2023 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2024 MINI Countryman

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, especially in the top-of-the-line Calligraphy AWD trim. This model featured a deep, rich dark blue paint called Stormy Sea and a black-on-black interior. The Santa Fe's wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights were its most distinctive exterior elements. Inside, the Calligraphy trim boasted high-quality materials, including Nappa leather seats, which were both comfortable and visually appealing. However, the black interior felt a bit monotone, and a beige or gray interior would have provided more visual contrast.

In contrast, the 2024 MINI Countryman embraced its playful and classic Mini styling cues. It featured an erect wraparound windshield, a floating roof, and Union Jack tail lights, proudly showcasing its British heritage. The Countryman offered numerous customization options, including various paint, roof, and mirror cap treatments, as well as multiple wheel designs. Our test vehicle, a Cooper S with the Iconic trim package, came with dark-tinted privacy glass, an adaptive damping suspension, and 19-inch wheels. The interior of the Countryman was equally distinctive, with premium leather, power-adjustable front seats, a head-up display, and a dual-panel moonroof that flooded the cabin with natural light. The Mini's retro interior design and jaunty styling made it a unique and unmistakable choice in the small SUV segment.

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 of the same engine 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 came with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available as an option. The turbocharged Santa Fe provided a significant performance boost, with immediate acceleration and no discernible turbo lag. The handling was smooth, with minimal body lean during cornering, and the ride quality was comfortable. The turbocharged Santa Fe could tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the non-turbo version had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2024 MINI Countryman offered a range of powertrains, with the Cooper S and John Cooper Works (JCW) models standing out. The JCW featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 301 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed sport automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Mini claimed the JCW could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The Cooper S, on the other hand, had a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 189 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque. It came with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for front-wheel drive models and an eight-speed sport automatic for all-wheel drive versions. The Cooper S was quick and agile, with a 0 to 60 mph time of 7.2 seconds. However, the Countryman was not designed for off-road adventures, and its fuel economy was average, with our test vehicle averaging 25.4 mpg in combined driving.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in interior space and comfort. By not including a third row, Hyundai provided ample rear-seat legroom, with 41.7 inches, and competitive cargo space, with 36.4 cubic feet behind the second row and 72.1 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The Santa Fe's seats were comfortable, with the SEL and higher trims offering an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats. The Limited and Calligraphy trims added features like ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a power driver seat cushion extension. The extended panoramic sunroof and head-up display were notable highlights, though the wide center console could be intrusive for some drivers.

The 2024 MINI Countryman offered room for four adults and their luggage, making it suitable for a week-long road trip. The Iconic trim package included dual-zone automatic climate control, premium leather upholstery, power-adjustable heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. While the Countryman had seatbelts for five, it was more comfortable for four passengers. The rear seat provided adequate legroom and foot room, but squeezing in a fifth person was challenging. The Countryman's cargo space was limited, with 17.6 cubic feet behind the back seat and 47.6 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The 40/20/40-split folding back seat design allowed for flexibility in carrying longer items.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, offering a range of infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The SE, SEL, and XRT trims featured a 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display, while the Limited and Calligraphy trims had a larger 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The base SE trim had an 8-inch display audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher trims featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. The voice-recognition system had mixed results, but the infotainment system was highly customizable and user-friendly.

The 2024 MINI Countryman was not a technology powerhouse but offered useful features. The test vehicle had a small digital instrumentation display and a head-up display projecting information on a small screen. The 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, housed in a round housing reminiscent of classic Mini models, used BMW's iDrive technology and offered multiple ways to interact with it, including touchscreen, volume and tuning controls, steering wheel controls, a control knob on the center console, and voice recognition. The system lacked Android Auto but provided Apple CarPlay. The Iconic trim included a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, which delivered excellent audio quality.

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 trims. 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).

The 2024 MINI Countryman had fewer advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) compared to the Santa Fe. It came with Active Driving Assistant, which included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. Rear parking sensors and an emergency SOS call button were also standard, with adaptive cruise control available as an option. The Countryman lacked blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and a surround-view camera system. The IIHS gave the Countryman the highest rating of Good in crashworthiness evaluations.