2023 Dodge Durango vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe had a conservative exterior design compared to some of Hyundai's more recent models. Despite its understated appearance, it remained an attractive SUV. The 2023 model continued with the same look and feel as the 2022 version, available in five trim levels: SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy. Our test vehicle was the top-of-the-line Calligraphy AWD trim, featuring Stormy Sea paint and a black-on-black interior, with a total MSRP of $45,845.

The Santa Fe's exterior was marked by its wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights, giving it a distinctive front look. Inside, the Calligraphy trim's black leather seats and high-quality materials provided a premium feel, though the dark, monotone interior could benefit from a lighter color option for visual contrast. The Nappa leather seats were particularly comfortable, with standard heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats.

The 2023 Dodge Durango, entering its 12th model year without a redesign, maintained a familiar yet attractive appearance. Dodge opted for clean, car-like styling, avoiding oversized grilles. The Durango's slim styling, forward-leaning headlights, and large lower air intake gave it a strong presence. At the rear, Dodge's signature "racetrack" taillights added a distinctive touch. The SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat models featured unique styling elements, including a Viper-like hood and unique wheels.

The Durango's interior offered a mix of materials suited to different trim levels. The Citadel trim added luxurious features like Nappa leather upholstery and heated second-row captain's chairs. Our SRT Hellcat test car had bold red leather upholstery, adding a sporty flair. The Durango's interior space was competitive with other three-row midsize SUVs, though it fell short in cargo space compared to some rivals. The Durango's towing capacity was impressive, with V6 models towing up to 6,200 pounds and V8 models up to 8,700 pounds.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a 2.5-liter engine, available in naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions. The SE, SEL, and XRT trims featured the naturally aspirated engine, producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Limited and Calligraphy trims had a turbocharged engine, delivering 281 hp and 311 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission. FWD was standard, with AWD optional on all trims.

The turbocharged Santa Fe offered a significant performance boost, with immediate acceleration and no discernible turbo lag. The Calligraphy trim's handling was smooth, with minimal body lean during cornering. The turbocharged engine provided brisk acceleration without undue noise or harshness. The Santa Fe's towing capacity was 2,000 pounds for non-turbo models and 3,500 pounds for turbo models, with trailer brakes required for maximum towing capacity.

The 2023 Dodge Durango offered a range of powertrains, starting with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, standard on the SXT, GT, and Citadel trims. This engine produced 293 horsepower (295 hp with dual exhaust) and 260 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 5.7-liter Hemi V8, standard on the R/T and optional on the Citadel, delivered 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. The SRT 392 featured a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 with 475 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque, achieving 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds.

The Durango SRT Hellcat took performance to another level with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, producing 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque, achieving 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Our Hellcat test car felt incredibly quick, with minimal wind and tire noise at highway speeds. The adaptive-damping suspension, Pirelli P Zero performance tires, and Brembo brakes made the power manageable, though the Durango's size made it somewhat awkward on twisty roads.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered ample interior space, with 41.7 inches of rear-seat legroom and 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row. Folding down the second row provided 72.1 cubic feet of storage space. The SEL and higher trims featured an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats. The Limited trim added ventilated front seats, a power passenger seat, heated rear seats, and a hands-free smart liftgate. The Calligraphy trim included a head-up display, premium door and seat accent trim, and ambient lighting.

The Santa Fe's extended panoramic sunroof and head-up display were standout features. However, the wide center console cut into driver leg and hip space, and raising the driver's seat to its maximum height pushed the driver closer to the steering wheel, potentially causing discomfort.

The 2023 Dodge Durango was available in seven-seat or six-seat configurations. The SXT, GT, and R/T models featured a three-seat second-row bench, while the Citadel, SRT 392, and SRT Hellcat models had second-row captain's chairs. The Durango's interior space was competitive with other three-row midsize SUVs, though it offered less cargo space than some rivals, with 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, 43.3 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 85.1 cubic feet behind the first row.

The Durango's small-item storage was generous, with a large wireless charging pad and well-placed USB ports. However, the lack of a power-folding third row was a drawback, especially on higher-end models. The Durango's towing capacity was impressive, with V6 models towing up to 6,200 pounds and V8 models up to 8,700 pounds.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, with a standard 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display in SE, SEL, and XRT trims, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in Limited and Calligraphy trims. The base SE trim featured an 8-inch display audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher trims had a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

The Santa Fe's infotainment system was user-friendly, with clearly marked home screen icons and logical arrangement. The voice-recognition system handled navigation commands well but struggled with music requests and temperature changes. The system's inability to turn on seat heaters was a minor drawback.

The 2023 Dodge Durango's SXT and GT models had an 8.4-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity. The Citadel and SRT models featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, using the Uconnect 5 system. Our test car's larger touchscreen and Uconnect 5 system were responsive and easy to use, with added personality for the SRT models.

The SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat models included the Performance Pages app, providing performance information such as timers, a g-force meter, and additional gauges. A 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was available with the Premium Package on the SRT Hellcat model.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, driver monitoring, a safe-exit system, and a rear-seat reminder system. Highway Driving Assist was standard on SEL and above, leveraging adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability.

The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS, with top ratings in all crashworthiness tests. The Limited and Calligraphy trims' projector-type headlights were rated higher than the lower trims' reflector-type units.

The 2023 Dodge Durango received mixed results in IIHS crash tests, with top "Good" marks in the moderate front overlap, side, and roof strength tests, but a "Marginal" score in the driver-side small overlap front test. The NHTSA gave the Durango a four-star overall safety rating, with five stars in the side crash test and four stars in the frontal crash test. RWD models received four stars in the rollover test, while AWD models received three stars.

The Durango's standard driver-assist tech was limited, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert standard on all trims. Forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking were standard only on the Citadel trim and part of an option package on other models.