Three-row SUVs have become the default pick for families around Indiana, Punxsutawney, and Johnstown who need room for the whole crew without the size and thirst of a full-size, body-on-frame rig. The 2026 Subaru Ascent, 2026 Honda Pilot, and 2026 Hyundai Palisade all chase that same buyer, but each takes a different approach to getting there. Line them up side by side, though, and one of the three stands out for building its most useful capability into every trim, rather than saving it for the top of the lineup. So which of these three family haulers comes out on top? Let’s take a closer look.
Under the hood, the Pilot and Palisade both out-muscle the Ascent on paper. The Pilot’s 3.5-liter V6 makes 285 horsepower, and the Palisade’s redesigned 3.5-liter V6 tops that at 287 horsepower, while the Ascent’s turbocharged 2.4-liter Boxer engine produces 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. Horsepower only tells part of the story once you look at how that power reaches the ground, though.
Every 2026 Ascent comes standard with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive on every trim, from the base Premium on up. The Pilot only makes AWD standard on its TrailSport, Touring, Touring Blackout, Elite, and Black Edition trims; the Sport and EX-L come standard with front-wheel drive, with AWD as an available upgrade. The Palisade follows a similar pattern, with front-wheel drive standard across most of the lineup and HTRAC AWD available as an option (the off-road XRT Pro is the only Palisade built exclusively with AWD).
Towing tells a similar story for the Pilot, and a closer race with the Palisade. Every 2026 Ascent trim is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds with the available Class III hitch, matching the Palisade’s gas-powered trims at the same figure. The Pilot, though, only reaches 5,000 pounds on its AWD trims; stick with front-wheel drive and the rating drops to 3,500 pounds. And while the new Palisade Hybrid is efficient, its towing capacity falls to 4,000 pounds. For families who want their SUV’s full capability available from day one, without needing to pick the right trim or drivetrain to unlock it, the Ascent’s standard-AWD approach is the simpler, more consistent choice.
Ground clearance is where the Ascent’s standard-AWD approach really pays off. Every 2026 Ascent trim rides at 8.7 inches of ground clearance, whether you choose the base Premium or the range-topping Onyx Edition Touring. The Pilot’s ground clearance sits at 7.3 inches on most trims, climbing to 8.3 inches only on the off-road-tuned TrailSport. The Palisade measures 7.4 inches standard, with 8.4 inches reserved for the XRT Pro. That extra margin on every single Ascent trim matters on the back roads, gravel driveways, and winter-weather commutes around Blairsville and Homer City.
Inside, all three offer flexible seven- or eight-passenger seating with a mix of cloth, synthetic leather, and leather upholstery depending on trim. Families shopping strictly for maximum third-row legroom or cargo volume will find both the Pilot and the newly redesigned Palisade edge ahead on paper. The Ascent counters with extra-wide rear door openings, a flat-folding second and third row, and underfloor storage that make everyday loading simple, plus the confidence of knowing every trim rides higher off the ground than either rival’s standard configuration.
The Pilot and Palisade each add a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen across their entire lineups, a step up from the Ascent’s standard 11.6-inch display. Move up the Ascent range, though, and the 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, standard on every trim above the base Premium, delivers a genuinely premium listening experience, on par with the Pilot’s available 12-speaker Bose system and the 14-speaker Bose setup standard on the Palisade’s top three trims.
Safety is standard business across this whole class. Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, Honda Sensing, and Hyundai SmartSense are all standard equipment on every trim of the Ascent, Pilot, and Palisade, respectively, so nobody has to pay extra just to get adaptive cruise control or forward collision mitigation. Every 2026 Ascent includes:
Where the Ascent pulls ahead is in how much of its overall capability rides on that same no-upgrade-required approach. Standard AWD, a standard 5,000-pound towing rating, and a standard driver-assist suite all come bundled together from the base trim, while the Pilot asks buyers to move up a trim to unlock its full towing and traction capability. For drivers commuting between Kittanning and Ford City through unpredictable weather, that kind of baseline capability adds up.
After putting the 2026 Subaru Ascent, Honda Pilot, and Hyundai Palisade side by side, the Ascent comes out as the clear choice for families who want serious capability without having to chase it through the trim levels. Standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive on every trim, a standard 5,000-pound towing rating without needing to step up to a pricier drivetrain, and the tallest standard ground clearance of the three all make the Ascent the most consistently capable vehicle in this comparison, whether you’re navigating a snowy morning near Northern Cambria or loading up for a weekend trip.
Ready to see the 2026 Subaru Ascent in person? Visit Delaney Subaru in Indiana, PA to schedule your test drive and find out why the Ascent is the smarter choice for your family.
