Compare the2024 Hyundai Santa FeVS 2024 Nissan Murano

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Santa Fe 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 Nissan Murano doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

Both the Santa Fe and Murano have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe 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 Murano’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.

With its standard Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Santa Fe is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Nissan Murano, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Santa Fe	Murano
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-27 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.1 sec	1.5 sec
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-20 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.4 sec	1 sec

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

Both the Santa Fe and Murano have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Santa Fe has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Murano’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Santa Fe and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Santa Fe is much safer than the Murano:

	Santa Fe	Murano
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	89	286
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	402 lbs.
Neck Compression	-22 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	1.65 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	9 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	64	182
Neck Compression	-45 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	-.87 in	.63 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Hyundai Santa Fe 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 Murano is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

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

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

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

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Murano.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Santa Fe has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Murano’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 6th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Nissan With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Nissan.

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

Engine

The Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 17 more horsepower (277 vs. 260) and 71 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Santa Fe is faster than the Nissan Murano:

	Santa Fe	Murano
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	7.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.1 sec	19.4 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.7 sec	7.6 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.3 sec	3.8 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.4 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	96 MPH	92 MPH
Top Speed	135 MPH	119 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Murano FWD (20 city/29 hwy vs. 20 city/28 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Santa Fe’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Murano doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Santa Fe SE/SEL/XRT	Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy	Murano
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	13.6 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	12.8 inches	12.1 inches

The Santa Fe stops shorter than the Murano:

	Santa Fe	Murano
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Murano (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Santa Fe SE/SEL’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Murano SV’s standard 65 series tires. The Santa Fe Limited’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Calligraphy has standard 21-inch wheels. The Murano’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Santa Fe has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Murano’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Santa Fe’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Murano doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Murano Platinum AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Santa Fe’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Murano’s (37.9 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (7 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Santa Fe to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Santa Fe XRT’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the Murano (8.3 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

The design of the Hyundai Santa Fe amounts to more than styling. The Santa Fe has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .294 Cd. That is lower than the Murano (.31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Santa Fe get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Murano can only carry 5.

The Santa Fe has 43.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Murano (152 vs. 108.1).

The Santa Fe has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 3.8 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more rear headroom and 3.6 inches more rear legroom than the Murano.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe’s cargo area provides more volume than the Murano.

	Santa Fe	Murano
Third Seat Folded	40.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	32.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	79.6 cubic feet	67 cubic feet

Towing

The Santa Fe’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Murano’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Murano is only 1500 pounds. The Santa Fe offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Assist on the Santa Fe 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 Murano doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Santa Fe Calligraphy has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Murano doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Santa Fe’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Murano’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Santa Fe and the Murano have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Santa Fe is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Murano prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy’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 Murano’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Murano’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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

The Santa Fe’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Murano SV/Midnight/SL/Platinum.

The Santa Fe XRT/Limited/Calligraphy has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Murano doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, 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 Murano doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Nissan Murano by over four to one during 2023.