Hyundai Models by Model Year: Which Used Years Work Best Near Cages Bend Road

Drive Cages Bend Road often enough and you already know what's easy to miss on a spec sheet. The campground entrance is tight. Low-hanging branches, a narrow pull-in toward the boat ramp on Old Hickory Lake, 43 campsites packed onto a peninsula in Sumner County. Then comes the return trip. Nashville-bound, gear in the back, kids in the seats, thirty-plus miles of commuter traffic. The car that handles both ends of that day well isn't the same car for every buyer. A lot of it comes down to which model year you land on.

Our team at Hallmark Hyundai Hendersonville put this guide together for buyers looking at used Hyundais in the 2020-2024 range, focusing on the three models that come up most in our conversations with drivers near this corridor. Those are the Tucson Hybrid, the Palisade, and the Sonata Hybrid, and here's what the verified year-by-year data actually shows.

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Which Years Are the Sweet Spots?

For all three models, the 2022 and 2023 model years strike the best balance of real-world reliability data, modern features, and reasonable used-market availability, though the single best year shifts a bit by nameplate. Here's why, model by model.

A few things jump out when you set these side by side. The 2020 and early 2021 Palisades call for the most caution. Per NHTSA data, the 2020 Palisade drew 565 owner complaints, the highest of any year in that nameplate's run, with wiper motor failures and early fit-and-finish concerns showing up over and over. The 2022 and 2023 Palisades each carry 5 NHTSA recalls (per NHTSA records), but most campaigns are now remedied, and complaint volumes drop off sharply (241 and 326 respectively). The record isn't perfect. Still, it's a meaningful improvement for a vehicle you plan to run down Cages Bend Road with a boat trailer hitched up.

The Tucson Hybrid picture is more straightforward. Both the 2023 and 2024 carry the same 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid powertrain that, in 2026 form, the EPA rates at 36 mpg combined (38 mpg combined in the Blue SE trim). The setup didn't change much between 2023 and 2026. What the 2022 brought was a generation change, and first-year redesigns always carry more unknowns than the follow-up model year. The 2022 non-hybrid Tucson drew 433 owner complaints on NHTSA, with powertrain and fuel propulsion system issues among the top reported areas. Its hybrid twin that year runs a different powertrain and a cleaner record, but the 2023 gives you most of the same features with even less to worry about.

Which Years Should You Watch Out For?

Not every recall on these years is a dealbreaker, and plenty get remedied long before a car reaches the used lot, but you still need to know which campaigns apply to the exact VIN in front of you before you hand over a check. A few stand out on these three Hyundais.

Palisade 2020-2021: Two specific NHTSA campaigns matter here. The wiper motor recall (campaign 243, covering 2021-2023 Palisades) involved intermittent or complete wiper failure from snow and ice buildup. Tennessee doesn't get hammered with ice storms as often as the Upper Midwest, but if you've driven back from Old Hickory Lake on a January night, you know how fast a light sleet coats a windshield on the back roads. A failing wiper motor isn't theoretical in that situation. The trailer hitch wiring recall (covering 2020-2022 Palisades) involved moisture intrusion causing electrical shorts and fire risk, per NHTSA. If you're buying a Palisade equipped with a tow hitch for launching at the Cages Bend boat ramp, confirm both recalls are closed on the specific VIN.

Sonata 2020-2023 (non-hybrid): NHTSA campaign 286 covers a fuel system issue. Per the official recall, a damaged check valve can let air into the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components. Notification letters went out beginning March 13, 2026, which means there are VINs in the used market where the repair isn't yet completed. None of that is a reason to avoid a used Sonata, but it's a strong reason to run the VIN first.

Tucson 2022 (non-hybrid): Per NHTSA data, the 2022 Tucson non-hybrid drew 433 owner complaints, with powertrain issues among the top reported areas. NHTSA also issued a recall (campaign 290) covering 2022-2024 Tucson models equipped with an optional tow hitch wiring harness for potential moisture intrusion causing electrical shorts. Not a dealbreaker, but verify the VIN.

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The Right Year Depends on What You're Doing With It

The right model year for you depends less on a complaint chart than on what you'll actually ask the car to do week to week, since the same three-year window can point to a very different Hyundai for a boat-hauler than for a solo commuter. Sort out the use case first, then the year.

You're running the boat ramp on weekends and commuting to Nashville on weekdays. Point yourself at the 2022-2023 Palisade for this one. The Palisade hauls the family to Cages Bend with room to spare, the optional AWD system handles soft gravel around the boat ramp without drama, and the 3.8-liter V6 pulls a small boat trailer without strain. The downside is real. Fuel economy isn't the Palisade's strength, and that commute adds up. If efficiency is the priority, a used Palisade Hybrid is worth the search, though used hybrid Palisades stay relatively thin on the market.

You want commuter-grade efficiency and enough space for weekend gear. The 2023-2024 Tucson Hybrid earns serious attention. The EPA rates the 2026 version at 36 mpg combined, and the 2023-2024 uses the same 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid setup. A 25-mile Nashville commute is exactly the use case this powertrain was built for, since it recaptures energy in stop-and-go rather than burning through it. The cargo area (around 38 cubic feet behind the second row in the 2023 Tucson) is genuinely practical for a couple or a small family. The Cages Bend campground entrance runs tight enough that a compact SUV's footprint actually works in your favor over a full three-row.

You mostly commute and want a refined sedan with hybrid efficiency. A 2022-2023 Sonata Hybrid deserves a real look. The 8th-generation Sonata brought a 10.25-inch touchscreen on higher trims, wireless smartphone integration standard on the 2023, and a hybrid system tuned around freeway-speed efficiency. All of that suits the Nashville-area commute corridor well. The fair tradeoff comes down to space. It's a sedan, so cargo hauling to the campground is limited. A kayak on a roof rack or a small trailer works fine. A loaded family camping setup does not. Know what you're signing up for.

By the Hallmark Hyundai Hendersonville Team | July 2026