The Ford Explorer has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Santa Fe doesn't offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Explorer has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe doesn't offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Explorer 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Santa Fe:

There are over 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Explorer's warranty.

The Explorer has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine's coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Santa Fe doesn't offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck's engine.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Explorer second among midsize suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Santa Fe isn't in the top three.

The Explorer's standard 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 23 more horsepower (300 vs. 277) than the Santa Fe's 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Explorer's optional 3.0 turbo V6 produces 123 more horsepower (400 vs. 277) and 104 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 311) than the Santa Fe's 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

On the EPA test cycle the Explorer 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder 4WD gets better fuel mileage than the Santa Fe XRT AWD (20 city/27 hwy vs. 19 city/26 hwy).

The Explorer V6 Turbo's standard fuel tank has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe (20.2 vs. 17.7 gallons).

The Explorer has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it's removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Santa Fe doesn't offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Explorer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Santa Fe.

For better stopping power the Explorer's brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Fe:

The Explorer ST's optional 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 Explorer stops much shorter than the Santa Fe:

For better traction, the Explorer has larger standard tires than the Santa Fe (255/65R18 vs. 235/60R18). The Explorer's optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe (275/45R21 vs. 255/45R20).

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Explorer can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Santa Fe doesn't offer self-sealing tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Explorer's wheelbase is 8.3 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (119.1 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Explorer is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Santa Fe.

The Explorer ST 4WD handles at .86 G's, while the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD pulls only .84 G's of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Explorer ST 4WD executes Motor Trend's “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD (26.4 seconds @ .72 average G's vs. 27.1 seconds @ .64 average G's).

For greater off-road capability the Explorer has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe (7.6 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Explorer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Explorer Active 4WD is quieter than the Santa Fe Calligraphy AWD (66 vs. 68 dB).

The Explorer has 2.7 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 4.2 inches more rear hip room, 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.2 inches more third row headroom, 2.2 inches more third row legroom and 1.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Santa Fe.

The Explorer's cargo area provides more volume than the Santa Fe.

A standard locking glovebox and optional locking center console (which can't be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Explorer. The Santa Fe doesn't offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Explorer's standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Fe's (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

The engine in the Explorer 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.

The Explorer's front power windows 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 Explorer's available exterior PIN entry system. The Santa Fe doesn't offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Blue Link can't unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn't have cell phone reception or the driver can't contact the service.

The Explorer's standard Intelligent Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Proximity Key standard on the Santa Fe doesn't offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you'll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Explorer's standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn't have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Santa Fe's standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Explorer Platinum 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 Explorer'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 Explorer (except Active) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren't available in the Santa Fe.

The Explorer has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won't have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Ford Explorer and the Hyundai Santa Fe, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Ford Explorer outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 65% during 2024.