2027 Hyundai Palisade vs Hyundai Santa Fe: We Compared the Data
By the CarWhere Vehicle Data Team · Updated November 8, 2026 · how we score
Our pick: the Palisade — it leads our weighted scorecard 4.5–3.5 across 8 categories, winning on more available power (329 hp vs 277 hp) and more towing capacity (5,000 lb vs 4,500 lb). Choose the Santa Fe if the lower sticker matters most ($34,800 vs $39,435 to start).
Scorecard: Palisade 4.5 pts · Santa Fe 3.5 pts across 8 scored categories.
The scorecard
| Category (weight) | 2027 Palisade | 2027 Santa Fe | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting MSRP (2) | $39,435 | $34,800 | Santa Fe |
| NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2) | — | 0.55 | No data |
| 5-year value retained (1.5) | 45.1% | 44.6% | Tie |
| Best EPA combined (1.5) | 34 mpg | 36 mpg | Santa Fe |
| Most horsepower available (1) | 329 hp | 277 hp | Palisade |
| Max towing (1) | 5,000 lb | 4,500 lb | Palisade |
| Cargo behind rear seats (1) | 19.1 cu ft | 14.6 cu ft | Palisade |
| Standard seats (1) | 7 | 6 | Palisade |
| Recalls, 2023–2025 model years (0.5) | 8 | 10 | Palisade |
| Weighted points | 4.5 | 3.5 | Palisade |
Which one we'd buy, and for whom
- Commuter. Commuters: the Santa Fe — 36 mpg vs 34 mpg (best EPA combined).
- Family. Families: the Palisade — 7 vs 6 (standard seats).
- Budget. Tight budgets: the Santa Fe — $34,800 vs $39,435 (starting MSRP). Used, the median asking price is $30,949 for the Palisade vs $23,366 for the Santa Fe.
- Resale. Resale-minded buyers: it's a wash — Palisade 45.1% vs Santa Fe 44.6% (5-year value retained).
- Towing. Towing: the Palisade — 5,000 lb vs 4,500 lb (max towing).
Price: sticker and what buyers paid
The Palisade starts at $39,435 and tops out at $56,780; the Santa Fe runs $34,800 to $48,450 (manufacturer MSRP, before destination). Used, the median asking price is $30,949 for the Palisade and $23,366 for the Santa Fe (all model years, US dealer listings).
Reliability: NHTSA complaints and recalls
- Palisade: a complaint rate per 1,000 sold isn't available yet.
- Santa Fe: 0.55 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022 sales years; 44th percentile among the SUVs we track).
- Recall campaigns touching the 2023–2025 model years: Palisade 8, Santa Fe 10.
Latest rated model years on our years-to-avoid pages: Santa Fe 2016 (solid).
Complaint rates are owner complaints filed with NHTSA divided by vehicles sold — a federal-data signal, not a survey score.
Specs side by side
| 2027 Palisade | 2027 Santa Fe | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting MSRP (base trim) | $39,435 | $34,800 |
| Top-trim MSRP | $56,780 | $48,450 |
| Horsepower | 287–329 hp | 231–277 hp |
| Max torque | 339 lb-ft | 311 lb-ft |
| EPA combined | 19–34 mpg (hybrid avail.) | 21–36 mpg (hybrid avail.) |
| Max towing | 5,000 lb | 4,500 lb |
| Seats (standard / max) | 7 / 8 | 6 / 7 |
| Cargo behind rear seats | 19.1 cu ft | 14.6 cu ft |
Automaker-published figures; EPA ratings from fueleconomy.gov. "—" = not published.
Size
| Palisade | Santa Fe | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 199.2 in | 190.2 in |
| Width | 78 in | 74.8 in |
| Height | 69.5 in | 67.7 in |
| Wheelbase | 116.9 in | 110.8 in |
| Ground clearance | 7.4 in | 7 in |
Resale: 5-year value retained
A 5-year-old (2021) Palisade lists for a median $23,182 — 45.1% of today's median new price of $51,377. A 5-year-old (2021) Santa Fe lists for a median $19,817 — 44.6% of today's median new price of $44,436.
Shop both
- See 26,638 new 2027 Hyundai Palisades for sale →Median listed price $53,058 · updated Nov 7, 2026
- See 30,822 new 2027 Hyundai Santa Fes for sale →Median listed price $43,824 · updated Nov 7, 2026
Negotiating either one?
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More on the Hyundai Palisade
More on the Hyundai Santa Fe
Related head-to-heads
FAQ
Is the Palisade better than the Santa Fe?
On our data, yes. Our pick: the Palisade — it leads our weighted scorecard 4.5–3.5 across 8 categories, winning on more available power (329 hp vs 277 hp) and more towing capacity (5,000 lb vs 4,500 lb). Choose the Santa Fe if the lower sticker matters most ($34,800 vs $39,435 to start).
Which is more reliable, the Palisade or the Santa Fe?
We only rank reliability by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold, and that rate isn't available for both models yet. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns touching the 2023–2025 Palisade and 10 for the Santa Fe.
Which holds its value better, the Palisade or the Santa Fe?
About the same — 45.1% vs 44.6% retained after five years (within 2 points).
Which is cheaper, the Palisade or the Santa Fe?
The Santa Fe starts lower: $34,800 vs $39,435 starting MSRP (before destination).
Which has better gas mileage, the Palisade or the Santa Fe?
The Santa Fe: up to 36 mpg combined vs 34 mpg for the Palisade (best EPA rating across each lineup).
How we score
Each category compares one published number per model and counts only when both models have it. The winner earns the category weight; results inside the tie band earn nothing. Our pick has more weighted points; level points fall back to more category wins, then the reliability winner, then the price winner.
- Starting MSRP: lower wins; tie within 3%.
- NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold: lower wins; tie within 15%.
- 5-year value retained: higher wins; tie within 2 points.
- Best EPA combined: higher wins; tie within 1 mpg (3 MPGe).
- Most horsepower available: higher wins; tie within 5%.
- Max towing: higher wins; tie within 5%.
- Cargo behind rear seats: higher wins; tie within 5%.
- Standard seats: higher wins; tie same count.
- Median discount verified buyers got: higher wins; tie within 0.5 points.
- Recalls, 2023–2025 model years: lower wins; tie within 1.
Towing weighs 2 for pickups and 1 otherwise; seating is only scored between SUVs and minivans, using standard (never optional) seats. Sources: automaker spec pages and order guides; EPA ratings (fueleconomy.gov); NHTSA owner complaints and recall campaigns against published US sales; median used asking prices across active US dealer listings from licensed vehicle-data providers; verified buyer-submitted deal sheets for discounts.
Cite this page: CarWhere, "2027 Hyundai Palisade vs Hyundai Santa Fe: We Compared the Data," carwhere.com/compare-cars/hyundai-palisade-vs-hyundai-santa-fe, updated November 8, 2026.