PRICE
MSRP: $21,695 - $30,545
Invoice: $20,861 - $28,657
MPG: 17 (Est) City / 24 (Est) Hwy
SPECIFICATIONS:
Acceleration and Power
The 2009 Santa Fe comes with either a 2.7-liter V6 engine with a five-speed manual transmission, or a 3.3-liter V6 with five-speed automatic transmission. The smaller engine makes 185 horsepower and 183 pound-feet of torque, while the larger V6 makes 242 horsepower and 226 pound-feet of torque. Most reviewers find that the bigger engine suits the weight of the SUV better than the 2.7-liter engine. According to the EPA, the base 2WD model with the smaller engine achieves 17/24 mpg city/highway.
"No manual-transmission or AWD models have been made available for testing. The GLS with the 2.7-liter V6 is slow to build speed and loses steam going up moderate grades. The 3.3-liter V6 gives other models adequate pep and is the better all-around choice. In Consumer Guide testing, a 2WD Limited did 0-60 mph in 8.2 seconds." -- Consumer Guide
"A slightly sluggish 2.7-liter, 185-hp V6 inhabits the GLS. Paired with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, its 17/24 mpg delights some owners and disappoints others. The much peppier 3.5-liter V6 puts out 242 hp with the same fuel economy numbers." -- Car Gurus
"The 3.3 V6 provides lively acceleration in the city and good passing on highways, with a responsive automatic transmission. But the Santa Fe is appreciably slower with the smaller V6 because it's fairly heavy at 3,727 to 3,945 pounds." -- MSN
"The Shiftronic automatic transmission responds quickly to manual gear selections making driving on curvy roads an almost sporty experience." -- Kelley Blue Book
Handling and Braking
One of the major improvements in the recently redesigned Hyundai Santa Fe is the handling, which most find both smooth and comfortable.
"Small bumps are smothered well, regardless of tire size. Large bumps induce uncomfortable bounce and sideways rocking, plus some minor vibration through the floor and steering column." -- Consumer Guide
"[A]s is the trend in SUVs and crossovers, the Santa Fe is built using unibody construction for a car-like ride and more responsive handling. The benefit for consumers, of course, is refinement. Bumps and road blemishes are isolated from the cabin by the frame and suspension, dissipating jolts so that passengers remain comfortable." -- Autobytel
"The all-new unibody chassis has been specifically tuned for better on-road handling, and our test drive bore that out. Better balance from the front- and all-wheel-drive models is a significant improvement over the previous gen, due in large part to a crisper steering response." -- Motor Trend
"The Hyundai Santa Fe is a unibody SUV made for tackling the urban jungle, not braving the actual jungle." -- Kelley Blue Book
"Braking is a little on the long side however, with emergency stops from 60 averaging 135 feet." -- Motor Week
EXTERIOR:
While the Hyundai Santa Fe's previous models were known for looking a bit quirky, most reviews praise Hyundai for the newly redesigned exterior, which has made the SUV more conventional. But it also gets lost in the pack.
"Hyundai showed good taste in moving away from the overly busy appearance of the previous Santa Fe. Where the outgoing model's lines and creases seemed like design for design's sake, the new model takes a much simpler approach." -- Kelley Blue Book
"The new Santa Fe is more conventional in appearance, melding nicely with an overall shape resembling a cross between the Toyota Highlander or RAV4 with just a hint of Acura RDX." -- Motor Trend
"The Santa Fe is the best effort yet, with lines that flow gracefully into each other. Hyundai toned down its typical fender flare, and now there's just enough to give the vehicle character." -- Cars.com
SAFETY:
The federal government gives the 2009 Santa Fe top five-star scores for all seating positions in both frontal and side crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the 2008 model a "Top Safety Pick."
"Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, front side airbags, and curtain side airbags." -- Consumer Guide
"There are no safety standards governing injury to third-row passengers in a rear-end crash, so you're gambling on the good faith and sound engineering of the car companies when you choose a three-row SUV of modest size." -- USA Today
