Compare the2024 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2024 Toyota 4Runner

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota 4Runner doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and 4Runner have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The 4Runner’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy has standard Parking Collision Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The 4Runner doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and 4Runner have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Santa Fe Hybrid has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The 4Runner’s Rear Cross-Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Santa Fe Hybrid uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The 4Runner uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the 4Runner have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Santa Fe Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The 4Runner’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the 4Runner. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 4Runner ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the 4Runner’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Hybrid for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the 4Runner (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Hybrid gets better mileage than the 4Runner:

			MPG
Santa Fe Hybrid
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy
4Runner
	RWD	4.0 DOHC V6	16 city/19 hwy
	AWD	4.0 DOHC V6	16 city/19 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Santa Fe Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Santa Fe Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The 4Runner doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the 4Runner. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota 4Runner (5). This means the Santa Fe Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 4Runner every 15,000 miles.

A six-speed automatic is standard on the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a five-speed automatic is available for the 4Runner.

The Santa Fe SEL Hybrid’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4Runner’s standard 70 series tires. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the 4Runner Limited/TRD Sport’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe SEL Hybrid has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the 4Runner.

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota 4Runner has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The 4Runner doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Hybrid is .9 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 4Runner.

Unibody construction lowers the Santa Fe Hybrid’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The 4Runner doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The design of the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid amounts to more than styling. The Santa Fe Hybrid has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .294 Cd. That is significantly lower than the 4Runner (.36) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Santa Fe Hybrid get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Santa Fe Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 4Runner doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 23 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 4Runner (151 vs. 128).

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 8.6 inches more rear legroom, .3 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.4 inches more third row headroom and .7 inches more third row legroom than the 4Runner.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Santa Fe Hybrid’s middle and third row seats recline. The 4Runner’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the 4Runner.

	Santa Fe Hybrid	4Runner
Behind Third Seat	14.6 cubic feet	9 cubic feet

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard Sinking Seat third row seat, which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The 4Runner doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe Hybrid’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The 4Runner doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Santa Fe Hybrid to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the 4Runner.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 4Runner doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The 4Runner’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the 4Runner have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Santa Fe Hybrid is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The 4Runner prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The 4Runner’s power mirror and cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The 4Runner’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The 4Runner has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Limited/TRD Pro.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 4Runner doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The 4Runner’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

When the Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The 4Runner’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the 4Runner Premium/Limited/TRD Pro. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the 4Runner.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the 4Runner Limited/TRD Pro.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 4Runner doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The 4Runner doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Toyota 4Runner by 10% during 2023.