DecodedCarsHyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Land Cruiser
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser — two rivals compared on efficiency, size, safety and reliability.
The short version
The Hyundai Santa Fe is more fuel-efficient: 36 vs 23 MPG combined in its best version.
That works out to about $1,700 a year less in fuel for the Hyundai Santa Fe (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).
The Toyota Land Cruiser is the bigger car, about 6 inches longer.
Across all model years since 2005, the Toyota Land Cruiser has had fewer recall campaigns (18 vs 48).
The two cars
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe is a small SUV offered with 2 engines (1.6L 4-cyl turbo and 2.5L 4-cyl turbo), including a hybrid version and front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It measures about 190 inches long and 75 inches wide on a 111-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 4,442 lb.
The 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser is a standard SUV offered with a 2.4L 4-cyl turbo engine, including a hybrid version and 4-wheel drive. It measures about 197 inches long and 78 inches wide on a 112-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 5,038 lb.
Buying used? The 2024 Santa Fe and the 2020 Land Cruiser have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2017 Santa Fe and the 2024 Land Cruiser.
Basics
Efficiency
Performance & space
Safety & reliability
Interest
Green = clearly better. Prices are not included. How we calculate this →
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Hyundai Santa Fe if…
- You want lower fuel bills (36 vs 23 MPG)
- You want something easier to park (6 in shorter)
Choose the Toyota Land Cruiser if…
- You want more room (6 in longer)
- You put reliability history first (18 vs 48 recalls since 2005)
Pros & cons of each
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe
- Excellent fuel economyUp to 36 MPG combined — 19% better than the average 2026 small SUV (30.2 MPG).
- Hybrid version availableOffered as a hybrid as well as gas.
- AWD / 4WD available
- Lots of standard safety tech5 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
2026 Toyota Land Cruiser
- Excellent fuel economyUp to 23 MPG combined — 15% better than the average 2026 standard SUV (20 MPG).
- Hybrid version availableOffered as a hybrid as well as gas.
- Lots of standard safety tech5 of 5 key driver aids standard on the versions we checked.
- Premium fuel requiredEvery gasoline version is rated for premium, which raises running costs.
Full 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe specs →Full 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser specs →Compare fuel costs for your driving →Compare size & garage fit →