Compare the2026 Subaru OutbackVS 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Outback 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 Outback. But it costs extra on the Santa Fe.

The Subaru Outback’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Hyundai Santa Fe does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Outback 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai With 10 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Hyundai.

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 Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

The Outback 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 Outback’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 Outback Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Santa Fe; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Outback offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Santa Fe’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Santa Fe’s (36.5 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (8.7 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.2 inches higher than on the Santa Fe XRT (9.5 vs. 8.3 inches).

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 600 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe.

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Santa Fe with its rear seat up (34.6 vs. 14.6 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Santa Fe with its rear seat folded (80.5 vs. 79.6 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Outback. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The engine in the Outback 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.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Outback to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, tire rotation, and vehicle inspections, based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Santa Fe.

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 Outback’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Santa Fe’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Outback’s exterior PIN entry system. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Bluelink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Outback 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 Outback’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 Subaru Outback outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 41% during 2024.