2024 Hyundai Tucson vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

5 Reasons to Choose the 2024 Tucson vs Santa Fe SUVs

1. More Seats or More Cargo Room

   The 2024 Santa Fe is a great ride with 152 cubic feet for three rows. It has 40 cubes to spare when the third row is folded down. However, it has about 15 cubes when the seats are up. So, if you need more seats, it is absolutely your first choice.

    However, if you are more focused on cargo space, you’ll favor the 2024 Hyundai Tucson. It has 108 cubic feet for two rows, and that’s how it is able to offer nearly the same legroom as the Santa Fe on the second row.

   However, it doesn’t have a third row. So it is able to offer 38.7 cubes in the cargo hold. Even the Tucson Plug In Hybrid is able to offer 31 cubic feet.  

2. Which One Has the Best Air Conditioning?

   This is a question that we have to ask in Phoenix AZ. Our summers are too hot to mess around with anything but the best AC at all times.

   The answer is that the Tucson SEL and Santa Fe SEL are logical choices. The 2024 Hyundai Tucson SEL has second-row vents and dual-zone automatic climate controls. The Hyundai multi-air system helps spread the air conditioning more evenly.  

   Likewise, the Santa Fe SEL adds third-row air vents to go with its dual-zone automatic climate controls. You’ll find second-row vents on the Santa Fe SE, by the way.  

   If you want the absolute coolest of the cool cabins, then the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited and Tucson Limited are for you. Ventilated front seats help the daily driver -- and front seat passenger -- keep their cool on the hottest days.  

3. Which One is Best for Families?

   These two SUVs have everything that a family should expect when it comes to safety. This includes special devices for parents and kids, such as a rear passenger alert and a safe exit warning. Of course, they both have LATCH attachments for carseats.

   The Santa Fe has that third row if you need more seats. It also has a quiet mode for its audio system. This allows parents to silence rear audio while maintaining what they need for entertainment and information up front. Furthermore, only Santa Fe models are offering window shades to keep the sun off of little faces in the backseat.  

   For more details about the Santa Fe or Tucson trim levels, check out these 2024 reviews.  

4. Which One is Safest?

   This is a difficult question because the Tucson and Santa Fe tend to get similarly good ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS. Furthermore, they both have a long list of standard driver assistance systems.

   Standards include a forward collision avoidance assist system with junction turning detection. Only Hyundai has avoidance assistance as standard with both its blind spot system and its rear cross traffic system.  

   Of course, it has a lane keeping assist, a lane following assist, and a driver attention warning on every Santa Fe and Tucson. There is one Santa Fe advantage. It gets forward and reverse distance warnings with its standard parking systems.  

   Smart Cruise Control is another important standard. It gets more sophisticated on higher trim levels when it combines with the navigation to create a curve control system.  

5. Which One is Better for Your Budget?

   The most affordable of these two is the 2024 Hyundai Tucson SE. If you are looking for the lowest ownership costs, the Tucson Hybrid goes a long way with its stellar 38/38/38 mpg fuel economy for city/highway/combined driving.

    If you want the lowest operating costs for the Santa Fe, it’s definitely the hybrid as well. Santa Fe Hybrids earn 35 mpg combined.

    Choosing the gas models, these have idle-stop-and-go to reduce fuel consumption in city usage.

   All models have the best warranty coverage today. Hyundais are covered for up to five years or 60,000 miles for limited warranty and up to 10 years or 100,000 miles for powertrain warranty. Hybrid batteries and certain related components are covered for up to ten years as well. 

    Roadside assistance is included for five years with no mileage cap. Plus certain items and accessories are covered under an additional 1-year, 12,000 mile warranty.

   Hyundai Tucson vs Santa Fe Engine Choices

   Ranked by Combined Fuel Efficiency

    1. Tucson Plug in Hybrid  80 mpg-e

     2. Tucson Hybrid Blue     38 mpg  

     3. Santa Fe Hybrid           36 mpg 

     4. Tucson 2.5L Inlin         28 mpg

     5. Santa Fe Inline 4          24 mpg  

6. Which One Makes the Driver Happy?

   Well, let’s start with the cockpit. The Tucson offers a choice of an 8-inch or 10.25 inch touchscreen and the possibility of a 10.25-inch digital instrument display. The Santa Fe 12.3-inch touchscreen is always standard and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display is available.

    Both offer a power-adjustable driver’s chair, and both let you step up to a heated and ventilated seat.

    So, what about performance? The Tucson offers a choice of 187, 226, or 261 horsepower, depending on whether you go for gas, hybrid or plug in hybrid.

   The Santa Fe starts you out with a 277-horsepower engine. So, from a cost-benefit standpoint, it has the most performance for the money. However, you can’t entirely rule out the Santa Fe Hybrid. It generates 261 horsepower.  

7. What Else Should a Shopper Know About These Hyundai SUVs?

   If you want to do a little off-roading, you should know that both the Tucson and Santa Fe are offered with a sporty XRT model. It has extra equipment and an all-wheel drivetrain. For that matter, you will get all-wheel drive automatically with the hybrid powertrains.

   H-Trac AWD is an on-demand system with an AWD lock that can hold at a 50:50 split between the front and rear axles. The snow mode lets you go from 80:20 to 50:50 as needed. The Sand and Mud mode also moves it to a 50:50 power split.  

   Downhill brake control is a Hyundai standard, even on the front-wheel models. This can protect your brakes and transmission while providing stable, restrained downhill travel.  

   The standard ground clearance is 7.1 inches on the Tucson and 7 inches on the Santa Fe. Either can claim 8.3 inches with all-wheel drive.  

   Tow ratings are generally 2,000 pounds, including Tucsons, Tucson Hybrids, and Santa Fe Hybrids. Pulling 3,500 or 4,500 pounds is possible with the regular or XRT Santa Fe gas models.  

Conclusion

Now that you know more, look at them side by side and discover what’s most important to you. Schedule a test drive at San Tan Hyundai.