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Mazda CX-5 vs Hyundai Santa Fe

What's the difference?

VS
Mazda CX-5
Mazda CX-5

$33,990 - $61,031

2023 price

Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Santa Fe

$44,790 - $77,888

2023 price

Summary

2023 Mazda CX-5
2023 Hyundai Santa Fe
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Inline 4, 2.5L

Turbo 4, 1.6L
Fuel Type
Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol/Electric
Fuel Efficiency
7.5L/100km (combined)

6.0L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

7
Dislikes
  • Hardly cutting-edge drivetrain tech
  • Clumsy dial-operated phone mirroring
  • Fuel consumption could be better

  • Hybrid is $6500 more than the petrol Santa Fe
  • Lower braked towing capacity than petrol or diesel Santa Fe
  • Not a plug-in hybrid
2023 Mazda CX-5 Summary

Australia loves Mazda.

We have all sorts of Mazdas. Big ones, small ones, relatively affordable ones, expensive ones, but one which stands above the rest is the CX-5.

That's because this mid-sizer does a lot of the heavy lifting for the Japanese brand, keeping it in the fight against titans like Toyota in the sales charts.

If you're ready to feel old, this second-generation version of the CX-5 with its eye-catching design is now a whopping seven years old, although it has been tweaked recently in 2022 to bring a few updates, as well as the addition of the variant we're looking at here, the Touring Active.

So, the question we're wrestling with is whether this car's continued massive popularity is still warranted.

Is this still one of the best mid-size SUVs you can buy for your family, or should you be considering more recently arrived alternatives?

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2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Summary

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a seven-seater SUV that slips in-between the enormous Palisade and mid-sized Tucson in Hyundai’s line-up.

And while it seemed to be the SUV that had everything, from unconventional good looks to cool tech, there’s never been a hybrid version despite rivals such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Kia Sorento hybrid being on the market... until now.

Yep, 'better late than never' isn’t just the motto of my punctuality-challenged family, it’s also the case with the Santa Fe Hybrid.

In many ways, the Santa Fe Hybrid makes up for its lateness with a drive experience better than the regular Santa Fe - and you’ll save fuel, too.

I’ll tell you how much fuel you’ll save below, along with how much more you’ll pay to own a Santa Fe Hybrid over a regular Santa Fe. I’ll also cover off its safety tech, standard features and practicality. 

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Mazda CX-5 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

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