{"id":33157,"date":"2024-08-12T10:23:50","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T14:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=33157"},"modified":"2024-08-12T10:23:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T14:23:50","slug":"payne-whats-a-brand-worth-bmw-x5-xdrive50e-vs-hyundai-santa-fe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/payne-whats-a-brand-worth-bmw-x5-xdrive50e-vs-hyundai-santa-fe","title":{"rendered":"Payne: What’s a brand worth? BMW X5 xDrive50e vs. Hyundai Santa Fe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brighton<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 BMW makes a state-of-the-art, all-wheel-drive X5 SUV for $87k with a curved 37-inch dash screen, color head-up display, 21-inch wheels, twin wireless phone chargers, leather seats, Level 2 driving assist, WiFi onboard, wireless Apple CarPlay\/Android Auto navigation and panoramic roof.<\/p>\n

So does Hyundai. For $51k.<\/p>\n

The gap between luxury and mainstream has been shrinking in the electronic age, and Hyundai\u2019s latest Santa Fe SUV is a luxury car hiding behind a mainstream badge. Badges still matter and BMW\u2019s X-ceptional midsize model will continue to justify its rich sticker price with smooth power and that signature twin-kidney grille. But buyers of the Santa Fe can take comfort that they get the same value \u2014 in all the areas that matter \u2014 for a little over half the price.<\/p>\n

The Alabama-made Hyundai even matches the South Carolina-built BMW\u2019s value in offering three-row seats, clever console amenities and bold styling. Yes, styling.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The 2024 BMW X5 xDrive50e and 2024 Hundai Santa Fe Calligraphy are $36k apart in price – but nearly identical in luxury and tech features. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

The Santa Fe turned heads around town. The brand has crafted daring wardrobes since the 2009 Sonata sedan (followed by the Elantra compact, three-door Veloster and Ioniq 5 and 7 electric vehicles), and Santa Fe continues the trend. With its upright, blocky stance and horizontal accents, the ute looks like a LEGO married an Ioniq 5.<\/p>\n

Look past the Goldfinger-like flat-bronze paint scheme and an H-theme emerges. It\u2019s echoed in the headlights, lower grille and rear taillights that bracket \u201cSANTA FE\u201d stamped across the hatch.<\/p>\n

Like Hyundai, BMW has taken the opportunity of a new EV model line to introduce radical new styling \u2014 but it\u2019s limited to \u201cI\u201d models like the iX. My BMW xDrive50e (alphabet soup translation: \u201cxDrive\u201d for all-wheel drive, \u201c50\u201d for model, \u201ce\u201d for plug-in hybrid) brings a familiar, muscular Bimmer look with swollen fenders and blacked-out fascia to convey power.<\/p>\n

That power is where the price difference lies.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
The 2024 BMW X5 xDrive50e comes with AWD. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

As I merged onto I-96 West, the 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-6 engine cleared its throat and the Bimmer blew by traffic on the way to cruising speed. The 50e is a battery-assisted, plug-in hybrid system, but the eight-speed transmission still must find its cogs, so don\u2019t mistake it for the instant acceleration of the sister all-electric iX (yours for a further 12 grand premium).<\/p>\n

Dropping into a highway cloverleaf, I unleashed SPORT mode, the seat bolsters gripping my torso for the anticipated kick of 483 horses from the combined gas engine and 194-horse AC motor. Complicated? You bet. Pricey? Of course. And heavy.<\/p>\n

All that plumbing means X5 tips the scales at 5,573 pounds \u2014 just 150 shy of the iX, which carries around 106 kWh of battery. X5 goes XL.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
The 2024 BMW X5 xDrive50e plugs in overnight for 38 miles of battery range to complement the gas engine. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Charge the X5\u2019s onboard, 19.2-kWh battery overnight on a 220-volt home charger (which adds a couple grand more to your $87K bill) and my Bimmer had an indicated 38 miles of pure battery range on tap for a morning appointment in Sterling Heights.<\/p>\n

In ELECTRIC mode, I cruised quietly down Telegraph Road, but don\u2019t expect drag-racer acceleration like iX from the small battery. The X5 eased out of stoplights before hitting I-696 west. My 16-mile journey sucked 30 miles of range off the battery as I pushed the big brick through the air at 75 mph. Better to use HYBRID (gas plus electric) mode on highways and leave ELECTRIC mode for neighborhood chores where aerodynamics are less taxing. As governments force the industry to go all-electric, expect the difference between brands to shrink even more dramatically.<\/p>\n

The Hyundai gets you around with a simple turbo-4 cylinder powerplant.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
\n
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe shows off another creative design from the Korean automaker.<\/em><\/div>\n
Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

No electric motor, no modes, no charger box on the wall. Just the occasional quick stop at the pump to fill to 513 miles of range (the X5 gets 418 miles on gas alone). For further value, the Hyundai\u2019s powertrain warranty covers 10 years\/or 100,000 miles compared to the BMW\u2019s four years\/50,000 miles.<\/p>\n