2024 Hyundai Palisade vs 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

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 to their liking. Hyundai offered the Palisade 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, with its all-wheel drive and blacked-out appearance, was available only in Abyss Black or Hyper White paint colors, paired with a black interior featuring leather with artificial suede inserts. The interior of the Palisade, especially in the Calligraphy Night Edition, exuded luxury with its artificial suede headliner, quality upholstery, and sophisticated design elements.

In contrast, the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser offered a more traditional SUV design with a focus on off-road capabilities. The base model, named the 1958, featured a retro look with round headlights and basic equipment, while the more modern Land Cruiser trim provided a sophisticated appearance with additional off-roading hardware. The Land Cruiser's interior was utilitarian, with traditional switchgear and a focus on functionality. The Premium Package added real leather, a sunroof, and a JBL premium sound system, enhancing the overall experience. Despite its utilitarian design, the Land Cruiser offered a comfortable driving experience with features like a high seating position and excellent outward visibility, making it easy to maneuver both on and off the road.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with a 3.8-liter V6 engine that produced 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, powering the front wheels unless upgraded to an all-wheel-drive model. The Palisade had a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and offered eight inches of ground clearance. It featured several driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow, and allowed for locking the AWD system for off-road conditions. However, the Palisade was best suited for less challenging terrains. The V6 engine provided ample power and satisfying acceleration, with the transmission always seeming to be in the right gear. The AWD system effectively distributed power on dirt and gravel roads, and the Palisade averaged 18.8 mpg in Comfort mode during testing. The suspension offered a firm yet comfortable ride, and the Palisade displayed some athleticism on mountain roads, with predictable handling and reliable brakes.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup delivered 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, with a full-time four-wheel-drive system and electronic locking differentials. The Land Cruiser had a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds and included features like Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control. Despite an EPA rating of 23 mpg combined, real-world testing showed a lower 15.7 mpg. The Land Cruiser excelled as a daily driver and off-road adventurer, with a suspension that absorbed rough terrain and city streets alike. It offered a high seating position and excellent visibility, making it easy to park and maneuver. Off-road capabilities were enhanced by features like the front stabilizer bar disconnect and Multi-Terrain Monitor camera views. However, the Land Cruiser struggled on twisty roads due to its suspension tuning and tires, and acceleration tests revealed modest performance.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade offered a range of seating options, from cloth seats in the base SE trim to premium Nappa leather with microfiber inserts in the Calligraphy Night Edition. Most trims featured heated, power-adjustable front seats, with additional comfort features like a heated steering wheel and ventilated seats available in higher trims. The Calligraphy Night Edition provided a luxurious interior with configurable storage options and ample space for passengers. Second-row passengers enjoyed captain’s chairs with optional heating and ventilation, while the third row offered more comfort and room than many competitors. The Palisade provided 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.4 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, when upgraded from the 1958 model, featured SofTex artificial leather, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package added real leather and a sunroof. While the front seats were comfortable, the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The Land Cruiser offered 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 82.1 cubic feet with the seats folded. However, the high load floor height required effort when loading heavy items. The rear window design and center console's cool box were noted as areas for improvement.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, supporting Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, Bluelink+ connected services, Wi-Fi access, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto required a cable connection, while wireless charging was standard from the SEL trim. The Palisade featured a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system in higher trims, along with a digital key function, digital rearview mirror, and semi-autonomous remote parking system. The head-up display provided useful information but was incompatible with polarized sunglasses.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, when upgraded from the 1958 model, featured two 12.3-inch displays with the Toyota Audio Multimedia system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Five connected service plans were available, including Drive Connect with cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, wireless smartphone charger, head-up display, digital rearview mirror, and digital key technology.

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, and more. Highway Driving Assist provided a hands-on driving system for highway travel, and the SEL Premium package added features like front parking sensors and a surround-view camera system. The Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and received a five-star side-impact rating from the NHTSA.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and lane-centering assist. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist provided a semi-autonomous highway driving aid. Additional safety features included a road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Predictive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert and lane-change assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a five-star side-impact rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating.