Compare the2022 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2022 Buick Encore GX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and Encore GX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Encore GX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited has standard Parking Collision Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Encore GX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Santa Fe Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Encore GX.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Encore GX’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Encore GX.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Encore GX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Encore GX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid weighs 805 to 1202 pounds more than the Buick Encore GX. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is safer than the Buick Encore GX:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Encore GX
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	24%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	190 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	15 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	83/261 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	244	401
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	29%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	153 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	222/167 lbs.	409/383 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Santa Fe Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Encore GX is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

Warranty

The Santa Fe Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Encore GX’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Buick covers the Encore GX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Encore GX ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Encore GX’s (7/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Buick doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Encore GX.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Santa Fe Hybrid’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Encore GX’s camshafts. If the Encore GX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Santa Fe Hybrid’s reliability 20 points higher than the Encore GX.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Buick vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Buick is ranked 12th.

Engine

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 89 more horsepower (226 vs. 137) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 162) than the Encore GX’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 71 more horsepower (226 vs. 155) and 84 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 174) than the Encore GX’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is faster than the Buick Encore GX 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Encore GX
Zero to 60 MPH	8.2 sec	9.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	17 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.6 MPH	80 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Hybrid gets better mileage than the Encore GX:

			MPG
Santa Fe Hybrid
	AWD	Blue 1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/31 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	33 city/30 hwy
Encore GX
	FWD	1.3 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/32 hwy
		1.2 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/31 hwy
	AWD	1.3 turbo 3-cyl.	26 city/29 hwy

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Encore GX (17.7 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Fe Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Encore GX:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Encore GX
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	11.81 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	10.39 inches

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops shorter than the Encore GX:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Encore GX
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Hybrid has larger tires than the Encore GX (235/65R17 vs. 225/55R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited has standard 19-inch wheels. The Encore GX’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Buick Encore GX has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Santa Fe Hybrid flat and controlled during cornering. The Encore GX’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s wheelbase is 6.7 inches longer than on the Encore GX (108.9 inches vs. 102.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Hybrid is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Encore GX.

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Encore GX (8.2 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Santa Fe Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front legroom, 5.6 inches more front hip room, 3.7 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear legroom, 8.8 inches more rear hip room and 4.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Encore GX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Santa Fe Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Encore GX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Encore GX with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 23.5 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Encore GX with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 50.2 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Santa Fe Hybrid easier. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Encore GX’s liftover is 30.5 inches.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Encore GX’s in almost every dimension:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Encore GX
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	31.8”/60.8”
Max Width	54”	53”
Min Width	43.4”	40.7”
Height	31”	32”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Encore GX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Encore GX’s (2000 vs. 1000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Assist on the Santa Fe Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Encore GX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Encore GX uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Encore GX’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Encore GX doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Encore GX’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Encore GX doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Encore GX. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Encore GX.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Encore GX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Encore GX offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Santa Fe Hybrid has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Encore GX doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Encore GX Essence offers wireless charging and it costs extra.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Encore GX Essence’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Economic Advantages

The Santa Fe Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Santa Fe Hybrid will retain 46.35% to 46.72% of its original price after five years, while the Encore GX only retains 44.51% to 45.1%.

Recommendations

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Buick Encore by 16% during the 2021 model year.