2023 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2024 Ford Escape

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe had a more conservative exterior design compared to some of Hyundai's recent models. While it was still an attractive SUV, it didn't stand out as much as other vehicles in the brand's lineup. 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 had a high-quality but dark and monotone interior. The Nappa leather seats were comfortable and attractive, with heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats. The overall cabin experience was luxurious, though we recommended the beige or gray interior for more visual contrast.

Ford's 2024 Escape received significant updates in 2023, which carried over into the 2024 model. The front end was restyled for a more aggressive look, while the rest of the SUV retained a soft and generically appealing appearance. The 2024 Escape was available in Active, ST-Line, ST-Line Select, ST-Line Elite, Platinum, and Plug-in Hybrid trims, with prices ranging from $29,345 to $40,500, excluding the $1,495 destination charge. Our test vehicle was the ST-Line Elite trim, priced at $43,650, featuring Rapid Red paint, black 19-inch wheels, and a Panoramic Vista Roof.

The interior of the ST-Line Elite trim featured diamond-stitched, perforated leather and all the tech upgrades. However, the glossy surfaces and stiff upholstery detracted from the upscale feel. The Escape's interior had potential but lacked the attention to detail needed to justify its price. The sporty appearance of the ST-Line trims did not translate to sporty driving dynamics, with a soft ride and sluggish steering.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged version 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 engine used an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available as an option on all trims.

The turbocharged engine provided a significant performance boost, with immediate acceleration and no discernible turbo lag. The Santa Fe's handling was smooth, with minimal body lean during cornering. The turbocharged version could tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the non-turbo version could tow 2,000 pounds. Overall, the Santa Fe's performance was impressive for its price point.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line Elite offered a choice between a 192-horsepower hybrid powertrain and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Our test vehicle had the turbo engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The AWD system featured a driveline disconnect to improve fuel economy, with driving modes including Eco, Normal, Sport, and Slippery.

The turbocharged engine provided quick acceleration, but the Escape's driving dynamics did not match its sporty appearance. The ride was soft and compliant, with too much body motion and sluggish steering. The turbo engine felt wasted in this application, and we recommended either the hybrid powertrain or a lower-tier Escape with the 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine. The turbocharged Escape could tow up to 3,500 pounds, but its fuel economy fell short of expectations.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe benefited from not having a cramped third row, resulting in more rear-seat legroom and additional cargo space. The Santa Fe offered 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, with an underfloor storage compartment in the cargo area.

Seat comfort was a strength of the Santa Fe, with SEL and higher trims featuring an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats. The Limited trim added ventilated front seats, a power driver seat cushion extension, and heated rear seats. The Calligraphy trim included a head-up display, premium door and seat accent trim, and ambient lighting. The panoramic sunroof and head-up display were standout features, though the wide center console limited driver leg and hip space.

The 2024 Ford Escape ST-Line featured a black interior with cloth inserts and artificial leather bolsters, with red stitching for a sporty look. Leather seats were optional with the ST-Line Elite trim, but we did not recommend them due to their uncomfortable feel. Our test model included ambient interior lighting, dual-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.

The Escape's front seats were large and soft, providing good support over time. The back seat was comfortable when slid into its rearmost position, and the Escape was easy to get into and out of. Interior storage was generous in the front, but rear passengers were less well accommodated. Cargo volume measured 37.5 cubic feet behind the back seat and 65.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. The test vehicle also had deep storage areas on either side of the cargo load floor and a handy grocery bag hook.

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, voice recognition, wireless device charging, and Bluelink connected services. The Limited and Calligraphy trims also included a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The Santa Fe's infotainment system was user-friendly, with clearly marked home screen icons and logical arrangement. The voice-recognition system had mixed results, handling address and point-of-interest commands well but struggling with music requests and temperature changes. The system's capability was impressive for a mass-market brand, though it had some limitations.

The 2024 Ford Escape featured digital instrumentation, with an 8-inch display in lower trims and a 12.3-inch display in upper trims. Our ST-Line Elite test vehicle had the larger display with pleasing graphics and plenty of data. The 13.2-inch Sync 4 infotainment system was impressive, with an intuitive layout and landscape format. However, the color theme made the display appear washed out, and the climate controls were integrated into the screen, which was not ideal.

Lower trim levels of the Escape had an 8-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and FordPass Connect services. The larger 13.2-inch touchscreen added Amazon Alexa and connected navigation. The test vehicle had a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, but the speakers were damaged, so we could not assess sound quality. The voice recognition system was excellent, but the wireless smartphone charger overheated the phone. The engine start/stop button and volume knob were oddly placed, and the head-up display was not particularly useful.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction-turning detection, 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2022 calendar year. The Santa Fe earned Good ratings in all crashworthiness tests, with the Limited and Calligraphy trims' projector-type headlights receiving higher marks than the lower trims' reflector-type units.

The 2024 Ford Escape featured a standard post-collision automatic braking system and the Ford Co-Pilot360 collection of driving assistance systems. Highlights included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beam headlights. Our ST-Line Elite also had adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, evasive steering assist, lane-centering assist, and a 360-degree surround-view camera system.

The Co-Pilot360 technology displayed inconsistent behavior on Pacific Coast Highway, with lane-keeping systems and predictive speed assist causing issues. However, the technology performed better on freeways, with smoother adaptive cruise control and more effective lane-keeping systems. The 2024 Escape received five-star ratings from NHTSA, except for a four-star rollover resistance rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had not rated the 2024 Escape at the time of writing, but the 2023 model earned Good ratings except for a Marginal score in a new side-impact safety test.