Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

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

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and Cherokee 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 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 Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Santa Fe Hybrid offers an optional 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.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and Cherokee have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Santa Fe Hybrid has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’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 Hybrid 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, 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 and rear cross-path warning.

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 Jeep Cherokee:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	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 Hybrid is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	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 Hybrid is 2.2% 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 Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

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 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid has a standard 760-amp battery. The Cherokee’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 26 points higher than the Cherokee.

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 Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 46 more horsepower (226 vs. 180) and 87 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

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

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Cherokee
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	3.9 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	10.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.4 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.4 sec	18.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	78.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Santa Fe Hybrid
	AWD	Blue 1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/31 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	33 city/30 hwy
Cherokee
	AWD	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Santa Fe Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid 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 Hybrid has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (17.7 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (5 to 6). This means the Santa Fe Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops shorter than the Cherokee:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Cherokee
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Hybrid has larger tires than the Cherokee (235/65R17 vs. 225/60R18).

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited has standard 19-inch wheels. The Cherokee’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Santa Fe Hybrid 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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cherokee.

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

For better maneuverability, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (37.4 feet vs. 37.7 feet). The Santa Fe Hybrid’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 Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cherokee (8.2 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Santa Fe Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid 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, .5 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid easier. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

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

	Santa Fe Hybrid	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 Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Ergonomics

The Santa Fe Hybrid 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.

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

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Cherokee have standard heated front seats. 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 Cherokee.

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. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Cherokee’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Recommendations

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. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

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