Hyundai Santa Fe (2026)

Curt Prey remains strongly positive about the Hyundai Santa Fe, though he is clear that this flagship hybrid is not the range sweet spot. After six months and 10,000km, he praises its distinctive design, exceptional three-row practicality, reliability, roomy cargo area, and impressive real-world 6.5L/100km fuel use. It handled family duties, interstate trips, ski conditions, bikes, a motorcycle, and even race-car wheels. However, the Calligraphy’s price, 10,000km servicing intervals, limited payload with seven adults, and intrusive driver-monitoring warnings temper his enthusiasm. He ultimately prefers the cheaper turbo-petrol variants and even his older Tucson.

Mat Watson is highly enthusiastic about the Hyundai Santa Fe, calling it a brilliant, near-premium family SUV worth buying outright. He praises its distinctive Land Rover-like styling, comfortable and spacious cabin, smooth hybrid system, strong 8.15-second acceleration, useful technology, maneuverability, and impressive real-world economy. The third row can accommodate adults briefly, though it suits children better, and cargo space is limited with all seats occupied. Drawbacks include modest towing capacity, an incomplete luggage cover, no front passenger-seat ISOFIX, intrusive driver-assistance alerts, cheap lower-cabin materials, and awkward rear climate controls.

Car Confections is strongly positive about the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. The conventional eight-speed automatic is considered a major improvement over the previous dual-clutch transmission, bringing noticeably smoother behavior without sacrificing fuel economy. They also praise the powerful turbo engine, excellent ride comfort, upscale cabin, generous storage, roomy second row, and genuinely usable third row. The review’s main criticism is the polarizing rear styling, while cabin quietness is good rather than class-leading. Overall, they view the gas Santa Fe as a compelling, comfortable family SUV with strong value, though reliability remains slightly below average.

Micah Muzio is enthusiastic about the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, especially after Hyundai replaces the finicky dual-clutch transmission with a smoother eight-speed automatic. He praises its comfortable ride, easy handling, roomy and exceptionally practical interior, family-friendly storage, flexible seating, strong standard technology, and impressive value. The XRT adds ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and towing capacity, but Micah cautions that limited underbody protection, a compact spare, and vulnerable plastic trim make it suitable only for gentle off-roading. He also flags awkward car-seat access and a hard second-row armrest, yet strongly recommends the SEL—and particularly the efficient hybrid—as the smartest buys.

Joe Raiti is strongly positive about the 2026 Santa Fe Hybrid, calling it smooth, comfortable, tech-rich, and impressively efficient. He praises the upscale Calligraphy cabin, excellent seats, strong visibility, useful blind-spot cameras, real controls, flexible cargo space, and roughly 35 mpg city/34 highway performance. The hybrid powertrain also masks turbo lag and offers pleasant acceleration, though it is not quick. His main reservations are the polarizing styling, excessive flat-black exterior trim, limited second-row climate controls, modest 2,000-pound towing capacity, and an extremely cramped third row. Overall, he views it as a compelling, value-packed family SUV when occasional third-row use is enough.

Kirk Kreifels is exceptionally enthusiastic about the 2026 Santa Fe Hybrid, calling it an S-tier, no-brainer buy. He loves its smooth, quiet powertrain, impressive real-world efficiency potential, comfortable and upscale cabin, huge windows, family-friendly seating, and strong discounts. He prefers it to the Palisade for its styling, efficiency, and easier size, though larger families should choose the Palisade. Reservations are limited: the third row suits children, cargo space disappears with all seats occupied, the 115-volt outlet is weak, braking feels soft initially, and the rear-light design remains awkward. Overall, his recommendation is emphatic.

SoFlo Josh is highly impressed by the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL. After a week as a rental, he praises its refined 277-hp turbo engine, smooth eight-speed automatic, comfortable suspension, quiet highway ride, responsive infotainment, and exceptionally useful cargo space. The boxy design grows on him, while the wide rear opening and flexible seating stand out for family use. He still prefers AWD because the FWD model spins its wheels under hard acceleration, and he finds the third row tight for adults. Lane-keeping assist is also merely average, but his overall recommendation is strongly positive.

Automotive Anonymous is strongly positive about the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid SE. He praises its smooth ride, quiet dual-pane cabin, effective lane-keeping assist, practical cargo space, confident all-wheel drive, and impressive value—especially with dealer discounts. His GPS-tested 0–60 time of 8.26 seconds feels adequate rather than exciting. The tradeoffs are meaningful: no heated seats or power driver’s seat, no rear vents, limited third-row comfort, modest towing capacity, and no spare tire. Still, he considers the efficient, well-packaged hybrid a compelling family SUV and has no real reason not to recommend it.

Tom Talking Shift is overwhelmingly negative on the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, calling it one of the worst vehicles he has driven this year. He likes its bold styling, boxy space-efficient shape, folding third row, pass-through center console, dual gloveboxes, and appealing price, but says those strengths are overwhelmed by a harsh ride, turbo lag, coarse and inefficient 2.5-liter engine, hesitant eight-speed automatic, cheap-feeling materials, frustrating infotainment, and intrusive safety systems. After experiencing repeated automatic-braking events and steering intervention, he considers the Santa Fe potentially dangerous and strongly advises buyers to avoid it.

Car and Driver views the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe favorably, though with clear tradeoffs. It costs nearly $5,000 less than the roomier, more luxurious Palisade while still offering useful family space, a large touchscreen, and desirable driver-assistance features. The new eight-speed automatic improves smoothness over the recalled dual-clutch transmission, but acceleration is weaker. Car and Driver also likes the distinctive, blocky styling, despite disliking the test car’s matte gray paint. Overall, it comes across as a well-equipped, good-value three-row SUV for occasional family use rather than a premium alternative.

Christina Branman is enthusiastic about the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe’s thoughtful family-friendly design. She points to the wide trunk opening, fold-flat second-row floor that fits a stroller wagon, accessible tissues for second-row children, plentiful storage, charging, comfort features, and strong second-row space. The XRT’s all-wheel drive, extra clearance, all-terrain tires, and 277-horsepower turbo engine add capability. Her main reservations are practical: using the third row reduces cargo room, adults may find it cramped, and exiting is awkward. Overall, she presents it as a well-equipped, versatile family SUV with meaningful compromises.