2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

Every gas 2026 Santa Fe — including the volume SEL — uses the same 2.5L turbo four rated 277 hp at 5,800 rpm; the 1.6T hybrid alternative makes 231 hp combined. There is no naturally-aspirated base engine in the US lineup, so the volume trim gets the strong number.

The 2.5T's 311 lb-ft (422 Nm) is on tap from roughly 1,700 rpm and holds to 4,000, which is why the Santa Fe feels stronger in traffic than its class-average horsepower suggests. Hybrid trims trade down slightly to 271 lb-ft.

Consumer Reports' instrumented 2026 Santa Fe road test recorded 6.7 seconds to 60 mph on the 277-hp turbo — quick for a three-row mainstream mid-sizer. Lighter FWD gas trims run closer to 6.3 s and the heavier XRT AWD 7.2 s, with the hybrid roughly a second off the pace.

The 2.5T's low, broad torque plateau gives immediate, lag-free response in normal driving, and the 2026 switch away from the dual-clutch removed the low-speed stumble that dogged this generation's launch. It stops short of the top band because the four-cylinder gets audibly coarse when worked hard and the hybrid's engine-to-motor handoffs are noticeable, if not objectionable.

2026 is the change year: Hyundai replaced the 8-speed wet dual-clutch with a conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic on all 2.5T models, and reviewers describe the result as smooth and unobtrusive with the old creep-speed hesitation gone. The hybrid is unaffected — it keeps its 6-speed automatic, a real geared box rather than a CVT, so there is no drone; the pairing lands short of 80 only because the hybrid's 6-speed is a gear or two short of rivals and its shift logic is tuned for economy rather than decisiveness.

Properly equipped with trailer brakes, the 2026 XRT is rated at 4,500 lbs — above most mainstream three-row crossovers; the rest of the gas range tops out at 3,500 lbs, and unbraked trailers are capped at 1,650 lbs on every trim.

HTRAC all-wheel drive is a roughly $1,800 option on every gas and hybrid trim from the base SE upward and is standard on the XRT, so no buyer is locked out of it by price tier. It sits mid-band rather than higher because the system is a transverse, on-demand setup with no low range or locking differential, and the mud/snow/sand Terrain Mode that would lift it is XRT-exclusive for 2026 rather than available across the range.

The XRT is a genuine light-duty off-road package rather than an appearance trim: Continental TerrainContact all-terrains on 18-inch wheels lift ground clearance 1.3 in to 8.3 in, with improved 19.3° approach, 21.8° departure and 19.1° breakover angles, tow hooks and the new Terrain Mode. There is still no low range, no locker and no meaningful underbody armor, so it sits mid-band — capable on gravel, snow and forest roads, not on trails.

US buyers choose between the 277-hp 2.5T gas engine and the 231-hp 1.6T hybrid, with the hybrid offered on every trim except the gas-only XRT for only about $1,100–$1,350 more — two well-differentiated choices covering performance and efficiency, and both available FWD or AWD. It falls short of the top band because the plug-in hybrid sold in Europe is not offered here, there is no EV variant, and the promised extended-range EREV version is not on sale for 2026.

The volume configuration is the 277-hp 2.5L turbo four, which for 2026 traded its 8-speed dual-clutch for a conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic; EPA still rates it 24 mpg combined FWD, 23 AWD. The optional 1.6T hybrid is far thriftier at 34–36 mpg combined but remains the minority build.

City economy is the turbo four's weak point at 20 mpg — a 2.5-liter turbo hauling a three-row body has no electric assist to lean on in stop-and-go. The hybrid nearly doubles it, which is the whole argument for stepping up to it.

Highway is the gas Santa Fe's better side at 29 mpg FWD, helped by the fifth generation's 0.29 drag coefficient and the new torque-converter automatic's relaxed top-gear cruising. That is mid-pack rather than class-leading for a mid-size three-row.

A 17.7-gallon tank at the EPA's 24 mpg combined works out to roughly 425 miles between fills — respectable but not a standout, since Hyundai did not enlarge the tank to offset the turbo four's thirst. The hybrid shares the same tank and stretches past 600 miles.

At the EPA's 2026 assumptions — 15,000 miles a year and $4.15/gallon regular — the gas Santa Fe burns about $2,600 of fuel annually, on the expensive side of the mid-size field. The hybrid cuts roughly $870 a year off that, recovering its ~$1,450 price premium in under two years of typical use.

Despite being turbocharged, the 2.5T asks only for 87-octane regular, so none of the fuel bill is a premium surcharge. The only caveat is Hyundai's standard advice to stay at or below E10.

The 2026 Santa Fe carries NHTSA's top 5-star overall rating, with 5 stars in both frontal and side crash and 4 stars for rollover (17.4% rollover probability) — a typical result for a tall three-row crossover.

The 2026 Santa Fe is a confirmed IIHS Top Safety Pick+ — the institute's highest award — with Good ratings in all three crashworthiness tests it was run through: small overlap front, the updated moderate overlap front (the test that exposed rear-passenger protection across three-row SUVs) and the updated side test. Held just short of the top of the band only because headlights rate Acceptable rather than Good.

Every item on the core list — forward AEB with pedestrian, cyclist and junction-turning detection, Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, blind-spot monitoring and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist — is standard on the $35,050 base SE, along with High Beam Assist, driver attention warning, Safe Exit Assist and front/rear parking sensors. Short of the very top of the band because Highway Driving Assist and the active blind-spot intervention are reserved for XRT and above.

Raised from 85: this run resolved the front crash prevention grades left open previously — IIHS rates the Santa Fe's standard system Good in both the pedestrian evaluation (which includes nighttime scenarios under the current protocol) and the tougher vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 test, not merely Acceptable in the latter. Junction-turning detection extends coverage to left-turn-across-path crashes most systems still miss.

Blind-spot monitoring and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist are standard on every trim, and Safe Exit Assist guards the rear doors against passing traffic. But the volume trims get alert-level blind-spot warning: the full Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist that actually intervenes is Calligraphy-only, and the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera feed is limited to Limited and Calligraphy. That trim gating is what keeps it out of the top band.

Lane Following Assist and Lane Keeping Assist are both standard from the SE up, and Hyundai's centering is among the better mainstream implementations — reviewers describe the steering assistance as natural rather than intrusive or vague, holding the middle of the lane without the ping-ponging that afflicts weaker systems.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go is standard on every trim and pairs with standard Lane Following Assist for a competent full-speed-range highway package that reviewers praise for holding a buffer without lurching. The properly integrated Highway Driving Assist, however, starts at XRT, and HDA 2 with signal-initiated automatic lane changes is Calligraphy-only — so the volume SEL buyer gets good ACC rather than the full highway-assist experience.

No hands-free highway driving is offered on the Santa Fe at any trim. Even the range-topping HDA 2 is explicitly hands-on: release the wheel for a few seconds and the cluster warns "Keep hands on steering wheel," then repeats with an audible alert and deactivates. There is no answer here to Ford BlueCruise, GM Super Cruise or Nissan ProPILOT Assist 2.0. Scored just above the floor because the hands-on assist itself is capable.

IIHS rates the Santa Fe's headlights Acceptable — the second-highest grade, one step short of Good — and that rating applies to the standard lighting across the whole range rather than only to a top trim (2026 TSP+ requires Acceptable-or-better headlights on every trim). Placed in the upper half of the middle band: uniformly Acceptable with High Beam Assist standard beats the common Good-on-Limited/Marginal-on-base split, but it is still not a Good rating.

The boxy fifth-generation body gives a tall, upright greenhouse and a deep windshield, but reviewers consistently flag thick pillars and a small rear window as real obstructions. Camera compensation is thorough — surround-view, a camera rearview mirror and the blind-spot camera feed — but all of it lives on Limited and Calligraphy, so the volume trims live with the sightlines as-is.

The Santa Fe offers an unusually generous four complete sets of LATCH connectors — both second-row outboard positions plus two in the third row — inside wide rear door openings on a 110.8-in wheelbase, so fitting multiple seats is genuinely easy. IIHS still docks it to Acceptable for ease of use because the lower anchors sit too deep in the seat bight, a long-running Hyundai trait.

The fifth-generation (MX5) Santa Fe is a three-row SUV in North America for 2026; three-row seating is standard on every trim, with the volume SE/SEL/XRT seating seven via a second-row bench and Calligraphy seating six on standard captain's chairs.

The boxy MX5 roofline delivers 41.1 in of front headroom without the sunroof, near the top of the mid-size SUV range; sunroof-equipped trims give up 0.9 in. Carried over unchanged for 2026.

44.4 in of front legroom sits at the top of the mid-size SUV band and is identical on gas and hybrid for 2026.

The fifth generation's raised roofline gives 40.6 in of second-row headroom, above the top of the SUV normalization band; the panoramic roof costs 1.0 in. Unchanged for 2026.

42.3 in of second-row legroom on the volume gas trims is class-leading for a mid-size three-row SUV — the MX5 generation added 35 mm over the prior car — while hybrids give up 0.8 in to battery packaging.

A genuinely usable kids-and-teens third row — 37.7 in headroom (+2.7 in over the previous generation), 30.0 in legroom, 53.5 in shoulder room, 10 degrees of recline and a deliberately wide tailgate opening — but the low cushion leaves adults knees-up, so it stays short-trip only.

With the third row folded the Santa Fe offers 40.5 cu ft — competitive for a mid-size three-row of this footprint but well short of the Telluride/Traverse class of larger three-rows; only 14.6 cu ft survives with all three rows up.

79.6 cu ft maximum, helped by the squared-off body and the wide tailgate opening the MX5 generation was designed around; mid-pack against larger three-row rivals. Total interior volume is 166.6 cu ft.

One of the segment's better-thought-out cabins for stowage — dual glove boxes, a deep two-level console with a multi-direction lid usable from both rows, a UV-C sterilization tray and column-mounted shifter freeing space for two wireless pads. Raised for 2026: the dual wireless chargers are now standard on XRT, Limited and Calligraphy rather than top-trim-only, and every row gets high-wattage USB-C (third-row ports from SEL up).

Front seats are broad and comfortable — Nappa-trimmed with a relaxation function at the top of the range — and the second row is supportive, nicely padded and roomy with good under-seat foot space, but testers rate them competent for the class rather than standout long-haul chairs.

Tuned softer than the mid-size norm and rides steadily over broken pavement without float — a genuine strength of the car, though it stops short of the plushest in class.

Quiet at highway cruise despite the squared-off body — the MX5 shape drops the drag coefficient to 0.29 — with the main complaint being coarse engine noise from the 2.5T under hard acceleration rather than wind or road roar; the hybrid is markedly more serene when running on electric.

Heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate and third-row air vents arrive by the volume SEL trim, and Limited adds ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and heated second-row seats; the richest kit still sits behind Limited and Calligraphy rather than being standard fleet-wide.

The fifth-generation (MX5) Santa Fe carries over into 2026 with the SE FWD as the entry point at $35,050 plus $1,600 destination. That undercuts most three-row mid-size rivals — roughly $2,300 below a 2026 Pathfinder S and $5,600 below a Highlander LE — and lands well under its own Palisade.

SEL is the volume trim and most Santa Fes leave with HTRAC AWD, putting the typical transaction at roughly $41,000 delivered ($37,590 + $1,800 AWD + $1,600 destination). The hybrid carries only about a $1,000 premium over the equivalent gas trim, so choosing the HEV barely moves this figure.

Published service-cost data puts the Santa Fe near the cheap end of the mid-size SUV class, and the 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty absorbs nearly all repair exposure inside the window. The estimate is nudged above the raw published figures because 2026 is the first model year with no complimentary maintenance, so the owner now pays for every oil change and tire rotation from day one.

Retention is middling — respectable for Hyundai and roughly at the mid-size SUV class average, but well behind Toyota's three-rows and its own Kia Sorento cousin. Sources disagree by about seven points, with iSeeCars the most favorable and KBB the least.

Hyundai's 5-year/60,000-mile new-vehicle limited warranty tops the normalization band and runs two years longer than the Toyota/Honda/Nissan norm — a direct advantage over every mainstream three-row rival except Kia.

The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain term maxes out the band, and the 1.6T hybrid's high-voltage battery carries matching 10-year/100,000-mile coverage. The catch is that it is an original-owner benefit — resale buyers drop to 5 yr/60,000 mi — which is part of why resale retention doesn't reflect the warranty's headline strength.

2026 is the year Hyundai's free-maintenance advantage disappeared: the Complimentary Maintenance Program ended for model-year 2026 and newer vehicles, so a 2026 Santa Fe buyer pays for scheduled service from the first oil change — unlike a 2025 buyer, who got 3 years/36,000 miles free. What remains is 5 years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance and complimentary Bluelink+ connected services for the original owner, which is squarely 'basic roadside only' territory. Toyota (2 yr/25,000 mi ToyotaCare) and Chevrolet now beat Hyundai on this line.

$40,990 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $20,495) leaves about $20,495 in depreciation. Add the projected $3,700 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $24,195 in total.

Signals are good-but-mixed: J.D. Power rates the 2026 Santa Fe 81/100 for quality & reliability (high for the class) while Consumer Reports predicts only about-average reliability for the 2026 Santa Fe Hybrid, based on 2024–2025 owner data for this fifth-generation (MX5) car. The 2026 switch away from the 8-speed DCT removes the generation's biggest reported trouble spot, but that change is too new to appear in survey data yet.

Hyundai sits in the upper-middle of the industry rather than the top tier: 8th of all brands on Consumer Reports' 2026 Brand Report Card (top third for predicted reliability, ahead of Ford, Chevrolet and VW), but 198 PP100 in the 2026 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study — just below the industry average and behind sibling Kia at 193. Hyundai is strongest in early ownership and fades somewhat by year three.

Unusually heavy recall activity for a single model year, and the defects are not trivial: NHTSA lists four recalls against the 2026 Santa Fe, including improperly torqued engine connecting rod bolts on the 2.5L Theta engine whose remedy is full engine replacement, seat belt anchors that may detach, side curtain airbags installed incorrectly, and an instrument-cluster software failure fixed OTA. The wider MX5 generation adds a 135,386-unit starter-motor fire-risk recall (MY2024–25) and a 2024 DCT recall requiring transmission replacement, so this is a pattern rather than one bad batch.

2026 is a genuine durability upgrade on the gas car — Hyundai dropped the troubled 8-speed wet dual-clutch for a conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic on the 2.5 T-GDi, a mechanically simpler unit that removes the generation's known low-speed shudder and the DCT failure recall, at the cost of about 1 mpg. Working against that: the 2.5L Theta direct-injection four is the subject of the connecting-rod-bolt engine-replacement recall, and the 1.6 T-GDi Smartstream hybrid four, while generally good for 150,000+ miles, carries known GDI carbon-buildup, oil-consumption and cooling-sensitivity vulnerabilities and has no deep high-mileage record in hybrid duty yet.

One of the Santa Fe's strongest suits — reviewers consistently describe a cabin that presents above its price, with quality switchgear and a materials mix that invites comparison to vehicles several thousand dollars dearer, escalating from cloth on SE through synthetic leather on SEL/XRT to quilted Nappa, wood trim and an eco-suede headliner on Calligraphy. Hard plastics remain in the lower and low-touch zones, which keeps it short of class-leading.

Assembly is generally solid and Hyundai Motor Group placed second overall in the 2026 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study with five model-level segment wins — but the Santa Fe was not among them, and two of its 2026 recalls are outright assembly-line defects at the Montgomery, Alabama plant: side curtain airbags not installed properly and seat belt anchors that may detach. Those are build-consistency failures, not design choices, and they pull an otherwise well-screwed-together cabin down to mid-pack.

Coverage is dense and nationwide — roughly 855–860 franchised US Hyundai dealers as of 2026 — and the ownership package behind it is class-leading, with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty that is the longest of any non-luxury brand. Service satisfaction itself is mid-pack rather than a standout; Hyundai did not appear among the leaders in J.D. Power's 2026 Customer Service Index, where MINI topped the mass-market brands.

Running costs are meaningfully below segment norms and parts supply is broad — the Santa Fe is a high-volume, US-built (Montgomery, Alabama) nameplate with three decades of aftermarket support. RepairPal puts average annual repair and maintenance at $515 against $573 for midsize SUVs and $652 fleet-wide, with unscheduled shop visits at 0.2/year versus a 0.4 segment average. The turbo and hybrid hardware keeps it from the very top of the band.

The fifth-generation (MX5) Santa Fe carries a 12.3-inch center touchscreen on all US trims for 2026 — there is no smaller base screen, which is unusual in the mainstream mid-size class.

Hyundai's ccNC software is crisp and quick with a logical, restrained layout and retained physical volume/tune knobs, but the climate panel is capacitive touch with no haptic feedback — a repeated reviewer complaint that forces eyes off the road.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard from the base SE upward with no wired-only entry trim, and the screen supports a three-way split so projection can share the display with native functions.

Hyundai's connected-car voice assistant handles natural-language climate, audio and navigation commands competently and Bluelink delivers OTA map updates, but native navigation is not standard on the base SE — it arrives on upper trims — and most owners default to phone projection.

A 12-speaker Bose premium system is a genuinely good upgrade but is reserved for Limited and Calligraphy; SE, SEL and XRT buyers get an unremarkable six-speaker base setup.

The full Panoramic Curved Display — a 12.3-inch digital cluster fused with the 12.3-inch touchscreen under one glass — is crisp and configurable but only standard on Limited and Calligraphy; the volume SEL and the SE/XRT pair the big touchscreen with a small partial-digital gauge display.

The Santa Fe runs Hyundai's ccOS architecture with genuine whole-vehicle OTA updates plus a Bluelink Store that delivers purchasable in-car features over the air — broader than maps-only, though the cadence of feature-adding updates is still modest next to EV-native rivals.

MyHyundai with Bluelink is a polished app with remote start and climate preconditioning, lock/unlock, locate and vehicle status, and Bluelink+ is included with purchase rather than being a subscription upsell; Digital Key 2 phone-as-key is available from SEL up.

Six USB outlets spread across all three rows, an available 110V household outlet, and a redesigned center console built around wireless charging — dual pads on Calligraphy — make this one of the better-provisioned cabins in the class.

Proximity keyless entry, push-button start and a hands-free smart power liftgate are all standard on the base SE, and Digital Key 2 Premium adds shareable phone-as-key from SEL upward — full keyless convenience with nothing important paywalled to the top trim.

Rear camera with parking guidance plus front and rear parking sensors are standard, and Limited and Calligraphy add Surround View Monitor, Blind-Spot View Monitor and Remote Smart Parking Assist — real parking automation rather than just extra cameras — but none of that reaches the volume SEL.

A large 12-inch windshield-projected head-up display is offered, but only on the range-topping Calligraphy — it is unavailable on the SE, SEL, XRT and even the Limited, so no volume-trim buyer can get it.

The boxy MX5 body buys class-leading second-row space (42.3 in legroom, 40.6 in headroom) behind tall, square door openings, and three-row seating is standard on every trim with a power-folding third row operable from the cargo hold. Held back from the top band by IIHS-rated Acceptable LATCH (lower anchors set too deep) and only 14.6 cu ft behind row three for a stroller.

Top crash credentials on both major US programs plus a genuinely complete ADAS suite on the base SE — forward collision avoidance with pedestrian/cyclist/junction detection, adaptive cruise with stop & go, lane centering, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic avoidance, Safe Exit Assist and Advanced Rear Occupant Alert are all standard, so families do not have to trim up for safety. Only Acceptable-rated headlights keep it out of the very top.

Rows one and two are excellent for long hauls — third-row air vents from SEL up, USB outlets in all three rows, a 110V household outlet, dual wireless chargers on upper trims and seats Consumer Reports found comfortable with a soft, settled ride. The compromise is the back: 30.0 in of third-row legroom with a knees-up seating position, and 14.6 cu ft of cargo when all seven seats are occupied forces a people-versus-luggage choice on a full family trip.

The headline 2026 change targets exactly this use case: the 8-speed dual-clutch was replaced with a conventional torque-converter 8-speed on the 2.5T, eliminating the low-speed hesitation and uneven power delivery that reviewers flagged on earlier cars. Add standard stop-and-go adaptive cruise, standard lane centering, light steering and a settled ride and it is a genuinely relaxing commuter; touch-only climate controls with no haptic feedback are the remaining daily annoyance.

The volume gas SEL is thirsty for a modern midsize crossover at 24/23 mpg combined FWD/AWD — roughly $2,600 a year in fuel — and the hybrid alternative undershoots its own EPA number badly in long-term testing. Cheap consumables partly rescue the score: 87 octane, below-average repair costs and a 10-year powertrain warranty.

At 190.2 in long on a 110.8 in wheelbase it is compact for a three-row SUV (over six inches shorter than a Palisade), and the upright boxy body makes the corners easy to place — Consumer Reports credits its 'maneuverable size.' A 37.9 ft turning circle is only average, though, and Edmunds notes thick pillars and a small rear window; the surround-view camera that fixes it is an upper-trim item, not standard.

A unibody family crossover with 3,500 lbs of towing on the trims most buyers take — the 4,500 lb rating is limited to the gas-only XRT — and about 1,300 lbs of payload. That covers a small utility trailer or a pair of jet skis and nothing beyond; body-on-frame and truck-based midsize rivals (Pathfinder 6,000 lbs, Grand Cherokee 6,200, Durango up to 8,700) are in a different tier for real work.

No fleet or trade reputation to speak of — this is a family crossover — but the underpinnings should tolerate light duty: the Smartstream 2.5T is a well-established engine, the 2026 switch to a torque-converter automatic removes the dual-clutch that was the weak link under load and heat, and Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage backs it. Unproven under sustained hard use, and the interior is trimmed for families rather than abuse.

There are real provisions — a 110V/120V household outlet, USB power at all three rows, cargo tie-downs, underfloor storage and standard roof side rails with a factory-accessory crossbar system — but nothing aimed at trades: no washable surfaces, no bed, no ladder-rack or upfitter ecosystem, and a unibody with no frame to mount to.

A capable mile-eater: comfortable seats over a ride Consumer Reports calls steady and slightly softer than the class norm, a cabin that stays quiet at highway speed despite the slab-sided styling, and standard stop-and-go adaptive cruise plus lane centering — with Highway Driving Assist on XRT/Limited and HDA2 above that — to take the edge off long stints. Range is 425 miles as a 2.5T and roughly 635 miles as a hybrid on the same 17.7-gallon tank.

Well set up for the campsite rather than the trail: the XRT adds 1.3 in of lift to 8.3 in of clearance on Continental TerrainContact A/T tires with Snow/Mud/Sand modes and the 4,500 lb tow rating, HTRAC AWD is a $1,800 option on every other trim, and the flat-folding seats, 120V outlet and standard roof rails make it a credible camper. It is explicitly not an off-roader, and the XRT is gas-only — no hybrid version of the adventure trim.

The tailgate was engineered around cargo — struts repositioned and taillights moved below them to widen the opening — feeding a flat, square 40.5 cu ft hold behind row two and 79.6 cu ft with everything folded, plus underfloor storage, standard roof rails and hitch availability. The one real limit is the 14.6 cu ft behind the third row, small for a seven-seater.

Fifth-gen (MX5) Santa Fe is tuned for comfortable cruising rather than cornering: body roll is restrained in normal driving but obvious when pushed, and reviewers call the handling composed yet aloof. Structural rigidity and chassis tuning give it more composure than the typical three-row SUV, placing it mid-pack among mid-size rivals rather than near class leaders like the CX-90.

Steering is accurate and naturally weighted — light at parking speeds, building weight with pace and settling on-center on the highway — but it transmits little genuine road feedback, which is the norm for the segment.

Panic-stop distances test as average for the mid-size class with no fade complaints; pedal feel is progressive in the 2.5T, and the hybrid's regen-to-friction handoff is well blended without the grabbiness that hurts some hybrid rivals. Adequate rather than a standout.

The headline 2026 change: the 2.5T's 8-speed wet dual-clutch was replaced with a conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic in July 2025, removing the low-speed hesitation, creep shudder and rollaway-recall baggage that defined the outgoing car. The 231-hp 1.6T hybrid carries over unchanged with its 6-speed torque-converter automatic, whose motor-assisted shifts and engine-start transitions are among the smoother hybrid calibrations in the segment.

Cruising refinement is good — the boxy body's 0.29 Cd and added sound deadening keep wind and road noise well suppressed at highway speed — but the four-cylinder turbo turns coarse and unpleasant under hard acceleration, and the XRT's all-terrain tires hum. The hybrid is the quieter of the two powertrains.

Curb-to-curb turning diameter is 37.9 ft across the 2026 lineup (SE through Calligraphy, gas and hybrid, 18/20/21-inch wheels), a consequence of the 110.8-inch wheelbase — mid-pack for a mid-size three-row SUV.

The boxy fifth-gen packaging pays off here: an upright, commanding seating position with abundant headroom and knee room, large glass for good sightlines, and retained physical climate controls alongside the dual 12.3-inch curved display. Two demerits keep it out of the top band — testers struggle to find a wheel position that clears the instrument cluster, and the column-mounted rotary shifter sits where the wiper stalk normally lives.

Quick enough (277 hp / 311 lb-ft in the 2.5T, roughly 6.5–7.0 sec to 60 mph) and thoroughly pleasant, but there is no reward for driving it hard — numb steering, comfort-biased damping and a coarse engine note mean reviewers recommend it on practicality, never on character.

The $34,800 SE opens with three rows, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, full LED lighting, hands-free power liftgate and the 277-hp turbo four — content that costs thousands more in a Pilot or Grand Highlander — and for 2026 AEB with junction-turning/oncoming detection plus full-speed adaptive cruise became available across the whole lineup. Hyundai's 10-yr/100k-mile powertrain warranty is included value no mainstream rival matches.

A standard-three-row, 277-hp turbo mid-size SUV starting at $34,800 undercuts the Grand Highlander and Pilot by several thousand dollars for comparable equipment, and the hybrid opens at $37,750 — cheap access to a boxy, cargo-heavy package widely singled out as the segment's bang-for-buck pick. Loaded Calligraphy trims near $50k are still priced under equivalent Toyota/Honda flagships.

Five gas trims (SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, Calligraphy) and four hybrid trims (SE, SEL, Limited, Calligraphy), FWD standard with HTRAC AWD a $1,800 option on most, spanning $34,800 to roughly $50,050 — plus a genuinely differentiated off-road XRT with standard AWD, +1.3-in ride height, all-terrain tires and new-for-2026 Terrain Mode. Wide and evenly spaced; the only gap is no PHEV for the US.

The fifth-generation redesign drove a nameplate-record 142,404 US sales in 2025, up about 26% year over year, and 2026 is holding that level with 64,003 units through June against 65,078 in the same period of 2025. That is top-tier mid-size SUV volume and a healthy plateau rather than a decline, though it sits behind the very largest sellers in the class.

Hyundai has moved decisively from budget badge to design- and tech-led mainstream brand, with resale values now running above industry average and closing on Honda and Toyota — the 2025 Santa Fe took second in its class for J.D. Power's Best-in-Class Residual Value. It still lacks the automatic-resale halo of a Toyota or the enthusiast pull of a premium badge, so the brand is a neutral-to-mild positive rather than a driver of the purchase.

Hyundai Motor Finance is running 0% APR for 24–60 months and 1.9% for 72 months on the Santa Fe, with lease cash on top, and KBB Fair Purchase Pricing sits $1,390–$1,700 below MSRP depending on trim. That is real, broadly available buyer benefit from a healthy seller — support rather than desperation pricing.

The boxy fifth-generation MX5 Santa Fe went on sale in North America in March 2024, so 2026 is only the third model year of the cycle with no replacement in sight. Rather than a carry-over year, 2026 brings a substantive fix — the recall-plagued 8-speed DCT is replaced by a conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic on the 2.5T — plus wider ADAS availability and the XRT's new Terrain Mode.

Reviewers rank it at the very top of the mid-size class — U.S. News scores it 9.3/10 and #2 among midsize SUVs, KBB gives it a 4.7 expert rating, it holds IIHS Top Safety Pick+, and it takes the win in head-to-head comparisons against the Kia Sorento. It is a consistent shortlist car and awards finalist, but not a Car and Driver 10Best or NACTOY winner, which keeps it just short of the top band.