Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In HybridVS 2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid

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

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and CR-V Hybrid have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid’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.

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 Plug-In Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Santa Fe Plug-In 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 CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V Hybrid 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 Plug-In Hybrid has a standard Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the CR-V Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, 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 driver alert monitors.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid weighs 624 to 807 pounds more than the Honda CR-V Hybrid. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Honda CR-V Hybrid:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	CR-V Hybrid
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	27%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	175 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	70 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	244	309
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	37%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	160 lbs.
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	96 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	222/167 lbs.	276/243 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 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Honda CR-V Hybrid:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	CR-V Hybrid
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	71
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	376	386

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 Plug-In Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 87 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CR-V Hybrid is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The CR-V Hybrid’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

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

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CR-V Hybrid.

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 Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 49 more horsepower (261 vs. 212) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 232) than the CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the CR-V Hybrid (79 city/72 hwy MPGe vs. 40 city/35 hwy).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 31 miles. The CR-V Hybrid can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	CR-V Hybrid
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V Hybrid EX/EX-L’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the CR-V Hybrid EX/EX-L.

Suspension and Handling

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CR-V Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s wheelbase is 4.2 inches longer than on the CR-V Hybrid (108.9 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than on the CR-V Hybrid.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has 3.2 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front legroom, 2.4 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 6.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the CR-V Hybrid.

The front step up height for the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 1.5 inches lower than the CR-V Hybrid (17.5” vs. 19”).

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CR-V Hybrid with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 33.2 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CR-V Hybrid with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 68.7 cubic feet).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the CR-V Hybrid’s in almost every dimension:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	CR-V Hybrid
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	37.5”/71”
Max Width	54”	54”
Min Width	43.4”	41.5”
Height	31”	41”

Towing

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The CR-V Hybrid has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Assist on the Santa Fe Plug-In 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 CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The CR-V Hybrid 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

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

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

When the Santa Fe Plug-In 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 CR-V Hybrid’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the CR-V Hybrid have standard heated front seats. The Santa Fe Plug-In 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 CR-V Hybrid.

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the CR-V Hybrid Touring offers wireless charging.

The Santa Fe Plug-In 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 CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. 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 CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

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