Well I was hoping I would break my car swapping cycle with the ES but alas it's not to be. She's getting picked up tomorrow and something new is getting delivered.

While I enjoyed the car more than I thought I would, the biggest issue I had and one of the top 1-2 reasons to switch was the seat comfort on long trips. Anything around an hour or less it's totally fine, but we do a lot of long trips 2 hours, 4 hours even 12 hours a few times per year and I just felt like crap after those trips. I'm actually more comfortable in my Tesla Model 3 which is much smaller and at first sitting doesn't seem it would be that comfortable. I also wanted to go back to an SUV as I missed the practicality especially since the seats do not fold down.

Ended up picking up a decent deal on a 2026 Palisade so will give that a try for 2 years and see.

 

you live up to your nickname.

In all seriousness, best of luck finding "the one." The search can be difficult.

 

The Palisade will be fine for two years but not much longer from what I read. They become oil burners but sounds like you're leasing so not a care in the world. Good luck with it.

 

Myself, and apparently the majority of other members on this forum don't have issue with the seats in the 350/300... I really don't understand why some find them so uncomfortable. Be that as it is, of course if I did find the seats a disaster I'd unload the car as well. GOOD LUCK with your new car although there are numerous negative comments regarding the Palisade and other KIA models.
Kia Palisade complaints often center on transmission hesitation, excessive cabin wind noise, and potential electrical issues, particularly with 2020–2022 models. Other frequently reported issues include poor fuel economy, engine noise, and, in some cases, serious safety concerns like unexpected acceleration failure.

 

Palisade is Hyundai but it's the same car as the Kia Telluride.

 

YUK! Got 'em mixed up... Thanks for the correction Michael...

 

I would not buy a used Hyundai even though honestly I can't seem to keep a car more than 2-3 years so not a huge concern either way. This 2 year lease was actually cheaper than a 3 year so works great for someone like me.

I also did not have any issues with it... until I drove 4 hours... then I was thinking damn those people on the forum complaining about the seats were right! Also the seats not folding down bothered me more than I thought it would plus the general practicality of an SUV. We've mostly had one car and one SUV until now and the Tesla has another 2 years on it's lease so that's staying.

Honestly I may regret it, the ES was the perfect combo I wanted with the ultra lux and the exact colors I wanted, but I can always go buy another one if I really wanted to.

 

And thanks for the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy reference.

 

agree seats can make or break it.

do you have legacy 3 or highland 3?

i love my legacy Y seats. best seat comfort ive ever experienced. they feel like a cloud and the butt portion feels like a fluffy marshmallow. mine is 2023, got it exactly 3 years ago. doin great, including the seats.

i sat in highland (facelift) model 3 seats and i thought they were too firm with too much side bolster--maybe i'm getting old, but then again i only sat in the showroom.

 

Thanks for the clarification. According to Google:
It is a phrase in a message that is just a humorous way to say goodbye, calling to mind the leaving of the dolphins from Earth saying thanks for the fish ...

 

There are not many used 2026 Hyundai Palisades, I'm assuming that uselessinfodude is buying new. I have a 2019 Lexus ES 350 FSport and a 2024 Kia Telluride X-line SX Prestige. I honestly love them both and would highly recommend either one. The Lexus now has 47,000 miles on it and has been a great car. Build quality is overall good, but I have the dash noise that many others have described in this forum have shared. The exterior lighting is fantastic on the Lexus, better than any vehicle I've ever driven. I have the triple beam LED headlights. The FSport seats are nice and my wife loves them for long trips. The Telluride has been a great vehicle, too. Build quality is better than the Lexus and no squeaks or rattles. Road noise is 2db less than in the Lexus and the seats are much more comfortable for me. I have leather in the Telluride and pleather in the Lexus. The lighting is good in the Telluride, but not nearly as good as in the Lexus. My daughter has a Palisade and has had it for 3 years. Both of us would not hesitate in buying another Telluride or Palisade. I will not be buying the next generation Lexus ES. It is butt ugly. I'll hang onto our ES until we hit 100k miles or 10 years, which ever come first.

When it comes to oil issues, I read about many of the Toyota/Lexus vehicles cars on the shared ES platform having issues with needing major work when the timing gear cover starts to leak (24 hour job requiring engine removal). I also have read of Palisades and Tellurides needing engine replacement due to oil issues, and most of those have proven to be related to not keeping up with recommended oil change intervals. I have not found any reliable percentages or numbers in terms of these issues for either Lexus or Hyundai/Telluride. We all know that those who post on forums usually are sharing problems and complaints versus how happy they are with their vehicles.

 

One other note. I've never had the Kia dealer try to sell me services that were not needed, or lie about services needed. Our closest Lexus dealer has lied multiple times and told us we needed services that were not needed and I would have paid over $2,000 for unneeded work. I don't think Kia dealers are any better or worse than Lexus dealers, they just don't have fancy waiting rooms.

 

I've had both had a 2023 and now have a 2025 Highland. I love my Tesla. The suspension on the highland is soooo much better, however it probably helps I went with the stock wheels with fatter tires. Honestly I will say I THINK I prefer the ride more than the Lexus (that was not the case at all for my 2023).
As for the seats I wonder if you sat in a performance model 3? They added "performance" seats in the highland version with bolsters and I find them annoying also. Mine is a long range AWD.

 

I would agree. It all comes down to the people who work there. Low quality people pass the interviews and end up getting a job at a U.S. Lexus dealership. Lexus Japan is probably a lot better than Lexus North America in standards, culture, and execution.

The difference is that Lexus at least has the expectation to provide amazing customer service, so at the very least you can raise a stink when you don't get it. You can't really do that at a Kia dealer because, well, it's just a Kia.

 

All dealers lie and try to upsell you. Horror stories abound. If you complain to Lexus (Toyota) they say that dealers are independent businesses. They don't want to know anything.
One forum member was asked if he wanted the differential service for his car when it was in for an oil change...