2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E retained its distinctive and sharp styling, with an aggressive front fascia and a sloping profile that maintained its crossover proportions. The tri-bar tail lights, a hallmark of the Mustang nameplate, were refreshed to match the signature lighting of the seventh-generation Ford Mustang. The new Rally trim emerged as the top-of-the-line model, featuring unique styling cues such as LED fog lamps integrated into the grille, a black roof, and Oxford White 19-inch wheels. The interior continued with its minimalist design, highlighted by a large touchscreen and Ford Performance front seats, which were standard on the GT and Rally trims.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, available in three trims in Canada, showcased a chunky, boxy design with a long wheelbase and flat hood. Its pixelated H-shaped LED headlamps aligned with Hyundai's design aesthetic, while the rear design suffered from mismatched proportions. The Santa Fe offered a range of wheel sizes, with the off-road-focused XRT trim featuring chrome and black exterior trim. Inside, the Santa Fe provided ample space for passengers and cargo, with the Ultimate Calligraphy trim offering luxurious features like heated second-row seats and a premium audio system. However, some interior squeaks and rattles were noted during testing.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E maintained its sports-car-first approach to ride quality, with a firm ride even on lower trims. The GT trim featured a MagneRide damping system, enhancing drive mode adjustments. The GT Performance Upgrade package increased torque to 700 lb-ft, maintaining 480 horsepower, resulting in a 0-96 km/h time of 3.3 seconds. The Mach-E GT and Rally trims offered all-wheel drive, with ranges of 451 and 426 kilometres, respectively. Ford improved the DC fast-charging experience, reducing charging time by 20%, and introduced a lighter-weight rear eMotor for better torque and range.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a standard 2.5-litre turbocharged engine producing 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Santa Fe Hybrid offered a combined 231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. While the Santa Fe felt stable in corners, it experienced noticeable turbo lag and occasional transmission delays. The XRT trim featured 30-inch all-terrain tires and increased ground clearance, enhancing off-road capabilities. However, the Santa Fe was not designed for rugged rock crawling, performing best on graded dirt roads.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E excelled in interior space, offering 965 litres of cargo space, including a drainable frunk. Folding the rear seats expanded cargo capacity to 1,690 litres. The Mach-E provided ample headroom and legroom for both front and rear passengers, with power-adjustable seats and ActiveX seating surfaces standard across trims. Heated front seats were available on the base trim and standard on higher trims.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe boasted impressive interior space, with the most third-row legroom in its class. Folding the third row provided 1,148 litres of cargo space, while folding the second row expanded it to 2,267 litres. The Santa Fe's rear opening was widened to 127.5 cm, accommodating larger items. Most trims could tow up to 1,587 kilograms, with the XRT trim offering a towing capacity of 2,040 kilograms.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E featured wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with Ford's SYNC 4A infotainment software on a 15.5-inch touchscreen. The system included Ford's Intelligent Range feature, providing real-time range updates. However, the interface could be improved for better user experience, particularly when navigation was active.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment and a digital gauge cluster. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, with navigation available on higher trims. The Santa Fe included multiple USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured a digital rearview mirror and head-up display, while Bluelink app connectivity was standard across trims.

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E offered BlueCruise 1.3, a hands-free highway-driving assist software, with a 90-day trial included. The Mach-E also featured a 360-degree camera and Ford CoPilot 360 suite, including blind-spot information, pre-collision assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Mach-E received top safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe provided a comprehensive suite of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and forward collision avoidance assist. The Highway Drive Assist feature combined adaptive cruise control and lane following assist. The Santa Fe received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a "Good" rating from the IIHS, with some exceptions in headlight and LATCH categories.