Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Toyota Venza

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 Plug-In Hybrid and Venza have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Plug-In 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 Venza’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.

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

Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Venza 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid weighs 474 to 668 pounds more than the Toyota Venza. 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 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Venza:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Venza
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 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Venza:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Venza
	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.

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 Plug-In Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Venza is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Venza’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

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

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

Reliability

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 Plug-In Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 42 more horsepower (261 vs. 219) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is faster than the Toyota Venza:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Venza
Zero to 60 MPH	7.5 sec	7.6 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	20.4 sec	20.9 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.5 sec	7.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	89 MPH
Top Speed	130 MPH	118 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Venza (79 city/72 hwy MPGe vs. 40 city/37 hwy).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 31 miles. The Venza has to start its internal combustion engine after only 1.6 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Venza:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Venza
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	11.1 inches

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid stops shorter than the Venza:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Venza
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has larger tires than the Venza (235/55R19 vs. 225/60R18).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Venza LE’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Venza LE.

Suspension and Handling

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

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Venza.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited handles at .83 G’s, while the Venza Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has 2.6 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front legroom, 3.1 inches more front hip room, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear legroom, 11.1 inches more rear hip room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Venza.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Venza with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 28.8 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venza with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Venza’s in every dimension:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Venza
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	39.2”
Max Width	54”	49.8”
Min Width	43.4”	39.7”
Height	31”	27.6”

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

Towing

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Venza has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Assist on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Venza doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Venza 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 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 Plug-In Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Venza’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

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

When the Santa Fe Plug-In 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 Venza’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited. The Santa Fe Plug-In 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 Venza.

The Santa Fe Plug-In 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 Venza doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Santa Fe Plug-In 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 Venza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Toyota Venza, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Toyota Venza by almost four to one during 2022.