2027 Hyundai Palisade vs. 2026 Toyota Highlander

Lithia says Hyundai's powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Highlander, with engine, transmission, axle, joint, and driveshaft repairs fully covered for 10 years/100,000 miles versus the Highlander's 5 years/60,000, the Palisade's corrosion warranty running 2 years longer (7 vs 5 years), and Hyundai paying for scheduled maintenance 1 year and 11,000 miles longer than Toyota. TrueCar says the Hyundai Palisade's $41,035 MSRP undercuts the Toyota Highlander's $47,865 TSRP by $6,830, a gap that stretches to $7,051 based on real-world average prices, while the Highlander wins on fuel economy at 21 city/28 highway mpg versus the Palisade's 19 city/25 highway.

Which to choose, and why

Hyundai's warranty runs far longer

Lithia (opens in a new tab) says Hyundai's powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Highlander, with engine, transmission, axle, joint, and driveshaft repairs fully covered for 10 years/100,000 miles versus the Highlander's 5 years/60,000, the Palisade's corrosion warranty running 2 years longer (7 vs 5 years), and Hyundai paying for scheduled maintenance 1 year and 11,000 miles longer than Toyota.

$6,830 to $7,051 cheaper Palisade, thriftier Highlander

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says the Hyundai Palisade's $41,035 MSRP undercuts the Toyota Highlander's $47,865 TSRP by $6,830, a gap that stretches to $7,051 based on real-world average prices, while the Highlander wins on fuel economy at 21 city/28 highway mpg versus the Palisade's 19 city/25 highway.

Questions buyers ask

Which has a longer powertrain warranty, the Palisade or Highlander?

Lithia (opens in a new tab) says the Palisade, at 10 years/100,000 miles versus the Highlander's 5 years/60,000.

Which is cheaper, the Palisade or Highlander?

TrueCar (opens in a new tab) says the Palisade, by $6,830 at MSRP/TSRP.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Hyundai Palisade: 6 records · Toyota Highlander: 3 records.

Decision field	Hyundai Palisade	Toyota Highlander
Exact EPA records	6	3
Model / option labels	6	3
Drive layouts	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	2.5L 4-cyl SIDI; Hybrid, 3.5L 6-cyl SIDI & PFI	2.4L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI, 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI; Hybrid
Transmissions	Automatic (AM-S6), Automatic (S8)	Automatic (AV-S6), Automatic (S8)
Fuel types	Regular	Regular
EPA classes	Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD	Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Combined efficiency	19–34 MPG/MPGe	24–35 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	Not listed	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$1900–3400 per year	$1850–2700 per year

Head to head

Hyundai Palisade vs. Toyota Highlander: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Hyundai Palisade	Toyota Highlander
Starting price (KBB base)	$41,385	$47,365
Top trim price (KBB base)	$58,510	$55,020
Horsepower	287 hp	265 hp
Torque	260 lb-ft	310 lb-ft
Curb weight	4,575-4,872 lb	4,376-4,453 lb
Length	199.2-200.4 in	194.9-197.4 in
Wheelbase	116.9 in	112.2 in
Cargo volume	86.7 cu ft	n/a
Towing capacity	5,000 lb	5,000 lb
Seating	7-8 seats	7-8 seats
Basic warranty	5 years	3 years

Figures are ranges across each model’s trims from Kelley Blue Book records (2027 and 2026 model years); prices are KBB base prices.

The Hyundai Palisade starts $5,980 lower: $41,385 against $47,365 before options and fees.
On peak horsepower, the Hyundai Palisade leads: 287 hp against 265 hp.
On peak torque, the Toyota Highlander leads: 310 lb-ft against 260 lb-ft.
The Toyota Highlander is lighter, comparing lightest trims: 4,376 lb against 4,575 lb.
On length, the Hyundai Palisade leads: 200.4 in against 197.4 in.
On wheelbase, the Hyundai Palisade leads: 116.9 in against 112.2 in.
Both list the same maximum towing capacity: 5,000 lb.
Both list the same seating capacity: 8 seats.
On basic warranty, the Hyundai Palisade leads: 5 years against 3 years.

Background on each vehicle

What public sources say about the Hyundai Palisade and the Toyota Highlander.

2027 Hyundai Palisade

The Hyundai Palisade is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating manufactured and marketed by Hyundai Motor Company since late 2018. It replaced the Maxcruz (also known as Santa Fe XL outside of South Korea) as the flagship SUV under the Hyundai brand. A second-generation Palisade was introduced for the 2026 model's first hybrid powertrain.

Powertrain: Safety The Palisade was awarded "Top Safety Pick" and "Top Safety Pick+" (from 2021 to 2023 model years) by IIHS.

Source: Hyundai Palisade (Wikipedia)

NHTSA rated the 2025 Hyundai Palisade overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 5 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (6 campaigns across the latest model years)

March 2026, Seat Belts: Rear/Other:Buckle Assembly. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2026 Hyundai Palisade and 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid vehicles equipped with "Limited" and "Calligraphy" trim packages. The internal wiring within the third-row driver-side seat belt buckle may become damaged and result in a permanent display… Consequence: A faulty seat belt status indicator may fail to alert occupants to an unfastened seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
March 2026, Seats:Mid/Rear Assembly:Power Adjust. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2026 Palisade and 2026 Palisade Hybrid vehicles equipped with a Limited or Calligraphy trim package. The second and third row power seats may fail to detect a person. The seat may continue to move after… Consequence: A person, especially a child, may become trapped by a rear powered seat, increasing the risk of injury or death.
January 2026, Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument… Consequence: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

Owners filed 245 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Hyundai Palisade, most often about service brakes (96), seat belts (57), unknown or other (43).

2026 Toyota Highlander

The Toyota Highlander, also known as the Toyota Kluger in some markets, is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating produced by Toyota since 2000. The Highlander was announced in April 2000 at the New York International Auto Show, arriving in Japan in late 2000, and North America in January 2001.

Source: Toyota Highlander (Wikipedia)

NHTSA rated the 2025 Toyota Highlander overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (7 campaigns across the latest model years)

March 2026, Seats:Mid/Rear Assembly:Recliner. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment. Consequence: A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
December 2025, Seat Belts:Rear/Other:Anchorage. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The third row center seat belt roof anchor may have been installed at an incorrect angle, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining the occupant. Consequence: A seat belt that does not properly restrain an occupant increases the risk of injury during a crash.
October 2025, Back Over Prevention:Display Function. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview… Consequence: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Owners filed 10 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Toyota Highlander, most often about vehicle speed control (3), service brakes (2), forward collision avoidance (2).

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2027Hyundai Palisade6 configurations →02 · 2026Toyota Highlander3 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

12 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2027 Hyundai Palisade or the 2026 Toyota Highlander?

Efficiency

The 2026 Toyota Highlander lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (29.5 vs. the 2027 Hyundai Palisade's 26.5 MPG/MPGe).