Review: 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe AWD GLS
01-06-07, 06:57 PM
#1
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Review: 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe AWD GLS
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicle/santafe/trim/gls.aspx
In a Nutshell: A classic mmarshall vehicle: AWD traction, versatility, lear-Lexus smoothness, refinement, and build quality, at a much lower price.
Several weeks ago, I went shopping with a colleague of mine I work with and we ended up buying a new Hyundai Sonata V6.While I was at the dealership, I gave the new 2007 Santa Fe a brief and cursory inspection, and I was quite impressed with what I saw. But that was only a very brief, rush-rush lookover...certainly not enough to form any real automotive opinions, and it was relatively dark outside as well....only the floodlights in the dealer's lot....so I didn't even bother to do a mini-review. The salesman we were dealing with offered me a test-drive of any Santa Fe in the lot, but I turned it down. Right then, there was more important buisness to take care of...making sure Ron's new Sonata was OK and prepared properly, with no problems. That was the main reason why I was there. Buisness before pleasure....or reviews. I had also, by request, scheduled the Porsche Boxster as my next review....which I completed last week.
But that was yesterday....today is another story. Sunny, 73 degrees...yes, SEVENTY-THREE degrees in the D.C. area, nothing else specifically planned for today.....so hey, why not? So I jumped in my Outback (ironically, though physically smaller and lower than the Santa Fe, one of its prime competitors) and drove west towards the beautiful Virginia foothills...to a Hyundai shop a little further out from the D.C. suburbs. Still I didn't really get out of traffic.....you NEVER get out of traffic in Northern Virginia even if you drive 50 miles. It's almost like driving in Southern California....nationally, this area trails only Los angeles in the traffic misery index.
Well, anyhow, you readers didn't tune in to this thread just to hear me give you a weather report or complain about traffic, so then, let's get to the matter at hand.....the Santa Fe.
Hyundai introduced the first-generation Santa Fe as a response to the growing popularity of relatively small, economical, car-based AWD SUVs such as Toyota's RAV4, Honda's CR-V, Subaru's Forester and Outback, and Ford's then-new Escape. It was relatively short, the styling inside and out was rather unusual and controversial for a small SUV, and the ones I sampled at the time suffered from a fair amount of road noise. One woman I shopped with ( one of my neighbors ) ended up buying a Subaru Forester, partly because the first-generation Santa Fe had so much tire whine even brand-new.
But, in other ways, the first-generation Santa Fe was an exemplary vehicle. My Catholic pastor bought a bright red, 4-cylinder, FWD, automatic one and loves it....he has had no reliability problems. Got an excellent deal with the military pricing as well....he is an Army Chaplain, and Hyundai gave extra discounts to military people. And the first-generation Santa Fe, like other Hyundais of the period, was already starting to show much-improved quality over previous models and shed the junk-vehicle image that plagued the company for years. Hyundai, once the butt of automotive jokes for its extremely poor quality, today builds some of the best vehicles on the road for the money, fully compatible with Toyota, Honda, Subaru and even Lexus in some areas. But those companies don't have the previous Hyundai stigma to shake off, either......the public never had a negative view of them to start with. And that probably is Hyundai's single biggest problem today...yes, the auto image factor that I write about so much on CAR CHAT. Hyundai does as good a job or better than just about anybody else in the auto industry these days, but, unfortunately, much of the public either doesn't know it, or, worse, doesn't BELIEVE it.
That is why one of Hyundai's mottos today is "Driving is Believing." And, while the new Santa Fe is no sports car and probably could not qualify as a so-called " enthusiast" machine, you would be hard-pressed, in my opinion, to find a better overall, car-based, mid-sized true SUV for the money.....the Subaru Outback and Forester are superb vehicles but not true SUV's.....they are too small and sit too low.
So...as I said in the last paragraph, that brings us to the new, second-generation, Santa Fe. Since the Tucson now fills the former role for Hyundai that the old Santa Fe played in the entry-level car-based SUV market, Hyundai, like Toyota with the new RAV4, moved the new Santa Fe up in size, price, and content into the mid-sized SUV market, where it will now compete directly with other mid-sized car and truck-based SUV's, such as the Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer, Chevy TrailBlazer and its other GM/Saab/Isuzu twins, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander, and the new Toyota RAV4 itself. And, like them (and like the new RAV4), the new Santa Fe will, for the first time, have optional third-row seats for the kiddies.
So the new Santa Fe is now truly a vehicle for families. Unfortunately, the base 2.7L V6's power and torque level, connected to an automatic and AWD, may restrict that to rather lean famlies or level terrain. It would probably be overburdened in hilly terrain or heavily loaded...more on that in the review below. Hyundai needs to consider making the now-optional 3.3L V6 standard in all Santa Fe models....not just restrict the 3.3 as an option or to upmarket Santa Fe's. However, despite the list of minuses that I write up for all of my reviews and did for this vehicle as well (it wouldn't be an honest review without both sides of the story), I found little else to truly or seriously gripe about with this vehicle, and I was very impressed with its ride quality, noise level ( none of that old Santa Fe tire whine ) fit-and-finish, and quality of materials/hardware. It is an excellent value for the money, just like the Sonata that Ron and I bought a few weeks ago, and like other new Hyundais as well.
So..........now for the details.
Model Reviewed: 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe AWD GLS
Base Price: $23,045 (includes freight)
Major Options:
4-speed automatic transmission $1200
Touring/Premium package $2900
Price as reviewed: $27,195
Drivetrain: AWD, front-engine, transverse-mount, 2.7L V6, 185 HP @ 6000 RPM, torque 183 ft.lbs. @ 4000 RPM,
4-speed automatic transmission with manual shift-gate, full-time AWD system with center differential.
Exterior Color: Ebony Black
Interior: Gray cloth with gray fake wood trim
PLUSSES:
Eon-length Hyundai 10/100 and 5/60 warranties.
Excellent price, compared to most of the competition.
Strong body structure.
Styling less controversial than previous model.
Versatile Interior.
Smooth, quiet engine and transmission.
Precision-feel shift lever.
Smooth, quiet ride by SUV standards.
Good road isolation.
ABS, traction control, and stability systems standard even in base model.
Near-Lexus paint job.
Well-designed gauges and controls....with a couple of exceptions.
Third-seat climate fan switch in models so equipped.
Excellent fit-and-finish inside and out.
Nice stereo.
Outside trigger-grab-handle and inside pull strap for the rear liftgate.
Solid-feeling and solid-sounding doors.
Numerous standard airbags.
Multi-adjustable head rests on some models.
Attractive dash, wood trim, and interior furnishings.
High-quality hardware inside and out.
MINUSES:
2.7L V6 burdened by the vehicle's weight and AWD.
Not a vehicle for sports-car lovers or aggressive drivers.
Unresponsive steering.
OK brakes but somewhat mushy.
AWD system not as simple as Subaru's or longitudinal-engine-mount vehicles.
Warranty not transferrable, upon resale, outside of the immedite family.
Roly-Poly cornering with understeer....but not bad considering the smooth ride.
Marginal headroom for tall drivers in sunroof-equipped models.
Distracting bright-blue odometer and clock.
Rather unimpressive leather seats (on models so equipped).
4-speed automatic a little outdated by today's standards, even on a base model.
Sits a little high off the ground for my tastes.
Typical funeral-home exterior paint colors.
Pearl-White paint color costs $400 extra.
Awkward, truck-like step-on parking brake.
Rear wiper arm on Limited model does not pull out far enough.
Optional third-row seat too small for most adults.
Rebates currently not offered on base models...only the upmarket ones.
(consult the latest Hyundai web site for details)
Awkward and confusing engine cover.
The first impression of this vehicle, as you walk up to it, is that it is indeed all-new. Almost nothing from the old Santa Fe is carried over, inside or out. Not only is it a noticiably larger vehicle than the old one, but the rather unusual styling of the old model, most notable in the hood and fenders, is gone in favor of a more conventional and mainstream exterior.....not surprising, when you consider that Hyundai is now putting this vehicle up against conventionally-styled mid-sized SUV's such as the Ford Explorer, Chevy TrailBlazer, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.....vehicles that sell in huge numbers. That doesn't make it dull or boring though, in my opinion, especially whan you examine the almost-Lexus quality paint job, solid hardware, laser-even panel gaps, "thunk" thunk" door closings, and perfectly-fitting trim. I find nothing boring about examining a well-made vehicle. Chrysler and GM couldn't assemble a car like this if their lives depended on it, though, to its credit, GM is starting to do a better job on dash materials at least.
Not all is peachy on the exterior, though. On the Limited model, the rather cheap-looking plastic rear wiper arm doesn't pull up and out far enough....that could make periodic changing of the rear wiper blade ( which you have to do in any vehicle that has one ) rather difficult...the blade doesn't flip under and clear the glass. Strangely, the lesser versions of the Santa Fe don't have that problem......the arms flip out properly. Go figure.
The rear liftgate continues the old Santa Fe tradition of the right-side handle with the pistol-grip trigger that releases and lifts it. There is also a convienent strap hanging down from the ceiling inside to pull the hatch back down with......Hyundai does a good job thinking of the little things.
THe hood, as mentioned earlier, is much more conventionally styled than on the last Santa Fe, and doesn't have the old odd-shaped dips and ridges. Neither, unlike the old Santa Fe, does the front fenders....and the two-tone body theme has been replaced with a more conventional monotone ( I like two tones myself, but Hyundai marketing believes, rightly or wrongly, that most of the public doesn't ).
Another fly in the exterior ointment, IMO, is the all-too-typical funeral home colors....among the current Hyundai lineup, only the Tiburon sports coupe, with its brighter reds, yellows, and blues, seems to escape the painted-in the local morgue look. For my money, among the Santa Fe's colors, I would choose only the Silver Blue or the White Pearl as a daily driver....and, wouldn't you know it, the White Pearl costs some $400 extra. And I thought that only Dodge / Chrysler, Mercedes, and other European automakers did that...charge extra for certain colors. To my memory, this is the first Korean automaker I've seen like that. Well, no real problem...... the vehicle is STILL a bargain, even with a $400 paint job, and the White Pearl looks so nice it just might be worth it.
Raise the now-almost-universal aluminum hood.....two gas struts hold it up without a prop rod.....and the rather anemic 2.7L V6 fits underhood without any real packaging problems, but a rather large and clever ( and misleading ) plastic engine cover is mounted fore-and-aft, at a right angle, over the transversely-mounted engine. The cover makes you think the engine is mounted one way whan it is actually mounted 90 degreees from that. What were the designers thinking? Maybe so you wouldn't have to turn your head to read the chrome " Hyundai " and "V6" engraved on it? Again, go figure.
Having said that, the sideways engine and transmission fit in rather well, without a lot of clearance problems, but like with many if not most newer vehicles, you will have to go up from underneath to do even simple things like change the oil.
Get inside and you will almost think you are in a Lexus RX330. Folks, for the money ( 20-30K ), this is one NICE interior...though the seats could use a little improvement ( more on this in a moment ). I've already mentioned that the new interior is more conventionally styled than the old Santa Fe with its swoops and curves, but the fit-and-finish, quality of materials, solid hardware, and tasteful yet ornate trim would not be very far out of place in a Lexus. The primary gauges and controls are quite well-designed and are very similiar to the ones in the new Sonata...not surprising when you figure that the Santa Fe is Sonata-based. The gauges are clear, legible, and easy to read in an instant....they have Lexus-type, electroluminescent back-lighting. The controls and stalks all have a precision, high-quality feel, again just like the Sonata. The only things I would change on the dash are the rather large, rectangular, Volkswagen-like bright blue odometer and clock readouts....their big bright blue faces, even with muted panel lighting, stand out like Pam Anderson Lee's bustline while you are looking ahead trying to keep your eyes on the road.
Though it was only a minor issue, I also wasn't terribly impressed with the look and feel of the leather on the seats, which had a look and feel that IMO was not up to the rest of the interior. The cloth seats were markedly more pleasant both in look and feel.....one reason why I chose a cloth model for the test-drive. The only other slip I noticed in the interior was a slight ( not serious ) lack of head room for tall people on sunroof-equipped models with the manually-adjusted seats on the base model. The upmarket Santa Fe Limited, and models with the power seats, had more flexibility in the adjustments, and it was easier to get my ubiquitous baseball cap to clear the ceiling.
The steering wheel, even on the base model, was covered in a nice leather ( much nicer IMO than the seats ) and had the now-usual controls for the stereo and other functions. The stereo itself was not quite a Lexus Mark Levinson unit but nevertheless nothing you would be ashamed of....and of course, I don't care to play my AC/DC, KISS, James Brown, and Heavy Metal stuff on garbage either. Two different wood trim patterns are offered on the dash and door panels....a grayish wood that more or less imitates carbon fiber with the gray interior in either cloth or leather, and an (IMO) much nicer traditional brown wood on with the beige interior, in either cloth or leather.
The rear compartment, with the optional third-row seats, was quite interesting.....though the split-folding 3rd-seats, themselves, like those on most vehicles of this type and size, are generally suitable only for children or very small adults. Don't expect to put NBA guys back there. An option, with the third-row seats, is a nice climate-control fan-speed switch and vent built into the rear wall on the right side of the seat to keep Junior nice and comfortable back there...something I don't recall seeing before on a vehicle in this class. Like I said earlier, Hyundai thinks of the little things.
OK....after my mandatory engine-fluid and tire-pressure check, get everything adjusted right and start her up. No push-button here....you do it the old-fashioned way with a key. The 2.7L V6 settles immediately into a Lexus-like smooth, silent idle. With the outside temperature at an amazing 73 degrees, in bright sun, virtually no warm-up was required. The weight and drag of the AWD drive system...probably even more weight and drag than on simpler AWD systems like Subaru's...is immediately evident on the rather overworked engine. It takes significant RPM to get it moving...with the rather low power-to-weight ratio, and the engine's Lexus-like refinement and smoothness, I had to be careful not to go over the 4000-RPM limit that you should stick to with a new engine. It was no real problem on level roads and with light loads, but in hilly terrain and with loads I'd definitely spring for the 3.3.
Ride quality and noise isolation were two of this vehicle's outstanding traits. The nice, old-fashioned, high-profile tires, relatively soft suspension, tight, high-quality
construction, and efficient sound insulation and weather sealing make for a very pleasant, smooth, quiet ride, especially by SUV standards. There was a tiny amount of the common SUV fore-and-aft porposing, but it was almost unnoticeable. Bumps and road irregularaties were gobbled up by the tires and suspension, and road/tire noise, unlike the old model, was effectively filtered out as well. Lexus could take some lessons from Hyundai on how to do the suspension and tires for the new ES350, which, IMO, are a BIG disappointment.
The down side to a soft chassis, is of course, less-than-sports-car handling. That, and the relatively high center of gravity inherent in this type of vehicle, translates into rather slow, unresponsive steering, moderate body lean, and noticeable understeer. This is NOT a vehicle that you can throw around corners like a Mazda Miata or Honda S2000, but, by SUV standards, I've seen LOTS worse...particularly with the old Suzuki Samurai and Jeep CJ. And, as I am not usually an aggressive driver myself, I, personally, would rather have the ride comfort than the tight handling....but of course everyone's tastes differ.
Brakes were OK but nothing to write home about. They were smooth, had fairly good stopping power, and evenness of response, but with a rather mushy pedal that was mounted high off the floor. Still, they beat the Push-and-Pray brakes in the full-size Chevy/GMC/Cadillac trucks and SUV's by a country mile.
The verdict? Not really much I can add here.....I think I've pretty much explained the vehicle in the paragraphs above. It is obviously not a sports machine or a so-called "Macho" vehicle, and, with the 2.7L V6, certainly not a muscle car. It is an excellent new competitor in the mid-sized SUV class, extremely well-built and well-finished for the price, and, in spite of its relatively complex AWD system compared to the simpler AWD system Subaru uses, a good snow machine as well for the money. I would recommend this vehicle in a heatbeat to anyone who wants a true mid-sized car-based SUV and wants to spend his/her money wisely. In addition, it has one of the longest warranties in the buisness, although it is not transferable unless the car stays in the immediate family.
In a Nutshell: A classic mmarshall vehicle: AWD traction, versatility, lear-Lexus smoothness, refinement, and build quality, at a much lower price.
Several weeks ago, I went shopping with a colleague of mine I work with and we ended up buying a new Hyundai Sonata V6.While I was at the dealership, I gave the new 2007 Santa Fe a brief and cursory inspection, and I was quite impressed with what I saw. But that was only a very brief, rush-rush lookover...certainly not enough to form any real automotive opinions, and it was relatively dark outside as well....only the floodlights in the dealer's lot....so I didn't even bother to do a mini-review. The salesman we were dealing with offered me a test-drive of any Santa Fe in the lot, but I turned it down. Right then, there was more important buisness to take care of...making sure Ron's new Sonata was OK and prepared properly, with no problems. That was the main reason why I was there. Buisness before pleasure....or reviews. I had also, by request, scheduled the Porsche Boxster as my next review....which I completed last week.
But that was yesterday....today is another story. Sunny, 73 degrees...yes, SEVENTY-THREE degrees in the D.C. area, nothing else specifically planned for today.....so hey, why not? So I jumped in my Outback (ironically, though physically smaller and lower than the Santa Fe, one of its prime competitors) and drove west towards the beautiful Virginia foothills...to a Hyundai shop a little further out from the D.C. suburbs. Still I didn't really get out of traffic.....you NEVER get out of traffic in Northern Virginia even if you drive 50 miles. It's almost like driving in Southern California....nationally, this area trails only Los angeles in the traffic misery index.
Well, anyhow, you readers didn't tune in to this thread just to hear me give you a weather report or complain about traffic, so then, let's get to the matter at hand.....the Santa Fe.
Hyundai introduced the first-generation Santa Fe as a response to the growing popularity of relatively small, economical, car-based AWD SUVs such as Toyota's RAV4, Honda's CR-V, Subaru's Forester and Outback, and Ford's then-new Escape. It was relatively short, the styling inside and out was rather unusual and controversial for a small SUV, and the ones I sampled at the time suffered from a fair amount of road noise. One woman I shopped with ( one of my neighbors ) ended up buying a Subaru Forester, partly because the first-generation Santa Fe had so much tire whine even brand-new.
But, in other ways, the first-generation Santa Fe was an exemplary vehicle. My Catholic pastor bought a bright red, 4-cylinder, FWD, automatic one and loves it....he has had no reliability problems. Got an excellent deal with the military pricing as well....he is an Army Chaplain, and Hyundai gave extra discounts to military people. And the first-generation Santa Fe, like other Hyundais of the period, was already starting to show much-improved quality over previous models and shed the junk-vehicle image that plagued the company for years. Hyundai, once the butt of automotive jokes for its extremely poor quality, today builds some of the best vehicles on the road for the money, fully compatible with Toyota, Honda, Subaru and even Lexus in some areas. But those companies don't have the previous Hyundai stigma to shake off, either......the public never had a negative view of them to start with. And that probably is Hyundai's single biggest problem today...yes, the auto image factor that I write about so much on CAR CHAT. Hyundai does as good a job or better than just about anybody else in the auto industry these days, but, unfortunately, much of the public either doesn't know it, or, worse, doesn't BELIEVE it.
That is why one of Hyundai's mottos today is "Driving is Believing." And, while the new Santa Fe is no sports car and probably could not qualify as a so-called " enthusiast" machine, you would be hard-pressed, in my opinion, to find a better overall, car-based, mid-sized true SUV for the money.....the Subaru Outback and Forester are superb vehicles but not true SUV's.....they are too small and sit too low.
So...as I said in the last paragraph, that brings us to the new, second-generation, Santa Fe. Since the Tucson now fills the former role for Hyundai that the old Santa Fe played in the entry-level car-based SUV market, Hyundai, like Toyota with the new RAV4, moved the new Santa Fe up in size, price, and content into the mid-sized SUV market, where it will now compete directly with other mid-sized car and truck-based SUV's, such as the Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer, Chevy TrailBlazer and its other GM/Saab/Isuzu twins, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander, and the new Toyota RAV4 itself. And, like them (and like the new RAV4), the new Santa Fe will, for the first time, have optional third-row seats for the kiddies.
So the new Santa Fe is now truly a vehicle for families. Unfortunately, the base 2.7L V6's power and torque level, connected to an automatic and AWD, may restrict that to rather lean famlies or level terrain. It would probably be overburdened in hilly terrain or heavily loaded...more on that in the review below. Hyundai needs to consider making the now-optional 3.3L V6 standard in all Santa Fe models....not just restrict the 3.3 as an option or to upmarket Santa Fe's. However, despite the list of minuses that I write up for all of my reviews and did for this vehicle as well (it wouldn't be an honest review without both sides of the story), I found little else to truly or seriously gripe about with this vehicle, and I was very impressed with its ride quality, noise level ( none of that old Santa Fe tire whine ) fit-and-finish, and quality of materials/hardware. It is an excellent value for the money, just like the Sonata that Ron and I bought a few weeks ago, and like other new Hyundais as well.
So..........now for the details.
Model Reviewed: 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe AWD GLS
Base Price: $23,045 (includes freight)
Major Options:
4-speed automatic transmission $1200
Touring/Premium package $2900
Price as reviewed: $27,195
Drivetrain: AWD, front-engine, transverse-mount, 2.7L V6, 185 HP @ 6000 RPM, torque 183 ft.lbs. @ 4000 RPM,
4-speed automatic transmission with manual shift-gate, full-time AWD system with center differential.
Exterior Color: Ebony Black
Interior: Gray cloth with gray fake wood trim
PLUSSES:
Eon-length Hyundai 10/100 and 5/60 warranties.
Excellent price, compared to most of the competition.
Strong body structure.
Styling less controversial than previous model.
Versatile Interior.
Smooth, quiet engine and transmission.
Precision-feel shift lever.
Smooth, quiet ride by SUV standards.
Good road isolation.
ABS, traction control, and stability systems standard even in base model.
Near-Lexus paint job.
Well-designed gauges and controls....with a couple of exceptions.
Third-seat climate fan switch in models so equipped.
Excellent fit-and-finish inside and out.
Nice stereo.
Outside trigger-grab-handle and inside pull strap for the rear liftgate.
Solid-feeling and solid-sounding doors.
Numerous standard airbags.
Multi-adjustable head rests on some models.
Attractive dash, wood trim, and interior furnishings.
High-quality hardware inside and out.
MINUSES:
2.7L V6 burdened by the vehicle's weight and AWD.
Not a vehicle for sports-car lovers or aggressive drivers.
Unresponsive steering.
OK brakes but somewhat mushy.
AWD system not as simple as Subaru's or longitudinal-engine-mount vehicles.
Warranty not transferrable, upon resale, outside of the immedite family.
Roly-Poly cornering with understeer....but not bad considering the smooth ride.
Marginal headroom for tall drivers in sunroof-equipped models.
Distracting bright-blue odometer and clock.
Rather unimpressive leather seats (on models so equipped).
4-speed automatic a little outdated by today's standards, even on a base model.
Sits a little high off the ground for my tastes.
Typical funeral-home exterior paint colors.
Pearl-White paint color costs $400 extra.
Awkward, truck-like step-on parking brake.
Rear wiper arm on Limited model does not pull out far enough.
Optional third-row seat too small for most adults.
Rebates currently not offered on base models...only the upmarket ones.
(consult the latest Hyundai web site for details)
Awkward and confusing engine cover.
The first impression of this vehicle, as you walk up to it, is that it is indeed all-new. Almost nothing from the old Santa Fe is carried over, inside or out. Not only is it a noticiably larger vehicle than the old one, but the rather unusual styling of the old model, most notable in the hood and fenders, is gone in favor of a more conventional and mainstream exterior.....not surprising, when you consider that Hyundai is now putting this vehicle up against conventionally-styled mid-sized SUV's such as the Ford Explorer, Chevy TrailBlazer, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.....vehicles that sell in huge numbers. That doesn't make it dull or boring though, in my opinion, especially whan you examine the almost-Lexus quality paint job, solid hardware, laser-even panel gaps, "thunk" thunk" door closings, and perfectly-fitting trim. I find nothing boring about examining a well-made vehicle. Chrysler and GM couldn't assemble a car like this if their lives depended on it, though, to its credit, GM is starting to do a better job on dash materials at least.
Not all is peachy on the exterior, though. On the Limited model, the rather cheap-looking plastic rear wiper arm doesn't pull up and out far enough....that could make periodic changing of the rear wiper blade ( which you have to do in any vehicle that has one ) rather difficult...the blade doesn't flip under and clear the glass. Strangely, the lesser versions of the Santa Fe don't have that problem......the arms flip out properly. Go figure.
The rear liftgate continues the old Santa Fe tradition of the right-side handle with the pistol-grip trigger that releases and lifts it. There is also a convienent strap hanging down from the ceiling inside to pull the hatch back down with......Hyundai does a good job thinking of the little things.
THe hood, as mentioned earlier, is much more conventionally styled than on the last Santa Fe, and doesn't have the old odd-shaped dips and ridges. Neither, unlike the old Santa Fe, does the front fenders....and the two-tone body theme has been replaced with a more conventional monotone ( I like two tones myself, but Hyundai marketing believes, rightly or wrongly, that most of the public doesn't ).
Another fly in the exterior ointment, IMO, is the all-too-typical funeral home colors....among the current Hyundai lineup, only the Tiburon sports coupe, with its brighter reds, yellows, and blues, seems to escape the painted-in the local morgue look. For my money, among the Santa Fe's colors, I would choose only the Silver Blue or the White Pearl as a daily driver....and, wouldn't you know it, the White Pearl costs some $400 extra. And I thought that only Dodge / Chrysler, Mercedes, and other European automakers did that...charge extra for certain colors. To my memory, this is the first Korean automaker I've seen like that. Well, no real problem...... the vehicle is STILL a bargain, even with a $400 paint job, and the White Pearl looks so nice it just might be worth it.
Raise the now-almost-universal aluminum hood.....two gas struts hold it up without a prop rod.....and the rather anemic 2.7L V6 fits underhood without any real packaging problems, but a rather large and clever ( and misleading ) plastic engine cover is mounted fore-and-aft, at a right angle, over the transversely-mounted engine. The cover makes you think the engine is mounted one way whan it is actually mounted 90 degreees from that. What were the designers thinking? Maybe so you wouldn't have to turn your head to read the chrome " Hyundai " and "V6" engraved on it? Again, go figure.
Having said that, the sideways engine and transmission fit in rather well, without a lot of clearance problems, but like with many if not most newer vehicles, you will have to go up from underneath to do even simple things like change the oil.
Get inside and you will almost think you are in a Lexus RX330. Folks, for the money ( 20-30K ), this is one NICE interior...though the seats could use a little improvement ( more on this in a moment ). I've already mentioned that the new interior is more conventionally styled than the old Santa Fe with its swoops and curves, but the fit-and-finish, quality of materials, solid hardware, and tasteful yet ornate trim would not be very far out of place in a Lexus. The primary gauges and controls are quite well-designed and are very similiar to the ones in the new Sonata...not surprising when you figure that the Santa Fe is Sonata-based. The gauges are clear, legible, and easy to read in an instant....they have Lexus-type, electroluminescent back-lighting. The controls and stalks all have a precision, high-quality feel, again just like the Sonata. The only things I would change on the dash are the rather large, rectangular, Volkswagen-like bright blue odometer and clock readouts....their big bright blue faces, even with muted panel lighting, stand out like Pam Anderson Lee's bustline while you are looking ahead trying to keep your eyes on the road.
Though it was only a minor issue, I also wasn't terribly impressed with the look and feel of the leather on the seats, which had a look and feel that IMO was not up to the rest of the interior. The cloth seats were markedly more pleasant both in look and feel.....one reason why I chose a cloth model for the test-drive. The only other slip I noticed in the interior was a slight ( not serious ) lack of head room for tall people on sunroof-equipped models with the manually-adjusted seats on the base model. The upmarket Santa Fe Limited, and models with the power seats, had more flexibility in the adjustments, and it was easier to get my ubiquitous baseball cap to clear the ceiling.
The steering wheel, even on the base model, was covered in a nice leather ( much nicer IMO than the seats ) and had the now-usual controls for the stereo and other functions. The stereo itself was not quite a Lexus Mark Levinson unit but nevertheless nothing you would be ashamed of....and of course, I don't care to play my AC/DC, KISS, James Brown, and Heavy Metal stuff on garbage either. Two different wood trim patterns are offered on the dash and door panels....a grayish wood that more or less imitates carbon fiber with the gray interior in either cloth or leather, and an (IMO) much nicer traditional brown wood on with the beige interior, in either cloth or leather.
The rear compartment, with the optional third-row seats, was quite interesting.....though the split-folding 3rd-seats, themselves, like those on most vehicles of this type and size, are generally suitable only for children or very small adults. Don't expect to put NBA guys back there. An option, with the third-row seats, is a nice climate-control fan-speed switch and vent built into the rear wall on the right side of the seat to keep Junior nice and comfortable back there...something I don't recall seeing before on a vehicle in this class. Like I said earlier, Hyundai thinks of the little things.
OK....after my mandatory engine-fluid and tire-pressure check, get everything adjusted right and start her up. No push-button here....you do it the old-fashioned way with a key. The 2.7L V6 settles immediately into a Lexus-like smooth, silent idle. With the outside temperature at an amazing 73 degrees, in bright sun, virtually no warm-up was required. The weight and drag of the AWD drive system...probably even more weight and drag than on simpler AWD systems like Subaru's...is immediately evident on the rather overworked engine. It takes significant RPM to get it moving...with the rather low power-to-weight ratio, and the engine's Lexus-like refinement and smoothness, I had to be careful not to go over the 4000-RPM limit that you should stick to with a new engine. It was no real problem on level roads and with light loads, but in hilly terrain and with loads I'd definitely spring for the 3.3.
Ride quality and noise isolation were two of this vehicle's outstanding traits. The nice, old-fashioned, high-profile tires, relatively soft suspension, tight, high-quality
construction, and efficient sound insulation and weather sealing make for a very pleasant, smooth, quiet ride, especially by SUV standards. There was a tiny amount of the common SUV fore-and-aft porposing, but it was almost unnoticeable. Bumps and road irregularaties were gobbled up by the tires and suspension, and road/tire noise, unlike the old model, was effectively filtered out as well. Lexus could take some lessons from Hyundai on how to do the suspension and tires for the new ES350, which, IMO, are a BIG disappointment.
The down side to a soft chassis, is of course, less-than-sports-car handling. That, and the relatively high center of gravity inherent in this type of vehicle, translates into rather slow, unresponsive steering, moderate body lean, and noticeable understeer. This is NOT a vehicle that you can throw around corners like a Mazda Miata or Honda S2000, but, by SUV standards, I've seen LOTS worse...particularly with the old Suzuki Samurai and Jeep CJ. And, as I am not usually an aggressive driver myself, I, personally, would rather have the ride comfort than the tight handling....but of course everyone's tastes differ.
Brakes were OK but nothing to write home about. They were smooth, had fairly good stopping power, and evenness of response, but with a rather mushy pedal that was mounted high off the floor. Still, they beat the Push-and-Pray brakes in the full-size Chevy/GMC/Cadillac trucks and SUV's by a country mile.
The verdict? Not really much I can add here.....I think I've pretty much explained the vehicle in the paragraphs above. It is obviously not a sports machine or a so-called "Macho" vehicle, and, with the 2.7L V6, certainly not a muscle car. It is an excellent new competitor in the mid-sized SUV class, extremely well-built and well-finished for the price, and, in spite of its relatively complex AWD system compared to the simpler AWD system Subaru uses, a good snow machine as well for the money. I would recommend this vehicle in a heatbeat to anyone who wants a true mid-sized car-based SUV and wants to spend his/her money wisely. In addition, it has one of the longest warranties in the buisness, although it is not transferable unless the car stays in the immediate family.
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-06-07 at 07:49 PM.
01-08-07, 04:01 AM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
One thing I forgot to add was that since the 2007 is all-new and not just a model carryover, prices on the last-generation 2006 and older models are down even more. And the 2006, like I said above, is also a nice vehicle, but is somewhat smaller, a little more aggressively styled, a little less refined, and rides a little less quietly. You may or may not get the benefits of the full 10-year warranty on the drivetrain, depending on who the previous owner was and Hyundai's warranty-transfer policies at the time it was first delivered.
01-08-07, 06:03 AM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
Great review. I've seen a bunch of these on the road and have been shocked at how quiet they are. VERY nice vehicle.
mmarshall - you might consider reviewing the new Mazda CX-7 also - I just got a ride from the dealer's courtesy vehicle (a CX-7) to get something to eat while they detailed my car (they didn't have time when I bought it last thing on New Year's Eve, lol), and wow, what a nice vehicle! And I saw a new 4 door Mazda 3 while there and that shocked me too - much bigger vehicle than I thought it was going to be and very nice... but I digress.
mmarshall - you might consider reviewing the new Mazda CX-7 also - I just got a ride from the dealer's courtesy vehicle (a CX-7) to get something to eat while they detailed my car (they didn't have time when I bought it last thing on New Year's Eve, lol), and wow, what a nice vehicle! And I saw a new 4 door Mazda 3 while there and that shocked me too - much bigger vehicle than I thought it was going to be and very nice... but I digress.
01-08-07, 07:38 AM
#4
I liked it a lot when I drove in in April last year, however technologically it is still one step behind market leaders and when compared to our European Rav4, we ended up with 10x bigger sales of Rav4 for our dealerships.
It looks really good, it is very smooth, diesel is very quiet and rides luxuriously, however interior still looks Korean (although decent Korean), AWD system is still slow, ride is a bit too boaty, and large size has not translated into superior interior space or trunk space which is my biggest complaint. It also weights more, so needs bigger engine and ends up using more fuel and is slower.
I think it is an great product for Hyundai, and their best car on the market in the Europe right now.
It looks really good, it is very smooth, diesel is very quiet and rides luxuriously, however interior still looks Korean (although decent Korean), AWD system is still slow, ride is a bit too boaty, and large size has not translated into superior interior space or trunk space which is my biggest complaint. It also weights more, so needs bigger engine and ends up using more fuel and is slower.
I think it is an great product for Hyundai, and their best car on the market in the Europe right now.
01-08-07, 09:04 AM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I liked it a lot when I drove in in April last year, however technologically it is still one step behind market leaders and when compared to our European Rav4, we ended up with 10x bigger sales of Rav4 for our dealerships.
It looks really good, it is very smooth, diesel is very quiet and rides luxuriously, however interior still looks Korean (although decent Korean), AWD system is still slow, ride is a bit too boaty, and large size has not translated into superior interior space or trunk space which is my biggest complaint. It also weights more, so needs bigger engine and ends up using more fuel and is slower.
I think it is an great product for Hyundai, and their best car on the market in the Europe right now.
It looks really good, it is very smooth, diesel is very quiet and rides luxuriously, however interior still looks Korean (although decent Korean), AWD system is still slow, ride is a bit too boaty, and large size has not translated into superior interior space or trunk space which is my biggest complaint. It also weights more, so needs bigger engine and ends up using more fuel and is slower.
I think it is an great product for Hyundai, and their best car on the market in the Europe right now.
And when you call the ride "boaty" you have to remember that this is not a German sports sedan designed to carve up the twisties.........people who buy into this type and class of vehicle generally WANT ride comfort.
01-09-07, 01:07 PM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
CX-7 coming up.
It will be next.
...probably next week.
I have a standing review request for the new V8 Volvo S80, but it will not be available in this area for test-drives till probably February. I will look at it, statically of course, at the D.C. Auto show in a couple of weeks.
It will be next....probably next week. I have a standing review request for the new V8 Volvo S80, but it will not be available in this area for test-drives till probably February. I will look at it, statically of course, at the D.C. Auto show in a couple of weeks.
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-09-07 at 01:11 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post