2024 Hyundai Palisade vs 2025 Nissan Armada

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade stood out with its distinctive styling, setting it apart from the typical family-friendly SUVs. While its design might not have appealed to everyone, those who appreciated its aesthetics likely found other aspects of the vehicle equally appealing. The Palisade was available in several trims, including the SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, Calligraphy, and the new-for-2024 Calligraphy Night Edition. Prices ranged from $36,650 to $53,850, excluding the $1,395 destination charge. The Calligraphy Night Edition, which we tested, featured a blacked-out appearance with dark chrome and gloss black exterior trim, badges, and wheels, available only in Abyss Black or Hyper White paint colors. Inside, it boasted a luxurious feel with leather and artificial suede inserts, an artificial suede headliner, and sophisticated interior details, making it resemble a luxury SUV.

The 2025 Nissan Armada, on the other hand, featured a strikingly high beltline reminiscent of its luxury counterpart, the Infiniti QX80. Its grille and front fascia appeared taller, aided by the SUV’s higher ground clearance. The PRO-4X trim was the only one to feature a skid plate, and the new front lighting signature included C-shaped LED lines. The Armada's imposing grille made a strong impression, setting it apart from its predecessor. From the side, the third-generation Armada appeared larger and more business-like, with a parallel beltline and distinctive D-pillar design. The PRO-4X trim added rugged character with black plastic cladding and unique Lava Red accents. The Armada offered a range of wheel sizes, with 18-inch wheels standard on the SV and 22-inch wheels on the Platinum Reserve. Inside, the Platinum Reserve and PRO-4X trims provided a premium feel with leather seats and padded center consoles, while higher trims offered additional luxury features.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade was powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission, with front-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive available. The Palisade had a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and offered eight inches of ground clearance. Various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow, were available, and the AWD system could be locked for off-road travel. The V6 engine provided ample power and satisfying acceleration, with the transmission always in the right gear. The AWD system distributed power effectively on dirt and gravel roads. The EPA estimated 21 mpg in combined driving for the AWD model, but our testing showed an average of 18.8 mpg in Comfort mode. The Palisade offered a quiet ride, especially in the Calligraphy Night Edition, with acoustic window glass and a firm yet comfortable suspension. It displayed some athleticism on mountain and canyon roads, with predictable handling and reliable brakes.

The 2025 Nissan Armada introduced a new powertrain with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, inspired by the high-performance GT-R, delivering 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. It replaced the old seven-speed automatic transmission with a nine-speed automatic. All trims, except the PRO-4X, were available with rear-wheel drive or Nissan’s Intelligent Four-Wheel Drive. The PRO-4X trim featured dedicated 20-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, an electronic locking rear differential, and metal underbody skid plates. The Armada's adaptive electronic air suspension, shared with the Platinum Reserve, provided a 33-degree approach angle, 25.5-degree breakover angle, and 24.5-degree departure angle, with 9.6 inches of ground clearance. The Armada could tow up to 8,500 pounds and included trailer sway control and a trailer brake controller. On-road, the Armada's electric power steering offered a nice sense of engagement, while the adaptive air suspension provided comfort. Off-road, the PRO-4X trim excelled in Mud/Rut mode, raising the SUV for better ground clearance.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade offered a range of seating options, with cloth seats available in the base SE trim and various leather options in higher trims. Heated and ventilated front seats were available, with memory settings and an adjustable thigh support cushion in the Limited trim. The Calligraphy trim added an Ergo Motion massage function for the driver. The Calligraphy Night Edition featured simulated suede seat inserts and a black interior. The Palisade provided configurable storage between the front seats, with a shallow console-top tray, a large storage bin, and a wireless smartphone charger. Second-row passengers enjoyed captain’s chairs with optional heating and ventilation, while the top trims included heated third-row seats and a dual-panel sunroof. The Palisade offered 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.4 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded.

The 2025 Nissan Armada introduced a push-button transmission, freeing up center console space for a wireless charging pad. The Armada Platinum Reserve featured "Zero Gravity" seats, offering comfort but feeling a bit deep. The Armada provided standard eight-way driver's-side power adjustment, with higher trims offering more customization. Heated front seats were standard on the SL trim, with cooling and second-row seat heating available on higher trims. The Armada offered a second-row bench seat or captain’s chairs, with a 60/40-split bench in the third row. Cargo volume increased across the board, with 20.4 cubic feet behind the third row, 56.3 cubic feet behind the second row, and 97.1 cubic feet with the first row. The Armada's headroom and legroom varied depending on the presence of a sunroof, with improvements in third-row legroom.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, available with the SEL Premium package or higher trims. All Palisades had a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, supporting Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, Bluelink+ connected services, Wi-Fi access, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a rear-seat Quiet Mode. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto required a USB-A cable. The Palisade offered a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, a digital key function, a digital rearview mirror, and a semi-autonomous remote parking system. The head-up display provided navigation instructions and safety feature status but was incompatible with polarized sunglasses.

The 2025 Nissan Armada came standard with two large screens, 12.3-inch displays on the SV and SL trims, and 14.3-inch screens on higher trims. The screens sat lower in the dash but remained visible from the driver’s seat. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with six USB-C ports. The SL trim added a wireless charging pad and Google Built-In, allowing Google Maps to be viewed on the driver-information display. A head-up display was optional starting at the SL trim level. The base Armada SV had a six-speaker sound system, while a 12-speaker Klipsch Premium Audio System was standard on higher trims. The Klipsch system offered excellent sound quality, appreciated by audiophiles.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with Hyundai's SmartSense collection of driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and more. Highway Driving Assist (HDA) paired adaptive cruise control with curve speed control and lane-centering assist. The Palisade Limited, Calligraphy, and Calligraphy Night Edition offered three layers of blind-spot safety. The 2024 Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, with incomplete crash tests from the NHTSA.

The 2025 Nissan Armada featured Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies, with enhanced versions available on higher trims. ProPILOT Assist 1.1 added proactive speed management, while ProPILOT Assist 2.1 offered hands-free highway-driving assist technology. The Armada also included Nissan Safety Shield 360, with features like traffic-sign recognition, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, and more. A surround-view camera was standard on the Armada SL, with higher trims offering Nissan’s 3D Around View Monitor and Invisible Hood View.