Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Honda Pilot 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Pilot deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Pilot’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 Pilot 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, 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.

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 Pilot is 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 Honda Pilot is safer than the Santa Fe:

The Honda Pilot 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 an “Acceptable” 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.

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

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 Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 8 more horsepower (285 vs. 277) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Pilot 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 Pilot higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Santa Fe (6). This means the Pilot produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Santa Fe every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Santa Fe.

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

For better traction, the Pilot has larger standard tires than the Santa Fe (255/50R20 vs. 235/60R18). The Pilot TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe (265/60R18 vs. 255/45R20).

The Pilot has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Pilot TrailSport has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Santa Fe; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Pilot’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (113.8 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Santa Fe.

The Pilot TrailSport 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 Pilot has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (7.3 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Pilot to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Pilot 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.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Pilot TrailSport is quieter than the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD (66 vs. 68 dB).

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

The Pilot has 6.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Santa Fe (158.4 vs. 152).

The Pilot has 1.9 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 2.5 inches more rear hip room, 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.6 inches more third row headroom, 2.5 inches more third row legroom, 1.9 inches more third row hip room and 6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Santa Fe.

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

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Santa Fe is limited to 4500 pounds. The Pilot 4WD offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Pilot’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 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 Pilot’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Santa Fe’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’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 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Pilot 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Pilot, based on reliability, safety and performance.