2020 Hyundai Santa Fe vs Ford Escape

The Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Escape are two great SUVs for taking Martinsville and Ellettsville drivers from their daily commutes to their weekend adventures. So, when you’re shopping for a new vehicle, how do you know which one to choose?

To help you decide which SUV is a better fit for your Bloomington-area lifestyle, Andy Mohr Hyundai placed them side by side in this 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Ford Escape comparison. See how they compare when it comes to interior space, performance specs, and safety features.

Is the Hyundai Santa Fe or Ford Escape Bigger?

If you’re hitting the road for a weekend getaway, toting sporting equipment to practice, or heading up a carpool, you need plenty of interior space for all your luggage plus friends and family members.

The 2020 Ford Escape offers 40 inches of front headroom, which is more than adequate for most drivers. However, the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe comes with even more room for you to stretch out, providing 41.2 inches of front headroom.

In fact, every passenger will be able to spread out more in the Santa Fe, which has 110.7 cubic feet of total passenger volume to seat five people. The Escape, on the other hand, only offers 104 cubic feet of passenger volume.

Cargo Volume

Nobody wants to try loading up a vehicle with a small cargo area. The Ford Escape is designed to help with 37.5 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second row. Once you fold down the back seats, you’ll be treated to a cargo volume of up to 65.4 cubic feet behind the first row.

However, the Hyundai Santa Fe has more to offer in terms of overall cargo space. Drivers will start with a modest 35.9 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second row. If you choose to fold down the back seats, your cargo volume will go all the way up to 71.3 cubic feet.

Safety: Hyundai vs Ford

When you’re transporting precious cargo, you want to make sure everyone and everything stays safe. Both the Escape and Santa Fe respond with the availability of safety technology, including:

• Blind spot monitor
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane keep assist

The Hyundai Santa Fe goes the extra mile, though, with some additional features that we don’t see with the Ford Escape. To start, we have a standard Driver Attention Warning system that monitors when you’re driving erratically. Your vehicle will warn you to pull over and take a rest if it finds that you’re starting to show signs of fatigue.

To further enhance your safety, the Santa Fe is equipped with a Safe Exit Assist feature. This technology monitors the side of the road for cars while you’re stopped. If you or a passenger tries to exit the vehicle into the path of another one, your SUV will lock the doors, so nobody is put into danger.

Finally, to ensure you don’t forget anything in the back of your car, this vehicle offers an Ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert. If weight is detected in the back seats, your vehicle will provide a number of alerts to make sure you let everyone out from the back. This is great for making sure you don’t leave passengers behind in the car during those hot summer months.

Premium Audio Technology

If you really want to fill your SUV with the highest quality audio available, you’re going to need a premium sound system.

Inside the Ford Escape, drivers can make use of an available B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen. This system uses 10 speakers placed throughout the cabin to deliver the high-quality audio you’re looking for.

With the Hyundai Santa Fe interior, though, you’ll get a hold of even more speakers thanks to the available Infinity® Premium Audio system. With 12 speakers at your disposal, you get concert-like quality sound inside your automobile.

Seating Comfort

In the winter months, it isn’t always comfortable to settle into your driver’s seat. To help you, the 2020 Santa Fe and 2020 Escape are designed with heated front seats. Just turn your seat heat on, and you’ll be nice and toasty for the road ahead.

As far as summer months go, the Ford Escape doesn’t have specialized seats for the weather. However, the Hyundai Santa Fe has an available set of ventilated front seats that will provide you with cool air, so your back is nice and dry.

Driver-Assistance Features

We can all use a hand or an extra pair of eyes on our drives. To help, you’ll find a Heads-up Display available on the Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Escape. This technology projects driving information onto your windshield, so you don’t have to pull your eyes from the road to see how fast you’re going.

In terms of driver assistance, the Hyundai Santa Fe has a leg up thanks to its available Surround View Monitor. This feature provides a top-down view of your car through the use of multiple camera angles. Maneuvering a crowded parking lot will be exceptionally easy thanks to this available driver-assistance feature.

Should I Buy the Hyundai Santa Fe or Ford Escape?

The Santa Fe has been designed with some seriously advanced technology over the years that really brings it ahead in a lot of areas. With improved technology and a bevy of comfort features, if you ask us about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Ford Escape, our team at Andy Mohr Hyundai would recommend the Santa Fe.

If you want to give this SUV a try to see how it fits your Bloomington, Martinsville, or Ellettsville lifestyle, contact us and we’ll get you behind the wheel. Schedule your test drive at our one-of-a-kind Hyundai dealership today!