Compare the2025 Subaru ForesterVS 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Forester. But it costs extra on the Santa Fe.

Both the Forester and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Forester is safer than the Santa Fe:

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Forester’s reliability 56 points higher than the Santa Fe.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 10th.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Forester higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Santa Fe (6). This means the Forester produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Santa Fe every 15,000 miles.

The Forester has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Forester’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Santa Fe are solid, not vented.

The Forester stops shorter than the Santa Fe:

The Forester Sport handles at .82 G’s, while the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Santa Fe’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Forester has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (8.7 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Forester’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the Santa Fe XRT (8.7 vs. 8.3 inches).

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 850 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe.

The Forester is 6.9 inches shorter than the Santa Fe, making the Forester easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Forester has a much larger cargo volume than the Santa Fe with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 14.6 cubic feet).

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Santa Fe. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 66% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 30th.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Forester’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Santa Fe’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Forester has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Forester’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Santa Fe offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Forester 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 Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 49% during 2024.