2023 Chevrolet Blazer vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

In terms of aesthetics, the 2023 Chevrolet Blazer boldly distinguished itself from the rest of the crossover segment. Instead of opting for a rugged appearance typical of SUVs, Chevy incorporated design elements seen in road cars, like a low roofline with slanted front and rear pillars, resulting in a sleek and streamlined profile. The Blazer's prominent grille, flanked by stacked headlights, added a sense of assertiveness. Contrasted with the Blazer RS's blackout trim, vivid Red Hot paint, and new 21-inch wheels, the vehicle truly stood out as a striking figure among mainstream crossovers.

Despite the road-car styling cues, the Blazer maintained the visual heft of a traditional SUV, with its tall ride height and robust body sides. For 2023, Chevy made subtle tweaks including new taillights with unique twisted, filament-like designs, and updated grille and LED headlight designs. These modifications weren’t too dramatic but helped keep the Blazer’s appearance contemporary. The introduction of new wheel designs and colors like Sterling Gray Metallic, Copper Bronze Metallic, and Radiant Red Tintcoat further enhanced its visual appeal.

On the inside, the Blazer offered a sportier look compared to other Chevy crossovers. An upright dashboard and large round air vents gave it a flair reminiscent of the Camaro muscle car. While cloth seats were standard, higher trims offered leather upholstery. Dual-zone automatic climate control came standard across all models. Our Blazer RS featured more upscale touches, like blue trim, chrome accents, and a dark blue and black two-tone upholstery scheme. The material quality, especially on higher trims, was impressively refined.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe exhibited a more conservative design approach. While lacking the boldness of other recent Hyundai designs, the Santa Fe remained an attractive and well-proportioned SUV. The exterior featured wide upper and lower grilles, and thin LED headlights that gave it a unique identity, though the rest of the vehicle's design was more conventional.

Our test vehicle, the top-tier Calligraphy AWD trim, sported a rich Stormy Sea paint with a black-on-black interior. With a base price of $42,600, plus optional AWD and other features, the total MSRP came to $45,845. The Santa Fe's interior in this trim level featured high-quality materials but had a somewhat monotone black scheme. Options like beige or gray interiors were available to add contrast and visual interest.

The Santa Fe's Nappa leather seats on the Calligraphy trim were both comfortable and stylish. Standard features included heated and cooled front seats, with the second row also offering seat heaters. The Calligraphy trim came with additional luxuries like a microfiber headliner and ambient lighting, making for a plush driving environment.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer continued with the same powertrain options as the previous model year. Most versions were equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The Blazer RS, and optionally the 3LT and Premier trims, featured a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 engine, generating 308 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD).

AWD models defaulted to FWD and required manual activation via a center-console knob—an arrangement that felt somewhat outdated compared to competitors offering automatic AWD engagement. Despite this, our Blazer RS tester performed well in AWD mode, managing the V6’s power effectively. The vehicle offered impressive acceleration and a pleasant exhaust note with the V6 engine but did exhibit some torque steer in FWD mode.

While quick for a crossover, the Blazer was not a performance SUV. Its substantial weight and top-heavy design made handling less agile, but the combination of Active Noise Cancellation and a well-tuned suspension provided a comfortable highway ride. However, the sporty appearance didn't translate into off-road capabilities, with the Blazer's suspension and low ground clearance more suited to paved roads. The V6 models with the trailering package could tow up to 4,500 pounds.

On the other hand, every 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a 2.5-liter engine, available in naturally aspirated and turbocharged variants. The base engine, standard in SE, SEL, and XRT trims, produced 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. In the Limited and Calligraphy trims, a turbocharged version boosted output to 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch transmission.

FWD was standard, with AWD as an option across all trims. The Santa Fe featured a drive-mode selector with Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart modes. Our Calligraphy test vehicle, equipped with the turbocharged engine, demonstrated immediate acceleration and smooth power delivery. The turbo engine lacked any noticeable lag and offered strong performance for both city driving and highway maneuvers.

Despite its dual-clutch transmission, the Santa Fe provided smooth handling with minimal body lean, and we didn’t experience any clunkiness at low speeds—a common issue with some dual-clutch setups. While off-road and towing tests weren’t performed, the turbocharged Santa Fe was rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds, compared to 2,000 pounds for the non-turbo variant.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer was a two-row, five-seat midsize SUV, a configuration that was once standard but now somewhat less common as many brands added third-row options. Competing models like the Ford Edge and Nissan Murano followed a similar layout. The Blazer offered front-seat headroom comparable to its rivals, with decent but slightly below-average rear-seat headroom and legroom.

Cargo capacity was a weak point for the Blazer. It provided 30.5 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up and 64.2 cubic feet with the seats folded, lagging behind competitors like the Honda Passport (41.2 and 77.7 cubic feet, respectively) and the Nissan Murano (32.1 and 67 cubic feet). Despite the numbers, the Blazer felt spacious from the driver’s seat, with good outward visibility and short overhangs that made parking easier. Practical interior features included conveniently placed USB ports and intuitive climate control adjustments via the air vent dials.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, adhering to a two-row configuration, reaped several benefits from not attempting to squeeze in a third row. This resulted in a spacious rear-seat area, boasting 41.7 inches of legroom—a leader in the segment. Cargo space was also commendable, with 36.4 cubic feet behind the second row and 72.1 cubic feet with the seats folded. The Santa Fe further included an underfloor storage compartment.

Seat comfort was another strength, especially with the Nappa leather upholstery in higher trims. The SEL trim and above featured an eight-way power driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, and a hands-free smart liftgate. The Limited and Calligraphy trims included additional amenities like a head-up display, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, and a Remote Smart Parking Assist system, which allowed for remote vehicle maneuvering in tight spaces.

However, some minor issues were noted. The driver's seat's high position could push the driver uncomfortably close to the steering wheel, posing a safety concern. The broad center console also slightly restricted leg and hip space.

The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer received a few technology updates. All models now came with a 10.2-inch touchscreen and available wireless device charging. Standard features included a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM satellite radio. The RS and Premier trims upgraded to an 8-inch instrument display, built-in navigation, and an eight-speaker Bose audio system.

The Blazer’s infotainment system shared similarities with other Chevy crossovers like the Traverse and Equinox. The interface was user-friendly, with responsive menus and easy navigation. However, vehicles with the optional 360-degree camera system lacked a dedicated physical button for activating the camera view.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in technological offerings. SE, SEL, and XRT trims featured a 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display, while Limited and Calligraphy trims had a sizable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Infotainment-wise, base SE trims had an 8-inch display supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims got a 10.25-inch touchscreen, navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio, voice recognition, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system in Limited and Calligraphy trims.

The infotainment system had clear icons and logical menu layouts, despite needing some sub-menu navigation to access certain settings. While voice recognition for navigation tasks worked well, it struggled somewhat with music selection and climate control commands, requiring precision and sometimes louder instructions.

The Blazer performed well in safety ratings. The IIHS gave it its top "Good" rating in all crash-test categories and "Superior" and "Advanced" ratings in front-crash prevention. The NHTSA awarded a five-star overall safety rating, with strong scores in frontal and side crashes and a four-star rollover rating.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe was packed with standard ADAS features including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, driver monitoring, and a safe-exit system. SEL trims and above also featured Highway Driving Assist, which combined adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality.