Hyundai Santa Fe vs Porsche Macan

Porsche introduced the Macan in 2015, aiming to expand its market with a smaller, more affordable SUV positioned below the Cayenne. By 2022, the Macan had retained much of its original design, despite regular updates to its lineup, styling, wheel designs, and paint colors. The 2022 model featured a refreshed look, larger standard wheels, and a new center console with haptic touch controls, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality. The Macan S test vehicle, priced at $87,670, showcased Volcano Gray paint and 21-inch RS Spyder Design wheels, maintaining Porsche's tradition of graceful aging and athletic design.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe's exterior styling was more conservative compared to some of Hyundai's recent designs. The five-passenger SUV, available in five trim levels, continued with the same look and feel as the 2022 model. Our test vehicle, a 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 wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights provided a distinctive look, while the interior, though high-quality, was dark and monotone. The Nappa leather seats in the Calligraphy trim were both comfortable and attractive, with heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats.

The 2022 Porsche Macan offered a range of engines, starting with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 261 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The Macan GTS inherited the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 from the old Macan Turbo, delivering 434 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Our Macan S test car featured a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6, producing 375 hp and 383 lb-ft, accelerating to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono Package. All Macans came with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission and a fully variable AWD system. The Macan S also included larger 20-inch standard wheels, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), and optional Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV+) and Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB). The Macan S offered a thrilling driving experience, with responsive steering, unyielding grip, and fantastic brake performance, achieving an as-tested fuel economy of 18.1 mpg.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a 2.5-liter engine, available in naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions. The SE, SEL, and XRT trims featured a naturally aspirated engine producing 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Limited and Calligraphy trims had a turbocharged engine, delivering 281 hp and 311 lb-ft, with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission. AWD was optional on all trims, and the Santa Fe included a drive-mode selector with four modes: Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart. The turbocharged Santa Fe offered immediate acceleration and passing power, with smooth handling and minimal body lean. The turbo version could tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the non-turbo version could tow 2,000 pounds. The Santa Fe's performance was impressive for its price point, offering a smooth and comfortable ride.

The 2022 Porsche Macan provided a comfortable experience for the driver and front-seat passenger, with optional 14-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation. However, the rear seats were cramped, especially for taller passengers. The redesigned center console with haptic touch controls offered a clean look but required the driver to look away from the road to use the controls. Cargo space measured 17.2 cubic feet behind the back seat, expandable to 53 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, with its two-row configuration, offered ample rear-seat legroom at 41.7 inches and competitive cargo space of 36.4 cubic feet behind the second row, expandable to 72.1 cubic feet. The SEL and higher trims featured an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats, with additional comfort and convenience features in the Limited and Calligraphy trims. The Calligraphy trim included a head-up display, premium door and seat accent trim, a microfiber headliner, and ambient lighting. The panoramic sunroof and head-up display were notable features, though the wide center console limited driver leg and hip space.

The 2022 Porsche Macan came equipped with a 10.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, known as Porsche Communication Management (PCM). It included wireless Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM satellite radio, a navigation system, and connected services with available WiFi hotspot access. The standard 10-speaker sound system could be upgraded to a Bose premium surround-sound system or a high-end Burmester audio system. The user experience was generally intuitive, though the voice recognition system had a 50% success rate. Most frequently adjusted features, such as stereo volume and climate control, were easily accessible without using the touchscreen.

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 the 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 infotainment system was user-friendly, though the voice-recognition capabilities had mixed results, particularly with music requests and temperature adjustments.

The 2022 Porsche Macan included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and a reversing camera. Blind-spot monitoring was optional, as was lane-keeping assist. The Macan also offered front and rear parking sensors, a surround-view camera, and an optional Park Assist system. However, the Macan lacked more advanced driving assistance technologies available in other vehicles. Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS had published safety ratings for the Macan.

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 trims. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS, with the highest-possible Good ratings in all crashworthiness tests.