Compare the2025 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

Safety
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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

Both the Discovery and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and driver alert monitors.

Engine

The Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 19 more horsepower (296 vs. 277) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 78 more horsepower (355 vs. 277) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Discovery has 6.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe (23.8 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Discovery P300	Discovery P360	Santa Fe SE/SEL/XRT	Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	14.4 inches	12.8 inches	13.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.8 inches	12 inches	12.8 inches

The Discovery’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.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Discovery has larger standard tires than the Santa Fe (255/55R20 vs. 235/60R18). The Discovery’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe (285/40R22 vs. 255/45R20).

The Discovery’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. The Discovery’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Santa Fe Limited’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Santa Fe SE/SEL. The Discovery’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the Santa Fe Calligraphy.

The Discovery offers an optional 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.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the Discovery uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Santa Fe, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Discovery has a standard 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’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Discovery has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Discovery’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 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Discovery’s wheelbase is 4.3 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (115.1 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Discovery is 2 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Santa Fe.

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 4.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (11.2 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Discovery’s minimum ground clearance is 2.9 inches higher than on the Santa Fe XRT (11.2 vs. 8.3 inches).

Passenger Space

The Discovery has 1.3 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear hip room, 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room, .2 inches more third row headroom and 3.5 inches more third row legroom than the Santa Fe.

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the Discovery when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the liftgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The Santa Fe doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

Cargo Capacity

Both the Discovery and the Santa Fe have standard second row automatic folding seats. The Discovery’s optional third row seats also fold up or down at the press of a button. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer automatic folding third row seats.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Discovery. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Discovery’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Fe’s (5952 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Santa Fe is only 4500 pounds. The Discovery offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Discovery 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.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy, the Discovery SE has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Discovery’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.

If the windows are left open on the Discovery the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Santa Fe can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Discovery’s standard Keyless Entry allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Proximity Key standard on the Santa Fe doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Discovery’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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Discovery to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Discovery offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Discovery’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 Land Rover Discovery has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy.

The Discovery has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Hyundai doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Santa Fe.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Discovery’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Discovery has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy.

The Discovery Metropolitan has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Santa Fe.

The Discovery 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.

The Land Rover Discovery has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Hyundai charges extra for Homelink® on the Santa Fe.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Land Rover Discovery has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy offers wireless charging.

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