Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2022 Audi Q3

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

Safety

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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 when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Q3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Q3 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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 Q3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Q3 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, 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.

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 Audi Q3:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Q3
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	296	326
Neck Injury Risk	16%	39%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	343 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	35 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	235/363 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	244	346
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	35%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	186 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	222/167 lbs.	261/249 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 Audi Q3:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Q3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	88
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	148	159
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	376	504
Spine Acceleration	44 G’s	47 G’s

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 Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 87 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q3 was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

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 Q3’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe Hybrid 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q3.

There are almost 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Santa Fe Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard 760-amp battery. The Q3’s 680-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 54 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Audi.

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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 84 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 25th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 8 places higher in reliability than Audi.

Engine

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 42 more horsepower (226 vs. 184) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 221) than the Q3 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is faster than the Q3 45 TFSI:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Q3
Zero to 60 MPH	8.2 sec	8.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.6 MPH	85.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Hybrid gets better mileage than the Q3:

			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
Q3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Santa Fe Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Q3 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q3 (17.7 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops shorter than the Q3:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Q3
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the Q3 (108.9 inches vs. 105.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Hybrid is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Q3.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Q3 40 TFSI Premium Plus (28 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Q3’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe Hybrid has a 2.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q3 (8.2 vs. 5.5 inches), allowing the Santa Fe Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The design of the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid amounts to more than styling. The Santa Fe Hybrid has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the Q3 (.36) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Santa Fe Hybrid get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 4.1 inches more front legroom, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 4.7 inches more rear legroom and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q3.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q3 with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 23.7 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q3 with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 48 cubic feet).

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Q3’s in almost every dimension:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Q3
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	34”/65”
Max Width	54”	54”
Min Width	43.4”	39”
Height	31”	28”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Q3 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q3’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

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 Q3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q3 doesn’t offer a remote starting 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 Q3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Q3’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Santa Fe Hybrid’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Q3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Q3 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 Q3’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Q3 have standard heated front seats. 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 Q3.

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 Q3 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 Q3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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. Only the Q3 Premium Plus offers wireless charging.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited 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 Q3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, 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 Q3’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Economic Advantages

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid will be $2606 to $3479 less than for the Audi Q3.

Recommendations

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Audi Q3 by over three to one during the 2021 model year.