2023 Hyundai Santa Fe: The Best SUV of the Year (Again)

Four – that’s the number of consecutive Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards Hyundai Santa Fe has reeled in. Following last year’s win, the 2023 Santa Fe put on its best Katherine Hepburn hat and accepted the automotive industry’s Oscar trophy for the 4th straight time, forcing other, less deserving midsize SUVs to awkwardly stand and applaud.
“Slotting between the larger Palisade and smaller Tucson, the Santa Fe makes its mark with solid fuel economy, good driving dynamics, and a premium feel inside and out… As Hyundai keeps checking the boxes with this midsize SUV, we’ll keep loving it.” – Russ Heaps, Kelley Blue Book

Class-Best Value, Bar None

By far the most affordable midsize SUV amongst its KBB-determined class rivals—it’s $5,000 to $10,000 cheaper than the Chevy Traverse, Honda Passport, Mazda CX-9 and Ford Edge, for instance—the 2023 Santa Fe is as budget-friendly as family SUVs get. A bells-and-whistles-less Santa Fe SE can be had for well under $30,000, while something like an Edge will set you back well over $35,000.
“Finding a crossover at this price point with this degree of attention to detail inside and out is a tribute to Hyundai’s prowess at making every dollar count.” – Kelley Blue Book

Cheap in price, not in quality, the new Santa Fe comes with more flash and features than a fully grown Richie Rich’s mancave.

Compared to other base 2-row crossovers, the Hyundai Santa Fe really delivers the goods. The entry Santa Fe SE is equipped with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Rear Seat Quiet Mode—parents of sleepless, teething babies, rejoice!—and a pair of 2nd-row USB ports. Its standard safety and driver-aid tech runs the gamut from generic forward collision warning and automatic braking to adaptive cruise control and junction-turning with pedestrian detection.

Move up the roster, and the list of features goes off the chain, as the kids say. A 10.25″ touchscreen sits at the top of every center stack aside from the budget-friendly SE’s (8.0″). Hyundai Digital Key, onboard navigation, SiriusXM capability, Dynamic Voice Recognition, heated side mirrors, a hands-free smart liftgate, Bluelink, and wireless charging are found on non-SE models, as well.

Up in range-topping territory sits the Limited and Calligraphy Santa Fe models, which is where things really get exciting. Both feature a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with Clari-Fi tech and QuantumLogic Surround, Rear View Monitor with parking guidance, a Surround View Monitor, a Blind-Spot View Monitor (that’s a lot of “monitors”), a heated steering wheel, rear side sunshades, HomeLink auto-dimming rearview mirror, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated rear seats, and a panoramic sunroof.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy is decked out even further with a head-up display, expanded cabin accent lighting, perforated leather steering wheel, microfiber headliner and Nappa leather seats. All that with a $42,050 price tag? Bonkers.

We won’t go into Santa Fe’s contemporary looks—just see for yourself—but there’s more to this midsize SUV than meets the eye. Inside, Hyundai Santa Fe offers more than ample space. Rear passengers are awarded 41.1 inches of legroom, which is near the top of its class, as well as 72.1 cubic feet for storage. There’s even a hidden storage compartment located under the cargo floor.

Is it the best 2-row SUV money can buy? We think so, especially when accounting for Hyundai’s amazing 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Get your Hyundai Santa Fe in Birmingham by visiting Jim Burke Hyundai at 1424 5th Ave N. Call our Hyundai sales team at (205) 502-2792 to request a quote, start your custom order or schedule a test drive.