2023 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2023 Ford Escape

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe had a somewhat conservative exterior design, especially compared to other recent Hyundai models. This is not to suggest that it lacked attractiveness; indeed, it just didn't have the stand-out visuals of its siblings. As it maintained the look of its 2022 predecessor, the Santa Fe was available in five trim levels: SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy. With front-wheel drive (FWD) standard and all-wheel drive (AWD) optional across all trims, Hyundai continued to cater to various preferences.

The Calligraphy AWD trim, tested here, wore Stormy Sea paint (a deep, rich dark blue) with a black-on-black interior. At a base price of $42,600, with additional costs for AWD and carpeted floor mats, the total MSRP came to $45,845. Distinctive exterior elements of the Santa Fe included its wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights, but otherwise, it normalized quickly from front to rear.

Inside, the Calligraphy trim of the Santa Fe featured a black interior with black leather seats, which had a high-quality appearance but could be considered excessively dark and monotone. Options for more visually appealing and contrasting interiors included beige or gray choices. Nappa leather seats provided comfort, while standard front seats offered heating and cooling—an especially appreciated feature during spring.

In contrast, the 2023 Ford Escape leaned more towards a modern, more European design language. It moved away from the rugged, boxy look common in some crossovers and adopted a sleek, traditional front end with a stylish LED light bar and body-color mirror caps, and wheel-arch cladding. The ST-Line Elite trim featured 19-inch wheels, giving it an upscale appearance reminiscent of competitors like the Mazda CX-5.

Inside, the Escape's ST-Line Elite had diamond-stitched leather upholstery, which looked premium, although the material felt rather plasticky. Despite this, the seats were comfortable and well-padded, making it a pleasant vehicle for long drives. The Escape's interior had a mix of quality and scratchy plastic materials, with certain areas like the center console being better executed than others.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a 2.5-liter engine with two variations: naturally aspirated and turbocharged.

• The naturally aspirated engine, available in SE, SEL, and XRT trims, produced 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, coupled with a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission.
• On the Limited and Calligraphy trims, a turbocharger increased the output to an impressive 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission.

FWD was standard, with AWD optional across all trims. The presence of four customizable drive modes (Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart), paddle shifters, and a drive-mode selector added to the vehicle's versatility. The turbocharged engine markedly improved acceleration and passing capability, providing brisk and clean acceleration without harshness. While lacking off-road testing, the turbo version could tow 3,500 pounds (2,000 pounds for the non-turbo).

In comparison, the 2023 Ford Escape presented multiple powertrain options:

• A 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine produced 180 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, available with both FWD and AWD. This engine was comparable with most segment options.
• The ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite trims came with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, exclusively with AWD.

Despite its power, the Escape was not a performance crossover. The soft and compliant suspension, coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission without paddle shifters, emphasized comfort over sportiness. The brakes offered predictable stopping power, and the soft suspension excelled on rough roads. The well-weighted steering avoided the overly boosted feeling typical in some competitors.

Hyundai's decision to equip the Santa Fe with two rows of seats rather than a cramped third row paid off in terms of space and comfort. The vehicle boasted 41.7 inches of rear-seat legroom and 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row. Folding down the second row increased storage to 72.1 cubic feet, with additional underfloor storage providing extra space. The SEL and higher trims added features like dual-zone climate control and a hands-free smart liftgate.

Comfort and convenience in the Calligraphy trim included ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, rear side-window sunshades, and a panoramic sunroof. Minor drawbacks included a somewhat cramped driver seating position when raised to a high level and a wide center console affecting leg space.

In contrast, the 2023 Ford Escape offered comfortable and supportive seating with excellent ergonomics. The integrated armrests and well-placed cupholders added to the convenience, while a head-up display enhanced the driving experience. However, the Escape fell short in cargo space, offering up to 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 65.4 cubic feet with the second row folded. While this was comparable to some competitors like the Chevrolet Equinox and Mazda CX-5, it lagged behind leaders like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

Passenger space was also slightly less in the rear, but an impressive back seat headroom along with scalloped front seat backs helped maximize space.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, particularly for infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The larger, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in the Limited and Calligraphy trims provided versatile and clear graphics.

• The 8-inch display audio system in the base SE trim was basic yet offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
• Higher trims included a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, along with other features like satellite radio, voice recognition, wireless device charging, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio.

The infotainment system's simple and logical arrangement made it highly user-friendly despite numerous sub-menus. Voice-recognition performance was mixed, although tasks like finding addresses and weather reports were efficiently handled.

The 2023 Ford Escape, equipped with Sync 4, also impressed with its tech features. An 8-inch touchscreen was standard on lower trims, while a larger 13.2-inch screen, standard on ST-Line Elite and Platinum, significantly upgraded the cabin's appearance.

• Sync 4's well-organized interface featured tiles for navigation, music, and Bluetooth pairing.
• A static “Home” button facilitated easy navigation between applications.

However, we found Sync 4 somewhat slow to respond to inputs, and the volume knob's position was slightly inconvenient. Despite these minor issues, Sync 4’s overall feature set and ease of use was commendable.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered an extensive suite of standard safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping, and lane-centering assist. The Hyundai also came with unique features such as a safe-exit system and a rear-seat reminder system. The Highway Driving Assist, standard on SEL and above, combined adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability.

In crash tests, the Santa Fe received the highest-possible five-star overall rating from NHTSA and the highest rating of "Top Safety Pick+" from IIHS for 2022. The Santa Fe's projector-type headlights in higher trims were also well-received.

The 2023 Ford Escape earned a five-star overall rating from NHTSA, excelling in frontal- and side-crash tests, but struggled with the IIHS side-impact test, receiving a Marginal score. It did, however, earn the top score of "Good" in other IIHS tests.

Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite, included as standard, featured forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and several other safety technologies. The Co-Pilot360 2.0 package added adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, lane-centering technology, and a surround-view camera, enhancing the driving experience.