2021 Honda Pilot vs. 2021 Hyundai Palisade

Like many things, life comes down to choices. Mayo vs. Miracle Whip? Limes vs. lemons? Patchouli vs. an aroma that actually smells pleasant? This is certainly the case when discussing large SUVs like the new Honda Pilot and Hyundai Palisade. Both “H. P.” models seat up to 8 riders, offer enough room in each of their three rows, and have excellent safety ratings. But when you get alllll the way down to the nitty-gritty, you begin seeing some stark differences between the Pilot and Palisade.

Let’s discuss those differences, shall we? Read our 2021 Pilot vs. Palisade comparison below to see why the Honda full-size SUV might just be the right choice for you.

Better Fuel Economy

You want to limit your exposure to the gas station at all costs—and mostly because of the cost. With the Palisade, you’ll spend more time and money at the pump. In the city, the 2021 Hyundai Palisade returns 19 mpg; on Missouri’s highways, it gets 26 mph, which gets even lower with the Palisade AWD (24 mpg). While not exactly terrible, Palisade’s fuel economy isn’t exactly economical, either.

The 2021 Honda Pilot is much more attuned to your budget. With the Pilot FWD models, you get 1 more mpg apiece compared to the Palisade. Pilot AWD models perform even better, returning 26 mpg on the highway.

	2021 Honda Pilot	2021 Hyundai Palisade
2WD MPG (city/hwy/comb)	20/27/23	19/26/22
AWD MPG (city/hwy/comb)	19/26/22	19/24/21
Fuel Tank Capacity (gallons)	19.5	18.8

 

Those miles per gallon translate to dollars-in-pocket for you. Let’s break it down with a sweet, sweet math problem:

Say you drive 12,000 miles annually. The price of unleaded fuel in Joplin comes in at around $2.50 per gallon. Because you’re magical, you only need to drive on highways to get places. Taking the specs from the table above, how much money would you save on gas if you buy a 2021 Honda Pilot AWD instead of the 2021 Hyundai Palisade AWD?

• With the Palisade, you’d spend $1,250 on 500 gallons of fuel, which adds up to 27 trips to the gas station.
• With the Pilot, you’d spend $1,150 on 462 gallons of fuel, which adds up to 23 trips to the gas station. 

More Cargo Space

From the liftgate to the front seatbacks, Honda Pilot offers more measurable SAE J1100 cargo room for luggage, groceries, camping gear and anything else you need to haul. In fact, with both the middle- and third-row seats folded down, the Pilot, taking into consideration all available floor space, offers over 20% more cargo room than a comparable Palisade.

Behold, this fancy table of cubic foot-ery!

	2021 Honda Pilot EX	2021 Hyundai Palisade SEL
Cargo Volume (behind 3rd row)	18.5 cu. ft.*	18 cu. ft.
Cargo Volume (behind 2nd row)	55.9 cu. ft.*	45.8 cu. ft.
Cargo Volume (behind 1st row)	109.2 cu. ft.*	86.4 cu. ft.

 

More 3rd-Row Space

When you’ve got to please even passengers in the very back, Honda Pilot’s the vehicle for you. While the Palisade provides more overall passenger volume, its biggest weak spot is clearly its diminutive rear seat. Back-row Palisade riders have 37.8 inches of headroom, 43.7 inches of hiproom, 31.4 inches of legroom, and just 55.2 inches of shoulder room. It’s cramped, essentially, which seems to be the status quo for 3-row SUVs…

Except for the 2021 Honda Pilot, of course. Offering some class-topping rear-seat comfort, the new Pilot is much more appealing to the “soccer dads,” car poolers and ride-share drivers. Pilot provides 38.9 inches of headroom, 31.9 inches of legroom, 44.6 inches of hiproom, and 57.6 inches of shoulder room in the back, beating the Palisade handily.

	2021 Honda Pilot	2021 Hyundai Palisade
3rd-Row Headroom	38.9 in.	37.8 in.
3rd-Row Legroom	31.9 in.	31.4 in.
3rd-Row Shoulder Room	57.6 in.	55.2 in.
3rd-Row Hiproom	44.6 in.	43.7 in.

Rear Entertainment System

Is a back-row entertainment system necessary? Probably not in this day and age (teens basically live on their smartphones). But, as a parent, would you like to have one? Absolutely. They help make long family road trips more manageable—enjoyable, even.

Unfortunately for Hyundai Palisade owners, they’ll have to deal with boring road trips and who knows how many “are we there yet?” questions. That’s because the Palisade, with all its great 21st-century technology, doesn’t come with an available rear seat entertainment system.

Honda understands families, which is why they’ve included a standard rear-seat entertainment system in 2021 Pilot Touring and Elite morels. Back-row passengers gain front-row views of its high-def 10.2-inch screen, which connects via HDMI to Blu-Ray Player (or DVD player). Users can even play with the built-in streaming apps, if they get antsy.  What a way to live!

Browse Our Honda Pilots for Sale in Joplin

Ready to treat your family to the best family SUV money can buy? Swing by our Honda dealership in Joplin! We have super Honda Pilot lease deals on the latest 2021 model, as well as many other finance offers on other family-friendly Honda vehicles, like the Odyssey.

Contact our sales team at 877-747-0738 to schedule a test drive or get a quote on a Honda Pilot for sale in Joplin. Today is a great day to buy your way at Roper Honda!
 

Disclaimers:

*Cargo Space - Based on SAE J1100 cargo volume measurement standard plus, where applicable, floor space between seating rows and seats in their forward-most and upright position.