Compare the2022 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2022 Chevrolet Trax

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 Trax 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 Trax’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.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Santa Fe Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Trax doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Trax doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

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 Trax 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 Trax.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Trax doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Trax doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Trax only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

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 Trax’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. Only the Trax LT offers a rear cross-path warning system and it costs extra.

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 Trax doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Trax 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, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid weighs 786 to 1103 pounds more than the Chevrolet Trax. 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 Chevrolet Trax:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Trax
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	26%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	298 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	363/313 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	27%	38%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	122 lbs.
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	104 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	222/167 lbs.	249/289 lbs.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is safer than the Chevrolet Trax:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Trax
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	73
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	376	382
Spine Acceleration	44 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	576 lbs.	707 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 Trax last would have qualified as only a “Top Pick” in 2016.

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 Trax’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 Chevrolet covers the Trax. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Trax 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 Trax’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. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Trax.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard 760-amp battery. The Trax’s 525-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 29 points higher than the Trax.

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 Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 12th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 71 more horsepower (226 vs. 155) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 177) than the Trax’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			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
Trax
	FWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	1.4 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Santa Fe Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Trax doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Santa Fe Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Trax doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Trax (17.7 vs. 14 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 Trax:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Trax
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	9” drums
Opt Rear Rotors		10.6 inches

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Trax. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops shorter than the Trax:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Trax
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Hybrid has larger tires than the Trax (235/65R17 vs. 205/70R16). The Santa Fe Hybrid Blue’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Trax (235/65R17 vs. 215/55R18).

The Santa Fe Hybrid Blue’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Trax’s standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Hybrid Blue has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Trax. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Trax LT.

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 Chevrolet Trax 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 Trax’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s wheelbase is 8.3 inches longer than on the Trax (108.9 inches vs. 100.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Hybrid is 4.3 inches wider in the front and 4.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Trax.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the Trax LT AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Trax LT AWD (28 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe Hybrid has a 2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Trax (8.2 vs. 6.2 inches), allowing the Santa Fe Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 3.3 inches more front legroom, 5.8 inches more front hip room, 5 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 5.1 inches more rear legroom, 5.6 inches more rear hip room and 5.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trax.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Santa Fe Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Trax’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 Trax with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 18.7 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trax with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 48.4 cubic feet).

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

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Trax
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	29.3”/57”
Max Width	54”	39.5”
Min Width	43.4”	36”
Height	31”	31.8”

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

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Trax doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Trax has no towing capacity.

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 Trax 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 Trax 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

When different drivers share the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited, the memory system makes it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Trax doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Trax doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Trax has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

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 Trax’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Trax’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Trax doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Trax’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Trax’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Santa Fe Hybrid detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Trax doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Santa Fe Hybrid has standard extendable sun visors. The Trax doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Chevrolet only offers heated mirrors on the Trax LT.

When the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Trax’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trax doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Trax, and are only available on the Trax LT. 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 Trax.

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 Trax doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Trax doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s optional dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Trax doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s optional automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Trax doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Trax 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 Trax doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Trax doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Trax’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

With standard voice command, the Santa Fe Hybrid offers the driver hands free control of the radio, climate controls and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Trax doesn’t offer a voice control system.

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. The Trax doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 speed with the brake pedal. 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 Trax doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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 Trax only retains 45.97% to 46.16%.

Recommendations

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Chevrolet Trax by 78% during the 2021 model year.