Most people who buy an SUV will never venture off-road or tow a heavy load. They might need the interior versatility of an SUV, and like its image, but they do not need its heavy truck frame. Over the past few years every major manufacturer has introduced car-based SUVs to serve this common mix of needs. The promise: the interior versatility and image of an SUV, but with ride and handling more like that of a car. Hyundai introduced such a vehicle, the Santa Fe, a couple of years ago. With so many other choices in this segment these days, is the Santa Fe worth considering even with its low price?

Much of the content of this review comes from my review of the 2003. However, later that year a more powerful V6 became available in the Santa Fe. To see whether this new engine eliminated one of the Santa Fe’s major weaknesses, I took a 2004 for a test drive. For the bulk of the new content skip to the “on the road” section.

Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability

Want better reliability information? Want to really know what difference it will make if you buy a Santa Fe rather than something else? It's coming in the form of "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats. From these you might learn that your first choice, compared to your second choice, is likely to make 2.7 extra trips to the shop in its first five years. You might decide its advantages compensate for this, or you might not. Either way, you'll be able to make a much better informed decision.

To gain access to this information you have a choice: sign up to help provide the data now or pay $24.95 later. For the details, visit my website, www.truedelta.com.

Styling and Accommodations

I had never driven a Santa Fe before last year. The main reason I did not test drive a Santa Fe sooner is that I have always found it an unusually ugly vehicle. From the front, side, and rear the Santa Fe awkwardly juxtaposes a wealth of quirky aesthetic elements. Most notable are the bulges in the hood over each wheel, the concave surfaces around the wheels, and the squat proportions of the tailgate. On the plus side, I will grant that it is certainly distinctive.

The weirdness continues inside. Generally I was impressed with the quality of the materials inside given the price. However, the interior design like the exterior is simply too much weirdness. I especially don’t care for the gratuitous extra bump in the dash over the instruments.

The interior is much roomier than the exterior appearance suggests. Based on conversations I have had with people shopping for an SUV, I suspect that many people discount compact car-based SUVs because they are not aware of how roomy these are. Losing the truck frame and live rear axle permits these vehicles to be packaged much more efficiently than conventional SUVs. In the Santa Fe, as in the CR-V and Escape, there is plenty of room for two adults in both the front and rear seat.

I did have some issues with seat comfort in the Santa Fe. With the leather seats at least the front seats’ lumbar support is excessive for my back. The rear seat could be a bit higher off the floor, as in the CR-V and Escape, for optimal thigh support. Overall, though, these seats are comfortable. I had more issues with the front seats in the Escape and the rear seats in the VUE. Looking to the Kia, I found its front seats better but its rear seat surprisingly more cramped in terms of kneeroom. The Kia is wider, and thus can better handle three people in the rear seat. Unlike the Kia, the rear seat in the Santa Fe reclines in steps (a common feature with car-based SUVs).

The driving position will not disappoint those who want an SUV for visibility. The seating position is high and the view clear in all directions. Those who like to seek the entire hood of the vehicle will be very happy hear—those hood bulges over the wheels are very visible from the driver’s seat.

Cargo space is impressive, superior to that of the competition (in some cases by a significant margin) as well as that of the larger and heavier Kia Sorento. In fact, cargo volume approaches that of mid-sized SUVs such as the Ford Explorer and Chevrolet TrailBlazer. One weakness: as with the Escape folding the rear seats is a three-step affair: remove the headrests, tip the cushion forward, then fold the seatbacks.

On the Road

About the 2.7-liter I had this to say last year: “Engine power is only adequate. Just about any direct competitor feels—and is—quicker. At low speeds the Santa Fe’s 173 horsepower 2.7 liter V6 feels fairly punchy, but as speed rises it feels and sounds increasingly strained. I drove the all-wheel-drive version. The front-wheel-drive Santa Fe, which weighs a couple hundred pounds less, should feel stronger. Taken together with the $1,500 premium charged for all-wheel-drive, the front-wheel-drive Santa Fe probably makes more sense for most people. The four-cylinder in the base Santa Fe most likely feels weak.”

The new engine—shared with a number of other Hyundais and Kias—does not produce much power for its size, only 195 horsepower, 22 more than the 2.7. But this peak power is produced 500 RPM lower than the 2.7’s peak, at 5500 RPM. Of even greater significance, the 3.5’s peak torque of 219 pounds-feet is 37 greater than the 2.7’s and also comes 500 RPM lower, at 3500 RPM. This translates to significantly more power in the midrange, which is far more relevant given how people generally drive these vehicles. Finally, the larger engine gets a fifth gear, which should also aid performance (I haven’t checked the actual gear ratios to see how the fifth gear has been applied.) The actual impact: even when saddled with the all-wheel-drive system the larger engine feels much more powerful. I experienced some torque steer despite the all-wheel-drive system, so I suspect that this engine driving only the front wheels might generate heaps of the stuff. Even more than usual be sure to test drive before buying.

The downsides to the 3.5 are fuel efficiency and price. EPA ratings for the all-wheel-drive version drops from 18/24 to 17/21. In explicably, the front-drive 3.5 earned a lower city rating, 16/22, considerably worse than the 20/26 earned by the front-drive 2.7. The Kia Sorento with the same 3.5 is worse yet, 15/18 with four-wheel-drive. Most other competitors are better. The 3.5 adds $1,000 to the price of a GLS, but includes ABS and traction control, a $595 option on the 2.7. For $405 getting the 3.5 seems a no-brainer unless fuel economy is a serious concern.

The all-wheel-drive system, unlike those in the Escape and CR-V, always sends power to both ends, splitting torque 60/40 to match the weight distribution. In the Ford, Saturn, and Honda the front wheels get all of the torque until they slip, and only then is some torque directed to the rear. In theory this difference should lend the Santa Fe a more balanced feel when cornering, especially when engine braking. However, the Ford's and Honda's front-wheel-drive chassis designs (but not the Saturn's) are good enough (and the clutch packs controlling torque to the rear engage quickly enough) that this advantage is not what it once would have been. Still, the Hyundai system, more similar to that used in all-wheel-drive cars, is the type I personally prefer. None of these vehicles is suited to hard core off-roading, but for light off-roading and inclement weather all should be adequate.

The strong suit of the Santa Fe, unexpectedly for a Korean vehicle, is refinement and a very car-like feel for an SUV. Aside from the engine note under load, I was surprised by the vehicle’s smoothness and generally upscale feel. The Escape feels trucky in comparison. The ride is very smooth, and up to 50 miles per hour it is also very quiet. At highway speeds tire noise becomes evident, but not obtrusive.

Despite the bias towards ride quality, typical of Korean vehicles, the Santa Fe also handles fairly well. The steering has a moderate amount of heft to it, and reacts with reasonable quickness. Push it hard, though, and you’ll find significant lean in turns and heavy understeer. Overall handling is acceptable given how most people drive small SUVs, but is not the Santa Fe’s strong suit. The Escape feels sportier, but then it also does not feel as smooth. The biggest eye opener was driving the Kia Sorento after driving the Santa Fe last year. The Kia has extremely light steering and has the hefty, slightly disjointed feel typical of conventional SUVs. In comparison to that vehicle, the Santa Fe felt very car-like, nimble, and even sporty.

As everyone knows by now, Hyundai includes an extensive warranty to overcome the public's lingering quality concerns (although the reliability of Hyundais improves every year, and Consumer Reports now considers the Santa Fe reliable).

Pricing

For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.

The following is from when the review was originally written:

With the $595 sunroof and $180 roof rack crossbars, the Santa Fe LX AWD stickers for $26,864. Even after allowing $400 for the engine, this is $1,200 more than a year ago. All-wheel-drive contributes $1,500 to the price. According to Edmunds, the typical dealer discount and a $500 rebate bring the total down to about $25,200, about $2,000 more than a year ago even after allowing for the engine. It seems that Hyundais are quickly losing their price advantage.

The GLS trim is probably the better value, but if you want leather the LX, with all the bells and whistles (automatic rearview mirror, universal garaga door opener) is your only option.

A similarly equipped Ford Escape Limited lists for $28,510, significantly more, but after the typical dealer discount and a $1,500 rebate generally goes out the door for exactly the same price. Features are about equivalent between the two; only the Ford has rear obstacle detection, while only the Hyundai has automatic climate control. Adjusted for these features, the Ford might have a slight price advantage. Imagine that, a Hyundai selling for more than a Ford.

Based on this yardstick, the Santa Fe is no longer a bargain, at least not in the loaded trim I tested, but is reasonably priced. The choice between these two comes down to which you like best. As mentioned above, the Hyundai is roomier and rides better, while the Ford and its Mazda cousin, the Tribute, handle better.

The only other car-based compact SUV that offers a V6 is the Saturn VUE. For 2004 the VUE’s V6 is a 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter unit made by Honda. Equipped like the others, but with side curtain airbags instead of side airbags and neither rear obstacle detection nor automatic climate control, the VUE lists for $27,970. ($27,620 according to Edmunds; could there have been a price increase already?) Saturn dealers avoid discounting. No rebates are currently available. As a result, the VUE is considerably more expensive than the others, but also considerably quicker. I have not been impressed by the VUE in the past. I hope to test drive one with the Honda engine and this year’s upgraded interior to see if these make a significant difference.

Next spring Chevrolet will be introducing the Equinox, which promises to be an excellent vehicle based on the information released so far. The Equinox will share basic engineering with the VUE, but will be more attractive and larger.

Last Words

Interior volume and a refined, car-like feel are the Santa Fe’s strong points. Now that a powerful engine is available, the only potential showstopper is the styling. If cargo volume and refinement are important to you, and you can deal with or even like the looks, then this is a strong choice.

To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, visit www.truedelta.com.

My reviews of related vehicles:
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Tucson [new for 2005; a better buy than the Santa Fe]
Jeep Liberty
Saturn VUE
Subaru Forester

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 26,864