Hyundai Palisade vs Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Hyundai Palisade burns about $1,800 of fuel annually against $2,600 for the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. That $800 yearly gap compounds to roughly $4,000 over five years and $6,400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Hyundai Palisade leads in both cycles — 33 mpg city and 35 mpg highway against 26 and 34 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Hyundai Palisade is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI, SIDI; Hybrid, SIDI), the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class with 3 (SIDI; Mild Hybrid, SIDI, SIDI; FFV). Across 24 recorded Hyundai Palisade configurations and 43 for the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Hyundai Palisade is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Hyundai Palisade emits 258 g/mile of CO2 versus 306 g/mile for the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.