2023 Honda CR-V vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2023 Honda CR-V, with its blunt nose, elongated hood, and extended wheelbase, showcased a cleaner yet slightly more aggressive aesthetic when compared to its predecessor. This sixth-generation model featured a more conservative design that was expected to age well over time. Both the CR-V EX and EX-L versions flaunted 18-inch alloy wheels with a multi-spoke design and dark-tinted rear privacy glass, creating a seamless exterior look. However, the real distinction revealed itself upon opening the doors. The EX-L's leather-wrapped seats, steering wheel, and shift knob marked a notable upgrade over the EX's standard cloth upholstery. Inside, the dashboard mirrored the latest Civic's design, complete with metal mesh trim incorporating the air vents, which cleverly delineated the upper and lower sections of the dashboard.

Exuding quality and simplicity, the interior featured a digital instrumentation display across both trims. The EX-L, though, offered a larger touchscreen infotainment system with added functionalities, a power-adjustable front passenger's seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a power rear liftgate. It also boasted front and rear parking sensors. At the start of the model year, the CR-V EX had a starting price of $31,110 with front-wheel drive, rising to $35,260 for the CR-V EX-L with all-wheel drive. With additional features such as Radiant Red Metallic paint and Gray leather seats, the MSRP for the EX-L AWD test vehicle reached $36,900, including a $1,245 destination charge.

Conversely, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe maintained a conservative exterior styling, presenting a more understated yet alluring appeal compared to Hyundai's recent designs. Expected to undergo a major redesign for the 2024 model year, the 2023 model perpetuated the look and feel of its 2022 predecessor. Available in five trims—SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy—with FWD standard and AWD optional across all trims, the Santa Fe continued to showcase a balanced aesthetic.

Our test vehicle, a Calligraphy AWD trim adorned in Stormy Sea paint and a black-on-black interior, had a base price of $42,600. AWD added $1,700, and carpeted floor mats added another $210, culminating in an MSRP of $45,845, including a $1,335 destination charge. The Santa Fe's distinguishing exterior elements included its wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights, which provided a unique touch. However, the styling normalized from the turn signal lamps to the rear lights.

The Calligraphy’s black interior, while high in quality, appeared dark and monotone. Opting for the beige or gray interior could improve visual contrast and appeal. The test vehicle's Nappa leather seats were as comfortable as they were attractive, with standard heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats. The cabin, although having some niggling issues with space around the wide center console, provided a luxurious and functional environment.

The 2023 Honda CR-V EX and EX-L retained the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine from the previous generation, producing 190 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 179 pound-feet of torque between 1,700 and 5,000 rpm. While sufficiently powerful for a compact SUV, the engine was paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which diminished the driving experience by creating a droning noise during hard acceleration. Nevertheless, the CR-V excelled in ride and handling, with refined suspension, steering, and brake systems that delivered a satisfying driving experience. Throughout the performance test, the CR-V effectively managed body motions, absorbed road imperfections, and remained engaging to drive. The CVT, despite its drawbacks, aided in achieving an impressive average fuel economy of 29.1 mpg in combined driving conditions.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, on the other hand, offered two engine choices: a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine for SE, SEL, and XRT trims, producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged version for Limited and Calligraphy trims, delivering 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The naturally aspirated engine was paired with a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission, while the turbocharged variant used an eight-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine significantly enhanced the Santa Fe’s performance, providing immediate acceleration and strong passing power, particularly in Sport mode, without the accompanying noise or harshness typical of some turbo engines. Handling was smooth with minimal body lean, and the AWD system proved reliable, though serious off-road capabilities were untested. Towing capacities varied, with the non-turbo Santa Fe able to tow 2,000 pounds and the turbo model capable of towing up to 3,500 pounds.

Honda claimed the 2023 CR-V was its roomiest to date, though the standard 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat positioned the driver relatively low behind the wheel. This seating arrangement made the SUV feel more car-like, but visibility remained excellent. The redesigned seats provided good comfort, though only heated front seats were standard, without options for ventilated front or heated rear seats. The second row felt more spacious, resembling a midsize model with ample thigh support and legroom, though taller passengers might find headroom lacking. The cargo area, accessible through a power liftgate, offered 39.3 cubic feet of space, expandable to 76.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. The underfloor storage trays and grocery bag hooks added to its practicality.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe wisely avoided a cramped third row, providing generous rear-seat legroom of 41.7 inches and substantial cargo space. Behind the second row, it offered 36.4 cubic feet, expanding to 72.1 cubic feet with the seats folded down. With two rows only, the Santa Fe provided better seat comfort and space utilization. Higher trims boasted features like an eight-way power driver’s seat, heated front and rear seats, dual-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, and Remote Smart Parking Assist. However, adjusting the driver’s seat to a higher position could push the occupant uncomfortably close to the steering wheel, and the wide center console slightly impinged on leg and hip space.

For 2023, the Honda CR-V came equipped with a 7-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the EX trim, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and large physical control knobs. The EX-L upgrade included a larger 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless charging, and an eight-speaker sound system. Despite these enhancements, competitors offered more robust technology packages, and Honda’s lack of a premium Bose sound system and navigation in non-hybrid models felt limiting.

Conversely, the Santa Fe shone with its technology offerings. The base SE trim had a standard 4.2-inch color LCD display and an 8-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims boasted a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, Harman Kardon premium audio, wireless charging, and Bluelink connected services. The infotainment system's clear layout and extensive customization options made it user-friendly, although voice-recognition capabilities had mixed results, especially for non-navigation commands.

The 2023 Honda CR-V significantly improved its safety features under the Honda Sensing suite, which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and new additions like rear-seat reminder and driver monitoring systems. The Traffic Jam Assist combined adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist for low-speed driving support. However, the lane-centering assist occasionally faltered in complex driving scenarios, adding a sense of artificiality to the otherwise excellent steering. Honda's ACE body structure and new front airbag designs aimed to enhance crash protection, though official safety ratings from NHTSA and IIHS were pending due to the redesign.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came standard with numerous ADAS, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, driver monitoring, and a safe-exit system. Highway Driving Assist, available on SEL and higher trims, further leveraged adaptive cruise control for enhanced driving support. The Santa Fe's safety systems operated seamlessly in the background, providing reassurance without being intrusive. NHTSA awarded the Santa Fe a five-star overall rating, while IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick+, recognizing its superior crashworthiness and effective projector-type headlights in higher trims.