Honda CR-V vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Honda CR-V typically lists for $32,347 against $36,666 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 $28,764 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 Honda CR-V LX ($28,764) faces the Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM ($25,998); the most common trims on the market are the EX-L (27.8% of Honda CR-V listings) and the SEL (44.7% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,800) 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.
| Honda CR-V | Hyundai Santa Fe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| LXCheapest | $28,764 | 8.9% | SEL PREMIUMCheapest | $25,998 | 6.0% |
| EX | $30,734 | 19.1% | SELMost popular | $30,411 | 44.7% |
| SPORT | $31,999 | 16.7% | SE | $31,514 | 10.4% |
| EX-LMost popular | $32,802 | 27.8% | LIMITED | $32,273 | 14.7% |
| SPORT-L | $35,130 | 13.0% | XRT | $33,068 | 6.3% |
| SPORT TOURINGPriciest | $36,800 | 12.8% | CALLIGRAPHYPriciest | $39,697 | 18.0% |
| TRAILSPORT | $39,162 | 1.8% | — | ||
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 | $38,331 | $36,666 | Honda CR-V +$1,665 | 29–40 MPG | 21–24 MPG |
| 2025 | $33,699 | $33,998 | Hyundai Santa Fe +$299 | 28–40 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2024 | $32,347 | $32,393 | Hyundai Santa Fe +$46 | 29–40 MPG | 22–24 MPG |
| 2023 | $30,499 | $25,531 | Honda CR-V +$4,968 | 29–30 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2022 | $27,386 | $22,299 | Honda CR-V +$5,087 | 29–30 MPG | 24–33 MPG |
| 2021 | $25,289 | $20,758 | Honda CR-V +$4,531 | 29–30 MPG | 24–26 MPG |
| 2020 | $23,605 | $17,760 | Honda CR-V +$5,845 | 29–30 MPG | 22–25 MPG |
| 2019 | $21,274 | $15,995 | Honda CR-V +$5,279 | 27–30 MPG | 21–25 MPG |
| 2018 | $19,488 | $15,854 | Honda CR-V +$3,634 | 27–30 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2017 | $17,998 | $12,500 | Honda CR-V +$5,498 | 27–30 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2016 | $15,997 | $9,330 | Honda CR-V +$6,667 | 27–29 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2015 | $14,996 | $9,997 | Honda CR-V +$4,999 | 28–29 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2014 | $13,889 | $8,995 | Honda CR-V +$4,894 | 25–26 MPG | 19–21 MPG |
| 2013 | $12,495 | $7,269 | Honda CR-V +$5,226 | 25–26 MPG | 20–21 MPG |
| 2012 | $11,304 | $7,190 | Honda CR-V +$4,114 | 25–26 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2011 | $9,498 | $6,995 | Honda CR-V +$2,503 | 23–24 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2010 | $9,490 | $5,990 | Honda CR-V +$3,500 | 23–24 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2009 | $8,259 | $5,999 | Honda CR-V +$2,260 | 22–23 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2008 | $7,495 | $4,650 | Honda CR-V +$2,845 | 22–23 MPG | 19–20 MPG |
| 2007 | $7,499 | $4,597 | Honda CR-V +$2,902 | 22–23 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 — Honda CR-V or Hyundai Santa Fe?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Honda CR-V is cheaper: it typically lists for $32,347 versus $36,666 for the Hyundai Santa Fe (national medians, July 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 7.2 recalls per model year for the Honda CR-V 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 Honda CR-V LX typically lists for $28,764 vs $25,998 for a Hyundai Santa Fe SEL PREMIUM; the most common trims on the market are the EX-L ($32,802, 27.8% of Honda CR-V listings) and the SEL ($30,411, 44.7% of Hyundai Santa Fe listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,800) 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/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.