Is The Santa Fe The CSUV For The Working Family?
I had the keys to this Santa Fe for a week. Here are my thoughts.
We have known for some time now that Hyundai has been stepping its game up when it comes to affordable vehicles. Not only that but vehicles come with some of the best warranties on the market. Now, the Hyundai Santa Fe has been around for some time, and for the longest, it has been quite the bore in its early years. With 20 years in the making, is this new model the go-to CSUV for the working family? Let's find out.
Exterior Styling
"...even excite anyone's..."
For those out there not wanting to give anything up for a minivan and what it symbolizes, the Santa Fe is beautifully designed and won't give the owners any bit of regret for having a vehicle that looks the way it does. The curves and edges create a beautiful body and side profile that can even excite anyone's inner "Anton Ego" from Ratatouille. The front fascia itself is a remarkable piece of art that just screams menacing. Sort of like the Pokemon called Snubbull. My favorite bit of the Santa Fe is the headlights and daytime running lights for reasons that escape me.
Interior Design
"...probably the only..."
As far as interiors go, the Santa Fe has quite the beautiful styling. All of the trim with the metal, plastic, and leather blend well together to create a luxurious "feeling" to the Santa Fe. And at night time with the ambient lighting that can be changed to any color that is allowed adds that extra luxury "feel" to it. The instrument cluster is probably the only dull piece inside, and it isn't even that bad. The push-button gear selectors are from the Palisade. As far as cabin space goes, I can sit behind myself comfortably in the seats. The trunk has plenty of space for a few suitcases and souvenirs from a getaway. And for the occupants upfront, there is an open storage shelf for magazines, books, tablets, etc. underneath. And the wireless device port even is a slot that way the device won't get in the way of anything while it is charging. The seats by the way are comfortable up front, but at least with this model the rear seats are loose and were shaking while driving. On top of that, they weren't so comfortable due to that experience from passengers.
Pricing and Options
So, how much does this Santa Fe cost? Well, after adding everything up, the total price comes to $43,400. What does that get a potential owner? For safety, the Santa Fe comes with forward-collision avoidance assist, safe exit assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, lane-keep assist, driver attention warning, smart cruise control with Stop & Go, surround-view monitor, blind view monitor (turn signals activate the cameras and the feed shows on tachometer/speedometer), airbags, and front and rear parking sensors. For comfort and convenience, the Santa Fe comes with a wireless device charger, heated and ventilated powered front seats, heated tilt and telescoping steering wheel, infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capabilities, Harman Kardon premium sound system, sat-nav, and heated rear seats. The warranties include 5-year/60,000-mile New Vehicle Warranty, 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 7-year/Unlimited-Mile anti-perforation warranty, 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance, and 5-year/unlimited-mile roadside assistance. Some of these warranties are limited so check with dealerships.
Performance
"...that plague the..."
The turbocharged 2.5L 4-cylinder under the hood of the Santa Fe only produces 277 horsepower to all four wheels. It isn't much horsepower and torque to make the Santa Fe's 2-ton body get up and go fast. With my driving habits, I was able to achieve 18 miles to the gallon as the fuel economy. As for ride comfort, the Santa Fe fairs well. Steering is light as well as direct. The suspension keeps from creating any drama happening while going over bumps and potholes that plague the New Jersey roads. As surprising as the braking is, the weight of the Santa Fe can be felt heavily when pressing the brake pedal. All-in-all, the Santa Fe makes more for an A-B vehicle or a vacationer for a fairly far journey when it comes to performance. It doesn't, nor it shouldn't come close to being able to carve mountain roads.
Conclusion
"...they have stepped..."
So, is the Santa Fe the CSUV for the working family? In short yes. It is a beautiful piece of machinery that is dull for driving but has a luxurious "feel" to it. It is great for going to work or shopping. Also for going on a week's vacation with the family whenever desired. It gets decent fuel economy for a compact SUV. Most people will still say, "Yeah sure. But it is still a Hyundai." They are right in that sense. It is a Hyundai. But they have stepped their game up when it comes to having a luxury feel to their affordable vehicles. And that is what the Santa Fe is. An affordable vehicle and it fits the needs of a working-class family. With amazing warranties don't forget. My only hope is that the issue with the back seats was only an issue in which I am the only one who had to deal with it.
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Comments (7)
Own one just like the picture great vehicle, I think people who haven’t tried the brand do not understand the quality of these vehicles. Traded a 15 month old rav 4 for this vehicle, hated the rav. Our second Hyundai first one 150,000 trouble free miles.
Awesome. And indeed.
I think it’s way to expensive for a Hyundai. The features are nice, the gas mileage is not great considering, if this was a “genesis “ I’d get it, it would make more sense but for a Hyundai its too much.
Understandable. But considering everything else you see going up in price for Buick, Chevy, and Honda even this is affordable as well. A new Accord could run you 40k.
If it was a genesis you would spend another 30 grand
@tribe New article review is up! What do you think?