Compare the2025 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2025 Mazda CX-50

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and CX-50 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The CX-50’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

With its standard Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Mazda CX-50, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard Downhill Brake Control allow you to creep down safely. The CX-50 doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Fe Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus offers Rear Cross Traffic Braking.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the CX-50 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.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid weighs 423 to 834 pounds more than the Mazda CX-50. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Santa Fe Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The CX-50’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Mazda covers the CX-50. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the CX-50 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the CX-50’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-50.

There are over 55 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Santa Fe Hybrid’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 29th, below the industry average.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 44 more horsepower (231 vs. 187) and 86 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 185) than the CX-50’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 12 more horsepower (231 vs. 219) and 108 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 163) than the CX-50’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is faster than the Mazda CX-50 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Hybrid gets better mileage than the CX-50:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CX-50 with the 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-50 Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (17.7 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-50’s standard fuel tank (17.7 vs. 15.9 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid higher (6 out of 10) than the Mazda CX-50 (4 to 6). This means the Santa Fe Hybrid produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CX-50 every 15,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops shorter than the CX-50:

For better traction, the Santa Fe Hybrid has larger standard tires than the CX-50 (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-50 (255/45R20 vs. 245/45R20).

The Santa Fe SEL Hybrid’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-50’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe SEL Hybrid has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the CX-50.

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-50 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Santa Fe Hybrid flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-50’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The CX-50 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (54% to 46%) than the CX-50’s (58.9% to 41.1%). This gives the Santa Fe Hybrid more stable handling and braking.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CX-50 (27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

The front grille of the Santa Fe Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The CX-50 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid AWD is quieter than the CX-50:

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard seating for 7 passengers; the CX-50 can only carry 5.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 50.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-50 (151 vs. 100.3).

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 2 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front legroom, 2.9 inches more front hip room, 3.6 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom, 2.8 inches more rear hip room and 4.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-50.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Santa Fe Hybrid’s middle and third row seats recline. The CX-50’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the CX-50.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

While the CX-50 Hybrid can only tow 1500, any Santa Fe Hybrid can tow a minimum of 2000 pounds.

Standard Trailer Sway Assist on the Santa Fe Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CX-50 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The CX-50 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the CX-50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Santa Fe Hybrid is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CX-50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Santa Fe Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The CX-50 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-50 Preferred/Premium/Turbo.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console for two separate devices. Only the CX-50 Preferred/PremiumTurbo offers wireless charging, and only charges one device.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The CX-50 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Santa Fe Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Santa Fe Hybrid first among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The CX-50 isn’t in the top three.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Mazda CX-50 by 46% during 2024.