I purchased a Sandstone 2001 Santa Fe GLS 4WD V6 about 2 weeks ago. I'm very happy with my first new vehicle. I purchased the vehicle at a very decent price and didn't have to worry about haggling over the price as they had the dealer invoice price, (also found on the internet at any car website.) Found it to be the same and had no problem with paying this amount. The financing was a little concerning (but put to ease when I was reminded I'm trying to buy on a holiday.) I found a relatively good interest rate for my less than clean credit history and a first time buyer.

I drove off the lot as proud as ever with my purchase. After two weeks I'm pretty happy. I have dealt with many friends and new cars and nearly all of them have needed to bring the car into the dealership for one minor thing or another. In my case the front passenger window sounded to have trouble rolling back up when pulling the button to close it. Other than that, no complaints.

Some folks have reviewed saying the Santa Fe is cheap, handles poorly, and needs more power. I beg to differ on several accounts. The interior design is definitely something that can be liked or disliked. Either way it is decent. The controls to some people seem cheap as they are large. To me this just makes it more abling to adjust controls without removing my eyes off the road. The handling is much better than I anticipated. I live off a road that has PLENTY of curves to test this. I finally gave it a really "good" test. I hugged a couple curves and held them VERY well with less roll than my Dodge Neon handled them. ***This doesn't mean for everyone to go out and punch the peddle to the medal and see what she can do (you may end up rolling it.)** Also take into consideration I have driven this car every day for the past two weeks up and down this road trying a little different each time as I live in a snowy climate and would like to know the limits of my vehicle. Also, the SHIFTRONIC feature (allowing you to "manually" shift the transmission into any of the gears) is Wonderful! I live on a hill and now do not have to ride the brakes going down it. I am proud to say the Santa Fe does not handle like a tank and holds the road well. It feels like a station wagon on Steroids. The engine has plenty of power for the drive. The take off needs some improvement for those that need to be FIRST off the limit line on the 35MPH main drag of your neighborhood. But in times of needs such as passing, I found no problem with my Santa Fe giving me that smooth downshift and hum of torque to push me ahead.

The interior is very roomy. I'm just under average height but have many tall and "plus size" friends. They had no problem sitting comfortably in the Santa Fe. For my lower height of 5'7" I have no problem entering into my Santa Fe. Some friends just under 5'0" say it is much easier to get into my Santa Fe than an Explorer or Blazer. So I'd say Hyundai did a wonderful job of crossing SUV height look and attitude with the luxuries, comfort and handling of a sedan/wagon...*without charging and arm, leg and second mortgage* and yet manage to provide the most wonderful warranty.
Amount Paid (US$): 21,494.00
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: GLS V6 4WD Shiftronic