Some people dream of Ferraris. Or perhaps they dream of a Lamborghini, or a Porsche 911. Or maybe an AMG GT. But dreams are one thing. Reality is another. And the reality is that humans have children. And the moment those children have arrived, those dreams of supercars get replaced by thoughts of cup holders, ISOFIX anchors, and trunks big enough to swallow hockey bags. That’s where cars like these come in. The 2026 Honda Pilot and the 2026 Hyundai Palisade.
Performance
Engine – The similarities between these two 3-row SUVs start with their engines. They’re both powered by 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 engines. The V6 in the Honda Pilot produces 285 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque while the Palisade’s V6 produces 287 hp and 260 lb-ft. But there is a noticeable difference between the two when you get behind the steering wheel.
The V6 in the Hyundai Palisade feels lazy. It doesn’t have the same “zest” as the V6 in the Pilot. In city traffic, the more relaxed power delivery is fine but when merging onto a highway or overtaking slower moving cars, you have to press hard on the throttle pedal in order for the engine to rev up in its sweet spot. The V6 in the Honda feels as though it has more low end grunt which attributes to the more spritely feeling. Whether it’s setting off from a stop or overtaking a long semi-trailer, the Pilot’s V6 feels as though it’s not even trying.
Fuel Economy – One area where these two differ a bit is with the fuel consumption figures. If we compare apples to apples, then the 2026 Honda Pilot TrailSport is a bit more economical than the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro. The Honda is rated for 13.2 L/100km (17.8 MPG) in a city and 10.1 L/100km (23.3 MPG) on a highway while the Hyundai is rated for 14.3 L/100km (16.4 MPG) in a city and 10.6 L/100km (22.2 MPG) on a highway. During my time with the SUVs, I averaged 13.3 L/100km (17.7 MPG) and 14.2 L/100km (16.6 MPG) respectively.
But these are their off-road focused trims, if we look at the on-road trims, such as the Black Edition and Calligraphy, then the Palisade gets better city fuel economy at 12.2 L/100km while the Pilot gets better highway fuel economy at 9.4 L/100km.
Transmission – part of the reason why the Honda Pilot gets better highway fuel economy is because it has two extra gears. It uses a 10-speed automatic while the Hyundai Palisade uses an 8-speed automatic. Between them, there really isn’t much of a difference. Both change gears very smoothly and both are decently responsive to a stab of the throttle. Both are also quite slow to respond if you decide to take over controls from the paddle shifters.
Braking – The similarities continue to the brakes. Both SUVs are heavy but neither struggle to come to a complete stop under full control of the driver. The brake pedals have a long travel which allows for easy and smooth modulation, with both firming up nicely the harder you press.
Handling – This is where these SUVs differ a bit. Firstly, to drive, both feel similar. They both have light steering for ease of maneuverability, they both have soft-ish suspension to absorb bumps rather than limit body roll, and they both have standard AWD for the Canadian market. But it’s with their AWD systems that makes them different from one another.
The Honda uses an i-VTM4 AWD which has real torque vectoring for the back wheels. It can send up to 70% of the engine’s torque to the back wheels and then shift 100% of that power to either rear wheel that has the most grip. The Palisade uses an HTRAC AWD system which doesn’t have real torque vectoring and instead it relies heavily on braking individual wheels to manage slip. It’s more reactive than active like the one in the Pilot.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – Both 3-row SUVs are generally comfortable but the Hyundai Palisade is a step above the Pilot. It is incredibly smooth over rough roads. It may not have air suspension or adaptive dampers but the ride it delivers is almost like those in luxury SUVs. The Pilot’s ride is comfortable too but at times it can feel overly floaty. Furthermore I didn’t really “sink into” the seats of the Honda as I did in those of the Hyundai.
Interior Space – These SUVs are almost identical in size on the outside. But inside, it’s the Honda Pilot that utilizes space better than the Hyundai Palisade. In the front row, both provide excellent space and good visibility all around with a high driving position. In the second rows, both are equal in terms of leg space and headroom provided. On these specific off-road trims, they are both equipped with captain’s chairs but bench seats are available on other trims. One trick up the Pilot’s sleeve is that if you choose a trim with bench seats, then you can actually remove the middle seat out of the car and treat that 2nd row as captain’s chairs. Obviously, it’s not going to be exactly the same as a trim with proper captain’s chairs, but it does give you more flexibility.
Finally in the 3rd row, the Hyundai Palisade is tight. Legroom really depends on how generous the person sitting in the 2nd row is. Getting into that 3rd row is easy in both as it is just one button press and the 2nd row seat quickly and easily slides forward. In the Pilot, it’s not a business class lounge in the 3rd row either, but adults will have a little bit more space back there.
It’s a similar story when it comes to hauling cargo. The Pilot can carry more of it. Behind the 3rd row, with the 3rd row folded and with the 2nd row folded, the Hyundai Palisade can’t match the Honda Pilot for cargo capacity. The Pilot has 618 L (21.8 cu-ft) of space behind the 3rd row, 1,685 L (59.5 cu-ft) with the 3rd row folded, and with the 2nd & 3rd rows folded, it can accommodate 3,219 L (113.6 cu-ft) of cargo space. Behind all rows of seats, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade has 540 L (19 cu-ft) of cargo space, with the 3rd row seats folded, cargo capacity increases to 1,310 L (46.3 cu-ft), and with the 2nd & 3rd rows folded, the 2026 Palisade has 2,455 L (86.7 cu-ft) of cargo space.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – So, the Hyundai is not the most spacious but it claws back points for cabin comfort. It is much quieter on highways than in the Honda even with the all-terrain tires. The cabin of the Honda allows for more tire noise on highways and some more engine noise when accelerating quickly.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – What about the prices then? Well, like most of these two SUVs, their starting prices are almost identical too. The 2026 Hyundai Palisade starts at $53,699 CAD ($39,435 USD) while the Honda Pilot starts at $55,550 CAD ($42,395 USD). Move up to the XRT Pro and TrailSport trims and the prices start to differentiate a bit more with the Honda being a bit more expensive. The Honda continues to get more expensive with the top Black Edition costing $66,400 CAD ($55,195 USD) while the Palisade Ultimate Calligraphy with the V6 is $62,499 CAD ($54,560 USD).
Gadgets – When it comes to available convenience features, they have a lot of similarities but the Palisade does get a few more extras. They are both available with heated & ventilated front seats, heated 2nd row seats, surround view cameras, they’re both also available with large panoramic sunroofs, available head-up displays, 3-zone automatic climate controls, power liftgates, optional Bose audio systems, and wireless phone charging pads among other features.
If you go for the Palisade Calligraphy, then it takes it a step further by adding ventilated 2nd row captain’s chairs, an ergomotion driver’s seat, a digital rearview mirror, and one of the coolest is remote smart parking assist. This can detect parking spots, either parallel or perpendicular, and then park the SUV without any steering or throttle inputs from the driver. Unfortunately, the Palisade doesn’t get the more advanced version where you can step out of the car and then the car will continue the parking maneuver, but it’s a great feature if you’re unsure or a little hesitant when it comes to parking bigger vehicles.
Interior Design – Taking a look at the insides of these two SUVs, and they feel very different. This Palisade XRT’s interior is a bit more rugged than other trims. There’s a few more bits of plastics but they are mostly relegated to the lower portions of the cabin. You get leatherette instead of leather but at least it feels pretty similar to the real stuff. As for functionality, there’s physical controls for the climate temperature, buttons on the steering wheel, and quick access buttons for the infotainment system.
Inside the Pilot, it’s very similar in terms of functionality. It comes with a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen, there’s leatherette upholstery with contrast orange stitching but you can get perforated leather with faux suede accents in the Touring trim, and you get physical and simple to use climate controls as well. The Honda Pilot also has a lot of small item storage space. There’s more than enough space for a second phone next to the wireless phone charger, there’s a cubby on top of the glove box, it has cup holders galore throughout the cabin, and the center console is really deep.
Exterior Design – “Striking” would be a good word to describe the exterior of the 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The overall shape is boxier than before but it still has a few subtle curves. It’s not a Cybertruck after all. The front daytime running lights and rear taillights look like they belong in the Blade Runner universe. The back is also reminiscent, a little bit, of a Range Rover and I love the look of the spoiler mounted brake light. As for the XRT, it gains red tow hooks, it has slightly more ground clearance, 18-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires, and a slightly different grille without any active aero shutters. This trim was made to look more rugged but mechanically, it’s not different from the other trims.
The exterior looks have taken a more conservative approach for the 2026 Honda Pilot. There are fewer flowing lines and the front fascia is simplified with just the LED headlights and large black grille. The rear is also simplified and has a bit of a Honda HR-V look to it. It still looks a little “Tonka Toy” but it doesn’t look as “plain Jane” as it once did.
Safety – The base trim level of the 2026 Honda Pilot receives all of the available advanced safety systems. Moving up in the trim levels does not get you any more safety system than the base model. Automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with lane keep, blind spot sensors, rear cross traffic alert, and so on. It’s all there.
The standard 2026 Hyundai Palisade is available with just about every safety & driver aid that can be equipped on this SUV. Moving up to the XRT Pro trim adds reverse parking collision avoidance, side parking distance warning, and blind view monitor. Moving up to the Calligraphy adds blind spot collision avoidance, highway driving assist 2, and remote park assist.
Warranty – The 2026 Hyundai Palisade is covered by a 5 year / 100,000 km new vehicle and powertrain warranty. In the United States, the basic warranty is 5 years / 60,000 miles and the powertrain warranty is 10 years / 100,000 miles. For more information on Canadian warranty, click here. For USA warranty information, click here.
The 2026 Honda Pilot TrailSport is covered by a 3 year / 60,000 km new vehicle and 5 year / 100,000 km powertrain warranty. For more information on Canadian warranty, click here. For information on USA warranty, click here.
Conclusion – So which of these two copycats should you park in your driveway? Well, if you want to enjoy a beautifully quiet cabin, ferry your kids in the utmost comfort, and pay less while doing so, then the Hyundai Palisade is the smart financial decision.
If you need space for people and cargo, better off-road and on-road capability, and a powertrain that still invokes some emotion, then the Honda Pilot needs to be in front of your garage.
Personally, I’d go for the Hyundai because for my lifestyle, I don’t need the amount of space that the Honda provides and I prefer that quieter and more plush feeling cabin.
Thank you to Honda Canada for providing the 2026 Pilot TrailSport. www.Honda.ca
Thank you to Hyundai Canada for providing the 2026 Palisade XRT Pro. www.HyundaiCanada.com
2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro Gallery
2026 Honda Pilot TrailSport Gallery
