2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate vs. Ford Edge Sport AWD - Which Better Meets Your Needs?

Compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 meet the needs of many owners and families, but some crossover buyers want a more roomy, powerful, and better-equipped 5-passenger vehicle. For these buyers, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate AWD and Ford Edge Sport AWD offer an attractive package. We will lay out the facts and specifications, but also give you our impressions from two weeks of testing of them both back to back so you can get an understanding of what each of these excellent vehicles has to offer.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate vs. Ford Edge Sport AWD - Pricing, Content, and Value
The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate AWD we tested rang in at $39,875. At this price, the Santa Fe Sport is not much more expensive than many fully-equipped, but substantially smaller crossovers. Our tester had leather seating with both heated and cooled surfaces, a heated steering wheel, and a huge panoramic moonroof. Based on the content included, and the feeling of quality the Santa Fe Sport provides, we felt the Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate AWD was a fantastic value.

The Ford Edge Sport AWD we tested was almost identical in size to the Sante Fe Sport, and had similar content. On paper the Edge has a smidge more passenger and cargo room, but it is hard to feel when they are driven back to back. One difference is that Ford uses microfiber suede seating materials trimmed with leather. The biggest difference in content between the two was the omission of the moonroof in our Edge tester. At $47,725, we felt that by comparison to the Hyundai the Ford offers less value. This category goes to the Hyundai.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate vs. Ford Edge Sport AWD - Drivetrains
The Ford Edge we tested had a powerful 2.7-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine with a 6-speed automatic. Power is smooth and abundant. You won't ever use all of the power this vehicle can provide in normal use. With 315 hp on tap, the Edge can move out in a hurry in any situation, but that is not where we appreciated the power most. Rather, around town, it never works hard. The power is subtle and a big advantage over crossovers with less.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T uses a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a 6-speed auto. With 260 hp on tap, it also never works hard. However, we would give the Ford the edge in power delivery. It just feels more smooth and capable. However, it comes at a cost. The combined fuel economy rating of the Edge is 20 MPG and the Hyundai is rated at 22 MPG. In our testing, the Edge managed 21 MPG and the Santa Fe Sport 25 MPG. The Ford wins on power and feel, but the Hyundai is very good and gets better mileage. This one is a toss-up.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate vs. Ford Edge Sport AWD - Handling and Comfort
Both of these crossovers are fun to drive. The Ford has very direct steering, meaning it feels a bit over-boosted. Both handle well on country roads. Over broken roads, both are equally stiff. We would have preferred a more comfortable ride. On the highway, our Santa Fe Sport tester felt nervous and a little jittery. The Edge felt refined. Advantage Edge.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate vs. Ford Edge Sport AWD - Safety
Shamefully, active safety is an option on both of these vehicles. Automatic emergency braking and forward collision prevention are now standard on almost every top-selling crossover, but not these two. Still, our testers had these features and also adaptive cruise control. The Santa Fe Sport is rated a Top Safety Pick by IIHS and the Edge is not because it scored lower on the important small frontal overlap crash test. Both have Poor-rated headlights. We give the Sante Fe Sport a slight edge here, but both are very safe vehicles when the optional active safety equipment is included.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate vs. Ford Edge Sport AWD - Infotainment
Both the Edge and Santa Fe Sport we tested had easy to use infotainment systems with big, clear, touchscreens. Both had excellent audio and both had Apple Car Play and Andriod Auto. We liked both equally.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate vs. Ford Edge Sport AWD - Conclusion
You can make up your own mind on these two excellent large crossovers. The Ford does have a price disadvantage but has other trims to choose from. However, so too does the Santa Fe Sport. If power and a smooth highway ride are your two most important criteria it would seem the Edge is the winner. However, if value, fuel economy, and safety are higher on your priority list, then the Santa Fe Sport might be a better starting point when shopping.

Test Notes: Santa Fe Sport tested was a 2018 model year vehicle and the Edge was a 2017 model year vehicle. Both were on sale at the time of the publication.