Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Grand Highlander burns about $1,700 of fuel annually against $1,800 for the Hyundai Palisade. That $100 yearly gap compounds to roughly $500 over five years and $800 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 versus highway split: the Toyota Grand Highlander is the stronger commuter at 37 mpg city, while the Hyundai Palisade pulls ahead on the interstate at 35 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Hyundai Palisade is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI, SIDI; Hybrid, SIDI), the Toyota Grand Highlander with 2 (SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; Hybrid). Across 24 recorded Hyundai Palisade configurations and 22 for the Toyota Grand Highlander, 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 Toyota Grand Highlander with All-Wheel Drive, Front-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 Standard 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 Toyota Grand Highlander emits 246 g/mile of CO2 versus 258 g/mile for the Hyundai Palisade. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.