Ford Explorer vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $38,464 against $34,000 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 $30,834 vs the SEL PREMIUM at $24,761; 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 ($30,834) faces the Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM ($24,761); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (32.7% of Ford Explorer listings) and the SEL (46.9% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($46,393) faces the CALLIGRAPHY ($37,928). 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 | $30,834 | 32.7% | BLUE | $24,000 | 0.5% |
| LIMITED | $32,386 | 5.7% | SEL PREMIUMCheapest | $24,761 | 5.9% |
| TIMBERLINE | $34,900 | 2.6% | SEL CONVENIENCE | $27,309 | 0.4% |
| ST-LINE | $38,411 | 18.5% | SELMost popular | $29,300 | 46.9% |
| ACTIVE | $38,993 | 17.0% | LIMITED | $31,150 | 12.5% |
| PLATINUM | $45,092 | 6.3% | SE | $31,419 | 10.0% |
| STPriciest | $46,393 | 12.9% | XRT | $32,161 | 6.2% |
| TREMOR | $55,435 | 2.8% | CALLIGRAPHYPriciest | $37,928 | 17.6% |
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 | $45,115 | $34,000 | Ford Explorer +$11,115 | 19–24 MPG | 21–24 MPG |
| 2025 | $38,464 | $32,991 | Ford Explorer +$5,473 | 20–24 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2024 | $34,340 | $30,998 | Ford Explorer +$3,342 | 20–24 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2023 | $31,149 | $24,599 | Ford Explorer +$6,550 | 20–27 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2022 | $27,664 | $21,761 | Ford Explorer +$5,903 | 19–27 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2021 | $23,472 | $19,573 | Ford Explorer +$3,899 | 19–27 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2020 | $21,499 | $16,797 | Ford Explorer +$4,702 | 19–28 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $16,995 | $14,995 | Ford Explorer +$2,000 | 18–22 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2018 | $15,735 | $14,600 | Ford Explorer +$1,135 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2017 | $13,580 | $11,499 | Ford Explorer +$2,081 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2016 | $11,995 | $10,172 | Ford Explorer +$1,823 | 18–22 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2015 | $9,999 | $9,999 | even | 18–23 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2014 | $8,995 | $9,195 | Hyundai Santa Fe +$200 | 18–23 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,185 | $7,995 | Ford Explorer +$190 | 18–23 MPG | 20–21 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,899 | $6,993 | Ford Explorer +$906 | 19–23 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2011 | $7,008 | $6,490 | Ford Explorer +$518 | 19–20 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,649 | $5,995 | Ford Explorer +$654 | 15–17 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2009 | $6,000 | $5,993 | Ford Explorer +$7 | 15–17 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2008 | $5,500 | $5,000 | Ford Explorer +$500 | 15–16 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2007 | $4,999 | $4,995 | Ford Explorer +$4 | 15–16 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,995 | $4,900 | Ford Explorer +$95 | 15–16 MPG | 17–20 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 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 $34,000 versus $38,464 for the Ford Explorer (national medians, October 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 10.6 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 $30,834 vs $24,761 for a Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($30,834, 32.7% of Ford Explorer listings) and the SEL ($29,300, 46.9% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($46,393) faces the CALLIGRAPHY ($37,928). 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.