Compare the2026 Hyundai PalisadeVS 2025 Cadillac XT6

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Palisade have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac XT6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Palisade and XT6 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Palisade has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The XT6’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Palisade has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The XT6 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Palisade’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The XT6 doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Hyundai Palisade’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Cadillac XT6.

Both the Palisade and XT6 have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Palisade has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The XT6’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The Palisade’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The XT6 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Palisade and the XT6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Palisade comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The XT6’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Palisade 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Cadillac covers the XT6. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the XT6 ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Palisade’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the XT6’s (7 vs. 6 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Palisade for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the XT6.

There are over 50 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Palisade’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 11 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

The Palisade’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 52 more horsepower (287 vs. 235) and 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 258) than the XT6’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Palisade’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 19 more horsepower (329 vs. 310) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 271) than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Palisade uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XT6 with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Palisade has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the XT6. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Palisade higher (6 out of 10) than the Cadillac XT6 (5 to 6). This means the Palisade produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XT6 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Palisade’s brake rotors are larger than those on the XT6:

The Palisade has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The XT6 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Palisade’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The XT6 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Palisade’s wheelbase is 4.2 inches longer than on the XT6 (116.9 inches vs. 112.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Palisade is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the XT6.

For greater off-road capability the Palisade has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XT6 (7.4 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Palisade to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Palisade XRT PRO’s minimum ground clearance is 1.7 inches higher than on the XT6 (8.4 vs. 6.7 inches).

The Palisade offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the XT6 can only carry 7.

The Palisade has 12 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XT6 (161.9 vs. 149.9).

The Palisade has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 3 inches more front legroom, 8.7 inches more front hip room, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom, 1 inch more rear hip room, 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room, .6 inches more third row headroom, 2.6 inches more third row legroom, 5.8 inches more third row hip room and 2.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the XT6.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Palisade’s middle and third row seats recline. The XT6’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Palisade’s cargo area provides more volume than the XT6.

The Palisade’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT6’s (5000 vs. 1000 pounds).

The Palisade Calligraphy’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The XT6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Palisade to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT6 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy/Hybrid has standard heated front seats and second and third row heated seats also avaiable, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Cadillac doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the XT6.

The Palisade SEL Premium/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy/Hybrid has standard front air conditioned seats and the Palisade SEL Premium/Limited/Calligraphy/Hybrid also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The XT6 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Palisade Calligraphy has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the XT6.

The Palisade XRT PRO/Limited/Calligraphy has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XT6 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Palisade Calligraphy’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The Hyundai Palisade outsold the Cadillac XT6 by over five to one during 2024.