Compare the2024 Porsche MacanVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Porsche Macan 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Macan has a standard Multi-collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Macan and the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The Macan’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s (12 vs. 7 years).

The battery on the Macan is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Macan’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 3 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

The Macan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 258) than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Macan S’ standard 2.9 turbo V6 produces 114 more horsepower (375 vs. 261) and 125 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 258) than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Macan GTS’ standard 2.9 turbo V6 produces 173 more horsepower (434 vs. 261) and 147 lbs.-ft. more torque (405 vs. 258) than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Porsche Macan turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:

Both the Macan and Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Macan has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Macan has 7.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (19.8 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

A seven-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Porsche Macan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid.

The Macan offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer launch control.

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

The Macan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid are solid, not vented.

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

For better traction, the Macan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (F:265/40R21 & R:295/35R21 vs. 235/55R19).

The Macan’s standard 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard 55 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Macan has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Macan offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Macan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Macan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Macan’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (110.5 inches vs. 108.9 inches).

The Macan S handles at .93 G’s, while the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Macan has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (8.9 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Macan to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Porsche Macan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 250 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid.

The front grille of the Macan 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

The Macan’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s (4409 vs. 2000 pounds).

The engine in the Macan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 48% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 29th.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited, the Macan offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Macan’s front and rear power windows all 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 Plug-In Hybrid’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Macan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Macan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Macan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Macan’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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

The Macan was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 6 more times in the last 8 years. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.