Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Santa Fe Sport

Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Santa Fe Sport

Up until the 2017 model year, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport was one of the trim levels in the Hyundai Santa Fe line. This trim was so popular that it’s no longer a trim level, it’s its own model. 

But how do you choose which one to buy? You get America’s best warranty and one of the 2017 IIHS Top Safety picks as well as complimentary maintenance for 24 months or 24,000 miles. People are asking what are the differences between the two? The big differences are the trim levels, seating options, and power.

Santa Fe Trim Levels

The Santa Fe Sport has three trim levels: base, 2.0T, and the 2.0T Ultimate. The Santa Fe has four trim levels: base SE, Limited, SE Limited, and Limited Ultimate. Let’s talk about the 2.0T Ultimate and the Limited Ultimate trim levels. They both boast a leather interior, ventilated cabins, heated mirrors, and AWD. They also have the audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel and auxiliary audio input with external media control.

Some of the trim differences are very minimal. The Limited Ultimate has a 6-way power passenger seat and the 2.0T Ultimate has a 4-way power passenger seat. The Limited Ultimate also comes with front, side, and rear view cameras - which are helpful when you have a car full of kids ready to go to soccer practice, or you’re helping your friend move and your car is full of their furniture.

     

Seating and Fuel Efficiency

Another big difference is that the Santa Fe is bigger and offers third row seating, accommodating up to 7 passengers. In the Limited and Limited Ultimate trims, the second row has Captain’s Chairs, really only allowing seating for 6. The Santa Fe Sport is a little smaller, and so it only offers seating for 5. They both have heated front seats and rear split seats.

But let’s discuss the fuel efficiency. For an SUV, both models of the Santa Fe get pretty impressive mpg. The Santa Fe gets 17 city / 22 highway / 19 combined, where the Santa Fe Sport gets a little better mileage with 19 city / 24 highway / 21 combined mpg.

Power and Drivetrains

The last two things that are different between the two are the available power and the drivetrain options. These two SUVs have plenty of power. The Santa Fe only has one engine option, but it is an impressive one. It has a 3.3-liter V6 engine with 290 horsepower.

The Santa Fe Sport offers two slightly less powerful options: a 2.4-liter engine with 185 horsepower or 2.0-liter turbo engine with 240 horsepower. Still pretty powerful little engines. Both models come with FWD standard, but have the option to upgrade to AWD, which is definitely worth it.

Either Model is Worth the Upgrade

So let’s get real here for a minute. The big differences aren’t really all that big, and your choice is going to come down to whether you want better MPG or more seating.

The interior entertainment options are the same and the drivetrain options are the same, so really you’ll want to test drive both of these models to figure out which one is best for you.