Compare the2027 Dodge Durango VS 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Durango has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

Both the Durango and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available crash mitigating brakes and lane departure warning systems.

The Dodge Durango weighs 827 to 1035 pounds more than the Hyundai Santa Fe. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Dodge Durango is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

	Durango	Santa Fe
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	74	460
Neck Stress	236 lbs.	273 lbs.
Neck Compression	11 lbs.	33 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	339/364 lbs.	290/423 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	295	369
Neck Injury Risk	26%	32.5%
Neck Compression	86 lbs.	140 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	303/32 lbs.	726/652 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Dodge Durango is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

	Durango	Santa Fe
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	60
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	16 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are almost 3 times as many Dodge dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Durango’s warranty.

The Dodge Durango’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Santa Fe’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Durango has a standard 180-amp alternator (220-amp - Durango optional). The Santa Fe’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

The Durango’s standard 5.7 V8 produces 83 more horsepower (360 vs. 277) and 79 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Durango R/T 392’s standard 6.4 V8 produces 198 more horsepower (475 vs. 277) and 159 lbs.-ft. more torque (470 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Dodge Durango 5.7 V8 is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

	Durango	Santa Fe
Zero to 30 MPH	2.2 sec	3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.4 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	11 sec	12 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.9 MPH	92.5 MPH

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

The Durango has 6.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe (24.6 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Durango 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.

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

	Durango	Durango w/Tow N Go	Santa Fe
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	15 inches	12.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.8 inches	12.8 inches

The Durango’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 Durango stops shorter than the Santa Fe:

	Durango	Santa Fe
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Durango has larger standard tires than the Santa Fe (265/50R20 vs. 235/60R18). The Durango’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe (295/45R20 vs. 255/45R20).

The Durango’s standard 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 SE/SEL’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Durango has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Santa Fe SE/SEL.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires optional on the Durango can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Durango 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.

The Durango 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’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Durango offers an optional automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Durango’s wheelbase is 9 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (119.8 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

The Durango’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Santa Fe’s (55% to 45%). This gives the Durango more stable handling and braking.

The Durango R/T 392 handles at .85 G’s, while the Santa Fe Calligraphy HTRAC AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Durango R/T 392 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Santa Fe XRT (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Durango GT has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (7.8 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Durango to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Durango offers available 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.

The Durango has .5 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more rear hip room, .1 inches more third row headroom and 3.5 inches more third row legroom than the Santa Fe.

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

	Durango	Santa Fe
Behind Third Seat	17.2 cubic feet	14.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	43.3 cubic feet	40.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	85.1 cubic feet	79.6 cubic feet

The Durango’s cargo area is larger than the Santa Fe’s in almost every dimension:

	Durango	Santa Fe
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	20”/50”/83”	14.8”/41.4”/78.5”
Max Width	49”	53.6”
Min Width	42.5”	42.6”
Height	36”	34.5”

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

The Durango’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Fe’s (7200 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Santa Fe is only 4500 pounds. The Durango offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Durango GT can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Durango can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Santa Fe can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The engine in the Durango 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 Durango’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Santa Fe does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Durango’s front power windows 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 Durango’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 Durango’s standard rear view mirror and optional 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 Durango 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 Durango 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 Dodge Durango has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the overhead console. 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 Dodge Durango has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy offers wireless charging.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Durango third among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Santa Fe isn’t in the top three in its category.