2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Review: Look Like a Defender, Drive Like a Highlander

Never have I ever experienced a car that drove so drastically differently than its looks suggested than the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. From the outside, the Santa Fe looks completely reborn, with a rugged “Land Rover by Lego” design that genuinely gobsmacks people who see it. Remember those Buick commercials where people would unrealistically ask owners “Is that a Buick?!” That actually happens with the Hyundai Santa Fe.

And yet, despite its surprisingly rugged good looks, the Santa Fe is anything but rugged. Inside, it’s soft, spacious, and immensely practical. From behind the wheel, it couldn’t be calmer or more serene. The juxtaposition of the boxy, tough-looking exterior and squishy family car interior is borderline hilarious. It’s like a White’s work boot lined with velvet and alpaca wool.

That exterior-to-interior disconnect is no bad thing, though. It’s odd, sure, but it isn’t an insult. The Santa Fe might give off mixed signals but it’s the perfect mix to attract buyers in its segment. Stuck-up car nerds might mock the Santa Fe for playing dress-up Defender, but actual customers will love it. As cynical as that may seem, it makes for a damn good family SUV.

The Basics

The Santa Fe has been one of the most popular midsize crossovers on the market for over a decade now and for good reason. It’s affordable, has tons of space, and typically packs class-leading tech, gizmos, and gadgets to make suburbanites go “oohhh” and “ahhhh”. However, the Santa Fe has always been a bit of a snoozefest. Dull designs and unengaging drives have made Hyundai’s incredibly popular crossover a bore. However, this new one throws that old recipe in the trash and makes a new one, with extra garlic and spicy chilis.

Its profile, boxy shape, and even the chunky, blacked-out C-pillar are all clearly pulled from fancy off-roaders like the LR Defender. I’m not complaining, I think it mostly looks great, with edgy fender flares, sharp headlights, and a low, wagon-like roofline. But the blatant mimicry is a little comical. Some aspects don’t work as well, like the hilariously low taillights, but it’s an impressive overall design.

Inside is where the Santa Fe really shines, though. Whereas the outside is all pseudo-rugged, stylish off-roader, the inside is all comfort. Soft touch plastics, rich feeling leather, and nifty gadgets fill the Santa Fe’s cabin. Hyundai also didn’t forget how to be practical, with a massive center console, dual wireless phone charging trays, cubbies-galore, and even a UV-light cleaning tray, to make sure your kids’ gross germs don’t stay on your phone. Passengers will be happy with the second-row legroom and headroom, too.

Driving the Hyundai Santa Fe

Don’t expect anything special under the hood, though. Hyundai stuck with its ubiquitous 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, with 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. It’s a fine engine, with more than enough power, but it never feels particularly excited about using any of it. It’s smooth enough, and the eight-speed dual-clutch’s gearshifts fade into the background, but there’s nothing to write home about. That’s probably the point, though. Santa Fe customers don’t want a stonking, thrilling engine, they want a comfy, practical, good-looking appliance. There’s also a hybrid option, and there’s a strong argument to be made for having this sort of car as an EV.

It’s almost laughable how differently the Santa Fe drives from how it looks. You might expect a harder-edged, potentially rugged-feeling SUV with that boxy design. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, the Santa Fe is a wafty, comfortable, and shockingly quiet cruiser that has no intent on being anything else. And, as much as that’s not my typical jam, I appreciate its singular focus. It feels purpose-built to be a budget luxury SUV and it delivers.

There’s an old-school luxury car feel to its steering, in that it’s light and slow but accurate. So while it never feels even close to sporty, it always feels confident and sure-footed. While the ride is mostly great, absorbing bumps well and keeping its body in check, it still does that Hyundai thing where sharper, more sudden bumps or potholes can send shocks through the cabin. But, for the most part, the new Santa Fe is a great budget luxury-ish car that will make equally easy work of long family road trips and the daily commute.

The Highs and Lows

Walking out to the boxy Santa Fe in my driveway always felt special. I can imagine that living with its eye-catching design will be a high point for many customers, as it looks so different from every other affordable crossover on the road. That is, until they start seeing Santa Fes everywhere. But the clever storage bins, comfy seats, and quiet cabin will also keep owners happy for years to come. It’s just such an easy car to live with every day because it feels like a car for families built by people who have families. Most families will appreciate its price, too. With a starting MSRP of $35,345, most middle-class American families can have one of these Lego-looking SUVs in their driveway.

It’s hard to find fault with the new Santa Fe, as even its flaws are pretty forgivable. But it’s my job to find them. The taillights are simply too low and not only does that make it look weird from behind, but I predict a few late braking situations from people following behind, as they’re simply too hard to see. Hyundai also really should offer a fully electric version, as the little turbo-four is the only part of the car that feels inexpensive and sort of lets the whole thing down.

Hyundai Santa Fe Features, Options, and Competition

Hyundai wasn’t always considered an equal to Honda, Toyota, Chevy, or Ford. But one of the ways it clawed its way into the upper echelon of mainstream brands was by offering more tech and features than everyone else at the same price. The base front-wheel-drive Santa Fe comes with three rows of seats, full LED headlights, a hands-free power-lift tailgate, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Though, the base model is infuriatingly limited to only grayscale colors.

It also has some tech you won’t find in other cars at this price point. I always love using Hyundai’s blindspot cameras, which pop up in the gauge cluster, replacing one of the gauges. It will also alert you when the car in front of you at a traffic light starts moving forward, which is handy when you have to inevitably turn around and yell at, er, talk to children. Hyundai’s UV-light disinfection station is also an incredibly cool little feature, even if I’m skeptical about its effectiveness. Having dual wireless phone chargers right in the center console is also great, as front-seat couples no longer have to argue about who gets to use it.

When you look at cars like the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot, the Santa Fe stands out for being cheaper and more tech-filled, while packing just as much interior space. It’s also more stylish than those cars, even if it looks like a Ford Flex with more attitude. The closest competitor, in terms of size, seating, space, technology, and price is probably the 2024 Chevy Traverse, at $38,995.

Fuel Economy

As impressive as most of the Santa Fe is as a family hauler, its engine continues to underwhelm. You might think that, with a 2.5-liter turbo-four, the Santa Fe would be quite the fuel sipper. But not really. The EPA rates it at 23 mpg combined, with 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. Those aren’t horrid numbers for a three-row SUV but they aren’t good, either. The Toyota Highlander is slightly better and the Honda Pilot is slightly worse but the latter has a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6.

While I still wish for Hyundai to make an electric version, the hybrid is probably the better option. If you’re going to drive an unremarkable engine, at least drive the most fuel-efficient version.

Value and Verdict

I honestly struggle to see a better three-row SUV value for the money. The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe undercuts all of its competitors while offering similar standard equipment, having unique optional tech, and boasting a design that stands out from the crowd. Previous generation Santa Fes were already popular among customers but I can see this one quickly becoming the most popular of them all.

However, value isn’t even the main reason to buy the Santa Fe. Instead, customers will be enamored with its style and effortless comfort. It looks special from the outside and feels like a luxury car inside. The Santa Fe isn’t my personal cup of tea—my money would absolutely go to something sportier, likely from Mazda, for a sub-$40,000 family car—but I would absolutely recommend it to most folks. Hyundai is gonna sell a zillion of these and I totally get why.

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