If you are following me on Instagram, you probably saw Bradley and I were on the hunt for a new car. I had a 2014 Mercedes GLK 350 and I loved it. It was a great car while I had it but the mileage was getting up there and we didn’t want to deal with the maintenance once that time came. We decided we were going to sell it and get a “Mom-Mobile”.
our must-haves
- SUV
- certified pre-owned
- 3 rows
- 40,000ish miles or less
- decent trunk space with 3rd row up
- dual climate control (Bradley’s only must haha)
- 2nd row captains chairs (not a must but a bonus)
- leather seats
- maintenance doesn’t cost a ton
- doesn’t break the bank
our needs
It has to be a Mom-Mobile meaning :
- it can fit future babies (at least one)
- it can also fit our two dogs
- it can fit a stroller in the trunk (preferably with the 3rd row still up)
I did A TON of research. I watched so many YouTube videos on so many different SUV’s, and I ultimately narrowed it down to three :
the Volkswagen Atlas (starting at $31,555)
the Kia Telluride (starting at $32,190)
the Hyundai Palisade (starting at $32,525)
Bradley and I went and test drove each of these cars, so we got a good idea of what we liked and disliked. Below you will find a comparison of a higher level trim for each that is currently being sold in the Birmingham area. This is not a comprehensive list of the features they offer, but it does give you a good idea of which vehicle has what.
2021 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS SEL
($40,784 before taxes/fees)
pros
- lower price : the Atlas was definitely a lower price point than the other two vehicles when looking at pre-owned. You also have a lot of different trims to choose from so it accommodates a wide range of price points.
- trunk space : the Volkswagen is very roomy. You can fit a big stroller in the trunk without putting down the 3rd row (via the Car Mom review).
- baby friendly : the 2nd row has a cool feature that allows you to tilt the seat/row up even with a car seat to access the 3rd row.
- comfort : the seats in the Atlas were so comfy! You can also find 2nd row captains chairs in this model.
cons
- rough drive : I experienced a little bit of a lag when I drove the Atlas. I DID NOT like that.
- warranty : the warrant isn’t as good as the other two. 50,000 miles or 4 years bumper to bumper.
2021 Kia Telluride EX
($45,715 before taxes/fees)
pros
- nice exterior : the Telluride is a very nice looking car. I feel like it has a Range Rover vibe without being the price.
- captain seats : it is common to get 2nd row captains chairs.
- lots of space : the 3rd row is very roomy, especially with the captains chairs. There is a ton of room in the trunk and I believe you can fit a big stroller without putting the 3rd row down.
- warranty : 100,000 miles or 10 years powertrain. 60,000 miles or 5 years bumper to bumper.
cons
- price markup : the Telluride is pretty expensive. They are the “new hip car” so everyone wants one. Because of this, the dealerships are adding on a couple extra $1,000 over MSRP (may not be happening at every dealership).
- interior was disappointing : the interior didn’t feel as nice as the Atlas or Palisade. We were shocked that it was missing certain features at the price point it was. You have to go up to the EX to get driver and passenger power seats…
- not as comfortable : the seats in the EX were a lot more comfortable than the LX and S models. You do get synthetic leather even in the lower trim levels, BUT I didn’t like how hard they were. You get leather once you go up to the EX or SX.
- no availability : these cars are so hard to find. Our local dealerships didn’t have any used ones, and only had 4 new. I think this effects the high price as well, they go so fast.
2021 Hyundai Palisade LIMITED
($46,525 before taxes/fees)
pros
- best interior : we feel like the Palisade has the nicest interior. We were honestly very impressed, especially after sitting in the Telluride. The seats are so nice and they were the MOST COMFORTABLE.
- captain seats : it has captain seats AND they recline… very far.
- baby friendly : the 2nd row seat has 2 buttons, one on top and one on the bottom that allow it to fold and move forward on its own. This allows for easy 3rd row access.
- 3rd row technology : the 3rd row power reclines! I have never seen that in a car. It makes the 3rd row very comfy.
- driving technology : Bradley could go on for hours about this. He thinks it is so cool. The Palisade offers a lot of driving technology. You will have to go drive one to really understand all it does… but trust us, it’s cool.
- warranty : 100,000 miles or 10 years powertrain. 60,000 miles or 5 years bumper to bumper.
cons
- price markup : the Palisade is pretty popular too, so the dealerships are marking up the cars a couple $1,000 over MSRP (may not be happening at all dealerships).
- trunk space : I believe this trunk is the smallest trunk of the three. With that being said, it is still huge and I believe it still fits a stroller with the 3rd row up.
FINAL THOUGHTS + WHAT WE BOUGHT
Bradley and I ultimately decided to buy a 2021 Hyundai Palisade Limited. This trim level is one above the SEL. We weren’t looking for a new car, but we fell in love… We felt like we were getting more bang for our buck with the Palisade and love everything about it. We would recommend it over the Atlas and Telluride any day. With that being said, do your research and go look at all of them yourself. There may be things about the Telluride and Atlas that you find more appealing than we did.
If you are in the Birmingham area and looking to buy a Hyundai head to Tameron Hyundai in Birmingham, ASK FOR KELLY and tell him Bre Pickett sent you. We worked with Kelly and have nothing but great things to say about him. It was such a pleasure working with all of the people there!
We posted a YouTube video of our experience and a tour of our car! You can watch it here. The Car Mom was also a great help throughout this process. She does in depth tours from a Mom’s perspective.
If you end up buying one of these cars, let me know in the comments below or DM on Instagram. We would love to hear your opinion and which one you chose.
MEET PAM!
As always, all opinions and text are my own.
