2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2019 Acura RDX

The 2019 Acura RDX showcased a bold new exterior design, echoing elements from its larger sibling, the Acura MDX. The front end featured angular headlights flanking a broad, demonstrative grille, a welcome change from the previous awkward design. The RDX's more upright layout and rear end provided additional cabin space, creating a modern and sharp aesthetic. The A-Spec trim added dark accents similar to the Porsche Macan, enhancing its visual appeal. Inside, the RDX boasted soft-touch surfaces, unique stitching, and brushed aluminum accents, although the latter could be blinding in direct sunlight. The redesigned center console featured Acura’s unique shifter design and the new True Touchpad infotainment system.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe marked a departure from Hyundai's traditionally conservative styling, presenting a bold and futuristic exterior. The design featured an upper LED strip for daytime running lights and mid-level headlight clusters, reminiscent of the Jeep Cherokee but executed more effectively. Inside, the Santa Fe prioritized functionality with deep compartments in the doors and center console, while still offering a modern and organic ambiance. The interior was bathed in earthy tones, with unique speaker patterns and a textured headliner that felt like sweatshirt material. The overall design was crisp and different from other SUVs on the market.

The 2019 Acura RDX was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine, producing 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a new 10-speed automatic transmission, available in front-wheel drive or Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). SH-AWD was a torque-vectoring system capable of diverting 70% of torque to the rear wheels, with 100% of that torque going to either rear wheel independently. The RDX offered a sporty ride with agile cornering, especially in Sport and Sport+ modes, which tightened the steering and made throttle response more aggressive. Fuel economy for the front-wheel drive model was 22 mpg city, 28 highway, and 24 combined, while the AWD version returned 21/27/23 mpg.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe offered two engine options. The base 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine produced 185 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, while the turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine available in the Limited and Ultimate trims delivered 235 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, available in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The 2.0T engine provided strong acceleration and a composed driving experience, with tight steering and minimal body roll. The Santa Fe's drive mode selector allowed drivers to choose between Sport, Comfort, and Smart settings. Fuel economy for the front-wheel drive 2.4-liter engine was 22 mpg city, 29 highway, and 25 combined, while the AWD turbo model returned 19/24/21 mpg.

The 2019 Acura RDX offered 29.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, an increase of 3 cubic feet from the previous year. With the 60/40 split-fold rear seats down, cargo capacity was 58.9 cubic feet. The interior was spacious and comfortable, with ample head- and legroom in both the front and second rows. The RDX featured numerous storage solutions, including a floating center stack design with a tray below, a conventional center console, and door compartments for multiple water bottles. The rear seat also had a center armrest with cupholders.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe provided 71 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, which was less than some compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V. With the rear seats up, the Santa Fe offered 35.9 cubic feet of cargo space. The Santa Fe featured a hands-free power liftgate that automatically deployed when the key fob was detected nearby. The interior included multiple storage compartments, bins in the front and rear doors, and deep center console bins, making it practical for everyday use.

The 2019 Acura RDX came standard with the new True Touchpad infotainment system, replacing the previous two-screen setup. The high-definition screen was visually appealing, but the touchpad system had a steep learning curve. Simple tasks like changing the radio station required multiple steps, and saving presets was cumbersome. Apple CarPlay integration was available, but navigating within CarPlay required moving the highlighted icon around the screen.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a floating touchscreen infotainment system with hard buttons and dials for ease of use. The base SE trim included Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims added satellite radio, HD Radio, and Hyundai’s BlueLink infotainment system with Alexa integration. The Ultimate trim featured an 8-inch touchscreen, a head-up display, a wireless charging pad, rear USB ports, and a wall-style power outlet.

The 2019 Acura RDX came standard with a reversing camera, tire pressure monitoring system, traction control, and a full array of front and side impact airbags. The AcuraWatch suite included forward-collision warning, forward-collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, road-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The Technology Package added front and rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, while the Advance trim included a head-up warning system.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe also came standard with a full array of front- and side-impact airbags, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Smart Sense suite included forward-collision avoidance, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality. The Santa Fe also featured rear cross-path detection with visual cues in the instrument panel and the Safe Exit Assist System, which tied the rear child-proof locks to the blind-spot monitoring system.