Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2023 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid

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
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and Rav4 Hybrid 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 Rav4 Hybrid’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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Rav4 Hybrid’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Fe Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Toyota charges extra for rear cross-path warning on the Rav4 Hybrid.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Rav4 Hybrid 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Rav4 Hybrid
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	29.3%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	306 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	56 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	400/388 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	244	284
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	37.4%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	258 lbs.
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	222/167 lbs.	340/190 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Rav4 Hybrid
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	83
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	576 lbs.	835 lbs.

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

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 Rav4 Hybrid’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 Toyota covers the Rav4 Hybrid. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rav4 Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Hybrid for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Rav4 Hybrid (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

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 16 points higher than the Rav4 Hybrid.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

Engine

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 7 more horsepower (226 vs. 219) than the Rav4 Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Rav4 Hybrid (17.7 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Fe Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4 Hybrid:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Rav4 Hybrid
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	11.1 inches

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops much shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Rav4 Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	143 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Hybrid has larger tires than the Rav4 Hybrid (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

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 Rav4 Hybrid’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited has standard 19-inch wheels. The Rav4 Hybrid’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 Rav4 Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the Rav4 Hybrid (108.9 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Hybrid is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Rav4 Hybrid.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the Rav4 Hybrid XSE pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Rav4 Hybrid XSE (28 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 Hybrid (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Santa Fe Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 3.1 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, 3 inches more rear legroom, 8.6 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Rav4 Hybrid.

The front step up height for the Santa Fe Hybrid is 1.5 inches lower than the Rav4 Hybrid (17.5” vs. 19”). The Santa Fe Hybrid’s rear step up height is .3 inches lower than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (18.3” vs. 18.6”).

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rav4 Hybrid with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Rav4 Hybrid’s in almost every dimension:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Rav4 Hybrid
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	40”/73.4”
Max Width	54”	59”
Min Width	43.4”	39.4”
Height	31”	36.6”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (2000 vs. 1750 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Rav4 Hybrid 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 Limited’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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Rav4 Hybrid’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Blue/SEL’s standard variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 Hybrid LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Rav4 Hybrid 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. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Rav4 Hybrid.

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 Rav4 Hybrid’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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. Only the Rav4 Hybrid XLE Premium/XSE/Limited offers wireless charging and it costs extra.

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 Rav4 Hybrid 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 speed with the brake pedal. 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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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.