Compare the2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Atlas Cross Sport has standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the Santa Fe 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, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

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

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Santa Fe’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

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 Atlas Cross Sport’s reliability 15 points higher than the Santa Fe.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 44 more horsepower (235 vs. 191) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 181) than the Santa Fe’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe 4 cyl.:

For better stopping power the Atlas Cross Sport’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Fe:

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Santa Fe are solid, not vented.

The Atlas Cross Sport stops shorter than the Santa Fe:

For better traction, the Atlas Cross Sport has larger standard tires than the Santa Fe (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R18). The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe (265/45R21 vs. 255/45R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line has standard 21-inch wheels. The Santa Fe’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Atlas Cross Sport has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas Cross Sport’s wheelbase is 8.4 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (117.3 inches vs. 108.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Santa Fe.

The Atlas Cross Sport has .7 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Santa Fe.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Santa Fe with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 36.4 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Santa Fe with its rear seat folded (77.8 vs. 72.1 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Atlas Cross Sport. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Santa Fe is limited to 3500 pounds. The Atlas Cross Sport offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Atlas Cross Sport’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 Santa Fe’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Atlas Cross Sport the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Santa Fe can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Santa Fe SE/XRT/SEL’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas Cross Sport SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Atlas Cross Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Hyundai Santa Fe isn't recommended.

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 4267 units during the 2021 model year.