2024 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid was reminiscent of a pair of "dad jeans" in its design, offering practicality and value despite its outdated appearance. Debuting in 2018 and refreshed in 2021, the Santa Fe's styling lagged behind newer crossovers like the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Sorento. Its exterior featured a squared-up grille with flush-mounted headlights, while the profile displayed tastefully protected wheel arches and alloy wheels ranging from 17 to 20 inches. The silhouette, however, lacked the strength and definition of modern SUVs, contributing to its softer look. The Santa Fe's length, at 188.4 inches, positioned it awkwardly between compact and three-row crossovers, resulting in a two-row midsize configuration with a spacious trunk. Inside, the Santa Fe Hybrid prioritized function over style, with a massive center console filled with physical buttons and knobs, offering ease of use but lacking modern flair.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, on the other hand, embraced its iconic status with a distinctive boxy design and flat roof. Each of its three trims paid homage to past models, featuring a heritage grille and lighting elements reminiscent of earlier series. The Land Cruiser's LED lighting and color-selectable fog lights added a contemporary twist. Driver comfort was enhanced with a lowered beltline for improved visibility, and the vehicle came standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, with 20-inch options available. The First Edition trim boasted additional off-road gear, including a roof rack and skid plate. Inside, the Land Cruiser offered a range of seating materials, from cloth to real leather, with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel standard across trims. The Premium Package added features like a moonroof and ventilated seats, emphasizing comfort alongside capability.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid delivered a blend of performance and efficiency with its 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a 44.2-kW electric motor, producing a total of 226 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. It boasted impressive fuel economy estimates of 33 mpg city, 30 highway, and 32 combined. The hybrid powertrain was managed by a six-speed automatic transmission, and the HTRAC AWD system could distribute power between the front and rear wheels as needed. An AWD lock button ensured a minimum of 20% power to the rear wheels, enhancing traction on challenging terrains. While not the quickest, the Santa Fe Hybrid outperformed its internal combustion engine counterparts in terms of power and fuel efficiency. The vehicle's noise insulation and compliant suspension impressed during road tests, providing a quiet and comfortable ride even on rough surfaces.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota's i-Force MAX hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a 1.87-kWh battery pack and a 48-hp electric motor. This setup generated a robust 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. The Land Cruiser came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard full-time 4WD, equipped with an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case. The Multi-Terrain Select system, available on mid-tier and First Edition models, operated in both 4Hi and 4Lo, enhancing off-road capability. Standard features included an automatic limited-slip differential and rear- and center-locking differentials. The vehicle also offered a push-button disconnect for the front sway bar, allowing for improved articulation off-road. Toyota's CRAWL control function, with five speed settings, provided precise low-speed control over challenging terrain, operating silently for a more pleasant experience.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid utilized a shift-by-wire, push-button transmission, freeing up space below the center stack. However, the stack itself remained large with limited storage. It featured well-labeled physical controls for climate, drive modes, and heated seats, ensuring ease of use. Rear passengers enjoyed 40.8 inches of legroom, comparable to other large two-row SUVs, and a hands-free power liftgate revealed 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 72.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Santa Fe Hybrid offered heated and ventilated front seats with real leather upholstery in the Limited trim, while the SEL Premium trim received H-Tex leatherette upholstery.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, based on the Prado, offered two rows of seating with headroom measuring 36.1 inches in the front and 35.3 inches in the back. Legroom was 33.0 inches in the front and 26.7 inches in the rear. The center console provided easy access to off-road features, with controls for the stabilizer-bar disconnect and lockers conveniently placed. The wireless charging pad, available in equipped vehicles, was located ahead of the cupholders. The rear liftgate opened to a cargo area with a raised load floor, offering 37.5 cubic feet of space. The trunk included a 120-volt AC outlet and USB-C ports in higher trims, enhancing usability and convenience.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid came standard with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, offering Over-The-Air map updates and dynamic voice recognition. The infotainment system supported Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though both required a wired connection. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster provided a clear view of essential driving information, and the Hyundai digital key enabled remote start and locking/unlocking via a smartphone app. The Limited trim featured a 12-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, optional on lower trims.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser featured the Multi-Terrain Monitor (MTM) system, standard on higher trims, which utilized a 12.3-inch center touchscreen display. MTM activated automatically at low speeds, aiding off-road navigation. The infotainment system supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with USB-C ports for front and rear passengers. The base infotainment system included an 8-inch display and six-speaker sound system, while higher trims offered a 10-speaker system or an optional 14-speaker JBL premium sound system. The Premium Package added a head-up display and digital rear-view mirror.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid prioritized safety with features like a surround-view monitor and blind-spot view monitor, enhancing visibility and awareness. Standard safety equipment included adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance, blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and safe exit assist. The Santa Fe Hybrid received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS, highlighting its commitment to passenger safety.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, but Toyota's track record and the Tundra's Top Safety Pick award provided some confidence in its safety. All Land Cruisers came with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign assist, and Proactive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added lane-keep assist, front cross-traffic alert, and traffic jam assist to the middle trim, standard on the First Edition.