Table of Contents
- Performance Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
- Safety Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
- Style Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
- Interior Space Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
- Pricing Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
- Fuel Economy and Range
- Tucson vs. Santa Fe: Which Is Better?
- Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson Pros and Cons
It used to be much simpler to make this choice. When interior space was a concern, the midsize Hyundai Santa Fe SUV was the logical choice between the company’s tiny Tucson and the Santa Fe. The Hyundai Tucson for 2022 now has the best internal space in its class and a sleek, angular design. That doesn’t exclude the Hyundai Santa Fe, a midsize SUV with a base engine that is so affordable that purchasers of small SUVs may want to give it some thought. Read on for the advantages and disadvantages of the two Hyundais that we have drove.
Performance Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
Even though the new Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe of 2022 have lower fuel economy than their rivals, we still prefer the hybrids and plug-in hybrids. We’re more impressed by the technology and design of the 187-hp base-engine Tucson than by its performance. Due in part to its shockingly harsh ride and sluggish powertrain, the Hyundai finished fourth in a recent Motor Trend comparison against the Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, and Honda CR-V.
We didn’t find the ride to be stiff, but the Santa Fe’s standard engine, which produces 191 horsepower, won’t win any drag races either. Although it doesn’t provide much entertainment while driving, the larger of the two Hyundai SUVs does the job well. This may be a slight compliment, but it’s unquestionably superior to the Santa Fe 2.5 Turbo vehicles (seen below), which have a crude dual-clutch automatic.
We award the Santa Fe the modest advantage in this case, even though neither the Tucson nor the Santa Fe are dynamic leaders in a straight line or around a curve.
Safety Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
For Santa Fe and Tucson, safety is a largely positive tale. Both Hyundai SUVs have received the IIHS’s top grade of 2022 Top Safety Pick+.
But when it comes to NHTSA evaluations, the Santa Fe wins. Only FWD versions manufactured in Korea on or after September 6, 2021, or American-made models manufactured on or after September 27, 2021, are eligible for the five-star overall rating for the 2022 Tucson. All AWD versions and those manufactured before those dates have an overall rating of four stars. Tucson FWD versions receive a five-star rating for the 2023 model year, while AWD variants receive four stars out of a possible five, missing the five-star overall score limit. With a five-star overall rating for the FWD, AWD, and hybrid models, the Santa Fe makes the story easier to follow.
Style Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
We think the Tucson’s design is effortlessly chic, even though fashion is subjective. Sharp lines often make it difficult to recognize many SUVs from a distance of 100 feet. We find the Santa Fe’s front end too ornate compared to more traditional styles. A few grille-trim elements on the Tucson double as running lights during the day, which helps to partially conceal the fact that it has a lot going on as well.
The dash layout is entirely different inside. Higher-trim models of both SUVs have a digital gauge cluster, but the Santa Fe’s center touchscreen is located at the top of the dash. Both SUVs have infotainment screens that are 8.0 and 10.3 inches in size. The Tucson’s sleek controls appear futuristic, but remember that the buttons and knobs on the Santa Fe are more user-friendly.
Interior Space Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
The interior of the Tucson is where the current SUV differs most practically from the previous model. In actuality, whatever Hyundai SUV you select, your passengers will benefit from a great deal of extra space. In actuality, the Tucson has 38.7 cubic feet of cargo space as opposed to the Santa Fe’s 36.4 cubic feet, although it is 6.1 inches shorter overall. We value its numerous storage spaces, and the Santa Fe (seen here) just offers a little more room inside for passengers. There is a deep, enclosed compartment between the driver and front passenger beneath the central armrest, as well as one of those spaces beneath the center stack.
| Feature | 2023 Hyundai Tucson | 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (L/W/H)* | 182.3 / 73.4 / 65.6 in. | 188.4 / 74.8 / 67.3 in. |
| Cargo Space | 38.7 cu-ft | 36.4 cu-ft |
| Front Legroom | 41.4 in. | 44.1 in. |
| Rear Legroom | 41.3 in. | 41.7 in. |
Pricing Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson
The basic MSRP of the 2022 Hyundai Tucson SE, including destination, is $27,095 as of this writing. A 2022 Tucson SEL with the Convenience package costs $30,995 if you want a power liftgate. The standard model of the 2022 Santa Fe costs $28,995, while the Convenience package, which includes a motorized liftgate among other options, costs $32,445. Therefore, the difference isn’t that big when spread out across three or five years of payments.
Both SUVs come with Hyundai’s five-year/60,000-mile baseline warranty and free maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles.
The Hyundai Tucson is an advantage, but not by as much as you may expect.
Fuel Economy and Range
Hyundai SUVs have excellent fuel efficiency, and when compared to major competitors, it makes no difference if you choose a hybrid or the base engine. When you pit Hyundai against Hyundai, you get the following results: With the standard engine and FWD, the 2023 Santa Fe gets 25/28 mpg in the city and on the highway; with AWD, it gets 22/25 mpg. That’s not nearly as excellent as the 2022 Tucson, which has a rating of 26/33 mpg with FWD and 24/29 mpg with AWD, as you might anticipate.
The conventional hybrids follow the same pattern. In comparison to the Tucson Hybrid’s 37-38/36-38 mpg, the 2023 Santa Fe Hybrid achieves a reasonable 33-36/30-31 mpg.
Thus, the Santa Fe battles back with a greater driving range, but the Tucson prevails on fuel efficiency. When comparing basic engines to base engines and hybrids to hybrids, you get more miles out of each tank before needing to refill.
Tucson vs. Santa Fe: Which Is Better?
The Santa Fe’s cost divides the gap between most compact and midsize five-passenger SUVs, and you get the added benefit of having extra interior room for your passengers in addition to the subliminal joy that comes with purchasing a medium SUV. For this reason, we would give the Santa Fe more serious consideration than the Tucson if we had to choose between them in base-engine configuration. It is quite valuable.
The Tucson is our choice if the hybrid variants appeal to you and fit within your price range. If you’ve crossed off competitors from Honda, Kia, Toyota, and Ford off your list, this package is a fantastic deal because of its improved fuel economy and attractive exterior appearance.
Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson Pros and Cons
- Reasonably priced midsize presence
- Roomy for passengers inside
- Good features for the money
- Untidy frontal styling components
- Potentially more effective
- The unrefined transmission of the 2.5 turbo
- Improved styling
- Reduced starting price
- large cargo area
- lower dash-mounted touchscreen
- Powertrain with a lazy base
- Some controls are more challenging to operate.
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