2023 Land Rover Defender vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2023 Land Rover Defender outsold the Land Rover Discovery by a significant margin, despite both models being similar in size and price. The Defender's boxy design, reminiscent of the old LR4, attracted customers who ignored the Discovery's more Ford-like appearance. The Defender's design was consistent and industrial, with square-jawed features, a rectangular hood, and steeply angled fittings. Tasteful accents like the dome and faux-metal step plates on the hood, skylights along the roof, and a full-size wheel mounted on the hatch paid homage to the original 1980s Defender. The Defender was available in three body styles: 90, 110, and 130, offering a range of choices unmatched by other SUVs.

Inside, the Defender focused on function and durability, with most surfaces coated in moisture-wicking rubbers and plastics. Despite its high price, the interior was basic and barren, featuring exposed screws and plain air vents. The build quality was excellent, but the Defender lacked the opulence of a Range Rover. The Defender 110 V8 Carpathian Edition we tested had an MSRP of around $120,000, which felt excessive. However, the Defender remained popular, with around 20,000 units sold annually, making it the second most popular model in Land Rover's fleet.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe had a more conservative exterior design compared to some of Hyundai's recent models. It retained the same look and feel as the 2022 model, with five trim levels: SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive optional on all trims. Our test vehicle, the top-of-the-line Calligraphy AWD trim, featured Stormy Sea paint and a black-on-black interior, with a total MSRP of $45,845.

The Santa Fe's exterior styling was distinguished by its wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights. The interior of our Calligraphy test vehicle was high-quality but dark and monotone. We recommended the beige interior for visual contrast. The Nappa leather seats were comfortable and attractive, with heated and cooled front seats standard in the Calligraphy trim. The second row also featured seat heaters, which we appreciated during our test drive in varying spring weather conditions.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender excelled off-road, with impressive grip, wheel articulation, and clearance. The air suspension allowed it to tackle almost any path, but most owners would not use the Terrain Response 2 system or the vehicle's full off-road capabilities. On the road, the Defender's performance was less impressive, with excessive body roll, slow steering, and noticeable wind noise. The V8 engine, with 518 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque, provided quick acceleration, but the vehicle felt top-heavy and cumbersome.

The Defender offered three engine options: a turbocharged four-cylinder with 296 hp and 295 lb-ft, a mild-hybrid inline-six with 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, and a supercharged V8. The V8 was the most powerful but had poor fuel economy, rated at 14/19/16 mpg. The six-cylinder engine was more efficient, with ratings of 18/23/20 mpg. The four-cylinder engine was less powerful and less suitable for highway driving.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a 2.5-liter engine, available in naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions. The naturally aspirated engine, found in SE, SEL, and XRT trims, produced 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine, available in Limited and Calligraphy trims, boosted output to 281 hp and 311 pound-feet, paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The turbocharged Santa Fe offered significantly better performance, with immediate acceleration and passing power. The naturally aspirated engine was serviceable but less impressive. The Santa Fe'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 the non-turbo version and 3,500 pounds for the turbo version, with trailer brakes required for maximum capacity.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender offered exceptional seating configurations, with the ability to seat up to eight passengers. The Defender 90 could seat six with an optional jump seat, while the 110 and 130 offered third-row seating. The 130 had a standard third row, providing up to eight seats. The Defender's large glass windows and optional panoramic moonroof provided excellent visibility. Cargo space varied by model, with the 130 offering 77 cubic feet with the third row folded, and the 110 offering up to 79 cubic feet.

The Defender could be equipped with various off-road and convenience features, including off-road tires, a metal roof rack, a console refrigerator, and a pressurized water rinse system. The 130's roof rack could support up to 360 pounds when moving or 661 pounds when stationary, making it ideal for camping.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, with its two-row configuration, offered more rear-seat legroom and cargo space than some competitors. The Santa Fe provided 41.7 inches of rear-seat legroom and 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row. Folding the second row increased cargo space to 72.1 cubic feet. The Santa Fe's seat comfort was a strength, with eight-way power driver's seats and heated front seats in SEL and higher trims.

The Santa Fe's comfort and convenience features included dual-zone climate control, a hands-free smart liftgate, and Remote Smart Parking Assist. The Calligraphy trim added a head-up display, premium door and seat accent trim, a microfiber headliner, and ambient lighting. The panoramic sunroof was a highlight, though the wide center console limited driver leg and hip space.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender featured two touchscreen infotainment systems running Pivi Pro software. The standard 10-inch screen was wide and integrated into the dashboard, while the optional 11.4-inch screen was larger and more legible. Both screens were quick and easy to operate. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a voice assistant, connected apps, and navigation. Higher trims added heated 12-way power seats, a Meridian stereo, fog lights, and auto-dimming exterior mirrors.

The Defender X trim included air suspension, a locking rear differential, an upgraded Terrain Response 2 system, adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and a rearview mirror with a camera display. A cabin air purifier and configurable ambient lighting were also available.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, with a standard 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display in lower 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. Higher trims included a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio, voice recognition, wireless device charging, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The Santa Fe's infotainment system was user-friendly, with clearly marked icons and logical arrangement. The voice-recognition system performed well for navigation and weather commands but struggled with music and temperature adjustments. The system's capability was impressive for a mass-market brand, though it required some effort to master.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender had not been rated by U.S. safety organizations but received five stars in Euro NCAP crash testing. Standard safety features included lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking. Optional features included a digital instrument panel with full-screen maps, a head-up display, and a 360-degree camera system. The Defender lacked front knee airbags and rear side thorax airbags, which was a drawback.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, 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 higher trims, combining 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). The Santa Fe earned the highest ratings in all crashworthiness tests, with the Limited and Calligraphy trims' projector-type headlights receiving higher marks than the lower trims' reflector-type units.