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September 10, 2018

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vs Ford Explorer vs Mazda CX-9 vs Kia Sorento vs Subaru Outback


The 2019 Santa Fe is nothing short of a revelation—one that proves that Hyundai has the goods to go up market. You can read our First Impressions, or if you’re interested, you can scroll down and see how it measures up against four of its chief rivals: the Ford Explorer, the Mazda CX-9, and the Kia Sorento. We even threw in a curve ball and included the similarly-priced Subaru Outback.

You can check out the full chart below, but here’s the gist:
  • With a 2.2-liter turbo diesel engine, the Santa Fe loses out in the horsepower war. However, its peak torque (on equal footing with the Kia Sorento) puts it ahead of everyone else. It’s also worth noting that it’s got the most forward gears of the entire lot (also on equal footing with the Sorento).
  • Hyundai Philippines’s decision to equip the Santa Fe solely with front-wheel drive doesn’t exactly put it at a disadvantage as only the Sorento and the Subaru Outback offer all-wheel drive as standard equipment at this price range.
  • Despite its stretched exterior dimensions, the Santa Fe still sits as the shortest and second smallest in this lot. Yet, it’s got one of the roomiest interiors. It’s got the biggest front hip room and rear legroom in this group and can actually stand toe-to-toe against the behemoths such as the Ford Explorer. Unsurprisingly, the Mazda CX-9’s swoopy style means it’s one the crampiest.
  • Feature-wise, the Santa Fe is well-loaded. It sits comfortably in the middle in terms of number of creature comfort features. It’s only outgunned in terms of speaker count, but exacts its revenge with its class-exclusive Qi wireless charger.
  • In this price range, the Outback is the only one that offers an impressive arrange of safety features. Not only does it offer a full complement of airbags, but with EyeSight, it adds adaptive cruise control and automatic front collision braking. That said, the Santa Fe’s not bad too with its 360-degree camera.
In case you want some perspective, here’s how these five luxury SUVs stack up in terms of price:
  • 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 GLS 2WD – P 2,338,000
  • 2018 Ford Explorer 2.3 Limited – P 2,748,000
  • 2018 Mazda CX-9 FWD Touring – P 2,350,000
  • 2018 Kia Sorento 2.2 EX AWD – P 2,300,000
  • 2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R-S EyeSight – P 2,408,000

27 comments:

  1. heads up vs CRV SX would be interesting

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    1. The 120hp CRV? Even if its nearly the same price, that would be unfair to pit against these bad boys

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    2. HP vs HP which is one of many ways to compare the two.
      My view is the CRV (with all the bells and whistles + active safety tech) is best reserved for in-city aka Manila traffic market, vs a well rounded crusier that is the Santa Fe... that's why it'd be interesting to compare

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  2. you have to edit your table, it doesn't have sunroof.

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  3. Does this santa fe come with an adaptive cruise control with stop start system, active lane keep assist, child lock safety, rear occupant alert, auto emergency brake, auto open lift gate and rear cross traffic alert? It was not discussed in your review, that's why I have to ask.

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    1. Adaptive cruise control - NO.
      Idle Start/Stop - NO.
      Active Lane Keep Assist - NO
      Rear Occupant Alert - NO.
      Auto Emergency Braking - NO.
      Blind spot monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert - NO.
      Auto Open Tailgate - It's powered, but it's not the type you can wave your foot underneath to open.

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    2. Do they offer it as optional or do we have to wait for the TOTL to get those safety and autonomous driving features? But if this trim is already P2.3M, then I guess the TOTL will be around P2.8M. And that's the time where you ask the dealer, does this car have a coffee maker or a small fridge inside? That's a crazy price for an asian midsize CUV and the people here are still not ready for that kind of price from Hyundai. Seriously HARI? Come on, you have to give us a better deal here. Anyway, they should've at least equipped this trim with an auto open when you stand near the trunk for 3secs or so, with the key fob in your pocket. Its really helpful when you're hands are stuffed. And we'll see what the grey market has to offer. Crazy HARI.

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    3. So the Philippine variant does not have the features mentioned on the US ad. This is very sad. Price-wise it is not worth. Is it really confirmed that the features mentioned are not available in Philippine variant?

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  4. Even the everest has more high tech features than this overpriced front wheel drive POS. good job HARI, hari ng overpricing low specced cars tlaga as usual

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    1. Nope, I will never again choose a body on frame over a unibody. My kids can't stand the body roll on a body on frame, they get sick. And at high speeds, I feel safer on a unibody compared to body on frame. I feel like I'm more planted to the ground and I can still feel my front tires.

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  5. Hahahaha! Asa ka pa HARI, hindi bebenta yang strategy nyo.

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  6. God, the Sorento is such a bad deal here. Yes, it's a previous gen, but even the previous gen from other countries have power seats, LED, The BEST infotainment system among mainstream brands, stability control, 6 airbags, reverse cam, etc.

    Moreover, Uly, the Outback does have Apple Carplay/Android Auto. It's part of the 2018 update. :)

    Seriously, safety and infotainment system make Hyundai and KIA tick in other countries, yet where are they here?

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    1. They don't care about it. All they want is to milk unsuspecting Filipinos to the brim.

      Sayang, they have a outstanding diesel engine just ruined by poor product planning for PHDM models.

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    2. @HondaRulz69 - Agreed. Ang ganda ng diesel engine nila, pero bakit ganun ang offer sa atin? Nakaka-disappoint lang.

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    3. Diesel engines are expensive. Just look at the crv and cx5 diesel they're priced at 2.2m and the cx5 is cramped while the crv is underpowered

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    4. Diwa: They think lowly of us Filipinos that's why. They already made a promise of improving their product line up but to no avail.

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    5. Siena: Both the TOTL CX5 & CRV has slightly better features than the Santa Fe.

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    6. Dunno if anyone is willing to trade slightly better features with a huge amount of power. If I'm spending 2m+ on a vehicle it would better be fast and comfortable

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    7. The Santa Fe is a class above the CX5 and CRV, it better have more power & torque coupled with better overall features.

      At any rate, there are plenty of tuners out there. A simple ECU tune can give you a substantial boost in power.

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    8. Class above but practically the same price. Tuning a brand new car will void your warranty. New cars even have paint markers on the bolts ... If the dealer sees they have been touched, they can void your warranty.

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    9. ECU remapping to gain more power will not only void your warranty but will also make your car thirsty for more fuel. If you're using your car on the track, then its not a problem. But who the fuck uses a midsize 7 seater vehicle on the track? And I'm sure, potential buyers in this segment is looking for riding comfort and a touch of luxury. And of course, the latest safety tech especially the semi-autonomous/autonomous driving is really really nice to have. And the Hyundai Santa Fe has a lot of that, its just disappointing that its not being offered as standard or even as an option here.

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    10. There are what Tuners call conservative tune wherein there is a usually expected 10% improvement in the fuel consumption. The problem starts when the car owner gets too trigger happy with accelerator. Add to that if you're going to tune your ECU aggressively, it'll surelly make the fuel consumption worse.

      You also don't need bolt ons if you're going for a conservative tune. A lot of diesel car owners go that route actually.

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  7. @Siena - The Sorento and Sta Fe are very comfortable, but I might be in the minority who is willing to trade that for the features found in the CR-V: not the minor features, but the safety features. What do you forego for that diesel power? Here are the ones found in the CR-V:
    Adaptive cruise control
    Active Lane Keep Assist
    Auto Emergency Braking
    Blind spot monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert
    6 Airbags (Same with Sta Fe, Sorento has 2)
    Rear Camera (Sorento has none)
    360 degree view
    Stability Control (Sorento has none)
    LED Headlights (Sorento has halogen)

    I'd rather have a weaker diesel or a smaller car, or a less comfortable body-on-frame SUVs if I have these safety suit with me. Power is overrated in our country, anyway.

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    1. It really depends on those user. I have the previous generation Santa Fe and they have many of those features that I have never used in almost five years with me like cruise control, hill assist, etc. If you don't really drive on the highway fast then the CRV is perfect.

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  8. In the supposed comparison, it's always Hyundai Santa Fe that's being the reference point

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