Ford Explorer vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $40,927 against $36,666 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 $32,146 vs the SEL PREMIUM at $25,998; 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 ($32,146) faces the Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM ($25,998); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (33.8% of Ford Explorer listings) and the SEL (44.7% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($47,722) faces the CALLIGRAPHY ($39,697). 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 | $32,146 | 33.8% | SEL PREMIUMCheapest | $25,998 | 6.0% |
| LIMITED | $33,840 | 5.5% | SELMost popular | $30,411 | 44.7% |
| TIMBERLINE | $36,271 | 2.5% | SE | $31,514 | 10.4% |
| ACTIVE | $39,995 | 17.4% | LIMITED | $32,273 | 14.7% |
| ST-LINE | $39,999 | 17.6% | XRT | $33,068 | 6.3% |
| PLATINUM | $45,910 | 7.0% | CALLIGRAPHYPriciest | $39,697 | 18.0% |
| STPriciest | $47,722 | 12.8% | — | ||
| TREMOR | $55,325 | 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 | $45,790 | $36,666 | Ford Explorer +$9,124 | 19–24 MPG | 21–24 MPG |
| 2025 | $40,927 | $33,998 | Ford Explorer +$6,929 | 20–24 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2024 | $35,786 | $32,393 | Ford Explorer +$3,393 | 20–24 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2023 | $32,791 | $25,531 | Ford Explorer +$7,260 | 20–27 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2022 | $29,354 | $22,299 | Ford Explorer +$7,055 | 19–27 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2021 | $24,698 | $20,758 | Ford Explorer +$3,940 | 19–27 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2020 | $22,795 | $17,760 | Ford Explorer +$5,035 | 19–28 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $18,058 | $15,995 | Ford Explorer +$2,063 | 18–22 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2018 | $16,653 | $15,854 | Ford Explorer +$799 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2017 | $14,488 | $12,500 | Ford Explorer +$1,988 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2016 | $12,509 | $9,330 | Ford Explorer +$3,179 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2015 | $10,752 | $9,997 | Ford Explorer +$755 | 18–23 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2014 | $9,746 | $8,995 | Ford Explorer +$751 | 18–23 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,499 | $7,269 | Ford Explorer +$1,230 | 18–23 MPG | 20–21 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,850 | $7,190 | Ford Explorer +$660 | 19–23 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2011 | $7,900 | $6,995 | Ford Explorer +$905 | 19–20 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,000 | $5,990 | Ford Explorer +$10 | 15–17 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,466 | $5,999 | Hyundai Santa Fe +$533 | 15–17 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2008 | $6,120 | $4,650 | Ford Explorer +$1,470 | 15–16 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2007 | $5,007 | $4,597 | Ford Explorer +$410 | 15–16 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (July 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 $36,666 versus $40,927 for the Ford Explorer (national medians, July 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 10.2 recalls per model year for the Ford Explorer and 3.6 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 $32,146 vs $25,998 for a Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($32,146, 33.8% of Ford Explorer listings) and the SEL ($30,411, 44.7% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($47,722) faces the CALLIGRAPHY ($39,697). 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.