Which Hyundai Palisade trim fits College Park families, from SE to Calligraphy?
A Hyundai Palisade fits a Washington, DC family that fills a third row, wants seven or eight seats, and drives enough that fuel cost matters. For that buyer we start with the SE on price and a hybrid trim on mileage. It does not fit a household of four that never opens a third row, because that buyer pays Palisade money for seats nobody sits in.
Across 11 trims, the manufacturer’s suggested prices run from $39,735 for the SE to $57,680 at the top of the range. Your commute, your headcount, your winters and your yearly costs pick the trim from there. We built the answer around those for families in Washington, DC, College Park and Prince George’s County.
Keep reading below, then schedule a test drive in College Park. Bringing your own numbers to the lot settles this faster than any spec sheet.
Washington, DC commuters should price the hybrid trims first
If you commute in Washington, DC on weekdays, look at the hybrid Palisade before anything else. EPA-certified combined mileage is 29 to 34 mpg for the hybrid and 19 to 21 mpg for the gasoline version, so the lowest hybrid figure sits above the highest gasoline one.
That gap matters because traffic eats fuel in this region. In 2024 congestion cost the average Washington DC-VA-MD auto commuter $2,281 in 2024 dollars, along with 26 gallons of excess fuel burned going nowhere (Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 2024). A vehicle that sips fuel in stop-and-go driving pays you back on exactly the miles you cannot avoid.
Power is 287 hp on the gasoline trims and a combined 329 hp on the hybrid trims, which pair a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine with two electric motors (Hyundai Motor America, 2025), so choosing the hybrid for mileage costs a family nothing at a highway merge. A short drive in the trim you are considering tells you more about that spread than the number does.
The buyer this does not fit is the one who drives little. If your Palisade spends most weeks parked, the hybrid’s fuel advantage has fewer miles to work on. That buyer can choose on seats and suggested price, and the SE, which carries the lowest suggested price at $39,735, is the natural place to begin.
Seating and legroom decide the trim for a family of five or more
A family of five or more should settle seats before anything else. The Palisade seats 7 seats to 8 seats depending on trim, so the first question for any trim you like is how many belts it carries. Price and trim names can wait until that count matches your household.
The table puts the figures that decide a family’s trim in one place. Each one belongs to the Palisade, and where a figure is a range, the range spans the trims.
| Figure | Palisade value | What it settles for a Washington, DC family |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP across 11 trims | $39,735 to $57,680, lowest on the SE | Your budget band before any trim talk |
| Seating | 7 seats to 8 seats | Whether the trim you like fits your household |
| Second-row legroom | 41.4 in to 43 in | Where teenagers and adults ride daily |
| Third-row legroom | 32.1 in | Sized for children on school and practice runs |
| Cargo behind the second row | 46.3 cu ft | Room for strollers, groceries and sports bags |
| EPA combined mpg | Hybrid 29 to 34, gasoline 19 to 21 | Your fuel cost on a weekday commute |
| Ground clearance | 7.4 in to 8.4 in | Snow, slush ruts and high curbs |
Second-row legroom is where the daily comfort lives. It spans 41.4 in to 43 in, so a trim that sits at the generous end gives a growing teenager real room. Third-row legroom is 32.1 in, which makes that row a good home for children and a short-trip seat for adults. If your household needs adults in the back row on long drives, test it before you sign.
Cargo behind the second row is 46.3 cu ft. For a family with a stroller, a week of groceries and a soccer bag, that is a working number. It also tells a buyer who only hauls a briefcase and a gym bag that a Palisade offers more room than that buyer needs.
Eight seats matter to a household with six people or a regular carpool. Seven seats are plenty for most families of five. Confirm the count on the exact trim and unit you want, because the number follows the trim.
College Park winters reward the trims with more ground clearance
Ground clearance runs from 7.4 in to 8.4 in across the Palisade range, a full inch from the lowest trim to the highest, and winter in College Park is the reason to care about it. Beltsville, the NOAA station closest to College Park, averages 15.80 inches of snow a year, with 13.00 inches of it falling in December, January and February (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 2020).
Those are the same months salt sits on Maryland roads, working on brake lines and rocker panels. A family in College Park that keeps a Palisade for years will meet that salt every winter, so a rinse habit and a service plan matter as much as the trim. A higher stance also clears the slush ruts and plow piles that form on side streets after a storm.
Ground clearance belongs to the trim, so ask us to read the figure for the exact one you are considering instead of trusting the range. A buyer who rarely sees an unplowed street can weigh clearance lightly and spend the attention on seats and fuel. A buyer who lives on a hill or a street the plow reaches late should treat the higher end as a real reason to choose.
Safety awards on the Palisade follow the build date
A family shopping for a Palisade should ask for the build date, because the safety award depends on it. Hyundai holds eight awards on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2026 Top Safety Pick list, and the Palisade’s TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating applies only to vehicles built after November 2025 (IIHS, 2026).
For a Washington, DC family that carries children every day, that detail is worth thirty seconds. A buyer weighing a used Palisade against a new one should read the build date off the vehicle and match it to the rating’s terms. A buyer who wants the award on the car in the driveway should confirm it before the paperwork starts.
We sell new, used and certified pre-owned Hyundai vehicles, so a family can look at each kind and read each one’s build date side by side. The date is a fact on the vehicle, and a good sales conversation starts with it.
What a Palisade costs a buyer in Washington, DC and what Maryland adds
The Palisade’s manufacturer’s suggested prices run from $39,735 for the SE to $57,680 across 11 trims. Those are the manufacturer’s suggestions, not our price, and the price and terms on a specific vehicle come from our team once you pick one. The range tells a family where the budget conversation begins and how far it can stretch as trims climb toward Calligraphy.
Once a buyer titles the vehicle in Maryland, the state’s rules take over. Maryland law bars a county or city from adding its own sales, use or excise tax on a vehicle title (Maryland General Assembly, 2026). A buyer in College Park, Bowie or anywhere else in Prince George’s County therefore meets the same state treatment as a buyer in any other county.
Insurance is the line that surprises families most. Insurify puts the average cost of car insurance in Maryland at $3,638 per year for full coverage and $2,303 per year for state-minimum coverage (Insurify, 2026). A three-row vehicle goes on that policy for years, so ask your insurer for a quote on the specific trim before you fall for a price.
Fuel is the third cost, and it connects back to the commute. A family that picks a hybrid trim lowers the weekly fuel line for every mile of that commute. A family that picks a gasoline trim spends more at the pump, and the 19 to 21 mpg combined rating tells you by how much.
We back the trim decision with inventory, service, parts and trade-in
We sell new Hyundai vehicles, and our inventory of new, used and certified pre-owned Hyundai models is large. A Washington, DC family comparing trims can see more than one in person instead of choosing from a photo, which is the fastest way to find out whether the third row works for your children.
If you are trading a vehicle toward the Palisade, trade-in sellers can be paid the same day, guaranteed, by Zelle or by check. That means the money from your current vehicle does not have to wait on the new one.
After the purchase, service can be scheduled online with an appointment scheduler, and factory-trained technicians handle maintenance and repair. A College Park family facing its first Maryland winter with a new Palisade has a nearby place to get the salt rinsed and the brakes checked. We also have a parts department that sells genuine OEM parts and accessories, and we list a collision center phone number for the day a parking lot gets the better of a bumper.
Owners put it in their own words. In January 2026, Brian B. left a Google review of Group 1 Hyundai College Park about a Palisade purchase: “Bought a 2026 Palisade from Steven Johnson. He was able to secure me a rare color combination in a short period of time and give me a price that was fair. He was easy to work with, reasonable and customer service oriented. Highly recommend buying a car through Steven if you want a stress free car buying process! Thanks again!”
Fritz L. wrote in August 2025, in a Google review of us, about the service side of owning one: “Alyse was very pleasant to work with and had great recommendations and knowledge about what my 24 palisade needed.”
A March 2025 Google review of Group 1 Hyundai College Park from Edgar H. covers the buying conversation: “Purchased a new 2025 a Palisade 3/29/25 . Very nice dealership and friendly employees .Great price , easy negotiation and no stress . A big shout out to sales manager Reggie Cassidy !!!!! Thank you”
Frequently asked questions
Do all Palisade trims seat the same number of people?
No. Seating runs from 7 seats to 8 seats across the 11 trims. Tell us how many people ride in your household, and we will confirm the seat count on the exact trim and unit before you decide.
What warranty comes with a new Palisade?
A new Palisade carries a basic warranty of 5 years/60,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of 10 years/100,000 miles. The powertrain term is the longer of the two, so it matters most to a family that plans to keep the vehicle for a decade.
How much horsepower does a Palisade make?
The gasoline trims make 287 hp, and the hybrid trims make a combined 329 hp from a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine and two electric motors (Hyundai Motor America, 2025). The figure follows the powertrain, so ask us which one the trim you are considering carries. A test drive shows what the spread feels like on your own commute.
Is the manufacturer’s suggested price what I pay at Group 1 Hyundai College Park?
The figure from $39,735 to $57,680 is the manufacturer’s suggested price, and our price on a specific vehicle comes from our team. Ask us for the price and terms on the exact unit you want.
Can a family choose a used or certified Palisade instead of a new one?
Yes, and our inventory of new, used and certified pre-owned Hyundai models is large. Hyundai’s certified program accepts vehicles that are 6 model years old or newer with no more than 80,000 miles, gives each a 173-point inspection, and includes 10-Year/Unlimited Miles Roadside Assistance plus a complimentary CARFAX Vehicle History Report (Hyundai Motor America, 2026).
Which Palisade trim should a first-time Hyundai buyer start with?
Start with the SE, which carries the lowest suggested price in the range, and then ask what a hybrid trim changes for your commute. Add seats, clearance and fuel figures to the list, and the right trim usually becomes clear. We walk through each one with you.
Washington, DC families should pick the Palisade trim by seats and miles
The right Palisade for a Washington, DC family depends on how many people ride and how far the household drives. A family that wants the lowest suggested price and fills three rows belongs in the SE. A family that sits in the Washington, DC commute every weekday belongs in a hybrid trim. A family that wants the top of the range belongs in Calligraphy, and a household of four that never opens a third row belongs in a smaller vehicle. We are the place to settle it because we are in College Park, we sell new, used and certified pre-owned Hyundai, and we keep service, parts and financing under one roof.
Group 1 Hyundai College Park puts a Palisade decision close to home
Group 1 Hyundai College Park is a Hyundai dealership that sells new, used and certified pre-owned vehicles and runs a full service, parts and financing operation. Our name is known for large new and used inventories, and our claim is proximity and presence for the families who live and drive around us. Members of our community rate us 4.2 stars across 2,388 Google reviews (Google, 2026). We are part of Group 1 Automotive, which posted record full-year revenue of $22.6 billion, up 13.2%, and sold 459,000 new and used vehicles, a company record (Group 1 Automotive, 2026).
In August 2025, Juan U. wrote a Google review of Group 1 Hyundai College Park: “Rod from the service department attended me in a very kind and warm manner, Josue also attended me, very kind, I’m from California good service.” A buyer who chooses us gets a nearby dealership with a service team that treats people well after the sale.
See our current Palisade inventory at Group 1 Hyundai College Park.
Group 1 Hyundai College Park answers this question against the specific vehicle in front of you rather than the model in general. Value your trade and get pre-approved online, then see us at our College Park showroom, or call (240) 927-4100.
Disclaimer: Vehicle features, specifications, pricing, options, and availability may vary based on production timelines and dealership inventory; images are for illustrative purposes only. Starting MSRP figures are national and exclude destination freight charges, tax, title, license, and dealer fees. Standard and available equipment varies by trim, configuration, and model year; confirm the specification of the individual vehicle before purchase. Maximum towing and payload ratings depend on cab, bed, drivetrain, and equipment configuration; see the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual and trailering guide for limits. Electric range and charging times vary with battery, configuration, temperature, terrain, load, and driving habits. Safety or driver assistance features are no substitute for the driver’s responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. Financing and pre-approval are subject to credit approval. Contact Group 1 Hyundai College Park for complete details regarding current vehicle inventory, pricing, and equipment.
