Compare the2026 Ford ExpeditionVS 2026 Hyundai Palisade

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Ford Expedition achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Hyundai Palisade has not been tested.

The Expedition has standard Post-Impact Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Palisade doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Expedition and the Palisade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

The Ford Expedition weighs 526 to 1250 pounds more than the Hyundai Palisade. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are over 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Expedition’s warranty.

The Expedition has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Palisade doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Ford higher than Hyundai.

The Expedition’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 113 more horsepower (400 vs. 287) and 220 lbs.-ft. more torque (480 vs. 260) than the Palisade’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6. The Expedition’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 71 more horsepower (400 vs. 329) and 141 lbs.-ft. more torque (480 vs. 339) than the Palisade’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Expedition’s optional 3.5 turbo V6 produces 111 more horsepower (440 vs. 329) and 171 lbs.-ft. more torque (510 vs. 339) than the Palisade’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Expedition has 5.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Palisade Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (23.6 vs. 18.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Expedition has 4.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Palisade V6’s standard fuel tank (23.6 vs. 19 gallons).

The Expedition has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Palisade doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Expedition, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Palisade.

For better stopping power the Expedition’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Palisade:

For better traction, the Expedition has larger standard tires than the Palisade (265/70R18 vs. 235/65R18). The Expedition Platinum’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Palisade (285/40R24 vs. 265/45R21).

The Expedition Platinum’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Palisade Calligraphy’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Expedition Platinum offers optional 24-inch wheels. The Palisade’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Ford Expedition’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Hyundai Palisade only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Expedition has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Palisade; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The Expedition offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Palisade’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Expedition’s wheelbase is 5.6 inches longer than on the Palisade (122.5 inches vs. 116.9 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Expedition has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Palisade (8.7 vs. 7.4 inches), allowing the Expedition to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Expedition Tremor’s minimum ground clearance is 2.2 inches higher than on the Palisade XRT PRO (10.6 vs. 8.4 inches).

The Expedition Tremor/Platinum Stealth uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Palisade doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Expedition has 13.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Palisade (175 vs. 161.9).

The Expedition has .3 inches more front headroom, 3.5 inches more front hip room, 3.5 inches more front shoulder room, 5.6 inches more rear hip room, 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room, 4.4 inches more third row legroom, 6.1 inches more third row hip room and 8.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Palisade.

The Expedition’s cargo area provides more volume than the Palisade.

The Expedition’s cargo area is larger than the Palisade’s in almost every dimension:

An optional locking center console (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Expedition. The Palisade doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Expedition’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Palisade’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Expedition’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Palisade’s (6000 vs. 5000 pounds).

While the Palisade Hybrid can only tow 4000, any Expedition can tow a minimum of 6000 pounds.

The Expedition 4x4 can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Expedition can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Palisade can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The engine in the Expedition is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Palisade. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

If the windows are left open on the Expedition the driver can close all of them from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Palisade can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Expedition’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Palisade doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Bluelink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Expedition’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Palisade’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.