Compare the2022 Toyota Rav4 PrimeVS 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 Prime have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Toyota Rav4 Prime has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Rav4 Prime has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Rav4 Prime and the Santa Fe Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

There are over 50 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rav4 Prime’s warranty.

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 Rav4 Prime’s reliability 56 points higher than the Santa Fe Hybrid.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Hyundai is ranked 6th.

The Rav4 Prime’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 76 more horsepower (302 vs. 226) than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Rav4 Prime is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the Santa Fe Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 Prime running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Santa Fe Hybrid:

The Rav4 Prime can drive on battery power alone for up to 42 miles. The Santa Fe Hybrid must run its internal combustion engine to move.

The Rav4 Prime has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Rav4 Prime’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Santa Fe Hybrid are solid, not vented.

The Rav4 Prime SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Santa Fe Hybrid Blue’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rav4 Prime SE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Santa Fe Hybrid Blue.

The Rav4 Prime has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Santa Fe Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Rav4 Prime XSE handles at .83 G’s, while the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Rav4 Prime XSE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited (27 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 Prime SE’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Rav4 Prime is 7.5 inches shorter than the Santa Fe Hybrid, making the Rav4 Prime easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Rav4 Prime uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Rav4 Prime. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Rav4 Prime’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s (2500 vs. 2000 pounds).

The Rav4 Prime offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Rav4 Prime’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Rav4 Prime the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Santa Fe Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Rav4 Prime XSE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Rav4 Prime has a standard 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. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Santa Fe Hybrid.

The Rav4 Prime will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Rav4 Prime will retain 55.43% to 55.74% of its original price after five years, while the Santa Fe Hybrid only retains 46.35% to 46.72%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Rav4 Prime will be $702 to $3746 less than for the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4 Prime, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid isn't recommended.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by almost four to one during the 2021 model year.