The accessible pricing of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe makes for a value-minded purchase in any of its trims. To maintain this value, Hyundai has loaded the Santa Fe with features right from the lowest SE trim to the fairly luxurious Calligraphy trim. While the features in the lower trims aren’t worthy of any excess attention, the Santa Fe is well-equipped, to say the least.

Which trim should you buy?

The Calligraphy trim looks like an interesting proposition for the plethora of features it offers. From heated and ventilated seats to Nappa leather seats and upholstery, it has a very premium vibe to it that borders on luxury. Nevertheless, it is the flashiest of the trims and not the most accessibly priced either. The SEL trim is a bargain for what it offers inside a very solid car, but the Calligraphy trim is the only one to get larger alloys when the HTRAC AWD and turbocharged engine are selected.

Hyundai decided to swap out the previously offered 2.4-liter engine of the Santa Fe for a newer 2.5L unit that gets forced induction for those looking for more power, and it is rated at 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. There is also a 1.6L hybrid on offer, one that carries ample power but wows with its fuel economy. We are still most interested in the base 2.5L inline-4 in the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe as it will most likely be the most popular engine choice for the trail-friendly SUV.

The new base engine of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe puts out 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of twisting force, which helps it reach 60 mph from a standstill in 8.9 seconds, two-tenths of a second quicker than the second fastest and more powerful 2021 Toyota RAV4. It does lose out to the competition over the course of a quarter mile due to its sedate power delivery. The Toyota and Jeep have the highest top speeds at 130 miles per hour. Surprisingly enough, the RAV4 has the best engine output figures in the segment.

How does the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe handle?

The Hyundai Santa Fe is accustomed to light trails and can do things that most SUVs can do. While it’s no Ford Bronco or Jeep Wrangler when it comes to off-roading, it is a family-friendly SUV that can take everyone along for an adventure down forest roads in reasonable comfort due to its pliant suspension setup. The FWD variant is predictable enough with regards to handling, but the HTRAC AWD system gives you both better traction and a better feeling of it.

Despite the predictable handling of the 2021 Santa Fe, it is no corner carver. The AWD clearly prioritizes keeping a grip on all four wheels rather than maximizing it, and you will feel that as you understeer through a fast corner. Driving thrills are minimal, especially with the naturally aspirated engine, while the turbocharged one makes for good straight-line acceleration but not much more in the handling department.

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Braking Performance

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe has disc brakes on all four wheels, measuring 12.8” in diameter on the front wheels, and 12” on the rear wheels. The brakes are typically Hyundai, with less feedback but promising bite. Under hard braking conditions, the Hyundai Santa Fe feels reassuring, especially with its automatic emergency braking system.

The brakes help the Hyundai SUV decelerate from 60 mph to 0 over a distance of 130 feet.

The braking distance figure of the Santa Fe is commendable, but not the best in its segment. The engineers at Honda know their brakes very well, managing to bring the CR-V to a halt over a distance of 128 feet with much smaller brakes, although the CR-V is five hundred pounds lighter than the Hyundai SUV. Anyone who has driven a Honda can attest to how reassuring their brakes feel, despite using smaller brakes.

The naturally aspirated 2.5L engine in the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe is disappointing overall, due to the lack of power and intensity in power delivery. Combined with lackluster fuel economy, it forces some questions asked of Hyundai and their exact focus with the engine. Despite the refinement of the powertrain, the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe achieves mpg figures no better than the 2021 Jeep Compass.

*Figures taken from 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe 

The Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 have the most fuel-efficient engines. The Honda CR-V is better in city limits due to its turbocharging and low displacement, while the naturally aspirated engine in the Toyota allows for 35 miles per gallon out on the highways. Both have combined mpg figures of 30. The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe boasts the longest range on a full fuel tank due to its 18.8-gallon tank.

Hyundai offers upmarket interiors in the Santa Fe, much like all of their recently updated or released vehicles. They have always been known for their smart use of technology, as well as well finished upholstery. Combining those with a lack of cheap materials around the cabin makes for a wonderful experience at the costs at which the 2021 Santa Fe is offered. The lower trims offer an agreeable, easy to live with experience, while the Calligraphy trim ventures into luxury car territory with its leather seating and upholstery.

The 2021 Santa Fe also has a roomy cabin, offering best-in-class legroom and headroom in the front seats, as well as class-leading legroom for the rear seat. The headroom feels limited in the Hyundai SUV, although not to an experience deterring extent. Most of the space in the Santa Fe is designated towards passenger accommodation, but it still has a very spacious trunk, offering 35.9 cubic feet of storage space. It does fall short of the CR-V and RAV4, although it beets the 27.2 cubic feet of storage in the Jeep. Standout interior features of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe include:

• Optional Nappa leather seats 
• Heated and Ventilated front seats
• Perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Artificial suede headliner
• Heated rear seats

How intuitive is the infotainment in the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe?

Coming into 2021, Hyundai decided to update their lineup with a new set of infotainment screens and a new 12.3” digital driver’s display. The same infotainment options are available in the 2021 Santa Fe, with an option between an 8” touchscreen and a more advanced 10.25” touchscreen with navigation capabilities and HD radio. The infotainment unit supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Highlights of the infotainment include:

• 10.25” infotainment screen 
• Apple CarPlay 
• Android Auto
• 12-Speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system
• Bluelink Connected Car Service

The revised exterior styling of the Santa Fe is contemporary, with differently shaped headlights and a larger grille. The design is definitely worthy of a few heads turning and serves as a taste of the quality available on offer inside the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. Unlike most new cars getting funky upgrades to their front and rear fascia, the 2021 Santa Fe doesn’t warrant too many complaints with its current exterior styling. 

For the model year 2021, the Hyundai Santa Fe increases in both length and height, while the wheelbase remains the same. This has led to a slight increase in the cargo area. The relatively low ground clearance of the 2021 Santa Fe draws skepticism towards its off-roading abilities, but it seems more than enough for a light trail, but the Jeep Compass is by far the best off-roader in the segment, as highlighted in its 8.5” ground clearance. Standout exterior features of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe include:

• Roof rails
• Rear Spoiler
• Projector type LED headlights with LED DRLs
• Heated outer rearview mirrors

Hyundai is a very reliable manufacturer, and that reliability is not just limited to the longevity of their vehicles. Their vehicles have always had a strong focus on safety, and their more recent offerings are some of the safest vehicles in their segments, just like the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. It receives a 5-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, and the only non-5-star rating is the 4 stars it receives for the rollover risk rating. The IIHS named the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe as their Top Safety Pick for the model year. Notable safety features include:

• Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA)
• Rear Occupant Alert (ROA)
• Parking Distance Warning – Reverse
• Lane Following Assist (LFA)
• Highway Driving Assist (HDA)
• Safe Exit Assist (SEA)
• Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
• Driver Attention Warning (DAW)

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2021 Honda CR-V

The Hyundai Santa Fe offers a more rugged package compared to the CR-V, although it isn’t very tough in and of itself. The CR-V is a well-mannered crossover both on and off the roads, although the Santa Fe demonstrates more composure when venturing off the road. As for comfort, the Honda CR-V has the upper edge but not by much at all.

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2021 Jeep Compass 

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe can be described as a more road-friendly version of the Jeep Compass, but it offers much larger dimensions both interior and exterior. The only valid comparisons between the Jeep compact SUV and the Santa Fe are warranted due to the pricing. The Jeep Compass is a lot better than the Santa Fe when it comes to conquering uneven terrain. 

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2021 Toyota RAV4

Both these vehicles are the pinnacle of practicality. They offer as much interior room as they can, along with plenty of refinement and ease of use to make things fuss-free. Toyota and Hyundai also offer comprehensive warranty packages and maintenance schedules to ensure the longevity of their vehicles.

While the Hyundai Santa Fe shows off its true colors in its more expensive trims, the Korean manufacturer uses all its experience as a top carmaker to offer an equally valuable proposition in the cheaper variants. These variants offer bargain pricing for the features they provide, as well as allowing for a fuss-free ownership experience.