Compare the2024 Honda CR-VVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Hyundai Santa Fe doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Honda CR-V has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Santa Fe’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the CR-V and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Honda CR-V achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Santa Fe has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

There are over 27 percent more Honda dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the CR-V’s warranty.

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 Honda CR-V’s reliability 23 points higher than the Santa Fe.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 6 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

The CR-V Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 13 more horsepower (204 vs. 191) and 66 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 181) than the Santa Fe’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Honda CR-V turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

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

The CR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a CVT.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CR-V is 3.6 inches shorter than the Santa Fe, making the CR-V easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the CR-V uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Santa Fe with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 36.4 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Santa Fe with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 72.1 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the CR-V. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The CR-V’s standard 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 Santa Fe’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The CR-V EX-L/Sport L/Sport Touring’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

On a hot day the CR-V’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Santa Fe can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CR-V has a standard Pushbutton Start that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy offers a Proximity Key.

The CR-V’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Santa Fe SE/XRT/SEL’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The CR-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the CR-V will retain 57.72% to 58.67% of its original price after five years, while the Santa Fe only retains 54.23% to 55.07%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda CR-V will be $9 to $9492 less than for the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda CR-V and the Hyundai Santa Fe, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 8 more times in the last 23 years. The Santa Fe has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Santa Fe has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by almost three to one during 2023.