Compare the2026 Infiniti QX60VS 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The QX60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX60 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Hyundai Santa Fe doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Infiniti QX60 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 QX60 Autograph has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the QX60 and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, available all wheel drive, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Infiniti QX60 is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

	QX60	Santa Fe
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	150	460
Leg Forces (l/r)	156/136 lbs.	290/423 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	312	369
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	93 lbs.	140 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	236/309 lbs.	726/652 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Infiniti QX60 is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:

	QX60	Santa Fe
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	16 inches
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	38 G’s
Hip Force	466 lbs.	507 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the QX60 is .5% to 3% less likely to roll over than the Santa Fe.

Warranty

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX60 for 3 years and 45000 miles. Infiniti will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Hyundai doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Santa Fe.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the QX60’s reliability 13 points higher than the Santa Fe.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Infiniti vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Infiniti higher than Hyundai.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the QX60 gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

			MPG
QX60
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
Santa Fe
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/28 hwy
		XRT 2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/25 hwy

The QX60 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.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Infiniti QX60, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Santa Fe.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the QX60’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Fe:

	QX60	Santa Fe
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.8 inches

The QX60’s standard 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 QX60 stops shorter than the Santa Fe:

	QX60	Santa Fe
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the QX60 has larger tires than the Santa Fe (255/50R20 vs. 235/60R18).

The QX60’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Santa Fe SE/SEL’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the QX60 has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Santa Fe SE/SEL.

The QX60 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the QX60’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the Santa Fe (114.2 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the QX60 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 QX60 Autograph AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the Santa Fe Calligraphy HTRAC AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The QX60 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the QX60 Luxe AWD is quieter than the Santa Fe Calligraphy HTRAC AWD (67 vs. 68 dB).

Passenger Space

The QX60 has 1.9 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear hip room, 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.5 inches more third row hip room and 2.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Santa Fe.

Cargo Capacity

The QX60’s cargo area provides more volume than the Santa Fe.

	QX60	Santa Fe
Third Seat Folded	41.6 cubic feet	40.5 cubic feet

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the QX60. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The QX60’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Fe’s (6000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

An Oil Control System is standard on the QX60 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, air filter replacement, and tire rotation, based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Santa Fe.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Infiniti service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Infiniti 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 51% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 30th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy, the QX60 Autograph has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The QX60’s front and rear power windows all 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. The Santa Fe Calligraphy’s .

The QX60’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Santa Fe’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The QX60’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Santa Fe’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the QX60 Autograph 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 QX60’s standard 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 Infiniti QX60 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy.

The QX60 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy.

The QX60 Autograph has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Santa Fe.

The QX60 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Infiniti QX60 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Santa Fe SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy offers wireless charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Infiniti QX60 and the Hyundai Santa Fe, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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