2024 Hyundai Palisade vs 2024 MINI Countryman

The 2024 MINI Countryman exuded a playful charm, staying true to its iconic design with classic MINI styling cues. Its erect wraparound windshield, floating roof, and Union Jack taillights proudly showcased its British heritage. The Countryman offered a variety of paint, roof, and mirror cap treatments, along with multiple wheel designs, allowing for a personalized touch. In Canada, the lineup included the Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE, and John Cooper Works models, each with distinct drivetrains. The Cooper models featured a turbocharged three-cylinder engine, while the Cooper S and John Cooper Works boasted a more powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The Cooper SE was a plug-in hybrid with a modest electric range. Special editions like the Untamed Edition added unique features and styling elements, enhancing the MINI's distinctive appeal.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Palisade stood out with its distinctive styling, making it easily recognizable among family-friendly SUVs. The Palisade was available in two trims in Canada: Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim, which we tested, featured luxurious touches such as an artificial suede headliner, quality upholstery, and sophisticated interior design elements. These features elevated the Palisade's look and feel, giving it a luxury SUV vibe. The Palisade's design might not have appealed to everyone, but those who appreciated its aesthetics likely found the rest of the vehicle equally appealing.

The 2024 MINI Countryman offered a range of performance options, with the John Cooper Works model leading the pack. It featured a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 301 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed sport automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. This setup allowed the JCW to accelerate to 100 km/h in approximately 5 seconds. The Cooper S, with its 189 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque, provided a zippy and athletic driving experience, reaching 100 km/h in about 7.3 seconds. The Countryman excelled in daily driving scenarios, though it wasn't designed for off-road adventures. Fuel economy was decent, with a rating of 9.1 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, though our test averaged slightly higher at 9.3 L/100 km.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade, on the other hand, was equipped with a 3.8-litre V6 engine generating 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive in Canada provided a smooth and satisfying driving experience. The Palisade offered multiple driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow, and had a maximum towing capacity of 2,268 kilograms. Fuel consumption was rated at 11.1 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, though our test loop averaged 15.0 L/100 km. The Palisade's suspension provided a firm yet comfortable ride, and it displayed unexpected agility on mountain and canyon roads.

Inside the 2024 MINI Countryman, there was room for four adults and their luggage for a week-long road trip. The front seats were small but supportive, and the steering wheel was a delight to grip. While the Countryman had seatbelts for five, four passengers would be more comfortable. Rear legroom and foot room were adequate, but squeezing in a fifth passenger was challenging. The Countryman offered reasonable interior storage, though the smartphone charging pad blocked access to the tray beneath it. Cargo space was limited, with 498 litres behind the back seat and 1,348 litres with the seats folded.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade provided a more spacious and comfortable interior. The Urban trim featured artificial leather upholstery, while the Ultimate Calligraphy trim boasted premium Nappa leather. Heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated outboard rear seats were standard. The Palisade offered configurable storage, with a large bin between the front seats and additional storage under the centre console. Second-row passengers enjoyed excellent comfort, with a rear climate control panel and USB charging ports. The third row was more comfortable than most rivals, and the Palisade offered 509 litres of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 2,447 litres with the seats folded.

The 2024 MINI Countryman featured a small digital instrumentation display and a head-up display projecting information on a small screen. The 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system used BMW's iDrive technology, offering multiple ways to interact with it, including a touchscreen, steering wheel controls, and voice recognition. However, the system lacked Android Auto, providing only Apple CarPlay. A 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system was available, offering excellent sound quality.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Palisade came with a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation. It supported Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though they required a cable. The Palisade included Hyundai's Bluelink connected services with a three-year subscription, offering features like remote engine starting and automatic collision notification. The standard 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system provided excellent audio quality, and additional technologies included a digital rearview mirror and a semi-autonomous remote parking system.

The 2024 MINI Countryman offered limited advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It included Active Driving Assistant with forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. Rear parking sensors and an emergency SOS call button were also standard, with adaptive cruise control available as an option. The Countryman earned a Good rating in crashworthiness evaluations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade, on the other hand, was equipped with a comprehensive suite of driving assistance systems. It included forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and more. Highway Driving Assist paired adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assist, providing a hands-on driving system for highway travel. The Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, though some crash tests were incomplete.