2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2024 Land Rover Defender

The 2024 Land Rover Defender presented a unique blend of classic and modern design elements. Its boxy profile and angular headlights paid homage to its rugged heritage while aligning with contemporary Land Rover aesthetics. Inside, the Defender diverged from its siblings, offering a more robust and adventure-ready cabin reminiscent of a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, yet with superior soft-touch materials. Available in three body styles—90, 110, and 130—the Defender catered to various preferences with trims like S, X-Dynamic SE, X, Carpathian Edition, and Outbound. Our test drive of the Defender 110 S, featuring the County visual package, highlighted its retro appeal with white wheels and vintage graphics, while standard features included 19-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, and a panoramic glass roof.

In contrast, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, part of its fifth generation, maintained a chunky, boxy design with a long wheelbase and pixelated H-shaped LED headlamps, echoing Hyundai's design language. The rear design, however, suffered from mismatched proportions, with taillights positioned lower than ideal. The Santa Fe offered five trims: SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy, each with distinct wheel sizes and features. Inside, it accommodated seven passengers, except for the Calligraphy trim, which featured captain's chairs. The interior boasted a two-level glove box, dual-zone climate control, and a hands-free liftgate, with higher trims offering Nappa leather and a premium audio system. Despite some dashboard squeaks, the Santa Fe's interior was spacious, with ample cargo room and a wide rear opening for easy loading.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, delivering 296 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Our P400 test model featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, producing 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The Defender also offered two supercharged 5.0-liter V8 options: the P500 with 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, and the P525 with 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time active 4WD. The Defender excelled in towing, with the six-cylinder and eight-cylinder models capable of towing up to 7,716 pounds, while the four-cylinder could tow 5,500 pounds. Off-road capabilities were impressive, particularly in the Defender X, which featured adaptive air suspension and Terrain Response 2 system.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, on the other hand, came with a standard 2.5-liter turbocharged engine producing 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. Available in FWD or AWD, the Santa Fe utilized an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Santa Fe Hybrid, a separate model, combined a 1.6-liter engine with an electric motor for 231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. The Santa Fe offered stable handling, firm brakes, and responsive steering, though turbo lag and occasional transmission delays were noted. The XRT trim, with 30-inch all-terrain tires and 8.3 inches of ground clearance, improved off-road geometry but was not suited for rugged terrain. The Santa Fe's towing capacity ranged from 3,500 pounds to 4,500 pounds for the XRT trim.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender balanced luxury and functionality with soft-touch materials, grip handles, and rubberized floors. Seating capacity varied from five to eight, with the Defender 110 offering an optional third row and the Defender 130 accommodating up to eight passengers. Cargo capacity differed by model, with the Defender 130 providing 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 76.1 cubic feet with seats folded. The Defender 110 offered 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 78.8 cubic feet with seats folded, while the two-door Defender 90 provided 15.6 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 58.3 cubic feet with seats folded.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in interior space, offering the most third-row legroom in its class. The second-row seats featured adjustable cushion angles, and both the second and third rows could be folded via a button in the rear cargo area. With all seats occupied, the Santa Fe offered 14.6 cubic feet of space, expanding to 79.6 cubic feet with seats folded. The liftgate width increased to 50.2 inches, facilitating easy loading of large items. The Santa Fe's towing capacity ranged from 3,500 pounds to 4,500 pounds for the XRT trim.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen, which, while smaller than some competitors, complemented the Defender's utilitarian nature. The system included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, satellite radio, HD radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo system. The straightforward setup and home buttons enhanced usability, providing a refined yet practical interior experience.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe boasted a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment, with the top trims also featuring a digital gauge cluster. The system was user-friendly, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard. Upper trims offered Amazon Music, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and Hyundai Pay. Charging options included multiple USB-C ports and wireless charging for two phones. The Santa Fe also offered a digital key, a fingerprint scanner, and a digital rearview mirror on higher trims. Bluelink app connectivity and over-the-air updates ensured the latest software and features.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came with a comprehensive suite of standard driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional safety tech included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 360-degree parking camera system. However, the lane-departure and lane-keeping assist systems were overly sensitive, potentially causing discomfort.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a robust array of standard safety features, such as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keeping assist. Higher trims added features like rear parking collision avoidance assist and Highway Drive Assist. The top trims included a blind spot avoidance feature and Blind-View Monitor. The Santa Fe received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Good rating from the IIHS, except for Acceptable scores in the headlight and LATCH categories.