- The Santa Fe Hybrid brings the best value in the base SEL model with all-wheel drive at $40,975
- It’s only $500 more than a similarly equipped gas-only model
- But second-row captain’s chairs only come with the top-line model
One of the big reasons why the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid won an award Best car to buy 2025 The award was because of its value. Its boxy Land Rover design with the letter H stamped all over it certainly stands out in a group of midsize crossovers. The fourth-generation Santa Fe is sized to meet the growing needs of the three-row SUV shopper. But the most compelling factor in the new Santa Fe is its hybrid powertrain and its hybrid value.
The hybrid model costs just $500 more than a gas-only Santa Fe. Factoring cost of ownership into fuel costs alone, the EPA estimates you’ll save $3,250 over five years with a hybrid versus its gas-only counterpart.
This makes the Santa Fe Hybrid easy to recommend, but which trim level extracts the most nominal mileage for your money?
First, do you want all-wheel drive? It’s an $1,800 upgrade over standard front-wheel drive. It reduces the fuel economy of the hybrid 35 mpg combined to 34 mpg combinedbut it adds more all-weather assurance and more stability from all four wheels. The hybrid powertrain combines a 1.6-liter turbo-4 engine with a 47.7 kW electric motor and a 1.5 kWh battery. It generates 231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque, giving the three-row SUV an electric boost off the line and more responsive power on tap for, say, uphill traffic, than the 277-hp turbo-4.
One of her cool tricks comes across 6-speed automatic transmission Wedged between the motor and the engine. In Sport mode, it delays shifts to extract more power, and the driver can play with the paddle shifters on the steering wheel to suit his needs. Turn the drive mode dial to Eco or Smart mode, and the paddle shifters switch to four-level regenerative braking settings to direct more power back to the battery for more efficient commuting. Or the driver can leave it alone and let the powertrain seamlessly optimize power and efficiency.
The second consideration is which cutting package is best for you. Hyundai makes this relatively easy by equipping it with a suite of driver-assist safety technologies that include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and blind-spot monitors. Every Santa Fe also comes with Hyundai’s 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, and 10 year/100,000 mile warranty For hybrid powertrain and parts.
There’s value in all of that, too. to trim levels. Opting for the hybrid model means you have to bypass the base SE model, which costs about $35,500 for the gas-only model. the Santa Fe Hybrid Starts at loaded SEL grade for $39,175including a $1,475 destination charge. That’s about $8,000 less than what the average new car shopper paid in 2024.
The Hybrid SEL comes with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster that flows into a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It has a wireless smartphone charger, four USB ports, a hands-free power liftgate, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats with a power driver’s seat, faux leather upholstery, and rides on 18-inch alloy wheels. That’s a deal.
Covering it in Rockwood Green or Atlantis Blue doesn’t cost anything extra, and both are much more interesting than black, silver, or white. We also like the white-on-black interior, but we can see where families with young children would be wary of anything white. This brings our price up to $40,975 with all-wheel drive.
but We have reservations. We can’t order captain’s chairs for the second row, which reduces total seating capacity from seven to six passengers in the base SEL. We will have to go beyond the limited line model to the top. These are big steps economically.
The Limited Edition costs an additional $6,900 to $47,875, but adds cooled power front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row outboard seats, Bose audio, third-row USB ports, and rolls on 20-inch alloy wheels. It also has a surround-view camera system and blind-spot cameras that show the group what you can’t see behind the big blocky pillars behind you.
the The line is an additional $3,150 to $51,025But it’s almost a luxury car. It has dual wireless smartphone chargers, quilted nappa leather, massaging front seats, second-row captain’s chairs, a rearview camera mirror, and rolls on 21-inch black alloy wheels.
It distorts the value promise we’re so keen on, so we’ll probably skip the captain’s chairs here to save nearly $10,000. Then again, massaging the front seats and all the USB ports could bring back the idea of a family road trip that getting there is actually half the fun, especially when you’re not stopping to fill the tank as is often the case.
