2026 Palisade Owner Experience

For those of us who are still undecided about the first model year 2026 Palisade, what are your likes, dislikes, and problems so far from those who have actually purchased one?

Got the 2026 Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy about 1.5 months ago and I love the car.

Good:
- Ride is incredible smooth and quiet
- Vehicle is powerful enough to not have any trouble to acquire speed quickly, say for a left turn or highway overtake
- Hybrid system transition is seamless. Unless you're looking at the cluster you don't even know what engine is providing power when cruising
- Seats are very comfortable! 2nd row heated/vented and 3rd row heated is a family pleaser
- Tech is awesome! Make sure to go through all the options at least once, there is a lot to customize
- Cup holders are massive and work well
- Sound system is awesome
- CarPlay works seamlessly, haven't had a single problem with it yet

Needs some work:
- Under 40 mph I would expect engine noise to not be so noticeable. Especially when taking off, seems a bit loud for a car in this class. Comparing against my previous RAM 1500 with a V8 this is noticeably louder. After 35-40 mph you forget you have an engine running as the extra noise from driving makes it unnoticeable
- Lane Keep kind of "weaves" between the lines. I'm sure they will improve this over time but it is still a bit unnerving to notice the car not really staying in the center and kind of "finding the lane" to then center again
- Where can I store my sunglasses?!? No, seriously...

Notes to Keep in Mind:
- Most of the settings are tied to profiles. Rather than adjusting Seat Position 1 to you and Position 2 to your partner, create a profile for each of you so phone digital keys, ration stations, button settings, seat positions and a lot more are actually stored individually for each of driver
- Bluelink is cool but if you're not tech savvy please take the time to set it up at the dealer
- Inspect your car in detail before taking delivery. Mine came with the windshield scratched and although the dealer is working with me to fix that they don't yet have parts and this will take a while to fix
- Drive modes make a lot of difference. Specially if you have AWD. Remember them when in slippery terrain
- If you get the power seats the 2nd row front stow to access the 3rd row seats takes about 10 seconds which feels like a minute
- Yes, I was able to reach 31 mph but even the wind can't be against you. Usually I get from 29 to 27 mph in driving in a mix of city and highway. I mostly use the vehicle for commute and family 30-60 min drives.

I hope this helps.

Great review.
I have a 23 Calligraphy, and I'm probably going to wait until 27 for them to work the bugs out unless they make me a deal I can't refuse on a 26. I'm surprised about your lane keep comment; I use it all the time on my 23, and it works perfectly without any ping-ponging. I hope that's just a software update that they'll take care of soon.
As for the engine noise, I'm also considering the Lexus TX or the Grand Highlander. Even the Lexus 4-cylinder turbo was a bit loud, especially at their price point. I thought the Calligraphy Hybrid was actually quieter during my test drives and I can't seem to justify the price differential to the Lexus. I suspect this is a trade-off of the industry-wide trend to ask 4-cylinder turbos to move these large vehicles.

I have had my gears refuse to shift or engage several times. For example, while in R, switching to D has been a problem. When in D and the light changes, moving forward sometimes projects like a missile. I reported the problem to @hollerhyundai to no avail. Well, the largest scare happened. I arrived home and placed the car in park as I proceeded to get out of the car, the car rolled into my home. The gear never left the drive position. I then began to research the issue. I have had cars since I was 18 years old, and I refuse allow this industry to have me thinking I was crazy. Several owners have had and reported this problem. Why are Hyundai and the dealerships acting like this problem does not exist? I should not have to bang, push with force, or hold the keys down to make sure the shift has changed. I should not have to die before this company LISTENS. THERE IS A PROBLEM with the Palisade shifting.

There are no 'keys' in a Palisade.
From the Manual (Remember to always RTFM):

The gear is shifted to P (Park) automatically for safety reasons under the following conditions:

• When the engine is turned off with the gear in R (Reverse), D (Drive) or N (Neutral).
  However, if you need to stay in N (Neutral) with the vehicle off, refer to 'To stay in N (Neutral) when vehicle is OFF' in this section.
• When the driver's door is open with the engine running, the gear in R (Reverse), D (Drive) or N (Neutral) and the vehicle at a standstill.
  However, if the vehicle is in motion, the gear may not automatically shift to P (Park) to prevent transmission damage
• When the driver's door is open with the gear in N (Neutral) and the vehicle is off.

Although I don't have a 26, this works perfectly in my 23. I do know that the vehicle must be at a standstill to change gears. It's this way with every shift-by-wire vehicle I've owned.
Did your vehicle actually indicate it went into Park, or did you simply push the button and assume it was in park? In any case, if it was at a standstill and you opened the door, it should have automagically shifted into Park. This safety feature works perfectly in my 23.

There are zero complaints or issues reported on NHTSA for the 26 Palisade. You can easily "Report a Safety Problem" with them on that site. Posting on that site will get it addressed if enough people report.