2023 Hyundai Palisade vs 2023 Subaru Outback

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai's largest SUV, received a styling update that enhanced its already commanding road presence. The new front fascia, with its bold strokes and squared-off grille, gave the Palisade a stronger and more assertive look. Standard LED accents, daytime running lights, and headlights added to its modern appeal, while the Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured premium rear accent lighting and a unique grille. The Palisade's 20-inch alloy wheels, standard across the lineup in Canada, contributed to its premium feel. Inside, the Ultimate Calligraphy trim boasted a stylish and attractive interior with premium Nappa leather, a dual-pane sunroof, and horizontal quilting reminiscent of luxury brands. The Palisade offered a range of seating configurations, with second-row captain's chairs available on higher trims, providing comfort and versatility for passengers.

The 2023 Subaru Outback underwent a facelift, featuring a redesigned front end with new LED headlights, a restyled grille, and a revised bumper with dark gray cladding. These changes gave the Outback a more aggressive appearance, especially when paired with the Onyx Edition's black wheels and trim. The Outback was available in seven trim levels, with the Onyx Edition offering a base powertrain at an MSRP of $38,695 in Canada. The Limited trim, tested in Cosmic Blue paint with Java Brown premium Nappa leather, provided a cohesive and upscale interior. Despite some hard plastic trim, the Outback's cabin felt well-designed and comfortable. The Outback's practicality was evident in its flat door sills, which served as steps for accessing the roof rack, and its spacious interior, which accommodated passengers and cargo with ease.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with a 3.8-litre V6 engine, producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive in Canada, offered competitive performance in its class. The Palisade excelled in towing, with a capacity of up to 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) and a dedicated Tow Mode for optimized shifting. Fuel economy was rated at 12.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 9.5 on the highway, and 11.2 combined. While not designed for rock-crawling, the Palisade provided a comfortable ride and demonstrated its capability during a muddy off-road test drive.

The 2023 Subaru Outback featured horizontally opposed engines, known for their flat design and characteristic grumble. The standard engine produced 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque, paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). While the CVT performed well at lower speeds, the engine lacked passing and climbing power, with a towing capacity of 1,225 kilograms (2,700 pounds). Fuel economy was slightly disappointing, with a combined rating of 9.2 L/100 km during testing. The Outback XT models offered a turbocharged 2.4-litre engine with 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, providing better performance but at a higher cost. The Outback's Active Torque Split AWD system and X-Mode traction system enhanced its off-road capabilities, while its suspension tuning delivered a comfortable ride in various driving conditions.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade offered ample interior space, comfortably seating seven or eight passengers. It provided 1,052 millimetres of legroom in the front row, 1,077 in the second, and 798 in the third, with a total passenger volume of 4,397 litres. The Palisade's cargo space measured 509 litres behind the third row, 1,297 litres behind the second row, and 2,447 litres with all but the front-row seats folded flat. A hands-free smart liftgate was standard on all but the base trim. The Palisade's interior was designed for convenience, with HVAC vents in all three rows, multiple cupholders, and a well-organized centre console.

The 2023 Subaru Outback prioritized utility with features like a robust roof rack and flat door sill trim. The Limited trim offered a comfortable interior with a 12-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front and rear seats, and premium Nappa leather upholstery. The Outback's spacious cabin accommodated passengers and cargo with ease, providing 923 litres of cargo space behind the back seat and 2,141 litres with the back seat folded down. The Outback's design made it easy to enter and exit, with height-adjustable front seats and a supportive rear seat cushion. While the Outback excelled in practicality, it could benefit from additional storage space in the centre console.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade featured a 12.3-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, and Bluetooth connectivity. A premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was standard on higher trims, and the Palisade offered multiple USB ports and a wireless charger. The digital instrument cluster and in-car intercom enhanced the driving experience, while Hyundai's Bluelink connected vehicle system provided remote accessibility and management features.

The 2023 Subaru Outback, except for the Base trim, came with a Starlink 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, along with subscription-based Starlink connected services. The system's usability had improved, but the voice recognition system was lacking. Additional technologies included a camera-based digital rearview mirror and a 180-degree front-view camera. While the infotainment system worked well, the graphics and colourful icons were not to everyone's taste.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and came with Hyundai's Smart Sense suite of safety features. These included forward collision avoidance, driver attention warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim offered additional features like Highway Driving Assist II and a full-display digital rearview mirror. The Palisade also featured a rear seat occupant alert system and rain-sensing wipers on higher trims.

The 2023 Subaru Outback was equipped with Subaru's EyeSight safety suite, which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and lane-keeping assist. Higher trims added features like blind spot monitoring and a new Automatic Emergency Steering system. The Outback's safety features were effective, but the adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist systems could be improved for a more natural driving experience. The rear automatic braking system had limitations in certain situations.