Pricing

With a starting MSRP of $47,500, the Santa Fe Limited sits in the middle of the pack. The Highlander Hybrid XLE stickers at $47,620, while the Sorento X-Line SX Prestige sells for $47,190. That’s a very narrow spread (less than $500) separating the three models, which indicates just how competitive this segment is.

Warranty

Hyundai’s factory coverage is dubbed America’s Best warranty, since it provides bumper-to-bumper protection for five years or 60,000 miles. The powertrain safeguards last for ten years or 100,000 miles. Kia offers a similar warranty. Toyota’s base warranty extends to three years or 36,000 miles, while the powertrain protection for the Highlander Hybrid stops after five years or 60,000 miles (the hybrid battery is covered for ten years or 150,000 miles).

Powertrains

The Santa Fe Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid use a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine enhanced by electric motors within a hybrid power system. With the Hyundai, the total output is rated at 231 horsepower and 271 lb.-ft. of torque. The Sorento’s numbers, though, fall slightly behind at 227 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. The Highlander’s combined horsepower output is 243 (Toyota doesn’t disclose total torque from the gas engine and electric motor combined, but the engine alone makes 175 lb.-ft. of torque). Six-speed automatic transmissions control the gears for the Hyundai and the Kia, while the Toyota uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Ratings

Consumer Reports has given all three vehicles a "recommended" badge in its latest reviews. That said, only the Santa Fe Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid had very good overall scores, with the Hyundai coming out slightly ahead of the Toyota. In the overall ranking, the Sorento Hybrid was listed behind the others by at least ten points, but in the above-average range.

Meanwhile, Edmunds didn't rate the Sorento Hybrid, but it gave the Santa Fe Hybrid an overall score of 7.7 out of 10. The Highlander Hybrid received a 6.4. In specific review areas, the Hyundai outranked the Toyota for driving experience, comfort, in-cabin technology, storage/cargo, and value. Among Edmunds’ consumer reviews, the Santa Fe Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid tie with an overall rating of 4.2 out of 10. The Sorento Hybrid received a 3.7.

Features

Despite Toyota repositioning the Highlander Hybrid’s trim, the XLE doesn’t have all the equipment of its rivals. The Santa Fe Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid have leather upholstery, while the Highlander Hybrid XLE has leatherette seating surfaces. The same applies to heated and ventilated front seats, parking sensors, and several other features. Adding this equipment to the Highlander Hybrid requires upgrading to a more expensive trim. Furthermore, the Santa Fe Hybrid and Sorento Hybrid include Blind-Spot View Monitors and surround-view monitors. A blind-spot view monitor (which shows a live camera feed of the driver’s blind spot in the instrument cluster when signaling) isn’t available at all on the Toyota; a surround-view monitor can be optioned for an added fee.

Cabin Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid leads the others in specific interior measurements. With 44.4 inches of front legroom, the Santa Fe offers more first-row comfort than the Highlander (42 inches) and the Sorento (41.4 inches). In the second row, the Santa Fe also offers more legroom: 41.5 inches versus 38.7 inches (Highlander) and 40.7 inches (Sorento). This pattern repeats in the third row.