Should You Buy a 2023 Hyundai Palisade? Thorough Review By a Mechanic 

I'm glad that someone's reviewing new cars on their serviceability. Even if the audience may not be DIY-ing as much as they use to on older cars, this helps estimate shop labor, longevity, and possible root-causes of common signs/symptoms.

A month ago bought a 24 Palisade Calligraphy. It is the most quiet vehicle my family owned. No wind noise and minimum road noise.The tires that come with suv are Hankook and require a break in period with miles on them. If you switch to Michelin tires, they are even quieter. I am a professional mechanical engineer in manufacturing and don’t agree some of the things mentioned in this review. The engine in the Palisade, has been around for many years and even used in Hyundai Genesis models back in the day before Genesis became a separate brand. There has been some revisions made on this engine and it runs very quiet and smooth, even in the winter. Before my purchase, i reviewed all the competition, including Toyota Grand Highlander, Honda Pilot and the Mazda CX90. Thanking god, for me, money was not an issue due to buying it with cash with no payments. I ended with up with the Palisade because it offers the best for the money, in fact it’s hard to believe this suv doesn’t cost more than $60,000. To me, manufacturing in Korea was also a plus. Hyundai makes their own steel and most of their electronics (samsung), they don’t import them like other manufacturers do. That is why the price is lower. Very happy with the purchase and will buy it again, hopefully a hybrid powertrain in the future.

I understand people don't like the hard plastic seat backs. However the primary market for these suv's are family's and if you have a child behind you having a hard seat back will really help prevent your seat from being kicked in which as an owner of a palisade I really appreciate. Great review!

My dad has been a auto mechanic since he was 20. He’s 80 now. He just bought one of these. And he loves it.

This review was great and exactly what i was looking for. All reviewers talk about how good this car is, no one talks about the mechanical and reliability perspective. Thanks AMD

This Hyundai Palisade is gorgeous; the reviews have been generally positive, but I felt they were incomplete. I greatly appreciate the objective reviews I see on this channel, as such a thing is becoming more and more rare. You present the good, the bad, and the questionable with solid explanations for each, and that is what I want! You’re not trying to steer anyone towards any destination; you’re simply pointing out the facts, filtered through your professional experiences, and allowing your viewers to make their own decisions on the matter. BRAVO! I’m a happy subscriber, and I hope you continue to give us these unbiased reviews.

This is what many of us were looking for! Not what the car appears to be the first 30K miles but longevity and long-term consequences of owning the vehicle. Keep it up and we'll keep watching! Just subscribed.

Great review. I just purchased a 2023 Palisade Caligraphy and absolutely love it. I am 75 and like the luxury of a Cadillac so you know where I am coming from. I also have 4 grandchildren and want to have the space of a 3 row SUV. The Palisade blew me away for what I was paying for. Great interior with lots of space and very good technology that greatly exceeded my expectations. The ride quality and performance of the V6 are totally acceptable for what I need. I learned a lot from your video on the engine (hydraulic lifters and carbon build-up) and it does concern me, but the car is garaged (I live in Chicago) so hopefully it won't be a huge problem. The 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and 100,000 mile drive train warranty, might help mitigate the problem.

More reviews like this will catapult you straight to 1 million subscribers. This is what is surely missing in RU-vid car reviews. We care about luxury, comfort, quietness, power, safety, features, sound systems and long term RELIABILITY. We don’t care about exhaust noise, steering feedback and other “sporty” nonsense.

Man, this was an incredible review. Nobody dives deep into the internal mechanics that I've seen so far! Please keep up the good work and I look forward to more of your content!

One of the best reviews out there. Please man, do the 2023 Pilot when possible.

I have to say this is a refreshingly detailed review of a vehicle. The details related to the engine, exhaust and suspension, the important info about the plastic oil filter mount...this type of info is what make this review stand out. You know when you have content like this no one has to beg or ask for a subsciption or a like. Keep up the good work

Mr. Car Care Nut, I think you got something here. This is a niche, your ability to perform an unbiased technical review. Much deeper than Savagegeese’s attempt. Keep it up and in no time your channel will be the last step people go to before finally deciding to buy a new or pre-owned car. 👊🏼👍🏻

Probably one of the best reviews I have ever seen! Please do the same with more brands/ models. Thank you for sharing!

This is by far the best car review I've seen on RU-vid. Well Done. Subscribed!

This channel really provides professional reviews that really help people make good vehicles purchase decisions unlike those RU-vid videos that only discuss the look of the car and take it for a spin, keep up the good work my friend, can’t wait for the next episode.

Excellent ! Finally, someone comments upon the design, engineering, materials of vehicles. The review is yet cursory, but still better than others.

After watching several of your reviews recently I am beginning to see how I need to move on from the dozen or so other car reviewers that I have highly regarded. You Sir have earned position Number 1 in my car reviewer hit parade. Keep'em coming! Thanks!

These videos are some of the best reviews on RU-vid. Keep up the good work

Kudos to your in-depth interview. The strategy is great. Instead of going to the peripherals first, you begin right from the engine compartment. It really helps people not to be pulled by the other less important aspects such as interior and exterior.

I DID learn something today, thank you. Really fascinating insights on this review. I thought the car’s summation as “A sad dream” was absolutely hilarious. Keep up the great work!

I really appreciate these im depth reviews, especially regarding the drive train and overall expected reliability.

This video influenced me so much that I decided today to upgrade from my Santa Fe to a Palisade. Thanks so much for the clarity on what is "not the end of the world", ok, good and great... The mechanics explanation was very cool: thanks!!!

I just subscribed to your channel because nobody else does in depth reviews like this and this is great to hear from a mechanic's perspective.

These videos give a high level of information, helps us to see beyond the paint and provides an insight into the manufacturer. Thank you AMD, good video.

New sub, awsome content. The technical aspect of your reviews are awsome. At first I thought I found the official Toyota fan boy channel. The fact that you give unbiased reviews of other manufactures is a great thing. Hoovie ,Kilmer and Wizard are fine for laughs but you are the real deal. God bless you and your family.

One of the most thorough and honest reviews I have ever seen! The Mechanic needs to do more reviews because he is great and very knowledgeable.

Probably the best car reviewer I have seen. This is exactly what someone who does research on car wants before making the purchase.

Amazing review AMD! Hearing the honest thoughts from a professional reliable mechanic is simply invaluable!

I want to compliment you on your extremely detailed care care, maintenance and reviews. I watch many car mechanics, and car reviewers. You are the best of them all. Please keep making videos and posting to RU-vid. I’ve subscribed to your channel, I “Like” your videos and I strongly encourage you to continue reviewing and posting videos about engines, transmissions and cars/trucks in general. You rock my friend!

Well done on the review. It's the mechanics perspective that we have been missing out on all the reviews.

Excellent review! Most car "journalists" have no clue if they open the hood. Many have no idea what they are talking about. So highly informative to finally have someone talking about a new car who actually does know a lot of stuff many viewers don't!

I absolutely love how the review steps away from the usual 'test drive' or short-term view. Typical reviews don't consider maintenance costs which include how something can break, or how easily or how difficult it is to replace certain parts. Great stuff!

Great review. Keep going brother. By far best car review. I love car reviews and I watch them in different languages. This one is best because of adding mechanical part and upcoming issues and visualizing suspension and exhaust build and pointing out on details.

I just want to say thank you for the honest reviews. When you speak about a engine either having direct injection or direct and port fuel injection, that is excellent advice because there is very little information when tiring to find this information on the web or from a sales person. Keep up the great reviews and from a former mechanic for over 30 years you do a great job.

Scotty will LOVE your review, especially the final conclusion. Lol. Honesty but polite opinion from a Master Technician, good job.

I have never seen anyone take time to explain an SUV vehicle the way that you do. I will be coming back for more. This is a great idea to give details on different types of SUV. Thank you!

Love this review, really hope more insights will be on other new models eg.the Mazda CX90 etc. Thanks for the detailed,thorough work you do.

Amazing reviews. Very thorough and I like the fact that you cover very technical details. And also the videos follow same steps so it's like therapy to watch one after the other! Are you also able to do a video on 2023 Kia Sorento ? Thanks

Very excellent points and professional presentation! I would like to mention (as a Toyota/Lexus fanboy) and someone who briefly owned a 2020 Sonata Limited and got burnt, but recently traded in our 2017 MDX (shoddy trans at 101k) for a gently used 2021 Palisade, I prefer the "old-school" PT solely because at this point their 3.8L NA V-6 and 8-spd trans are rather legacy products, but proven and have ideally worked the kinks out compared to their newer applications.

We are on our second Palisade and it is a great ride for the family. I call it a Korean FWD Range Rover. The weakest point is the dealerships suck with service. Our included maintenance contract takes forever for appointments and they do not address our minor issues.

Exactly the type of details i was looking for. Subscribed

Great reviews. I really appreciate that you highlight important drivetrain and engine issues.

This man is so good mannered, he wont say directly it's a nonsense engine. He just leaves bread crumbs all over the place.

Just got myself a 2023 palisade calligraphy for my family and we love it. Drives great and Super comfortable. Took it on 2 trips already one trip was to Santa Cruz and was about a 800 mile trip (going & coming) and the second was to Salt Lake City and was about a 1600 mile trip (going & coming) and it was snowing in Utah and both trips were easy and smooth. Didn’t have any trouble with anything. I will make sure to come back when my car falls apart because this seems what everyone who drives a Toyota says about Hyundai. I myself like to think part of it is the way the owner takes care of their car but what do I know. Anyone who might be interested in this SUV I truly recommend it. It has space in all 3 rows. I’m not the tallest guy at 5’7 but being in the 3rd row I would say even at 5’10-5’11 you will have enough room in 3rd row to sit for even a longer drive. If you have any questions feel free too ask.

Thank you very much for this review. Very detailed and took a look at things most other reviewers would never touch. I love my Kias and am looking at the telluride, but I kept hearing the Palisade had features above the Telluride. I would love you to run through the telluride and the Genesis type SUV for the full comparison, but I’m sure you’re busy and will get to the vehicles you want in good time. Thanks again.

Thank you for taking the time to do an awesome review.

Thank you AMD for your professional reviews! I'm a fan!! I love seeing car reviews and THIS is the info I REALLY NEED!!! I'm doing research for my next car purchase. You are helping me out tremendously!

Nice review Mate 👍🏻 very honest and Frank in so many ways. Well done. We also love our Palisade, but Australian top spec (similar to US caligraphy) has slightly different options such as we get the auto folding door mirrors and I noticed some features the Aussie model doesn’t have eg 3rd Row heated seats or the power third row. Our AWD are all Diesel and all FWD V6. In my research it’s the best bang for buck model on the (Aussie) market, but we don’t have as many options here, eg Telluride isn’t offered as well as few other notable larger vehicles. Also interested if your “Old tech” comment is relatable to new diesel as it seems to be your biggest Con and most sold here in australia would be sold as the diesel.

Fantastic review! The comment about the interior noise surprised me because I just watched a different video review where a db meter was used, and at highway speeds the Palisade came in at the lower end of the noise spectrum relative to comparable SUVs.

I just subscribed. I love your in depth review. The underside view inspection was 👌

Very good camera lighting ! I can see even the dark corners ! Thank you.

Absolutely fantastic review from someone objective who obviously knows what he's talking about. Very thorough and on point with the important stuff. I think you may have done it for Hyundai at around 33:15 though 😊 Hyundai should watch this video and take heed to every single observation. Very well done and thanks for the video. I'm definitely a subscriber and I'm sure that anyone else landing on this channel will be too! 👍🏻

Really solid car. A family member has a 2022 model and no issues in the 18 months of ownership.There only complaint is it drinks fuel but it's a boxy-shaped, heavy SUV with a big V6 engine, so to be expected! Yes the plastics on the rear of the seats are a cost cutting exercise but also by design. Small kids love to kick up the back of the seats so plastic is a wiser choice, harder wearing and easier to clean!

I love this guy. So knowledgeable. Refreshing.

What a great review, please keep these thorough reviews going!

I just took the family from Maine to Florida and back in our 23 calligraphy. the highway drive was not loud at all. I have seen with some people have complained about the road noise, but it is not an issue in our vehicle.

Your explanation came from maintenance way and no youtuber discribe like that , i love your opinion about cars that's you present every episode

My friend you do an EXCELLENT job on your video this is my first video with you and you’re IMPRESSIVE on your view of its entirety THANK you 😊

7 min into the video and subscribed love the technical details this man covers glad I stumbled across the video very informative

I’d love to hear your thoughts for the new Honda pilot 2023. Great video here!

I love how you went deep on the internals. Your insight as a mechanic provided great information on the reliablity of the car. Thank you for this wonderful review. It makes me reconsider keeping my Palisade long term.

This is great content. Super indepth technical but any guys interested in buying a car new or used will make your channel a reference in the years to come. You earned a sub from me.

Really top notch review!!! So in-depth compared to everyone else!

Got rid of ours back in 2020 after 5 months for a 4Runner and it is like night and day in build quality. Palisade is a nice place to be, short term, and that’s it.

Nice seeing some reviews on non-Toyota products. I think this Palisade gives the Highlander some real competition. Enjoyed this!

A really unique channel showing the vehicle from the eyes of a mechanic. Its like manufacturers and other reviewers can tell this and that, but when it comes thru your eyes, you tell the truth. Very useful to future buyers, Thank you sir, subbed !

You give your honest opinion from a mechanic's perspective and that is really appreciated. Good job.

Excellent review from a technical perspective! It really shows what Hyundai focuses on and skimps on, which fits what the brand is all about(Fashion over function). Could you do reviews on European cars like Merc and BMW? I especially love the reviews on the engine and under car.

Incredible attention to detail - especially from a mechanical (engine / underside) perspective. Please keep it up - most reviews totally skip that! Please consider reviewing other SUVs (Honda Pilot, BMW X5, Subaru Forester, etc). Keep up the great work! 👍🏽

Great review for car enthusiasts. Keep up the good work

Gosh, a real review on You Tube. Love it!

Unbiased review with a critical eye is what we as consumers need, not all the other channels who just review with kid gloves.... BRAVO! MORE MORE MORE!

Absolutely stellar review!👍 Americans love old fashioned, long in the tooth, tried and tested V6 engines. Hyundai hit it out of the park for the USA. There is a reason the Pallisade and Telluride SUVs sell like hotcakes and are praised in every US publication. Reliability you say, HA! We dont keep them that long anymore. People like me who hold them for 10+ years are a minority.

I like the way he puts it down bit by bit in a very instrumental manner down to the details just like how you make chicken masala. Please, we need this kind of quality yet gentle review. Keep it up man.

thumbs up to this review. this channel deserve more than my subscription. Tay will definitely follow this channel.

Unlike most recent high-end cars (or Cadillacs of the last half-century), the Hyundai/Kia rear auto leveling does not have a separate compressor for the shocks. I believe they've devised a less expensive passive system involving rear shocks that generate lift from vehicle motion when higher loads dictate. I suspect that's why those rear shocks are weirdly large.

Dude...this is a niche segment that's untapped. Keep it up and you can live off RU-vid earnings. Great videos!

I love your channel. I view what the other guys say about a vehicle then I get the REAL understanding/review from your channel. In other words.. I get the fluff form the other reviews and get the meat and potato's from your review.. thanks for being very detailed.

Thank you. I was considering this or the Telluride. Your breakdown was awesome and I feel empowered now. Thank you so much.

I very much appreciate AMD and his expert mechanical opinions. This channel is one of the few whose opinions on that level that I trust. I'm not a current Toyota owner, but I'm the original owner of a 2017 Kia Sorento, an engineer, and a shade tree mechanic so I feel qualified to offer my opinion on the reliability of the mechanicals of the power train being discussed here. My Sorento has the Hyundai 3.3l V6 engine. It is the exact same engine in the new Palisade. The only difference is the new V6 has been bored out to give 3.8l vs the 3.3l. part of the reason I settled on the 2017 Sorento was because the 3.3l has a long history with Hyundai and Kia, with few problems. Same goes for their 6 speed transmission, now an 8 speed. Yes, this engine can be viewed as 'old school ' because Hyundai didn't adopt hydraulic lifters, but don't view this as a connection to poor reliability. Many Honda engines also never adopted hydraulic lifters. So you should check valve clearances on Hyundai, Kia, and Honda's. No big deal and done every 100-150k miles. My Sorento at 85k miles has zero top end engine noises that would warrant me thinking It has valve clearance issues. I had my daughter get her 2011 CR-V's valves gapped at the dealer at 160k just for peace of mind and no adjustment was necessary. Understand that these vehicles are well maintained and synthetic oil is used and changed every 4k. Other than routine maintenance on both the Sorento and the CR-V there have been no issues or repairs to these vehicles. The 2017 Sorento drives just as good in 2024 as the day we bought it and lm anticipating we'll get the 200+k miles out of it that we're expecting. One other comment. A great Toyota feature/design/innovation is the GDI and PFI as AMD suggests. Hyundai/Kia have adopted this design on their 2.5l 4 cyl., but not the V6. I suspect it isn't on the V6 because that engine is going to get phased out because of the tightening emission standards, just as was the case with Toyota discontinuing their V6 in 2023. Though Hyundai and Kia V6's don't have the dual fuel injection systems, that isn't reason for me to avoid them since the overall reliability of their V6 has otherwise been excellent.

AMD, As it is January 1, 2023 today, it will be easy to keep track of how long it takes Hyundai/Kia to send you another car 😉😉😉

This is a really good in depth review I've ever seen.. I agree that the car design looks and interior is very nice and almost all review say that while nobody mentions the powertrain.... a similar review of the acura mdx would be awesome!

I am so so glad that you covered what you did here. So educational as well. Please make videos with more details for us nerds.

Best full review on RU-vid. Keep up your great work. I love the fact you show the underside and discuss long term potential issue in design and all the technical detail. We don’t need to know how sporty the family suv. Your review is on point. Really really well done.

Very revealing. Excellent review. Perhaps the nicer interior touches will be mostly be enjoyed buy the service techs after it falls apart. Seems there are a lot of sketchy design flaws.

Man what a way to actually review a car 👏 🎉 amazing job, can you please review the Atlas with the v6. Keep up the amazing work you do 👍🏼

The car review that I was looking for years...... keep it up mate

OMG I was looking for reviews like this!! Mechanic's perspective!! Show us what's under the car, what materials they used, and how durable they are. Thank you for doing this review. I would love to see other SUVs and more!!

Great review! I have a 2021 palisade and I absolutely love it. It runs smoothly and nobody can beat the warranty .

Absolutely wonderful content. Your credibility and authenticity shine through. I trust everything you say. Thank you for this insightful review.

Refreshing review, unique, new angles n interesting. I have subscribed.

No wonder you see recall after recall for the nice looking Hyundai/Kia cars. Subscribed. Please review Subaru cars.

Very surprised that you found highway driving to be noisy. My 2022 Calligraphy is silent around town and quiet on the interstate. I don't remember you showing the storage under the rear floor behind the 3rd row. On my 2020 Toyota Sienna Limited Premium, reliability has been a myth, so I'll take my chances with Hyundai.

This is awesome!! Thank you for the detailed review this helps anyone that is looking to buy a car.

Really appreciated the criticisms of this vehicle. Makes your review have so much more value and credibility in my book!

First, let me just say that I love your approach. You’re even tempered, you’re contemplative (asking questions that we, as the buyer, should be asking), and you take a deeper look at vehicles that many channels don’t offer. PLEASE PLEASE keep doing these. I know you are primarily a Japanese geared mechanic (mainly Toyota) - but I appreciate the fact that you don’t stay in the lane. You take an objective look at what other manufacturers are producing and help us with our decision making. And it’s not a “don’t buy this car” sort of statement (although i am sure if that car was horribly engineered and had limited reliability you would say so)… but you leave us with things to consider and little warnings to take note of…..”here are some things that you, as the buyer, may encounter down the road, so just bear that in mind.” A couple things I did want to point out is I would like it if you had some links to other videos on certain parts of the engine to help us understand what it does or what a good way of engineering those parts should look like. There were a couple points during the hood segment where i wasn’t entirely sure what would have made it better and i totally understand that with a video that is already nearly 40 minutes long, you can’t take an extended amount of time to explain simple things on every video…. But a little direction to learning a little more on key things in the engine bay would help. The other thing i wanted to say is that - yes, Hyundai did, technically, cut corners with the rear of the driver and passengers seat with not wrapping the seat fully with leather. But i will say that this is something that I prefer in I mainstream cars. Because a lot of common buyers are going to go after vehicles like this…. And those common buyers who shooting for 3 row seats likely have a decent number of kids - and some may still be in car seats…… rainy, muddy days - messy dirty shoes - right on the back of that nice leather > no thank you. I’m glad they covered it with plastic…. Makes it easier to clean and less stressful to think about the fact that the leather now looks awful or continues to look awful because of those kids in the car seats. From the average consumer - that is something I appreciate… That’s a corner i don’t mind being cut. Let them jump into a Genesis, Lexus… etc if they want a more premium feel.

I’m not even looking to buy this SUV and yet I am thoroughly enjoying this entire review. You are a gem!!

Thank you so much for this video! I'm in the market for a new vehicle and this was on my list.

gianormous is a relative term. In my day a 440 magnum, 455 rocket etc. were considered big for a car engine. Love your videos, always learning something new!