The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Just Outranked the Honda Passport
Exciting news, the Hyundai Santa Fe just caused one intense upset by taking the Honda Passport down. The 2023 Honda Passport lost its crown as the best family SUV to the underrated 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. Let’s see why!
2023 Hyundai Santa Fe vs. 2023 Honda Passport
The numbers are in, and things are going in the right direction for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. It just stole a prestigious title from the 2023 Honda Passport. According to the U.S.News, the Santa Fe is the best two-row SUV for families.
This is a big deal because the Passport has won the past three years in a row, but all reigns eventually come to an end. We’re looking at you, Kia Telluride. Something could take you out next. Alright, so the 2023 Kia Telluride won best family SUV in its category too.
Anyways, the rankings are based on reviews by respected automotive critics published in newspapers, magazines, and online outlets.
Safety, reliability ratings, passenger space, cargo space, and access to family-friendly features impact each score. The vehicle with the best rating gets the best family SUV title.
Why did the Santa Fe beat the Passport?
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe ranks highly for having a budget-friendly base price, tons of passenger space, an abundance of cargo space, tons of features, and a good fuel economy. But some of the powertrain options are a little weak, and it can provide a hard ride over bumpy roads.
The 2023 Honda Passport ranks well for having an upscale interior, tons of passenger space, lots of cargo room, a stout V6 engine, and a long list of standard features. But it has a high starting price for the class and a so-so ride quality.
You can access up to 34.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat of the Santa Fe and up to 71.2 cubes total. It can tow up to 3,500 lbs. With the Passport, you get 50.5 cubic feet of cargo space in the rear and up to 100.8 cubes overall. It can tow up to 5,000 lbs.
But the Santa Fe has more passenger space in the front and second rows. So with the Passport, you can take more cargo, but with the Santa Fe, passengers can stretch out more.
The Passport has a standard 3.5-liter V6 engine with 286 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.8 seconds. It gets an EPA-estimated 19 mpg in the city and up to 24 mpg on the highway.
With the Santa Fe, the standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine cranks out 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. You can upgrade to the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine for 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque.
Plus, a hybrid powertrain is available. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.6 seconds with the turbo. It gets an EPA-estimated 25 mpg on the highway and up to 28 mpg in the city.
Does the Santa Fe or Passport have more value?
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe has an MSRP of $28,750, and the 2023 Honda Passport starts at about $41,100. But the Passport has standard V6 power and AWD across the entire lineup.
Both vehicles start with a standard 8.0-inch infotainment system, LED headlights, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. But the Passport also has heated front seats, a power liftgate, leather upholstery, tri-zone automatic climate control, and much more.
The Passport also has more standard safety features, including blind spot warning and parking sensors. Both SUVs have standard forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control.
It seems like the Hyundai Santa Fe outranks the Passport because it has a lower price, more passenger space, and more options. It can serve more diverse needs and budget allocations. Perhaps the 2024 Passport will spice things up to reclaim the title.
