Everything you need: unbiased reviews, product specs and great deals.
|
2002 SANTA FEThe first sport utility vehicle from South Koreas leading automaker was a four-door, five-passenger wagon. Loosely based on the compact...
Read More
The first sport utility vehicle from South Koreas leading automaker was a four-door, five-passenger wagon. Loosely based on the compact Sonata sedans platform, the Santa Fe was priced to compete with compact car-based SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, and new Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute. Hyundais version was wider and heavier, with the biggest cargo capacity in its class.
Minimize
|
|
28 Reviews from Shopping.com
|
A Great Buy - Satisfied!
| Author's Rating: |
|
Pros: Styling, Value, Handling, Extras, Price
Cons: 181HP - Could Use More
| Handling And Control: |
|
The Bottom Line:
The Santa Fe is definitely a best buy in its class with an unbeatable warranty. You won't regret buying! I highly recommend it!
I researched and test drove the Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty and the Toyota Rav 4 and kept coming back to the Santa Fe. In my opinion, it beat them all out as the best all around value and had the most features for your money, with very few shortcomings. Best of all is the warranty which far exceeds that of the competition.
I own a Santa Fe GLS 4WD V-6 Automatic with Factory Power Sunroof. The color is Pewter (silver). The styling and looks are great, especially with the two tone effect of the body cladding (dark grey) and the dark tinted privacy glass. It is a sharp looking vehicle.
On the inside, the controls are all very easily accessible and easy to use. They are stylish, yet simple. You have great visibility in front of you, however, looking out the back window through the rear view mirror is a little limited. The large side rear view mirrors more than make up for this though. The seats are firm and comfortable, although not overly "plush". The steering wheel feels great in the hands. The shifting lever has a great feel as well. The seat adjusts in several directions and includes an effective (yet somewhat cheaply made) lumbar support. The back seat has plenty of room for a 6' tall person even with the front seat fully back. There are a bevy of thoughtful/useful storage spots throughout the rear cargo bay. The A/C really blows.....in a good way! It is keeping up with the 99 degree high humidity weather of DC very well. Although, it is noticebly colder when at speed than when idling...probably an air flow issue coming through the A/C system. Nonetheless, even at idle, the air is cold and comfortable. The power sunroof is a great addition! The shiftronic transmission allows you the convenience of an automatic transmission with the flexibility to easily take control and shift manually. This feature has turned out to be a nice surprise. Handling is very sure with very little sway...the vehicle holds the road and keeps a straight line with no effort.
Although I list the engine horsepower as a "con", it does have adequate power. It is the one area, however, that I think Hyundai could improve upon a little. An additional 20 hp (comparable to the Tribute/Escape) would allow those jackrabbit starts from a dead stop. Acceleration in this vehicle is good and steady, but you are not going to bolt out of the gate without stepping on it. I would not consider buying this vehicle with a 4 cylinder unless you are more concerned with economy and cost than performance.
All in all, this is a great vehicle for the price. The warranty can't be beat. The price is hard to beat when you take into account all of the standard items that cost you extra on the competition. Test drive one and you will definitely be impressed!
Back to all reviews
