Honda CR-V vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Honda CR-V typically lists for $31,725 against $34,000 for the Hyundai Santa Fe (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Honda CR-V takes fuel economy (28 MPG combined vs 21 MPG); the Honda CR-V leads on NCAP safety (4.9★ vs 4.6★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the LX at $28,280 vs the SEL PREMIUM at $24,720; 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 Honda CR-V LX ($28,280) faces the Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM ($24,720); the most common trims on the market are the EX-L (28.4% of Honda CR-V listings) and the SEL (47.2% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($35,992) faces the CALLIGRAPHY ($37,742). 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.
| Honda CR-V | Hyundai Santa Fe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| LXCheapest | $28,280 | 10.0% | BLUE | $24,000 | 0.5% |
| EX | $30,466 | 20.1% | SEL PREMIUMCheapest | $24,720 | 6.1% |
| SPORT | $31,757 | 15.4% | SELMost popular | $29,265 | 47.2% |
| EX-LMost popular | $32,500 | 28.4% | LIMITED | $31,189 | 12.5% |
| SPORT-L | $34,869 | 14.5% | SE | $31,492 | 10.0% |
| SPORT TOURINGPriciest | $35,992 | 10.8% | XRT | $32,088 | 6.2% |
| TRAILSPORT | $38,179 | 0.9% | CALLIGRAPHYPriciest | $37,742 | 17.5% |
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: Honda CR-V prices · Hyundai Santa Fe prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Honda CR-V typical | Hyundai Santa Fe typical | Difference | Honda CR-V MPG | Hyundai Santa Fe MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $36,998 | $34,000 | Honda CR-V +$2,998 | 29–40 MPG | 21–24 MPG |
| 2025 | $32,994 | $32,991 | Honda CR-V +$3 | 28–40 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2024 | $31,725 | $30,998 | Honda CR-V +$727 | 29–40 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2023 | $29,675 | $24,599 | Honda CR-V +$5,076 | 29–30 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2022 | $26,798 | $21,761 | Honda CR-V +$5,037 | 29–30 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2021 | $24,595 | $19,573 | Honda CR-V +$5,022 | 29–30 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2020 | $22,995 | $16,797 | Honda CR-V +$6,198 | 29–30 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $20,734 | $14,995 | Honda CR-V +$5,739 | 27–30 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2018 | $18,988 | $14,600 | Honda CR-V +$4,388 | 27–30 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2017 | $17,497 | $11,499 | Honda CR-V +$5,998 | 27–30 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2016 | $15,823 | $10,172 | Honda CR-V +$5,651 | 27–29 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2015 | $14,250 | $9,999 | Honda CR-V +$4,251 | 28–29 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2014 | $12,987 | $9,195 | Honda CR-V +$3,792 | 25–26 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2013 | $11,790 | $7,995 | Honda CR-V +$3,795 | 25–26 MPG | 20–21 MPG |
| 2012 | $10,995 | $6,993 | Honda CR-V +$4,002 | 25–26 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2011 | $9,499 | $6,490 | Honda CR-V +$3,009 | 23–24 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2010 | $8,995 | $5,995 | Honda CR-V +$3,000 | 23–24 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2009 | $7,995 | $5,993 | Honda CR-V +$2,002 | 22–23 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2008 | $7,499 | $5,000 | Honda CR-V +$2,499 | 22–23 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2007 | $7,220 | $4,995 | Honda CR-V +$2,225 | 22–23 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2006 | $6,073 | $4,900 | Honda CR-V +$1,173 | 21–23 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 — Honda CR-V or Hyundai Santa Fe?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Honda CR-V is cheaper: it typically lists for $31,725 versus $34,000 for the Hyundai Santa Fe (national medians, October 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Honda CR-V or Hyundai Santa Fe?
The Honda CR-V: its typical rated version returns 28 MPG combined versus 21 MPG for the Hyundai Santa Fe (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Honda CR-V or Hyundai Santa Fe?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Honda CR-V 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 — Honda CR-V or Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA lists an average of 2.0 recalls per model year for the Honda CR-V and 3.6 for the Hyundai Santa Fe — an edge for the Honda CR-V. 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 Honda CR-V LX typically lists for $28,280 vs $24,720 for a Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM; the most common trims on the market are the EX-L ($32,500, 28.4% of Honda CR-V listings) and the SEL ($29,265, 47.2% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($35,992) faces the CALLIGRAPHY ($37,742). 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/honda/cr-v/vs/hyundai/santa-fe.
Dig deeper
Honda CR-V — live listings & specs Hyundai Santa Fe — live listings & specs Honda CR-V prices by year Hyundai Santa Fe prices by year Honda CR-V MPG by year Hyundai Santa Fe MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.