Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2023 Ford Escape FHEV

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
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and Escape FHEV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe 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 Escape FHEV’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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Santa Fe Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Escape FHEV.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Fe Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Cross Traffic Braking costs extra on the Escape FHEV.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Escape FHEV 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, 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 and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid weighs 410 to 693 pounds more than the Ford Escape FHEV. 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 Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Escape FHEV
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	22.5%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	185 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	23 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	188/315 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	36.3%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	181 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 Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Escape FHEV
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	197
Abdominal Force	164 lbs.	191 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	736 lbs.	816 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 Hybrid is 2.2% to 2.7% less likely to roll over than the Escape FHEV.

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 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape FHEV is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

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 Escape FHEV’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

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

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. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape FHEV.

Reliability

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 Santa Fe Hybrid’s reliability 37 points higher than the Escape FHEV.

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 Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 16th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 5 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 26 more horsepower (226 vs. 200) than the Escape FHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is faster than the Ford Escape FHEV:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Escape FHEV
Zero to 60 MPH	8.2 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.6 MPH	84.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FHEV (17.7 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops shorter than the Escape FHEV:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Escape FHEV
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Hybrid has larger tires than the Escape FHEV (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2.2 inches longer than on the Escape FHEV (108.9 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Hybrid is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Escape FHEV.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the Escape FHEV AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear legroom, 3 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape FHEV.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Santa Fe Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Escape FHEV’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Escape FHEV with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 34.4 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Escape FHEV with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 60.8 cubic feet).

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

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Escape FHEV
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	36.7”/68.3”
Max Width	54”	57.3”
Min Width	43.4”	41.4”
Height	31”	32.8”

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

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

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape FHEV 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 Santa Fe Hybrid’s front power windows 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 Escape FHEV’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

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 Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Escape FHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

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

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Escape FHEV.

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 Escape FHEV’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Escape FHEV. 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 Escape FHEV.

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 Escape FHEV doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the Escape FHEV.

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 Escape FHEV 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 Escape FHEV Elite/Platinum’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Economic Advantages

The Santa Fe Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Santa Fe Hybrid will retain 50.72% to 50.86% of its original price after five years, while the Escape FHEV only retains 49.07% to 49.62%.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.