Compare the2025 Mazda CX-90VS 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Mazda CX-90 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 a front passenger side knee airbag.

The CX-90 Premium has a standard Secondary Collision Reduction System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-90. But it costs extra on the Santa Fe.

Both the CX-90 and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and available around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the CX-90 is much safer than the Santa Fe:

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 Mazda CX-90 is safer than the Santa Fe:

The Mazda CX-90 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Santa Fe is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Hyundai is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda 4 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

The CX-90’s standard 3.3 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 3 more horsepower (280 vs. 277) and 21 lbs.-ft. more torque (332 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CX-90 PHEV’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 46 more horsepower (323 vs. 277) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CX-90 Turbo S’ standard 3.3 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 63 more horsepower (340 vs. 277) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the CX-90 PHEV 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

On the EPA test cycle the CX-90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

The CX-90 PHEV can travel with zero emissions for 26 miles. The Santa Fe can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the CX-90’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The CX-90 Turbo S’ standard fuel tank has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe (19.6 vs. 17.7 gallons).

The CX-90’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 are solid, not vented.

The CX-90 stops shorter than the Santa Fe:

For better traction, the CX-90 has larger standard tires than the Santa Fe (265/55R19 vs. 235/60R18). The CX-90 Premium/Turbo S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe (275/45R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The CX-90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Santa Fe SE/SEL’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Santa Fe SE/SEL.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-90’s wheelbase is 12 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (122.8 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-90 is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Santa Fe.

The CX-90 Premium Plus handles at .85 G’s, while the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the CX-90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (8 vs. 7 inches), allowing the CX-90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The CX-90 offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Santa Fe can only carry 7.

The CX-90’s cargo area provides more volume than the Santa Fe.

Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Santa Fe is limited to 4500 pounds. The CX-90 offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the CX-90 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Santa Fe. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The CX-90’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’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The CX-90’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’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 CX-90’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Santa Fe’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-90 Turbo S has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The CX-90’s optional 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 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The CX-90 Premium Plus/Turbo S has standard front air conditioned seats and the CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The CX-90 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy.