Compare the2022 Honda HR-VVS 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the HR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The HR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the HR-V and the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes and lane departure warning systems.

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 Honda HR-V is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:

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

There are over 29 percent more Honda dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the HR-V’s warranty.

The engine in the HR-V has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

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 HR-V’s reliability 28 points higher than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 1 place higher in reliability than Hyundai.

The HR-V 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

The HR-V Sport’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

The HR-V 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 Plug-In Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Honda HR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1350 to 1500 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid.

The HR-V is 1 foot, 6 inches shorter than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid, making the HR-V easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The HR-V Sport/EX/EX-L uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The HR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Honda HR-V outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 6% during the 2021 model year.