Chevrolet Suburban vs Hyundai Santa Fe
Two fullsize SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.
// VERDICT
Our verdict
Buy the Chevrolet Suburban if its specific features or size suit your needs better.
Buy the Hyundai Santa Fe — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.
// COST HEAD TO HEAD
Maintenance and ownership cost
| Chevrolet Suburban | Hyundai Santa Fe | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance | $944 | $515winner |
| 5-year total cost | $4,720 | $2,575winner |
| Reliability score | 6 / 10 | 8 / 10winner |
| Major repair risk (5yr) | 15% | 10%winner |
| Cargo space | 144.5 cu ft | — |
| Starting price (new) | $66,000 | $35,050winner |
| Best years to buy | — | 2011, 2018 |
// RELIABILITY
Which is more reliable?
| Chevrolet Suburban | Hyundai Santa Fe | |
|---|---|---|
| RepairPal score | 6 / 10 | 8 / 10winner |
| NHTSA complaints / 100k | 0winner | 251.5 |
| Years to avoid | 2021, 2022, 2023 | 2017, 2019, 2023 |
| Value retained · 3 yr | — | 72.5% |
| Value retained · 5 yr | 49.6% | 54.4%winner |
| Value retained · 7 yr | — | 42% |
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks — and what it costs
| Chevrolet Suburban | Hyundai Santa Fe | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 48.9% | 45.2%winner |
| Electrical | 5.7% | 5.1%winner |
| ADAS | 5.9%winner | 8.8% |
| Brakes | 2.8%winner | 5.7% |
| Steering | —winner | 4.5% |
| Fuel system | 6.1% | 2.0%winner |
| Tires/Wheels | 1.9%winner | 2.3% |
| Glass/Windows | 1.4%winner | 2.9% |
| Airbags | 2.8% | 2.1%winner |
| Lighting | 1.9% | 1.2%winner |
| Seatbelt | 2.4% | —winner |
One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.
// INSURANCE
Which is cheaper to insure?
| Chevrolet Suburban | Hyundai Santa Fe | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg annual premium | $2,542 | $2,430winner |
// FULL MODEL PAGES
// FAQ
Common questions
The Suburban costs $944/year to maintain — $160 above the fullsize segment average of $784. Repair frequency of 51% is above the class average of 40%. Reliability score of 6 and major repair probability of 15% both sit at segment averages. It's the most expensive model in the fullsize segment to maintain.
How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →