Question 1

Which has lower long-term cost — Ford Explorer or Hyundai Santa Fe?

Accepted Answer

Based on national-average assumptions, the Hyundai Santa Fe is about $5,978 cheaper to own over 5 years. The breakdown includes depreciation, insurance, fuel or energy, maintenance, financing, and registration. Your localized total may differ based on state fuel prices, insurance rates, and EV registration fees.

Question 2

Which is cheaper to insure — Ford Explorer or Hyundai Santa Fe?

Accepted Answer

Insurance varies by state, ZIP code, age, and credit tier. Enter a ZIP to see a localized estimate; both vehicles' national-average premiums are shown on the compare page.

Question 3

Which depreciates faster — Ford Explorer or Hyundai Santa Fe?

Accepted Answer

Depreciation over the first five years is itemized in the cost breakdown. Luxury and EV models typically lose more value in early years; segment leaders and Toyota/Honda hold value better.

Question 4

Is the Ford Explorer better than the Hyundai Santa Fe?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how you drive. The compare page scores both vehicles across five pillars — cost of ownership, powertrain, driver assistance, livability, and safety — combined into one MotiveGrid Score, alongside a 5-year cost breakdown and a clear verdict. Pick the one whose strengths match how you actually use a car.

Question 5

Why do these two vehicles get different ADAS (driver-assist) scores?

Accepted Answer

Our ADAS scale weighs sensor stack (radar + camera vs camera-only), hands-free operating domain (highway vs any divided road), driver-monitoring quality (eye-tracking vs torque sensor), and whether the system gets OTA improvements. Two vehicles can advertise the same feature names and still score 20+ points apart once operating envelope and update cadence are accounted for.

Metric	Ford Explorer	Hyundai Santa Fe
MotiveGrid Score	76	84
Cost of Ownership	68	81
Powertrain	67	62
Driver Assistance	43	32
Livability	40	71
Safety	99	97
5-Year Cost to Own	$59,668	$53,690
Depreciation (5-yr)	$22,387	$18,997
Fuel / Energy (5-yr)	$14,034	$14,034
Insurance (5-yr)	$11,755	$10,320
Maintenance (5-yr)	$2,490	$1,915
Tires (5-yr)	$2,150	$2,150
Financing (5-yr)	$5,787	$5,274
Registration (5-yr)	$1,065	$1,000
Starting Price	$38,465	$35,050
Horsepower	300 hp	277 hp
MPG (combined)	24 mpg	24 mpg
Cargo volume	18.2 cu ft	14.6 cu ft
Seating	6	7
Towing capacity	5,300 lbs	—
Drivetrain	RWD	FWD

Ford Explorer vs. Hyundai Santa Fe

Five measured pillars, weighted into one score.

Which vehicle is right for you

Cost of Ownership

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