We Got a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid for Our Long-Term Test Fleet

• The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is the newest addition to our long-term test fleet.
• We'll live with it for the next year and 20,000 miles to see what we like, and what we don't.
• Our fully loaded Santa Fe Hybrid costs almost $51,500.

What did we get?

You can get the new Santa Fe in five different trims, two of which are new this year. One is the off-road-oriented XRT, which adds a bit more ground clearance and knobby-looking off-road tires to help you go a little beyond the beaten path if you prefer. But our long-term fleet is already littered with bona fide off-roaders like our Ford Bronco and Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road to name a few. So we decided to be bougie and ordered the new Calligraphy trim. First introduced on the Palisade, the Calligraphy adds premium-feeling leather, a host of upgrade features like a faux-suede headliner, a power-adjustable second-row seats, 21-inch wheels and some upscale-looking exterior trim.

We also ordered the hybrid powertrain, hoping the horsepower sacrifice nets us a noticeable fuel economy improvement. The EPA estimates a full 11 mpg more on the combined cycle for the hybrid (34 mpg) versus the non-hybrid (23 mpg). On top of that, we ordered the Earthy Brass paint job, one of two matte-finish paint schemes availble for the Santa Fe. As it turns out, that $1,000 paint job and $210 worth of carpeted floor mats were the only stand-alone options of our long-termer, bringing the grand total to $51,425 including the $1,415 destination charge.

Why did we get it?

Vehicles sized like the Santa Fe are an interesting prospect. Bigger than your typical compact SUV like the Hyundai Tucson and Honda CR-V, they're still quite a bit smaller than regular midsize SUVs like the Toyota Highlander and Kia Telluride. This "tweener" size has often meant serious compromises, such as third rows that were relegated to occasional use at most and cargo areas that often trailed their compact cousins.

This new Santa Fe seems to buck that trend, though, with a third row that's surprisingly livable for adults, good cargo space behind that third row and plenty more with it folded, all while keeping exterior bulk in check. Add in the fuel savings from a hybrid powertrain and this Santa Fe makes a strong case for three-row driving in a crowded city.

We're also curious if the new Calligraphy trim upholds its luxury-on-a-budget promise. Will the white leather become stained over time? Will all the various luxury doodads maintain their appeal? Will the power-adjustable second-row captain's chairs be comfy enough that we don't miss the extra passenger capacity? We don't know yet, but we have plenty of time to find out.

Then there's the paint. Matte finishes can look great, and this one is no exception; in the right light it looks like the copper bottom of a high-end saucepan. But they're also notoriously difficult to clean, and our Santa Fe came with a bucket of specialized cleaners and cloths. Time will tell if we like the finish enough to recommend it, or if maintenance proves to be too much.

There's a lot of competition in the midsize three-row SUV market, and over the next year we'll get a better idea if Hyundai's ideas for the smaller end of the segment make sense or if bigger really does mean better.