Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa FeVS 2023 Honda HR-V

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

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe and HR-V 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 HR-V’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 SEL Premium/Limited/Calligraphy has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The HR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Santa Fe 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. Only the HR-V Sport/EX-L offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Fe 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 HR-V Sport/EX-L has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Santa Fe and the HR-V 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Santa Fe its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The HR-V is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

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 HR-V’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

The Santa Fe’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the HR-V’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Honda pays for maintenance for the HR-V (3/36,000 vs. 2/24,000).

Reliability

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 82 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

Engine

The Santa Fe’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (191 vs. 158) and 43 lbs.-ft. more torque (181 vs. 138) than the HR-V’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 123 more horsepower (281 vs. 158) and 173 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 138) than the HR-V’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Hyundai Santa Fe 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda HR-V:

	Santa Fe	HR-V
Zero to 30 MPH	3.6 sec	4.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	10 sec	11.1 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	6.4 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	17.6 sec	18.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83 MPH	81 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Santa Fe’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. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The HR-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Santa Fe has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the HR-V (18.8 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Santa Fe	Santa Fe 2.5T	HR-V
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	13.6 inches	12.3 inches

The Santa Fe stops shorter than the HR-V:

	Santa Fe	HR-V
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe has larger standard tires than the HR-V (235/60R18 vs. 215/60R17). The Santa Fe Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the HR-V (255/45R20 vs. 225/55R18).

The Santa Fe Calligraphy’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the HR-V Sport’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the HR-V. The Santa Fe Calligraphy’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the HR-V Sport.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe’s wheelbase is 4.4 inches longer than on the HR-V (108.9 inches vs. 104.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the HR-V.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the HR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the HR-V EX-L AWD (26.7 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the HR-V LX/EX-L (8.2 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Santa Fe to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Santa Fe’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the HR-V Sport (8.2 vs. 7.3 inches).

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe has 12.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the HR-V (111.5 vs. 98.7).

The Santa Fe has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, 3.5 inches more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 4 inches more rear legroom, 8.9 inches more rear hip room and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the HR-V.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the HR-V with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 24.4 cubic feet). The Santa Fe has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the HR-V with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

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

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

Payload and Towing

The Santa Fe has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The HR-V has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Assist on the Santa Fe 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 HR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Santa Fe has a much higher standard payload capacity than the HR-V (1411 vs. 538 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The HR-V 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 two different drivers share the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The HR-V doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’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 HR-V doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning 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 HR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Santa Fe and the HR-V have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Santa Fe is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The HR-V prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy’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 HR-V Sport/EX-L’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Santa Fe’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 HR-V’s power window (except driver window) and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The HR-V’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’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the HR-V’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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

When the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy 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 HR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Santa Fe and the HR-V offer available heated front seats. The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the HR-V.

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

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

The Santa Fe has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The HR-V doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

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

The Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy’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 HR-V’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

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 HR-V 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 HR-V doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Honda HR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Honda HR-V by 4173 units during 2022.

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