2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid borrowed styling elements from Toyota's Tacoma pickup, notably its trapezoidal grille and upright fascia, giving it a rugged appearance. However, the side profile introduced a softer character line that swooped over the rear wheel arch, reminiscent of the Toyota Supra and Sienna. This design choice added unnecessary visual weight, making the Highlander appear somewhat bloated. The rear design echoed the trapezoidal grille, but the overall body felt disjointed compared to more cohesive designs like the Kia Telluride or Honda Pilot. Inside, the Highlander's asymmetrical dash featured a metallic styling element that spanned the passenger side, creating a helpful storage tray. The infotainment touchscreen was positioned high on the dash, reducing driver distraction. The Bronze Edition test vehicle introduced 18-inch bronze alloy wheels and light grey fabric seat upholstery with a triangle motif, which seemed more suited to a paper towel than a car. The Softex synthetic leather substitute felt more like vinyl, and genuine leather was only available in the top trims. The rear seating area had more hard plastics, typical for family SUVs, but the third row was notably uncomfortable with unyielding armrests.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe's exterior styling was conservative, lacking the standout looks of some other Hyundai models. The five-passenger SUV continued with the same design as the 2022 model, featuring a wide upper and lower grille and thin LED headlights. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim, tested in the U.S., had a black interior with Nappa leather seats, offering a high-quality look and feel. The cabin was dark and monotone, but a beige interior was recommended for visual contrast. The Nappa leather seats were comfortable, with heated and cooled front seats standard in the Calligraphy trim. The second row also featured seat heaters. The Santa Fe's performance was enhanced by a turbocharged engine in the Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy trims, providing 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The turbocharged engine offered immediate acceleration with no discernible turbo lag, and the handling was smooth with minimal body lean. The Santa Fe's performance rivalled other SUVs at its price point, making it a strong contender in its class.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid was powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and hybrid system, producing 243 horsepower. It featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive (AWD) with a supplemental electric motor powering the rear axle. Toyota estimated it could reach 100 km/h in just over eight seconds, slightly slower than gasoline-only SUVs in its class. The hybrid powertrain provided a quick but tepid response from a standstill, with the gasoline engine supplying more power as speed built. The engine hum was subtle under light pressure but became a drone when more power was needed, especially on hills. Braking was traditional, with no discernible transition from regenerative to physical brakes. The ride quality was soft, with the suspension smoothing over road bumps, and the cabin remained mostly free of wind and road noise on the highway.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a choice between a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre engine producing 191 horsepower and a turbocharged version with 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The turbocharged engine, available in the Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy trims, worked with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Santa Fe featured a drive-mode selector with four customizable modes: Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart. The turbocharged engine provided immediate acceleration with no turbo lag, and passing power was instantaneous, especially in Sport mode. The Santa Fe's handling was smooth, with only slight body lean during cornering or highway-speed lane changes. The turbocharged engine's brisk acceleration was not accompanied by undue noise or harshness. The Santa Fe could tow up to 1,587 kg with the turbo engine, provided trailer brakes were used.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid offered well-cushioned front seats with plenty of adjustments for drivers of all sizes. However, the driver's door armrest was awkwardly positioned, leaving the driver's elbow unsupported. The Highlander provided ample storage, including a deep tray under the infotainment screen, a small shelf in front of the passenger, and a large centre armrest bin. The second-row seats were spacious, accommodating six-footers with ease, and featured sliding and reclining captain's chairs. A second-row bench was available as a no-cost option, increasing passenger capacity to eight. The third-row seat was less accommodating, intended for occasional use by children, with limited headroom and legroom. Cargo space behind the third row was 453 litres, expanding to 1,370 litres with the seatbacks folded, and 2,387 litres with the second row stowed.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, with its two-row configuration, offered more rear-seat legroom and cargo space than some three-row competitors. The rear-seat legroom was 1,060 millimetres, among the leaders in its class. Cargo space behind the second row was 1,032 litres, expanding to 2,041 litres with the second row folded. The Santa Fe featured an underfloor storage compartment in the cargo area. Seat comfort was a strength, with an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats standard in Canada. All trims had dual-zone climate control and rear window sunshades, while the top trims included a hands-free smart liftgate, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured Remote Smart Parking Assist, a head-up display, and ambient lighting. The panoramic sunroof spanned both rows of seats, enhancing the cabin's airy feel.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid featured an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen as standard, with a 12.3-inch touchscreen available on the top trim. The infotainment system was quick to respond, with logically organized menus and physical shortcut buttons for commonly used features. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity were standard, with a wireless charging pad available on Limited and Platinum trims. Navigation and an 11-speaker JBL premium audio system were standard on the Highlander Hybrid Limited and Platinum trims.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, offering a 4.2-inch colour LCD multi-information display in Preferred and Urban trims, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in Luxury and Ultimate Calligraphy trims. All trims featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, and BlueLink connected services. Wireless device charging was exclusive to the top two trims, and the Ultimate Calligraphy trim included a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. The infotainment system's home screen icons were clearly marked and arranged logically, with extensive customization options. Voice-recognition capabilities were mixed, handling navigation commands well but struggling with music requests and cabin temperature changes.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with four stars for frontal collision and rollover protection. The IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick+, with the highest score of "Good" across the board. Standard safety features included adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high beams. A surround view camera system and head-up display were only offered in the top Platinum trim. The adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist systems required some fine-tuning, with abrupt stops and resistance in the steering wheel.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction-turning detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, driver monitoring, a safe-exit assist system, and a rear-seat reminder system. Highway Driving Assist was standard on Ultimate Calligraphy, leveraging adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, with "Good" ratings in all crashworthiness tests.