Compare the2023 Lexus RXVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Lexus RX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The RX has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe Hybrid 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 RX and the Santa Fe Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Santa Fe Hybrid has not been fully tested, yet.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 13th.

The RX 350h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 20 more horsepower (246 vs. 226) than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The RX 350’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 49 more horsepower (275 vs. 226) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 258) than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The RX 500h F Sport Performance’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 140 more horsepower (366 vs. 226) and 148 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 258) than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the RX 350 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid:

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

The RX can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for .6 miles. The Santa Fe Hybrid can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Both the RX and Santa Fe Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The RX 350 has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Lexus RX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Santa Fe Hybrid.

The RX 350h has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The RX’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 Hybrid are solid, not vented.

The RX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Santa Fe Hybrid Blue’s standard 65 series tires. The RX’s optional tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Santa Fe Hybrid Blue. The RX’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited.

The RX has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Santa Fe Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The RX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the RX’s wheelbase is 3.3 inches longer than on the Santa Fe Hybrid (112.2 inches vs. 108.9 inches).

For better maneuverability, the RX 500h F Sport Performance’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is limited to 2000 pounds. The RX offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 66% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 29th.

The RX’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Santa Fe Hybrid does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The RX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed 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 Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The RX’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 Hybrid’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the RX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Lexus service department.) The driver of the Santa Fe Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The RX’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 Hybrid Blue/SEL’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RX Premium+/Luxury/500h F Sport offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the RX Premium+/Luxury/500h F Sport offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The RX’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Santa Fe Hybrid has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The RX Premium/Luxury/F Sport has standard front air conditioned seats and the RX Premium+/Luxury/500h F Sport offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The RX Premium/Luxury/500h F Sport’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Advanced Park will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The RX is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.