2018 GMC Terrain vs. 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

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In today’s busy world, more and more drivers are choosing SUVs. Consequently, they have become increasingly luxurious, fuel efficient, and sleek, while maintaining their reputation for premium safety and performance. For these reasons it can be difficult to decide on exactly which SUV you’re going to purchase when the time comes to upgrade your current vehicle. But if you’ve been doing your research, you’ve probably considered the 2018 GMC Terrain vs. 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport.

The 2018 GMC Terrain is a favorite among drivers and critics when it comes to compact SUVs. In part, this is due to its incredible fuel efficiency and luxurious exterior and interior design. However, the 2018 GMC Terrain also wins over the crowd with its advanced entertainment features, many of which come standard including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is another popular compact SUV among drivers. One of the best features of this vehicle is its cargo volume, which offers up to 71.5 cubic feet of space with the seats folded down and 35.4 cubic feet with the seats up. Drivers and critics also noted that it had impressive handling and that they appreciated the options for both front-wheel or all-wheel drive. However, the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport often disappoints potential buyers with its lower quality interior and noisy cabin.

Overall, the competition between the 2018 GMC Terrain vs 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is a close one. However, for drivers prioritizing safety and entertainment technology, top-of-the-line fuel efficiency, and luxurious design qualities, the 2018 GMC Terrain is sure to satisfy. But let’s take a closer look at how these two compact SUVs compare across a few important categories.


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Entertainment

If you’re looking to purchase an SUV, you’re probably going to have passengers with you on a regular basis. And let’s face it, your life will be a whole lot easier if you are able to keep those passengers entertained. That’s where the standard and available entertainment technologies offered by your vehicles of interest come into play. So, let’s see how the 2018 GMC Terrain and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport compare when it comes to this category.

2018 GMC Terrain

For the tech-savvy driver looking for a compact SUV, you’ve already found your perfect match in the 2018 GMC Terrain. Not only does the Terrain come with a variety of impressive entertainment technologies, but many of these premium features come at no additional cost. For example, a 7-inch touchscreen that supports Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard on even the base model of this SUV. Of course, if you’d like to upgrade to even more advanced entertainment features, an 8-inch touchscreen system is available as well as 4G LTE WIFI.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport will please some drivers, offering a 5” touchscreen display system. However, for a larger touchscreen display system and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, you’ll have to upgrade to a higher trim level. Of course, the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport does include all of the most basic entertainment features standard including an AM/FM radio and CD system, audio controls on the steering wheel, and auxiliary input jacks.
While the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport doesn’t come with very many advanced features standard, it does have an exciting selection of entertainment options if you’re willing to pay the additional costs. These features include a 12-speaker sound system and HD Radio technology.
Overall, if you’re looking to experience the latest in entertainment technology onboard your SUV without having to deal with additional costs, the 2018 GMC Terrain will be your ideal choice. For many drivers, the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport’s meager 5” display system is a disappointing entertainment feature present on the base trim level, and with the Terrain’s standard 7” touchscreen display system we can’t disagree.

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Safety

As the future driver of an SUV you’re likely to have several passengers onboard regularly, and keeping them safe is sure to be one of your top priorities. Both the 2018 GMC Terrain and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport have a plethora of standard and available safety features to give you the confidence you need to safely transport your passengers on the road. However, the 2018 GMC Terrain comes equipped with an abundance of standard safety features. This effectively saves you extra money all while keeping you and your loved ones safe.

2018 GMC Terrain

Included as standard on even the base trim level of the 2018 GMC Terrain are the Passenger Sensing System, a Rear Vision Camera, an advanced airbag system, and GMC’s intuitive Teen Driver system. Also included as both convenience and safety features are the Keyless Open and Start features and the 3.5” Driver Information Screen. Upgrading to the Denali trim will get you even more advanced safety technologies like Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Park Assist, and an upgrade to the 4.2” multi-color Driver Information Screen.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

In this department, the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport requires drivers to upgrade to higher trim levels to benefit from the more advanced safety features. These available safety features include Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. For options like Lane Departure Warning, Parking Sensors, and Automatic Braking with Pedestrian Detection, drivers will have to upgrade to the highest trim level.
Overall, both the 2018 GMC Terrain and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport will require upgrading to higher trim levels to take full advantage of their advanced safety technologies. However, the 2018 GMC Terrain comes standard with some impressive safety features and is sure to keep everyone on board safe and secure.

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Design

For some this category may not be as important as others. But, think about it? Wouldn’t you prefer that your next vehicle had all of the design elements you were looking for? Whether it’s lux, sporty, or bold, we all have a design preference. And when it comes to the 2018 GMC Terrain vs 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, these two vehicles are entirely different in this category. While the 2018 GMC Terrain features a luxurious interior and sleek exterior, the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport offers a more simplistic design.

2018 GMC Terrain

The interior of the 2018 GMC Terrain is where drivers and critics noted the extensiveness of the luxurious touches of this SUV among others in its class. As soon as you enter the vehicle, you are greeted with high-quality materials that are soft to the touch. The dashboard is well-designed for its user-friendly abilities and is surrounded by sleek, flowing lines. For both drivers and passengers, seating is extremely comfortable and is made from the highest quality upholstery.
On the exterior, smooth lines circulate the entire body of the vehicle allowing for a harmonious union with the sleek interior. As a GMC vehicle, this SUV is still able to maintain its powerful presence, even among these luxurious features.
When it comes to customizing the exterior of your 2018 GMC Terrain, you will have a total of 9 pleasing colors to choose from including:

  • Blue Steel Metallic
  • Coppertino Metallic
  • Ebony Twilight Metallic
  • Graphite Grey Metallic
  • Mineral Metallic
  • Quicksilver Metallic
  • Red Quartz Tintcoat
  • Satin Steel Metallic
  • Summit White

For the Terrain, all the available colors are classic and more subdued. The brightest color option available will surely be the Red Quartz Tintcoat, while all other options will give your SUV a softer presence on the road.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport provides what you would expect from a new SUV, but does now “wow” drivers when it comes to its overall design. It is practical, simple, and at times underwhelming.
The exterior of the Santa Fe Sport is smooth and simplistic, which is quietly pleasing to a variety of drivers. However, it is the interior that truly turns buyers away. The inside of the 2018 Santa Fe Sport simply lacks high-quality materials. While the 2018 GMC Sierra oozes quality, the Santa Fe Sport loudly displays its use of cheap plastics and fabrics.
Customizing the exterior of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is made easy with 10 color options including:

  • Canyon Copper
  • Serrano Red
  • Marlin Blue
  • Nightfall Blue
  • Twilight Black
  • Symphony Silver
  • Sparkling Silver
  • Pearl White
  • Platinum Graphite

Compared to the Terrain, the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport does offer a brighter exterior color selection. For drivers who are really looking to stand out on the road, the Canyon Copper, Marlin Blue, and Serrano Red will be among the brightest color options for this SUV.

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