Ford Explorer vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (August 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $39,598 against $35,556 for the Hyundai Santa Fe (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Hyundai Santa Fe takes fuel economy (21 MPG combined vs 20 MPG); the Ford Explorer leads on NCAP safety (4.9★ vs 4.6★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the XLT at $31,567 vs the SEL PREMIUM at $25,741; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)
A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Ford Explorer XLT ($31,567) faces the Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM ($25,741); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (34.6% of Ford Explorer listings) and the SEL (45.0% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($46,340) faces the CALLIGRAPHY ($39,281). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.
| Ford Explorer | Hyundai Santa Fe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| XLTMost popularCheapest | $31,567 | 34.6% | BLUE | $23,429 | 0.6% |
| LIMITED | $33,632 | 5.4% | SEL PREMIUMCheapest | $25,741 | 6.7% |
| TIMBERLINE | $35,795 | 2.6% | SELMost popular | $30,199 | 45.0% |
| ST-LINE | $39,245 | 18.3% | SE | $30,925 | 9.0% |
| ACTIVE | $39,449 | 16.5% | LIMITED | $31,995 | 13.3% |
| PLATINUM | $44,990 | 6.6% | XRT | $32,517 | 6.2% |
| STPriciest | $46,340 | 12.6% | CALLIGRAPHYPriciest | $39,281 | 19.3% |
| TREMOR | $54,652 | 2.0% | — | ||
Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Ford Explorer prices · Hyundai Santa Fe prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford Explorer typical | Hyundai Santa Fe typical | Difference | Ford Explorer MPG | Hyundai Santa Fe MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $45,161 | $35,556 | Ford Explorer +$9,605 | 19–24 MPG | 21–24 MPG |
| 2025 | $39,598 | $34,433 | Ford Explorer +$5,165 | 20–24 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2024 | $35,240 | $31,705 | Ford Explorer +$3,535 | 20–24 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2023 | $31,995 | $25,495 | Ford Explorer +$6,500 | 20–27 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2022 | $28,452 | $22,099 | Ford Explorer +$6,353 | 19–27 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2021 | $23,941 | $19,995 | Ford Explorer +$3,946 | 19–27 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2020 | $22,224 | $16,999 | Ford Explorer +$5,225 | 19–28 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $17,429 | $15,297 | Ford Explorer +$2,132 | 18–22 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2018 | $16,004 | $14,457 | Ford Explorer +$1,547 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2017 | $13,995 | $11,900 | Ford Explorer +$2,095 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2016 | $12,076 | $9,500 | Ford Explorer +$2,576 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2015 | $9,999 | $9,995 | Ford Explorer +$4 | 18–23 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2014 | $9,495 | $8,995 | Ford Explorer +$500 | 18–23 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,495 | $8,310 | Ford Explorer +$185 | 18–23 MPG | 20–21 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,945 | $6,988 | Ford Explorer +$957 | 19–23 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2011 | $7,500 | $6,289 | Ford Explorer +$1,211 | 19–20 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,850 | $5,995 | Ford Explorer +$855 | 15–17 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,948 | $5,085 | Ford Explorer +$863 | 15–17 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2008 | $6,498 | $5,499 | Ford Explorer +$999 | 15–16 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2007 | $4,999 | $4,999 | even | 15–16 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2006 | $5,245 | $4,999 | Ford Explorer +$246 | 15–16 MPG | 17–20 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,995 | $3,994 | Ford Explorer +$1,001 | 14–16 MPG | 17–20 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (August 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Ford Explorer or Hyundai Santa Fe?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Hyundai Santa Fe is cheaper: it typically lists for $35,556 versus $39,598 for the Ford Explorer (national medians, August 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Explorer or Hyundai Santa Fe?
The Hyundai Santa Fe: its typical rated version returns 21 MPG combined versus 20 MPG for the Ford Explorer (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Ford Explorer or Hyundai Santa Fe?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Ford Explorer averages 4.9 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.6 for the Hyundai Santa Fe. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.
Which is more reliable — Ford Explorer or Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA lists an average of 10.4 recalls per model year for the Ford Explorer and 3.5 for the Hyundai Santa Fe — an edge for the Hyundai Santa Fe. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.
Which trims should I actually compare?
Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Ford Explorer XLT typically lists for $31,567 vs $25,741 for a Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($31,567, 34.6% of Ford Explorer listings) and the SEL ($30,199, 45.0% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($46,340) faces the CALLIGRAPHY ($39,281). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/ford/explorer/vs/hyundai/santa-fe.
Dig deeper
Ford Explorer — live listings & specs Hyundai Santa Fe — live listings & specs Ford Explorer prices by year Hyundai Santa Fe prices by year Ford Explorer MPG by year Hyundai Santa Fe MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.