2025 Hyundai Palisade vs 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The Palisade is Hyundai’s largest SUV, debuting in 2020 as a replacement for the Hyundai Santa Fe XL. Since then, the automaker has steadily improved the SUV’s styling, technology, and packaging, and that’s also true of the 2025 Palisade. A redesigned 2026 Palisade is on the way and will undoubtedly improve on this outgoing version.

Verdict: Though the 2025 Palisade marks the last year for the current-generation model, you should still consider one, especially if the deal is too good to pass up. This Hyundai has aged remarkably well and remains more appealing than many of its rivals in the midsize three-row SUV arena.

Mercedes introduced the ML-Class in the late 1990s, a blobby-looking luxury SUV focused on on-road comfort. Almost 30 years later, the GLE — the ML’s replacement — follows that model’s founding formula but with modern powertrains and technology. The 2026 GLE is available in standard and “coupe” body styles equipped with four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. For the 2026 model year, the six-cylinder GLE 450 features a standard AMG Line exterior design.

Verdict: The midsize Mercedes GLE is the second most popular model the company sells in North America (behind the smaller GLC crossover SUV). That’s easy to understand given consumer preferences for SUVs and the GLE’s overall appeal. Still, it is time for Mercedes to redesign this model.