Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa FeVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/12/21

Both the Santa Fe and Cherokee 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 Cherokee’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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Cherokee only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Santa Fe’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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Santa Fe and the Cherokee 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, 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 all wheel drive.

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 is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Santa Fe	Cherokee
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	38.2%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	408 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	368/516 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	37%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	218 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	222/167 lbs.	241/259 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, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Santa Fe	Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	64
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	148	264
Hip Force	736 lbs.	938 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Santa Fe is 1.4% to 2.7% less likely to roll over than the Cherokee.

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 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been fully tested, yet.

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 Cherokee’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 Jeep covers the Cherokee. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Cherokee ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Santa Fe has a standard 760-amp battery. The Cherokee’s 700-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 Jeep vehicles. With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Jeep.

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 Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 53 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The Santa Fe’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 11 more horsepower (191 vs. 180) and 10 lbs.-ft. more torque (181 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 11 more horsepower (281 vs. 270) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 295) than the Cherokee Trailhawk’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Hyundai Santa Fe 4 cyl. is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl.:

	Santa Fe	Cherokee
Zero to 30 MPH	3.6 sec	3.9 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	10 sec	10.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	6.4 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	17.6 sec	18.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83 MPH	78.6 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Cherokee Trailhawk 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Santa Fe	Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98.4 MPH	87.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Santa Fe
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
		2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/25 hwy
Cherokee
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy

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

The Santa Fe has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (18.8 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Santa Fe offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Cherokee doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Fe 2.5T’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cherokee:

	Santa Fe 2.5T	Cherokee
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13 inches

The Santa Fe stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	Santa Fe	Cherokee
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe has larger standard tires than the Cherokee (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R18). The Santa Fe Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cherokee (255/45R20 vs. 245/65R17).

The Santa Fe’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 Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s standard 65 series tires. The Santa Fe Calligraphy’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Cherokee Altitude LUX’s optional 60 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 Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4. The Santa Fe Calligraphy’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Cherokee Altitude LUX.

Suspension and Handling

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe’s wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than on the Cherokee (108.9 inches vs. 106.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cherokee.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Cherokee pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Cherokee (26.7 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Santa Fe’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (37.4 feet vs. 37.7 feet). The Santa Fe’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Cherokee Trailhawk’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cherokee (8.2 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Santa Fe to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Hyundai Santa Fe may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 250 pounds less than the Jeep Cherokee.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe has 8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cherokee (111.5 vs. 103.5).

The Santa Fe has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 3 inches more front legroom, 3.7 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 6.4 inches more rear hip room and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The Santa Fe has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Santa Fe easier. The Santa Fe’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

The Santa Fe’s cargo area is larger than the Cherokee’s in every dimension:

	Santa Fe	Cherokee
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	33.9”/67.6”
Max Width	54”	49.2”
Min Width	43.4”	39.4”
Height	31”	28.8”

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

Payload

The Santa Fe has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Cherokee (1411 vs. 1000 lbs.).

Ergonomics

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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The Santa Fe has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Cherokee 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 Cherokee’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Santa Fe and the Cherokee 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 Cherokee.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Cherokee’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Santa Fe, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Jeep Cherokee by almost three to one during 2022.

See Available Inventory