Compare the2026 Ford ExplorerVS 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

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

Safety

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The Explorer has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply 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.

Both the Explorer 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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

	Explorer	Santa Fe
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	131	460
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	33 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	196/188 lbs.	290/423 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	236	369
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	118 lbs.	140 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	196/281 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

	Explorer	Santa Fe
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	16 inches

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

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 Ford Explorer is safer than the Santa Fe:

	Explorer	Santa Fe
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	86	89
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	1.34 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	982 lbs.	1227 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Explorer is 2.3% to 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Santa Fe.

Warranty

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

Reliability

The Explorer has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Ford higher than Hyundai.

Engine

The Explorer’s standard 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 23 more horsepower (300 vs. 277) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Explorer’s optional 3.0 turbo V6 produces 123 more horsepower (400 vs. 277) and 104 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

	Explorer turbo 4 cyl.	Explorer turbo V6	Santa Fe
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	5.3 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	13.9 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.1 MPH	99.9 MPH	92.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Explorer 4WD with its standard engine gets better fuel mileage than the Santa Fe XRT HTRAC AWD (20 city/27 hwy vs. 19 city/25 hwy).

The Explorer 2.3L EcoBoost I-4’s standard fuel tank has almost a gallon more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe (18.6 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Explorer 3.0L EcoBoost V6’s standard fuel tank has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe (20.2 vs. 17.7 gallons).

The Explorer 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.

Transmission

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Explorer	Explorer ST	Santa Fe
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	14.3 inches	12.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	13.8 inches	12.8 inches

The Explorer ST’s optional 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 Explorer stops much shorter than the Santa Fe:

	Explorer	Santa Fe
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	167 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Explorer has larger standard tires than the Santa Fe (255/65R18 vs. 235/60R18). The Explorer’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe (275/45R21 vs. 255/45R20).

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Explorer can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Explorer’s wheelbase is 8.3 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (119.1 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Explorer is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Santa Fe.

The Explorer ST 4WD handles at .86 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 Explorer ST 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Santa Fe Calligraphy HTRAC AWD (26.4 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.1 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Explorer has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (7.6 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Explorer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Explorer Tremor’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the Santa Fe XRT (8.7 vs. 8.3 inches).

Chassis

The Explorer 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.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Explorer Active 4WD is quieter than the Santa Fe Calligraphy HTRAC AWD (66 vs. 68 dB).

Passenger Space

The Explorer has 2.7 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 4.2 inches more rear hip room, 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.2 inches more third row headroom, 1.8 inches more third row legroom and 1.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Santa Fe.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Explorer	Santa Fe
Behind Third Seat	16.3 cubic feet	14.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	46 cubic feet	40.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	85.8 cubic feet	79.6 cubic feet

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

Towing

The Explorer’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Fe’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Explorer 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.

An Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor is standard on the Explorer to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Santa Fe.

Ergonomics

The Explorer’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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Explorer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Bluelink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Explorer’s standard Intelligent Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, unlock 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 Explorer’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Santa Fe’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Explorer has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Explorer Platinum also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Explorer’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 Explorer (except Active) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Santa Fe.

The Explorer 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.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Ford Explorer and the Hyundai Santa Fe, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Ford Explorer outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 65% during 2024.

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