2023 Dodge Durango vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2023 Dodge Durango, entering its 12th model year without a redesign, maintained a familiar yet attractive appearance. Dodge opted for clean, car-like styling, avoiding the trend of oversized grilles. The Durango's slim design, complemented by forward-leaning headlights and a large lower air intake, demonstrated that SUVs could have a commanding presence without massive grilles. At the rear, Dodge's signature "racetrack" taillights provided a distinctive look. The muscular SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat models featured unique styling elements, such as a Viper-like hood with a functional center air inlet and heat extractors, but these were subtle. The SRT models also had unique wheels and a different front fascia, maintaining a similar shape to the standard front end. Dodge offered various appearance packages, including the Blacktop Package and Hemi Orange appearance package, allowing for customization. The interior, while not as distinctive as the exterior, offered a pleasant environment with materials suited to their price points, and higher trims added luxurious features like Nappa leather upholstery and heated seats.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe presented a bold departure from its predecessors, embracing a boxy design that prioritized storage capacity. This design choice, explained by Hyundai's design chief SangYup Lee, aimed to make the box elegant and premium-looking. Despite its boxy shape, the Santa Fe was more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor and turned heads with its upscale appearance. The exterior featured a palette of sophisticated colors, including matte options, and anodized-finish badging. The XRT trim level added dark chrome and black cladding, while most trims came with standard 18-inch alloy wheels, with higher trims offering larger wheels. Inside, the Santa Fe offered premium styling, with the XRT and Calligraphy trims showcasing a mix of soft and decadent materials. The interior design focused on comfort and organization, with features like stain-resistant cloth upholstery, leather options, and heated and ventilated seats. The Santa Fe's interior was designed to create a calm and relaxing space, with ample storage pockets and bottle holders.

The 2023 Dodge Durango offered a range of powertrains, starting with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, producing 293 horsepower (295 hp with dual exhaust) and 260 pound-feet of torque. This engine was standard on the SXT, GT, and Citadel trims. The Durango also offered a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, standard on the R/T and optional on the Citadel, delivering 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. The SRT 392 model featured a 6.4-liter naturally-aspirated Hemi V8, producing 475 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque, achieving a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds. The Durango SRT Hellcat took performance to another level with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, generating 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque, achieving a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. The Durango's performance was impressive for a three-row SUV, with minimal wind and tire noise at highway speeds, and features like adaptive-damping suspension, Pirelli P Zero performance tires, and Brembo brakes enhancing the driving experience.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe's base powertrain was a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, producing 277 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive optional, except for the XRT trim, which had AWD standard. The Santa Fe offered Normal, Sport, and Snow driving modes, with Sport mode enhancing throttle response and steering. Later in the model year, a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine would be available, producing an estimated 231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. The Santa Fe's fuel economy ratings varied, with FWD base versions achieving 20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined. The XRT model, with its extra ground clearance and all-terrain tires, had a towing capacity of 4,500 pounds. On the road, the Santa Fe Calligraphy provided a smooth and stable driving experience, with notable body roll through turns. The Santa Fe XRT demonstrated off-road capability, comparable to other SUVs in its class, with features like hill-descent control enhancing confidence on steep slopes.

The 2023 Dodge Durango was available in seven-seat or six-seat configurations, with front bucket seats, a three-seat second-row bench, and a two-seat third-row bench standard on SXT, GT, and R/T models. The Citadel, SRT 392, and SRT Hellcat models featured second-row captain's chairs, which were also optional on GT and R/T models. The Durango offered competitive interior space compared to other three-row midsize SUVs, with headroom and legroom comparable to rivals like the Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Traverse. However, the Durango had less cargo space, with 17.2 cubic feet with all three rows in place, 43.3 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded, and 85.1 cubic feet behind the first row. The Durango excelled in towing capacity, with V6 models capable of towing up to 6,200 pounds, and Hemi V8 models towing up to 8,700 pounds.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a longer wheelbase and body compared to its predecessor, with most of the extra space dedicated to the cargo area. The design was inspired by the concept of "chabak," focusing on creating a comfortable space for car camping and tailgating. The Santa Fe's cargo area offered 14.6 cubic feet of space, expanding to 40.5 and 79.6 cubic feet with the third and second rows folded, respectively. The interior was spacious and welcoming, with the first and second rows offering ample room. Depending on the trim, the Santa Fe was available with a bench or reclining captain's chairs, with upholstery options ranging from stain-resistant cloth to plush quilted Nappa leather. The cargo area featured an extra-wide tailgate and optional roof rails supporting 220 pounds. Limited and Calligraphy models introduced a UV sanitization compartment in the glovebox, a feature conceived during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 2023 Dodge Durango offered an 8.4-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto on SXT and GT models, while the Citadel and SRT models featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screen used the current Uconnect 5 system, providing a responsive and user-friendly experience. The SRT models included the Performance Pages app, offering performance information like timers and a g-force meter. A 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was available with the Premium Package on the SRT Hellcat model.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe's cabin featured a curved panoramic display, making XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy trims feel luxurious. The touchscreen display was intuitive, with easy access to controls and crisp graphics. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with a 12-speaker Bose stereo and a Wi-Fi hot spot. The SE and SEL trims had a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, while higher trims offered wireless charging and Hyundai's BlueLink system for vehicle access. Hyundai Pay, introduced in late 2023, allowed for secure payments at partnered vendors, and the Santa Fe included a biometric fingerprint scanner for valet mode control.

The 2023 Dodge Durango received mixed results in IIHS crash tests, with top "Good" marks in some tests but a "Marginal" score in the driver-side small overlap front test. The NHTSA gave the Durango a four-star overall safety rating, with five stars in the side crash test but lower ratings in other tests. Standard driver-assist tech was limited, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert standard on all trims, but other features like forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control were only standard on the Citadel.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe had not yet been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, but Hyundai vehicles typically performed well in these evaluations. The Santa Fe offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot monitors, and lane-keep assist. Higher trims added features like a 360-degree camera system, remote automatic parking, and a head-up display. The Santa Fe was the first Hyundai vehicle with driver monitoring, using an infrared camera and capacitive sensors to track alertness and issue warnings if necessary.