Looking for a Family-Friendly SUV? Comparing the Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Honda CR-V

Looking for a Family-Friendly SUV? Here's What Sets the Santa Fe Apart from the CR-V

Shopping for a family SUV means weighing your options carefully. Two popular choices keep showing up in driveways across America: the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Honda CR-V. Both promise reliability, space, and features families need. But which one actually delivers more bang for your buck? 

• Hyundai's 2025 Santa Fe offers up to 277 horsepower with its turbocharged engine, while Honda's CR-V tops out at 190 horsepower in its standard gas model.
• Santa Fe provides three-row seating for up to seven passengers, giving you more flexibility than CR-V's two-row, five-passenger setup.
• With a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, Santa Fe can haul boats or trailers that CR-V (with its 1,500-pound limit) simply can't handle.

Power and Performance Tell Different Stories

Here's where the Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Honda CR-V debate gets interesting. Under the hood, these two SUVs take different approaches.

Santa Fe comes standard with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumping out 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. That's serious muscle for a family hauler. You can also opt for the hybrid variant, which combines a 1.6-liter turbo engine with an electric motor for 231 horsepower and solid fuel economy (36 mpg combined for the front-wheel-drive version).

CR-V takes a more modest route. Its standard 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder delivers 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque. There's also a hybrid option with 204 combined horsepower from a 2.0-liter engine paired with dual electric motors. CR-V hybrid manages about 37 mpg combined, edging out Santa Fe's hybrid slightly on fuel efficiency.

Raw numbers tell part of the story, but real-world driving shows the difference. Santa Fe's extra power becomes obvious when merging onto highways or passing slower traffic. Families who frequently drive through mountain passes or need confident acceleration will appreciate that turbocharged punch.

Space: Third-Row Seating Makes the Difference

Here's where Santa Fe pulls ahead decisively. It offers three rows of seating, fitting up to seven people. CR-V sticks with two rows and maxes out at five passengers.

Now, Santa Fe's third row isn't massive. It works great for kids and shorter adults on quick trips. If you regularly haul three rows of full-size adults, you'd want something bigger like Hyundai Palisade. But for most families, that occasional extra seating comes in handy. School carpool duty? Check. Grandparents visiting? You've got them covered.

Second-row space favors Santa Fe too. It offers 42.3 inches of legroom compared to CR-V's 41 inches. First-row passengers get 44.4 inches in Santa Fe versus 41.3 inches in CR-V. These differences might seem small on paper, but they add up during long road trips.

Cargo space requires some math. With all seats up, CR-V offers 39.3 cubic feet behind the second row. Santa Fe, with its third row in place, provides just 14.6 cubic feet. But fold those third-row seats down, and Santa Fe matches CR-V at 76.5 cubic feet.

Technology and Features: Screen Size Battle

Step inside either SUV and you'll find modern tech, but Santa Fe shows off a bit more. Its dual 12.3-inch curved displays (one for the instrument cluster, one for infotainment) create a seriously cool digital cockpit. CR-V counters with a 9-inch touchscreen and 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster. Both include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Santa Fe sweetens the deal with dual wireless charging pads, a 12-inch head-up display, and available Nappa leather upholstery. CR-V keeps things functional with heated seats, power moonroof, and a premium Bose audio system on upper trims.

Safety Systems Come Standard

Both manufacturers pack their SUVs with driver-assist tech. Santa Fe includes Hyundai SmartSense with forward collision avoidance, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, and smart cruise control. It also earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation, which is the highest safety rating available.

Honda equips CR-V with Honda Sensing, featuring collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist. CR-V earned IIHS Top Safety Pick status (one level below Top Safety Pick+) and a five-star overall rating from NHTSA.

Santa Fe edges ahead with its Blind-Spot View Monitor and Surround View Monitor, which give drivers extra visibility through camera feeds displayed in the instrument cluster.

Pricing: You Get What You Pay For

CR-V starts at $31,495, making it about $2,800 less expensive than Santa Fe's $34,200 base price. But here's the catch: Santa Fe gives you more standard equipment, more power, and that third row.

Climb the trim ladder and both SUVs get pricey. Top-tier Santa Fe Calligraphy starts at $46,750, while CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid tops out around $40,800. Factor in Hyundai's warranty coverage (10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain versus Honda's 5 years/60,000 miles), and the value equation shifts.

Quick Reference Comparison Table

Feature	2025 Hyundai Santa Fe	2025 Honda CR-V
Starting Price	$34,200	$31,495
Engine Power (Gas)	277 hp	190 hp
Hybrid Power	231 hp	204 hp
Seating Capacity	6-7 passengers	5 passengers
Towing Capacity	3,500 lbs	1,500 lbs
Cargo Space (Max)	76.5 cu ft	76.5 cu ft
Fuel Economy (Hybrid)	36 mpg combined	37 mpg combined
Warranty (Powertrain)	10 years/100,000 miles	5 years/60,000 miles
Infotainment Screen	12.3 inches	9 inches
Safety Rating	IIHS Top Safety Pick+	IIHS Top Safety Pick