Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa FeVS 2023 Cadillac XT4

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

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe and XT4 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe 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 XT4’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.

The Santa Fe’s standard 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. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the XT4.

The Santa Fe’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 XT4 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Santa Fe and the XT4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 is safer than the Cadillac XT4:

	Santa Fe	XT4
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	28%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	218 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	43 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	181/231 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	244	350
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	34%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	131 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, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe is safer than the Cadillac XT4:

	Santa Fe	XT4
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	114
Abdominal Force	164 lbs.	185 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	148	169

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 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XT4 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Santa Fe comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The XT4’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Cadillac covers the XT4. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the XT4 ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Santa Fe’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the XT4’s (7 vs. 6 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the XT4.

There are over 47 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Santa Fe’s warranty.

Reliability

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’s reliability 25 points higher than the XT4.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 9th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 4 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 46 more horsepower (281 vs. 235) and 53 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 258) than the XT4’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Cadillac XT4:

	Santa Fe	XT4
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98.4 MPH	89.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Santa Fe uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XT4 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Santa Fe has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the XT4 FWD’s standard fuel tank (18.8 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Santa Fe has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the XT4 AWD’s standard fuel tank (18.8 vs. 16.3 gallons).

Transmission

The Santa Fe offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The XT4 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Fe’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the XT4:

	Santa Fe	Santa Fe 2.5T	XT4
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	13.6 inches	12.6 inches

The Santa Fe stops shorter than the XT4:

	Santa Fe	XT4
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XT4 (255/45R20 vs. 245/45R20).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the track on the XT4.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the XT4 Sport AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XT4 Sport AWD (26.7 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Santa Fe’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the XT4’s (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the XT4 (8.2 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Santa Fe to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe has 10.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XT4 (111.5 vs. 101.3).

The Santa Fe has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 3 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom, 6.5 inches more rear hip room and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the XT4.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Santa Fe’s rear seats recline. The XT4’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XT4 with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 22.5 cubic feet). The Santa Fe has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XT4 with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 48.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Santa Fe easier. The Santa Fe’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the XT4’s liftover is 30.5 inches.

The Santa Fe’s cargo area is larger than the XT4’s in every dimension:

	Santa Fe	XT4
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	37.5”/67.4”
Max Width	54”	50”
Min Width	43.4”	38.7”
Height	31”	26.6”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe’s (except SE) optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The XT4 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Ergonomics

The Santa Fe Calligraphy’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The XT4’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The Santa Fe 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 XT4 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT4 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XT4 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, 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 XT4 Premium Luxury/Sport’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Economic Advantages

The Santa Fe will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Santa Fe will retain 51.18% to 51.49% of its original price after five years, while the XT4 only retains 45.4% to 45.5%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Santa Fe will be $2316 to $9657 less than for the Cadillac XT4.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Santa Fe, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Cadillac XT4 isn't recommended.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Cadillac XT4 by over five to one during 2022.