Can't Find a 2023 Hyundai Palisade? Consider These SUVs Instead
The Buick Enclave, Ford Explorer, and Volkswagen Atlas are attractive alternatives to Hyundai's top-selling, three-row, midsize SUV.
Hyundai
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Hyundai hit a home run with the introduction of its large and comfortable, eight-passenger Palisade. Like its Kia twin, the Telluride, the Palisade is so popular that it’s become almost impossible to find on dealer lots.
Rather than wait for more Hyundais to be built, here are a variety of family-friendly, three-row, midsize SUVs that can match (or beat) many of the 2023 Palisade’s features and price.
Buick
Alternative 1: 2022 Buick Enclave
Updated for 2022 with a more swept-back look and longer, thinner headlamps, the second-generation, seven-passenger Buick Enclave is the most expensive example here, with a starting price just above $44,000. But the big Buick also offers the most overall room with more than 97 cubic feet behind the front row. That also means at 204.8 inches, the big Buick is about 8 inches longer than the 196.7-inch Hyundai.
The Enclave is moved along by a 310-horsepower, 3.6L V6 with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Base, front-wheel-drive trims score a 21-mpg city and highway-combined EPA estimate—1 mpg lower than a FWD Palisade—but with 19 more horsepower than the 291-hp Hyundai.
The Enclave’s cabin includes an optional head-up display for eyes-forward driving, an available* mirror-based rear-view camera, and an electronic noise cancellation system for quieter drives. Built-in Amazon Alexa is available*, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Ford
Alternative 2: 2022 Ford Explorer
One of the original names in the SUV world, the seven-passenger Explorer continues to be a popular choice. Unlike the Palisade or its alternatives, the Explorer is also available as a hybrid. A 3.3L V6 engine and an electric motor produce 318 horsepower and a 27-mpg estimate with rear-wheel drive.
Priced a hair above $37,000 to start, the base Explorer’s engine is a turbocharged, 2.3L 4-cylinder that overtakes the Palisade with more power (300 hp) and better fuel economy (24 mpg with RWD). The Ford delivers the most powerful available* engine of this bunch, a 400-hp, turbocharged, 3.0L V6 that’s still rated at 21 mpg with RWD.
The Explorer also offers the new, off-road-oriented Timberline trim, featuring skid plates, a limited-slip rear differential, and beefier overall looks.
Volkswagen
Alternative 3: 2023 Volkswagen Atlas
The Atlas is the largest vehicle in Volkswagen’s lineup, a seven-seat SUV squarely aimed at American drivers and their families. While that’s a seat less than the Hyundai, the VW makes up the difference with more cargo room (96.8 cubic feet versus 86.4). There are also more than 2 extra inches of third-row legroom, compared with the Palisade’s 31.4-inch measurement.
VW’s pricing also beats every vehicle in the bunch, with the base Atlas starting below $36,000, edging out the Palisade by a few hundred bucks. The Volkswagen includes standard features such as an all-digital instrument cluster, available as an option on the Hyundai.
Mileage also bolsters the Atlas’ appeal with its 23-mpg estimate for the 2.0L, 4-cylinder base engine with FWD that beats out the Palisade’s 22 mpg. However, there’s a considerable power difference as the VW's turbo-four produces just 235 hp. The Atlas does have a second engine choice; a 276-hp, 3.6L V6, though its combined mileage is only 20 mpg in FWD form.
*Availability is subject to specific trim level selections
