Schomp Honda

Safety

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Honda CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Honda CR-V's side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Santa Fe's side airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.

 

The Honda CR-V has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Santa Fe doesn't offer Daytime Running Lights.

 

Compared to metal, the Honda CR-V's plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Hyundai Santa Fe has a metal gas tank.

 

Both the Honda CR-V and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all-wheel drive.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda CR-V is safer than the Santa Fe:

	CR-V	Santa Fe
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Head Injury Index	283	398
Chest forces	36 g's	39 g's
Leg injuries (L/R)	188 / 821	1035 / 1465
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest forces	40 g's	43 g's
Leg injuries (L/R)	854 / 459	1028 / 926

More stars indicate a better overall result. Lower numbers indicate better individual test results.

Warranty

 

There are over 73 percent more Honda dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the CR-V's warranty.

 

Reliability

 

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Honda CR-V's reliability will be 19% better than the Santa Fe.

 

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Honda CR-V second among compact multi-activity vehicles in their 2010 Initial Quality Study. The Santa Fe isn't in the top three in its category.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' surveys of the owners of three-year-old cars provide the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 11th.

 

Engine

 

The Honda CR-V's 2.4 DOHC 4 cyl. produces 5 more horsepower (180 vs. 175) than the Santa Fe's standard 2.4 DOHC 4 cyl.

 

As tested in Consumer Reports the Honda CR-V is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

	CR-V	Santa Fe
Zero to 30 MPH	3.5 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9.1 sec	10.7 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.7 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	17 sec	18 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83.8 MPH	77.6 MPH

 

Fuel Economy and Range

 

On the EPA test cycle the Honda CR-V FWD gets better city fuel mileage than the Santa Fe FWD Auto 4 cyl. (21 city/28 hwy vs. 20 city/28 hwy).

 

Transmission

 

The Honda CR-V comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Santa Fe.

 

Brakes and Stopping

 

The Honda CR-V stops much shorter than the Santa Fe:

	Honda CR-V	Santa Fe
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	193 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend

 

Suspension and Handling

 

The Honda CR-V has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Santa Fe doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

 

The Honda CR-V EX AWD handles at .79 G's, while the Santa Fe Limited AWD pulls only .74 G's of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

 

The Honda CR-V EX-L AWD goes through Motor Trend's slalom 1.7 MPH faster than the Santa Fe Limited AWD (62 vs. 60.3 MPH).

 

Chassis

 

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 550 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe.

 

The Honda CR-V is 4.8 inches shorter than the Santa Fe, making the Honda CR-V easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

 

Passenger Space

 

The Honda CR-V has .7 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front hip room and 1.7 inches more rear legroom than the Santa Fe.

 

Cargo Capacity

 

The Honda CR-V has a much larger cargo area than the Santa Fe with its rear seat up (35.7 vs. 34.2 cubic feet).

 

Servicing Ease

 

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the Honda CR-V to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, radiator flush and transmission fluid replacement based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn't offer a maintenance reminder on the Santa Fe.

 

Ergonomics

 

If the windows are left down on the Honda CR-V the driver can raise them all using the key in the outside lock cylinder; on a hot day the driver can lower the windows. The driver of the Santa Fe can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

 

The Santa Fe's power locks don't automatically lock the doors. The Honda CR-V's standard power locks automatically lock the doors when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights. (The power lock's automatic feature may have to be activated by your dealer.)

 

Economic Advantages

 

Insurance will cost less for the Honda CR-V owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Honda CR-V will cost $35 to $1315 less than the Santa Fe over a five-year period.

 

The Honda CR-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The Intellichoice estimates that the Honda CR-V will retain 46.72% to 54.94% of its original price after five years, while the Santa Fe only retains 29.66% to 35.84%.

 

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Honda CR-V is less expensive to operate than the Santa Fe because it costs $888 less to do the manufacturer's suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Honda CR-V than the Santa Fe, including $93 less for a water pump, $188 less for an alternator, $117 less for fuel injection and $207 less for a power steering pump.

 

Intellichoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda CR-V will be $5222 to $23237 less than for the Hyundai Santa Fe.

 

Recommendations

 

The Honda CR-V has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Honda CR-V	Santa Fe
Consumer Reports Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book 'Best Bet'	TRUE	FALSE
Kiplinger's Awards	2	0
Intellichoice	A 'Best Value'	no award

 

Consumer Reports performed a comparison test in its July 2010 issue and they ranked the Honda CR-V EX AWD two places higher than the Hyundai Santa Fe GLS AWD.

 

The Honda CR-V was chosen as one of Car and Driver's 'Top Five Trucks' for 2 of the last 9 years. The Santa Fe has never been a Car and Driver 'Top Five Truck' pick.

 

The Honda CR-V outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by over two to one during the 2010 model year.

* [1]  Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.