2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

2023 is a carry-over year of the 2021 facelift (fourth generation, TM); the naturally aspirated 2.5L is standard on the volume SE/SEL/XRT trims, with the turbo reserved for the top two.

Peak torque of the standard 2.5L engine on the volume trims; Hyundai quoted 182 lb-ft for 2021–22 and 181 lb-ft in 2023 materials — effectively unchanged.

Instrumented tests of the base non-turbo powertrain land around 9.6–10.0 seconds, slow for the segment; the turbo is far quicker but not the volume powertrain.

The base 2.5L is adequate around town but strains and turns coarse under hard acceleration or with a full load, especially with AWD; the turbo is much stronger but is not the volume configuration.

The base engine's conventional 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly and unobtrusively, with some delay on kickdown; the turbo's 8-speed wet DCT can hesitate at low speeds but isn't the scored trim.

Maximum manufacturer-rated towing across any 2023 Santa Fe configuration, achieved with the turbo engine.

HTRAC AWD is optional on every trim (standard on the Calligraphy) with a drive-mode selector including Snow and multi-terrain modes, but no low range or torque-vectoring hardware.

The XRT trim is an appearance package (cladding, wheels, roof rails) with no lift or protective hardware; roughly 7.2 in of ground clearance and modest approach/departure angles keep it pavement-oriented.

Four powertrains across the 2023 range: base 2.5L, 2.5T turbo, a 1.6T hybrid and a 1.6T plug-in hybrid — broad electrified coverage, though no full EV.

EPA combined rating for the base 2.5L FWD, the volume gas powertrain.

EPA city rating for the base 2.5L FWD configuration.

EPA highway rating for the base 2.5L FWD configuration.

Full-tank range computed as EPA combined MPG × tank capacity, carried over unchanged from the 2022 configuration.

EPA estimated annual fuel cost at standard assumptions for the base 2.5L FWD configuration.

Both the base 2.5L and the 2.5T turbo are rated on regular unleaded, with no premium requirement.

NHTSA's maximum overall rating for both 2023 Santa Fe drivetrains; only the rollover sub-score is below five stars.

The 2023 Santa Fe carries IIHS's Top Safety Pick+ under the 2022 criteria with Good ratings in every listed crashworthiness test; it did not re-qualify under the tougher 2023 criteria (updated side test, nighttime pedestrian AEB), so it sits a notch below the 2022 score.

Hyundai SmartSense is standard on every 2023 trim including the base SE: forward collision-avoidance with pedestrian/cyclist/junction-turning detection, Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, lane keeping, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance, safe exit assist, rear occupant alert and driver attention warning. Highway Driving Assist is reserved for SEL and up.

IIHS rates the standard system Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime pedestrian prevention, avoiding collisions in nearly every pedestrian scenario; no nighttime pedestrian rating was published for this model.

Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist and Safe Exit Assist are standard lineup-wide with active braking intervention; upper trims add the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera. No trailer-aware coverage.

Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist are available, with Highway Driving Assist on SEL and above; reviewers describe Hyundai's centering of this era as competent but not seamless, with occasional corrections.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go is standard, and SEL+ pairs it with navigation-based curve control and Highway Driving Assist for a well-integrated mainstream highway package; reviewers note reasonably smooth following with some mainstream rough edges.

Highway Driving Assist is a hands-on Level 2 system; no hands-free highway driving was offered on the 2023 Santa Fe.

Limited/Calligraphy LED projector headlights are rated Good, but the volume SE/SEL/XRT LED reflector lamps are only Acceptable (inadequate straightaway visibility on both sides); high-beam assist is standard on both.

Reviewers report good sightlines with a decent-size rear window and little headrest obstruction; the surround-view and blind-spot cameras on upper trims compensate further.

IIHS rates LATCH Acceptable: two outboard positions with complete hardware whose lower anchors sit too deep in the seat, and a center position with tether only.

The 2023 US Santa Fe is strictly a two-row five-seater; the three-row role went to the Palisade.

Generous front headroom for the class on the non-sunroof SEL.

Near the top of the SUV band.

Roomy second-row headroom for a two-row mid-size.

Excellent rear legroom, a Santa Fe strength.

No third row is offered on any 2023 Santa Fe trim, so the item scores at the floor.

Competitive for a two-row SUV but low against a band that includes three-row models.

Solid two-row max cargo figure.

The push-button-shifter center stack frees a large pass-through bin under the console, with decent door pockets and an underfloor cargo tray; nothing segment-defining.

SEL's 8-way power driver seat with lumbar is supportive and the rear bench reclines; comfortable for most but not class-leading.

Reviewers consistently describe the non-hybrid Santa Fe's ride as skewing firm, though it damps highway undulations well.

Wind and road noise are adequately controlled, but CR says the base 2.5L gets noisy when pushed.

SEL gets heated front seats and dual-zone auto climate; ventilated fronts, heated rears and heated wheel wait for Limited/Calligraphy.

The 2023 SE with the 2.5L non-turbo engine opens the range at just over $30k delivered, after Hyundai's early-2023 price increase.

The SEL is the volume gas trim; as in the 2022 scorecard it is taken in FWD form, with AWD adding $1,800.

Industry data put Santa Fe upkeep below the midsize-SUV average, and the first three years of scheduled service are covered by Hyundai; a modest out-of-warranty repair allowance is added to the CarEdge maintenance run-rate.

The 2023 has held value better than the nameplate average so far (25% lost in 3 years per KBB), but the fifth-generation redesign for 2024 dates it; a mid-range 52% is used between the model-wide 5-year estimate and the year's 3-year trajectory.

Hyundai's 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty is at the top of the mainstream segment.

The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage is class-leading, though it drops to 5/60 for second owners.

Three years/36,000 miles of included scheduled maintenance plus 5-year unlimited-mile roadside assistance is among the stronger mainstream packages.

$33,785 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (52% retained, or about $17,568) leaves about $16,217 in depreciation. Add the projected $3,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $19,717 in total.

2023 is a carry-over year of the 2021 refresh (fourth-generation TM, final year before the MX5 redesign), and the sources are mixed-to-average: Consumer Reports gives it an average 3/5 with owner complaints about infotainment, powertrain and trim, and J.D. Power's quality score is above average. That improves on the below-average 2021–2022 refresh years but is still not top-tier.

Hyundai's recent multi-year dependability record is mid-to-upper pack. It finished 3rd in the 2022 J.D. Power VDS, but it was not among the top-five mass-market brands in the 2023 study (Kia, Buick, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Toyota), and its later results sit near the industry average.

For the gas 2023 model the NHTSA feed holds one campaign, but it is serious: a multi-year fire risk from the tow-hitch harness module, with a park-outside advisory. The 2023 pretensioner recall (22V816000) covers only the Hybrid/PHEV. The generation as a whole carried several 2.5L fuel-system and turbo fire recalls in 2021–2022, so the record is typical rather than clean.

The volume trims use the 2.5L Smartstream four with an 8-speed automatic (the 2.5T trims use an 8-speed wet DCT). This engine family is still young and has documented oil-consumption and fuel-injector complaints across 2021–2023 Santa Fe/Sorento/Sonata, plus the generation's turbo and fuel-pipe fire recalls. There is no high-mileage track record yet to offset that.

The refreshed 2021+ cabin mixes soft-touch surfaces with hard plastics. It is handsome and well assembled for the price, and upper trims feel near-premium, but the volume SEL has more hard plastic and cloth. Competitive for the class rather than class-leading.

Assembly is generally solid for the class and the J.D. Power quality score is above average, but Consumer Reports' 2023 owner survey flags loose interior/exterior trim, moldings and paint complaints. That puts it in the 'solid with scattered complaints' range.

Hyundai has a dense mainstream US network of roughly 850+ dealers and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, but it is not among the mass-market leaders in J.D. Power service satisfaction.

It is a high-volume nameplate with abundant OEM and aftermarket parts, and RepairPal puts its average repair cost below the mid-size SUV average, with fewer unscheduled visits.

For 2023 the SEL gained the 10.25-in navigation screen as standard.

The Hyundai 10.25-in system is quick and logically laid out, but CR notes the reworked 2021+ controls are less user-friendly with touch-sensitive center-stack buttons.

Odd split: only the base SE's 8-in screen is wireless; the 10.25-in system on the volume SEL and above requires a cable.

SEL now includes onboard navigation and Hyundai's dynamic voice recognition; serviceable but most owners use projection.

Base 6-speaker audio is ordinary; the 12-speaker Harman Kardon is available via package and on Limited/Calligraphy.

Volume SEL uses analog gauges with a small TFT; the 12.3-in digital cluster requires the Premium package or Limited/Calligraphy.

Navigation map/software updates over the air on the 10.25-in unit only; no whole-vehicle OTA in this generation.

Blue Link is standard on SEL with remote start/climate, lock and locate, plus Hyundai Digital Key phone access; connected services revert to subscription after the trial.

Wireless charging is standard on SEL, but ports are mostly USB-A front and rear with no household outlet.

SEL brings proximity entry, push-button and remote start, a hands-free smart liftgate and Hyundai Digital Key.

Rear camera standard; surround view and Blind-Spot View Monitor come with the Premium package/Limited, and Remote Smart Parking Assist is Calligraphy-only.

HUD is limited to the top Calligraphy trim.

Wide rear doors, 41.7 in of rear legroom and a reclining bench make car seats easy; no third row limits larger families.

SmartSense ADAS (FCA with pedestrian detection, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic avoidance, Safe Exit Assist, rear occupant alert) is standard on every trim, the SEL adds Highway Driving Assist, and IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick+.

Roomy rear seat and 36.4 cu ft of cargo suit four on long trips, but rear climate amenities (heated rear seats, sunshades) are upper-trim only and the ride is firm.

Smooth conventional 8-speed and good visibility make it easy in traffic, but the 191-hp base engine feels weak merging.

25/28/26 MPG (FWD) is average for a gas mid-size two-row SUV on regular fuel.

At 188.4 in long with a 37.4-ft turning circle it is manageable in town; surround view is optional.

Only 2,000 lbs of towing on the volume 2.5L (3,500 lbs with the 2.5T); light-duty at best.

Unibody family crossover with a long warranty but no fleet or hard-use reputation.

Cargo tie-down hooks and roof rails on SEL, but no onboard power outlet or work upfit ecosystem.

Highway Driving Assist and supportive seats help on the highway; firm ride and a noisy base engine under load limit it.

HTRAC AWD with snow/mud/sand modes and ~7.2 in clearance handle gravel roads; the XRT is cosmetic, and 2,000-lb towing limits toys.

60/40 split rear seats fold to 72.1 cu ft, roof rails on SEL; bulky gear fits but not three-row volume.

Composed, predictable handling with good body control, but nothing engaging.

Responsive and accurately weighted, but numb on center.

No 2023-specific instrumented stopping data found; reviews describe the brakes as competent and unremarkable.

The 2.5L/8-speed pairing is smooth, but its 191 hp makes it feel lethargic when loaded.

Quiet at a cruise but the base engine becomes coarse and noisy when pushed.

Average turning circle for a mid-size SUV.

Upright driving position and good sightlines, but the touch-sensitive center stack is less intuitive than physical buttons.

The base-engine Santa Fe is a competent appliance; the 2.5T on upper trims is where any fun lives.

Every 2023 Santa Fe carries forward-collision avoidance, lane-keep, driver attention warning, rear-occupant alert and wireless CarPlay/Android Auto; the volume SEL adds blind-spot collision avoidance, heated seats and wireless charging — generous but typical of Korean rivals.

The Santa Fe undercuts similarly equipped two-row midsize rivals, and the 281-hp 2.5T Limited/Calligraphy trims offer near-luxury content for low-$40s money, though 2023 prices rose roughly $1,500–1,700 versus 2022.

Five gas trims spanning ~$14k, two engines, AWD on every trim, plus separate Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid lines; only two rows of seating limits configuration versus three-row rivals.

Sales grew to about 131,600 in 2023, the generation's final full year, a solid rise from 2022's ~115,000 as supply recovered — well-placed among two-row midsize SUVs though behind the segment's top sellers.

Hyundai's image was rising in 2023 on the back of Ioniq 5/Palisade acclaim and its warranty, but the brand remained a value choice rather than an aspirational one, and the 2022–23 Kia/Hyundai anti-theft controversy (aimed at key-start models without immobilizers) dented brand perception.

As supply normalized in 2023, Hyundai returned to regular financing incentives and small rebates on the Santa Fe, and clear-out deals followed the 2024 redesign, though discounts were modest early in the model year.

2023 is a carry-over and the final year of the fourth generation (launched for 2019, facelifted for 2021); an all-new fifth generation replaced it for 2024, so a 2023 buyer purchased an outgoing design.

Consistently well reviewed and a KBB class Best Buy, but it lost the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ it had held under the 2022 criteria and was rarely the outright comparison-test pick.