Hyundai Palisade review and buyer's guide | Auto Expert John Cadogan

Hyundai Palisade - you can see it from space. But, two weeks in - I’m still struggling to figure it out. I’m deeply conflicted here, in the domain of love and hate. Details next.
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I’m having a ‘love/hate’ relationship with Palisade. It’s an excellent vehicle - if you meet a tightly defined set of criteria, as the user - but it’s also packed with apparent contradictions.
Top 10 things I love
LOVE:
If you’ve got up to eight people to convey from A to B, and you also need luggage space, Palisade is a beast.
Palisade has a proper, full-sized spare wheel and tyre, underslung, at the rear. This is perfect for regional touring.
This thing is fully loaded. Like, it would take until the middle of next week to run through all the features.
The cabin space is tremendously configurable.
The 2.2 Diesel powertrain is the one to get. Eight-speed auto plus on-demand AWD is extremely well-suited to this vehicle.
Palisade is a superbly comfortable vehicle to drive long distances
The fundamental choice you have to make on the Palisade is: Seven seats, or eight?
Palisade is actually about $54,000 cheaper than a fully-loaded Toyota Landcruiser.
They’ve put a lot of thought into the interior.
Palisade is the kind of vehicle that really has democratized luxury.
Top 10 criticisms:
DISLIKE
It’s bigger than Santa Fe but doesn’t tow as much.
Hyundai and Kia need to drop the V6 and start running with the 2.5 turbo petrol engine in vehicles like this
It doesn’t look like a next-gen Hyundai product externally.
Palisade costs about $10,000 more than a Kia Carnival - which is approximately as versatile and as capable, except for the Carnival’s lack of AWD.
White leather - such long-term disaster. Like, everything from the dye in new jeans to the residual on your palms (when it smears onto the white leather door pulls) is going to be a long-term aesthetic disaster.
For all the convenience built into the Palisade, there’s no front passenger grab handle. Like, in what universe does that go through to the keeper?
When you select ‘park’ the automatic handbrake applies - but only sometimes. And by ‘sometimes’ I mean: if you’re on a slope.
If you are parked and the park brake is deployed, you can’t drive off unless you clip your seatbelt.
Palisade - and it’s not the only Hyundai Motor Group vehicle to do this - comes pre-loaded with fake ambient background audio. And, yeah, you can turn it off, thankfully.
I know I previously talked up the price, but if you want eight seats for eight arses and space for luggage, configurability, versatility - etc., a Kia Carnival is $10k cheaper, ballpark, and also quite a good thing.
CONCLUSION
I don’t know that I’ve solved my deep inner conflict here - and, like I care, because I’m giving it back tomorrow, and picking up a BMW. Occupational hazard. But I do hope I’ve at least crystallized the cases for and against buying a Palisade - the better to help you make the right choice with a serious wad of cash. And do let me know in the comments whether I should return it with the masking tape on or off the nose. Thanks for watching.

[@bobjoyce6746]

John, you always make good sense, which helps me make a good decision before I purchase a vehicle. Thank you👍

[@ianoforange]

Excellent review. Your mix of intelligent points articulately made, Aussie humour, and production values are unmatched. I hope more manufacturers see the value in allowing you to review their cars.

[@rustykilt]

JOHN, you are the only reviewer to point out some of the shortcomings of this vehicle. Its why your site is so well respected...apart from the humour...I own a SORENTO 2017 Platinum on your advice...no regrets.

[@KetoJesus]

"Channeling my inner nit-picking prick" made me laugh so much I had to go back and watch it again and it still made me laugh involuntarily. That's the current high water mark for 2021. Bring on all unworthy challengers!

[@josephhalwagy6435]

Mate, your balanced reviews are always appreciated. Thank you heaps

[@markh.6687]

I dunno; I prefer his unbalanced reviews somehow :)

[@rebeccaw9656]

Hmm, very nice! But let’s see if a second generation fixes some of the ‘nopes.’ Looking forward to your Carnival review!

[@interpol007]

I’m 6’7 and the Kia telluride was amazingly comfortable with tons of headroom, the number 1 reason why I ordered mine

[@kenwarburton2578]

Keep it in "stealth" mode when you return it, just to get their reaction. Lol

[@AutoExpertJC]

Will do, Captain Shitstirrer.

[@markh.6687]

"It's right over here somewh..:BUMP!:"

[@johnbuckle3757]

Excellent review. Stealth - my preference.

[@StaitlyNatters]

Hi John, just like to say this, I have been reacquainted with an old friend who drives a 2018 land bruiser while I drive a 2012 outback diesel. He took the outback for a drive after bagging its “under whelming towing capacity” However, after he and his wife had a drive, and then dragging his usual Trailer load behind. They were both suitably impressed and asked if they could take it on their next getaway as it was more comfortable and not as thirsty. Mind, he bought the bruiser to tow that ever occasional agri load. He has several larger heavy trucks, but wanted the comfort. He’s now deciding if that 3500kg capacity is really worth it. I’ll be definitely passing on this to him to review for when he decides to upgrade.

[@_saifr]

Brilliant review. Indepth and filled with great advice and expert knowledge.

[@rayopeongo]

For those of you in colder climates interested in buying a Palisade, here are a few things I learned from having mine through one winter. One, the windshield wiper motors are a little weak. If you have more than an inch of snow on the windshield, you will need to brush it off manually, the wipers can't handle it. Two, the edge of the hood is very close to the windshield, and covers the bottoms of the wiper arms. That means that they can't be left up off the windshield as some people do when expecting a lot of snow and ice. Three, the Smart Cruise Control and Collision Avoidance systems can be disabled by a few wet flakes of snow when they stick to and cover the radar sensor on the grill. Four, the battery seems smaller than required. Between low miles travelled due to the pandemic, temperatures regularly below -20C overnight, and lots of power draining toys on the vehicle, the other morning the battery was dead and the car wouldn't start. I may have to get a trickle charger to make sure the battery is always topped up. However, those are all small quibbles. Overall, I am very happy with the vehicle, other than the one time it randomly changed the display language from English to Korean. That was fun to fix.

[@brettwhitla4425]

Parking brake switch is located on the right, near the door, so when that pin fails to engage in the transmission and your car starts to roll away you be able to run along side, open the door and reach it easier :). My chunky arse dog and my work bag already activate the seat-belt warning light so also activating the park brake would be an extra pain..

[@stevencox3637]

Hands down this is the best car review I’ve seen.. keep up the good work .

[@loconut52]

Great review John.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Thanks!

[@santillbrezon2161]

The old tape on the grill trick, yessssssss. Love it .

[@AutoExpertJC]

I'm sure Hyundai will love it also.

[@santillbrezon2161]

@@AutoExpertJC yes.

[@samatza]

There are times where I could use the potential of this vehicle but not often enough to buy one. That’s a lot of features packed in and this was a great review as usual. Have a great 2021 John.

[@theairstig9164]

I can see these being rentals where you would ordinarily see a Tarago. Go rent one when you need it

[@samatza]

@@theairstig9164 yes, that’s the idea.

[@rafflesnh]

"got its own postcode"!! Cracked me up. :-D

[@TheBillyo13]

I’ve just purchased the new Kia Sorento GT line. Great vehicle. For me it was whichever was released first here in Staya out of the Sorento and Santa Fe as to which I went with. So far, so good with the Kia. The Big P does look impressive if you put off the vasectomy and end up with a 3rd sprog. Good report. Thanks 👍

[@DerykRobosson]

Kudos to Hyundai for the loaner and to you for the review. My wife and I considered one of these back in November. We instead bought a new 2020 Sante Fe Highlander with most of the optional fruit (invertor was not required) for $71k cash on road. Doing 220km round trip per day for work, the diesel AWD platform was the only solution, and it is certainly a worthy and comfortable ride. Now that she's experienced all the safety fruit on the Highlander, she now wants a 2020 i30 diesel to replace her existing 2015 i30 diesel. 7:59 The Genesis GV80 is more expensive.

[@outandaboutwithcraig3081]

Definitely leave it in Cadogan stealth mode. That will F...em when you take it back. 🤪

[@AutoExpertJC]

Defiantly???

[@outandaboutwithcraig3081]

I know without a shadow of doubt you wouldn’t be doing it defiantly. 😂

[@jamesharrison3537]

@@AutoExpertJC Three question marks makes it more of a question?

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

Reducing wear and tear on the parking brake system sounds like a good idea. Problem is, nobody told this to the makers of my 30 year 390,000 kilometer old Toyota, that cars hand brake still does what it did, all those years ago. It simply works, imagine that.

[@tonyquinn7479]

Fantastic review John

[@Dogga10001]

Great review John. I’ve been driving a 2013 Territory for a while now and will be upgrading to a new car I hope this year but don’t really get that warm fuzzy feeling about anything out in the market today. Will continue to review..

[@squeek5810]

Thank you John great review after listening to your comments iam looking at the highlander 7 seater turbo stay safe and well.

[@Jesabel_Cat]

Love that 46mm striking box wrench.

[@teepatchong5668]

Good review. Thanks!

[@darrylgilbert2587]

I will go with stealth mode. Great review

[@AutoExpertJC]

Me too - thanks Darryl.

[@yengsabio5315]

Stealth anytime!

[@AutoExpertJC]

Agreed. For me, too.

[@graemeottey8131]

Those ambient sounds would have me either nodding off or looking for a loo.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Yup...

[@garfieldsmith332]

@@AutoExpertJC Unless they have a "highway road rage" setting :-)

[@AutoExpertJC]

@@garfieldsmith332 I also want 'random dashboard rattle' and 'screaming 2yo brat' in the mix.

[@garfieldsmith332]

@@AutoExpertJC Those sound good as well. :-)

[@gavinb9627]

@@AutoExpertJC I thought the point of this vehicle , was to byo brats anyway.

[@GuitarsRockForever]

Excellent review.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Thanks for watching

[@garyseen5085]

John great to hear your report on the hyundai palisade its a car im very interested in and will soon hopefully contact you for your help to buy said vehicle Keep up the great work I do enjoy the honesty

[@victorbitter583]

A fair and balanced review there John with no gushing. I prefer stealth and encourage you to return it in that trim level spec. Put some tape on the dash trim too lol. This might silence the doubters who think Hyundai/Kia are up your coight. Cheers.

[@EL-wh5wy]

Hi John, just want to know does the Palisade has start/stop system? I noticed the "button" to turn off the start/stop system was deleted unlike the US model. I always turn it off every time I drive.

[@barrettwbenton]

If I'm not too late: send it back "stealth." They do need the help. (and, yes, the "alternative" ambient background options get the +1 as well.)

[@HighOctaneLove]

Excellent review. One Question though... What is the name of the song, starting at 17:25? I cannot find it on KZbin despite searching both KZbin and Google using the song's lyrics... :(

[@Flarptube]

At first, I thought that the soundtrack feature was going to be described as yet another piped in mechanical noise found on some vehicles. My Subaru BRZ has such a setup that takes the wheezing and snorting from ahead of the throttle body and pipes it into the passenger cabin. News flash: it does not make the car faster. John’s alternative sound repertoire had me laughing out loud and I immediately thought to add Tibetan Monks or Gregorian Chanting to the sound landscapes. I would suggest that ambient sounds from other conveyances be used synchronized with speed and motion. Everything from a steam locomotive to starship would be grand. The lack of proper towing is a miss and I now know someone who will pass on the Palisade when he hears that his fishing boat is not going for the ride.

[@KenanTurkiye]

You Australians are lucky for having such a review.......ohh and also for having the Pallisade in your market ;) 👍 ....stealth, bling makes it look too ambitious for what it is.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Agreed - perhaps I can do a 'stealth' aftermarket conversion kit.

[@KenanTurkiye]

@@AutoExpertJC 👍 Sounds good.

[@garynew9637]

Last 4x4 I owned was a 2001 diesel jackaroo. Computer controlled engine performance tended to be an issue. How well do electronics hold up in these new models?

[@djstr0b3]

Thanks John. Much needed review. Do you think we'll get the Kia Telluride here in Australia in 2022?

[@petesmimob]

Stealth. Definitely John, just not sure we are going to see this vehicle here in the UK, but I do love my 2019 KIA Sorento diesel. Thank you for your past advice, you were right, its great. Stay safe. Yours Pete

[@davidpaddock362]

Midnight cloud Highlander ordered Friday John can’t wait! Might steal the “Big P” if you if you don’t mind 😁 Exceptional review mate

[@HytelGrp]

Hi John, Maybe I missed it, but is there a legitimate 3rd row airbag, or is it another partial? I thought you were going to tape off some of the massive grill, but you just made it stealth (chrome delete). Regards,

[@cyclemoto8744]

Glad you added a disclaimer regarding the comparison with the LC200. Ps: I'm wearing a grey singlet, not blue

[@Friends4ever3373]

Definitely Stealth...even before you did this I was already searching for someone who could color that black including the grill

[@mrnri6646]

Great review, I actually watched from start to finish and rewatched certain bits. I’ve been waiting for this car for years to replace my Territory, I’m conflicted though, a senior Hyundai mechanic recommended the V6 petrol as his opinion was the Diesel was not sufficient for the weight of this vehicle. My wife also had a bad experience with her Mazda CX-7 with $5000 Adblue replacement tank/pump, so can you convince me the diesel is the way to go, or wait to see if they upgrade the petrol to your suggested Engine? One last question, there is no discounting on this new model....could you still save me 💰?

[@roderickwho1983]

Stealth for me, thanks. Audi and BMW went a bit over the top with grills recently. I also got a certain Volvo vibe from the rear of that Palisade.. Thanks for the videos and forthright opinions, John, from an upside down Ireland ;-)

[@GyrotexGaming]

Love your videos, John, and would love to see more car reviews. I'm not even on the market to change my brand new one yet, and you make me consider it! You dirty man.

[@mgrant011]

I’m really impressed with the Palaside in general the biggest features I like other safety equipment especially the camera that shows up in the dash I really handy feature. As well as the seating arrangement. Overall car I’d look at.

[@Helloworldwrjfjrjrj]

Excellent review

[@terrymcknight4167]

Great review. I disliked the front end also, the tape improved the front end! Ironically, I saw my first Palisade today and got a chance to look at it from the outside.

[@samiulekram]

Hi John, big fan of your work. I really love your no bullshit , to the point reviews. It would be great if you could do a 2022 palisade vs 2022 Kia telluride video. I am really conflicted in this purchase decision. Your great insights will really make it much more easier for me to make the decision. Thanks. Keep up the great work 👍

[@AutoExpertJC]

Thank you. Unfortunately we don't get the Telluride in Australia.

[@ahss6275]

G’day John, Which one would I choose between this palisade & the Nissan Patrol?

[@ScottMurrayBestFamilyCars]

Stealth grille. Cockpit ambience of 'F22 Raptor Dogfight' would suit me just fine. Or 'Concorde at Mach 3'. Or 'Saturn V take-off'. Or 'Schumacher's V12 at Monza'. I could do this all day.

[@graysono]

Happy New Year JC! Stealth - with the front parking sensors covered too. Yesssss! Wonder if dealerships will offer painting of the bling in body color. For a big fee! Little DRL cutout in bumper looks daft. Why ? One thing. You did seem to be a bit close to steering wheel when filmed whilst driving? Wantded to be closer to the Lively Forest?

[@Laz_Arus]

13:21 Trust Sydney weather to 'rain on your Palisade' 😁

[@madmick3794]

I share the distain you voice for touch button automatics ever since the Valiant gave it a go. Admittedly I feel the same about the handbrake "switch" even though I can admit it does free up some safety/convenience options as well as space in the centre console.

[@turbosloth8575]

You should put 30 mins together of getting in the back 3rd row in different cars

[@sm-r8997]

Will you do a driver review on the new musso & cannon utes?

[@tomburns2332]

Hi mate, just curious why we don’t get the digital dash here in Aus? Is it a regulatory thing? Or just a money saving one. Cheers

[@seanworkman431]

Having watched the correction video regarding the tow hitch down force, I think this is a pretty good rig.

[@79Rybred]

Where did you find a correction video? The manual says 500 Lbs. Max static down force on the tongue.

[@seanworkman431]

@@79Rybred in the description.

[@RandomActsofGibberish]

Happy New Year, JC! Mate, definitely stealth on the Big P. For the land yacht it is, my preference would be the Grand Carnival, mostly for the better towing capacity and better pricing. Plus the new ones actually look the goods, from my perspective. Sadly, I think your alternative soundtracks would lead to car sickness in my better half and mini me. Still, definitely something with which to prank the next driver.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Stealth it is for 2021, Dan. HNY!

[@sandybutt9898]

I'm very surprised that your soundtrack selection didn't include "Le Club Porno".

[@AutoExpertJC]

Did I leave that out? #Mistake!

[@No0ne31]

That was the best part of this video, soooo good. Does the car have an ‘I can actually drive’ button to turn off all those annoying driver skill diminishing so called ‘aids’?

[@markh.6687]

I was waiting for a Ming Moll to strut out, and suggestively bend over to check the oil...

[@alectraproject]

How does the external camera work. The 360 deg thingy?

[@THTLHL]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omniview_technology

[@alectraproject]

@@THTLHL Thank you very much for that!

[@SDM5691]

Like the stealth mode over the factory shiny chrome finish.

[@Peter-vn8ue]

I would be interested in how this SUV compares with the new Kia Carnival about to be released if carrying a lot of people is a prerequisite, perhaps you could do a comparison. John, do you think there is a chance Australia will get the 2022 Kia Niro EV when it comes to Australia this year rather than the current version?

[@Holdaro]

I prefer the chrome. But maybe allowing for the consumer to choose between bling and stealth would keep both parties happy.

[@fuffamoo]

Subaru put the park brake in the same location on BM/BR Liberties and presumably outbacks. I agree it's an odd spot, but when I turn the car off, I press the park brake button at the same time, multi-fingering skills which may or may not have other uses in life. Same when I start the car, Multi fingering, starts the car and also releases the park brake. New subaru's seem to have gone back to park brake in the centre console.

[@Pakman47]

@Auto Expert John Cadogan if I was to get a good price for a trade in on the Palisade would you do it? Just say the palisade highlander was 50k after trade, Now does that make it a good deal?? Loved your review.

[@notsureyou]

The 2 major issues that I have with the KIA Carnival are: - Spare tyre is a space saver (so good luck if you are in the middle of nowhere with a fully loaded car = 80 km/h and where do you put the tyre with the puncture??) - The spare tyre is located under the car ON THE DRIVERS SIDE (which you would think is against some ADR rule), so good luck changing that on any road, let alone the highway......

[@brettmcdonald1798]

Maybe the marketing gurus could add the grille option “Cadogan Stealth”.

[@shanejumbo4432]

Stealth. Yes return it in stealth John. Also that parking and driving drama is an absolute deal breaker

[@AutoExpertJC]

Will do - stealth, it is.

[@followthewhiterabbit7504]

Is it possible to de-activate the auto parking brake?

[@ahss6275]

What would be great in your reviews is if you often compare the current car to other comparable cars in its class. 👍

[@MateiAlin]

Hi John, the sounds are very good for the kids sleeping in the back ;)

[@AutoExpertJC]

Really?

[@MateiAlin]

@@AutoExpertJC for my two kids they really do wonders.

[@TIRUKUMAR]

Love your reviews - had the same thought about the ‘bling’ - unnecessarily tacky imho. Definitely stealth! Also, would you be kind enough to review the new Kia Carnival? Do you think they’re really that bad? I thought it may work well due to a member of my family requiring easy access. Would greatly appreciate your thoughts JC, thanks!

[@wathrog]

I just got a Genesis and the parking brake "logic" is exactly the same. Even when you switch off the engine there is no automatic parking brake application. It's a bit weird on an otherwise very logical system. On top of that if you engage "auto hold" in your transmission it changes the electronic brake logic in even more weird ways. There are several pages on the owner's manual explaining all of the conditions when a simple "If you put in P it should be engaged" would suffice.

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

Burning question, will it chooch? (Can you send it, does it perform well)

[@brianheard4565]

Does it have headlights that turn with the steering - looking around the corner? If a car costs this much and is a new design it should have that feature. I love it on my 2020 Subaru XV.

[@modfus]

This guy is not someone you'd find at an elegant and sophisticated cocktail party.

[@carlosoliveira-rc2xt]

Its hilarious how most of the ambient tracks are the same as the ones on videos meant to induce sleep. Shhhhh, the driver is sleeping.

[@DOC19581]

Not applying the parking brake can bring you unstuck at any time. 10 yrs ago I pulled up in my driveway in my VE SSZ ute, 6M, and stopped with my foot on the brake. I had a new phone that I was bluetooth pairing. After sorting that I switched the ignition off and hopped out. 2min later there was a crash and shudder through the house. My wife said "that sounds like someone crashed into the house". It was my ute that took that long to teeter on the crest of the driveway before rolling 4m into the corner of the garage. I had been distracted and had forgotten to both apply the handbrake and put it into gear. This is how disasters happen with the "Swiss cheese model". All the factors have to line up together. I related this to Shannon's insurance, and they were shocked that I admitted to neglecting to apply the handbrake. No-one admits to that apparently.

[@DazGeary]

Stealth all the way John. One of the few gripes I have with my Georgie bought 2019 Highlander Tucson is the crappy plastic chrome grills, door handles and badges. Pondering whether to respray. Driving little hatchbacks all my life, going to this was easy and parking was a breeze even without using the reverse camera. Yes the car not pulling away sometimes without your seatbelt clipped in is an anoying nanny state function when you are doing low speed adjustments of your vehicle. Trying to feel around to find the sport mode button at the lights for that every now and again advantage is again a pain when it could also have been on the steering wheel. Hitting the hill decent button isn't fun. My Tuscon 2.0 diesel has had a pissweak alternator from new too. You start the car and if your HVAC is switched on at even the lowest fan setting, the engine idle feels like its gonna stall every 5-7 seconds. Couple that with not being able to sit in your car and listen to the radio or make a phone call without the engine running because the entertainment system shuts down after 5 mins is also a pain in the jacksie. An extra $50 worth of upgraded battery please! And get this! After paying for all the worx burger fillings, they told me I would have to wait 2-3 months for the tow pack install, hohum. But then when they'd installed it I found a really botched job. (broken interior panel that was gaffa taped back together and the tow bar cut out looked like it had been performed by a 3yo child, and other faults too) After months of complaining emails falling on deaf ears (which pushed me to contact head orifice) they finally replaced two parts of the car and told me 'when we are busy, we send our brand new cars out to a local garage to fit the towbars, cut panels and install the electrics'. WTF! So if you think you are getting a dealer installed part, think again. Well, in the case of Werribee Hyundai Victoria. They also said they would compensate me, to this day that was also BS. I will never do business with Werribee Hyundai again, The service manager was a arrogant C@#$.

[@rfmonkey4942]

ah yessss palming off the second rate shit to Australia, that make me warm and fuzzy inside,,, because supplying a car with the same options all over the world is so hard !

[@alexandermeijer]

return in stealth, no doubt. and definitely also cover that shiny bit of plastic at the bottom of the front!

[@bobdadruma]

I have been working as an automotive tech for over 40 years. I have never seen an auto manufacturer come so far and so fast as Hyundai Kia. I am amazed every year at their practical innovation. I began buying new Hyundai cars in 2012 because of my belief in the product line. I am getting tired of every car looking like Darth Vader BTW. I'm old school and I only set the park brake when parked on a hill so...

[@AutoExpertJC]

They have come a long way, quickly.

[@ScottMurrayBestFamilyCars]

You should probably change that habit, Bob. It's a redundancy safety system. If one fails, something else steps in to stop people being killed. More kids are killed in the driveway at home than drownings.

[@aussiebloke609]

John, my in-laws (in the US) have a Lincoln Nautilus with roughly the same layout for the electronic park brake. Only their switch is hidden separately, somewhat below and inboard of the switches for headlights/dashboard dimming/tailgate opener/fog lights - which are already completely hidden from view by the steering wheel. Never seem a worse layout of switchgear.

[@AutoExpertJC]

Yeah - it seems a total afterthought.

[@AndyDento21]

P.s good video mate 👍

[@pkbhattacharjee6318]

Love your review.. but love your t-shirt print. Where did you get it?

[@raygibbins653]

Sorry, John! Bling all the way. BUT thanks for helping us source an 8 seat, diesel, Palisade in 24hrs after weeks of deciding and looking. Given the current car market, we were definitely lucky to snag one. after owning the car for a week, there are only 2 things that stick out as 'why'! The drivers' side door drink holder is obstructed by the seat itself. It seems the position would have been better placed closer to the door hinge. The access would have been much better. The other thing is the 3 seats in the middle row. The division of the seats should have been flipped, with the single-seat to collapse should have been curbside. A rather frustrating aspect when bundling a car full of kids in and placement of car seats is less than ideal. Still a solid 9/10.

[@lasentinal]

In my view, the white leather interior is not something that appeals to me. How much glare would one get off the chrome (if that is what it is) that is on the steering wheel?

[@santillbrezon2161]

This vehicle looks like it is almost as luxurious as a prestige vehicle, it looks good.

[@AutoExpertJC]

It is fundamentally excellent - with a few annoying quirks.

[@buntafujiwara3586]

I wonder how well this vehicle brakes with eight bodies on board?

[@stefski5853]

Superb

[@zhiyako4032]

So what our family wants isn’t 3 rows, although having 3 rows wouldnt be a problem as we could just put them down for extra cargo space, but we want a V6, refined and quiet driving experience, decent off road capabilities (AWD with at least 200mm of ground clearance), and reliability. Which mainstream SUV would be the best option for us?

[@trevordunnill9456]

Hi John, I just updated my TM Santa Fe Sat nav from the new “update.Hyundai.com” website. Now I can have the background sounds you love (not) as well. Just another computer generated annoyance to yell at when I should be concentrating on driving. Cheers, Trev.

[@Mambey]

Put a bit of wood between the row 2 seat when down and throw a matress in the back to have a snooze.

[@PeterPutz82]

Re: push button shifting. You and I can find the shifter, select reverse without looking and drive (legacy from manual). 98% of other auto road users don't know how to do this. The fact that the display in front of you tells you what mode you're in is also lost on most people. I have observed that most people stop, look down at the shifter, change, then look up again, re-assess the environment and then start moving. A total process that takes at least 3 seconds, easily the same time it takes me to reverse park, turn off the car and get out. So if people already look down by default, I see why Hyundai engineers got rid of the stick.

[@AutoExpertJC]

If you can reverse park, shut down, apply the park brake, un-clip the seatbelt and get out in three seconds, you're superhuman...

[@lethalz9]

John, you'd be surprised what the electric handbrake switch does while you are driving the vehicle. Do try it one day, on a quiet road at about 60km/h. You have to hold the switch on. Be prepared to stop ;)

[@ghr310]

Stealth for me, does it make it go faster? The downball definitely a game changer, had to pay the extra $$$ on my Santa Fe to get to 150kg and still limited in my choices eg can only get a Swan tourer and not an outback. If I'd known they were going to up to 200 on the next model I would have waited 6 months.