I've never been a fan of the original Hyundai Santa Fe for a simple reason: my eyes thought it odd, lumpy-bumpy exterior to be hideous. If this weren't enough, while acceleration with the larger of two available V6s was fairly quick, handling was mushy.

Hyundai recently introduced a totally redesigned 2007 Santa Fe. Would I like the new one any better? Does it offer more than a low price? I took a front-wheel-drive SE for a test drive to find out.

Styling

From the earliest spy photographs I could tell that the new Santa Fe would be much easier on the eyes. The new body is much cleaner, with no potentially offputting quirks. Yet I feared it would go too mainstream, and end up utterly forgettable.

Seen in person, the new SUV is certainly more mainstream than its predecessor, yet should not get entirely lost in the crowd. Various details have been lifted from competitors: the full front fenders of the Infiniti FX, the tail lamps of the VW Touareg. But the clean, cohesive whole doesn't closely resemble any other SUV. It is both much more attractive and more upscale than the similarly-sized Toyota Highlander. A Nissan Murano has more flair, but is too odd for many buyers, and does not offer a third row.

The interior is much like that of the latest Sonata: pleasant, even a touch upscale at first glance, but in no way a special place to be. And the materials seem anti-septic and even a bit cheap. The interior of the new Mazda CX-7 is a much more interesting place to be.

One shortcoming I've noticed in many Korean cars: the leather on the steering wheel is super smooth, and thus slippery. Why?

Accommodations

Though the exterior of the Santa Fe remains relatively compact at 184 inches in length, the interior is roomier than that of most competitors. A Toyota Highlander offers two inches less total legroom and about an inch-and-a-half less shoulder room in the first two rows.

Unfortunately, Hyundai appears to have skimped on the seats. The front seatbacks feel stiff in a cheap rather than a German way, as if little separates the fabric from an underlying cardboard structure. You'll find cushier, comfier, more substantial feeling seats in a Toyota, Nissan, or Mazda.

The Santa Fe I drove had cloth seats. The Limited's leather seats might be better.

In the second row, legroom is plentiful and yet the seat is uncomfortable. Aside from lacking contour, the seat bottom is too close to the floor, and said floor seems to slope away from the seat. With my legs straight out in front of me, I could not get comfortable even with plenty of room to stretch them out. Crossing my ankles helped.

One useful feature you won't find in many vehicles in this price range: pillar-mounted air vents to help cool rear passengers.

Hyundai doesn't appear to be shipping vehicles with the optional third row yet, so I was unable to check it out. Expect a very cramped third row, as in the Highlander.

Cargo volume falls an insignificant few cubic feet short of the Highalnder and Murano. So fold the second row and there's quite a bit of space for stuff. Without the third row, a large storage compartment fills the space beneath the floor. Sadly, the front passenger seat does not fold. This feature is offered in the smaller, cheaper Tucson, and would add to the Santa Fe's versatility.

On the Road

The Santa Fe is available with two V6s, a 2.7 good for 173 horsepower and a 3.3 good for 242. I sampled the latter. Especially in the lighter front-wheel-drive model I drove, the larger V6 provides effortless acceleration at low to moderate speeds, and fairly quick acceleration at higher speeds. This engine feels smooth throughout its range. I much prefer such a six to the laggy turbo four in the Mazda. The V6 in the Nissan is noisier, which some people might prefer but most shopping in this segment will not. Because it is so quiet, the Santa Fe does not feel as quick as it is. Toyota's latest V6, which is not yet offered in the Highlander, is more powerful, but no more refined.

With front-wheel-drive, there is some torque steer under hard acceleration at low speeds, but not enough that many people will find it objectionable.

Hyundai tends to favor relatively soft suspension tuning, and the Santa Fe does not aspire to provide the handling of a sports car. The steering lacks feel, and when pushed the Santa Fe plows. Yet lean in turns is not excessive and composure when the road turns bumpy is much better than in the past.

The ride isn't entirely smooth, with the slightly busy, leadfooted feel that afflicts even better-than-average SUVs. Noise levels are markedly low, though. Under 40, it hardly feels like the Santa Fe is moving. Overall, the ride/handling compromise is pretty much where the average SUV buyer will want it.

Hyundai Santa Fe Price Comparisons and Pricing

Although the 2007 Santa Fe is much improved, it's price is only about $650 higher than the 2006's, and this price includes over $900 in additional features. So after adjusting for features the 2007 is actually priced lower. However, there is no rebate offered on the 2007, while a $3,000 rebate is offered on the 2006.

Compared to a 2006 Toyota Highlander V6, the new Santa Fe with the 3.3 V6 starts over $2,500 lower despite including about $2,800 in additional features. Even after figuring in the $2,000 rebate on the Toyota (yes, some Toyotas do get large rebates), the Hyundai is about $3,400 less.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.) TrueDelta's page for the Santa Fe:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Santa.php

Last Words

The seats need improvement, but just about every other aspect of the new Santa Fe is very competitive. Exterior styling, interior room, and quietness are notable strengths. Hyundai's SUV is now good enough that even if the price were the same as others it would still be competitive. Figure in a price that remains well below the others, and anyone considering a Highlander, Pilot, or Murano should definitely also check out the new Santa Fe.

A note on Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Santa Fe rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Hyundai Santa Fe reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the Santa Fe--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. For non-participants, this access will cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

If you're a member, and you want to receive an email when I post a new review, click here.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Hyundai Santa Fe review (previous generation)
Hyundai Tucson review
Nissan Murano review
Toyota Highlander review
Toyota RAV4 review