Compare the2024 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Mitsubishi Outlander has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Outlander has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outlander the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 120 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Santa Fe has not been fully tested, yet.

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

The Outlander has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Outlander 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.

For better stopping power the Outlander’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Fe:

The Outlander’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 Outlander has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Outlander SEL AWC handles at .85 G’s, while the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Santa Fe’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander ES has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (8.3 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Outlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outlander SE/Black Edition/SEL’s minimum ground clearance is .1 inch higher than on the Santa Fe XRT (8.4 vs. 8.3 inches).

The Mitsubishi Outlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 750 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe.

The Outlander is 4.8 inches shorter than the Santa Fe, making the Outlander easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Outlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the Santa Fe.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Mitsubishi service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 56% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 29th.

The Outlander ES’ standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Santa Fe’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Outlander’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Santa Fe’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Outlander S-AWC has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Outlander 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Mitsubishi Outlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.