with a quiet interior at highway speeds.
Road trip warrior, Kristin Shaw shares, “The Hyundai Palisade is an A+ road trip SUV for several reasons. One, the seats are supportive and comfortable, but not so cushiony that I sink into them like a couch. The seat heating function works quickly without overdoing it, and ventilated seats kept me cool once I reached Texas.”
Both are Great, But What’s Best Depends on What You’re Looking For
The 2026 Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot are similar in size, performance, and tech. But the Palisade seems to offer more features and comfort at a lower price. It does feel a bit larger, though, despite seeming more confident on the highway.
But the Pilot is just as capable as both SUVs have available AWD and dedicated off-roading trims for adventuring and road trips. It’s still comfortable and has tons of standard features. Plus, it has tech that’s easier to understand and less distracting.
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