Hyundai Santa Fe 2007+

carfreak8

First of all, I do NOT like Jaguar. I think they are way over priced considering, what you are getting. I have seen Jaguar cars and they are really ugly inside. All you are paying for is the name, NOTHING else. You get really cheap stuff (like FAKE wood trim). At that price it should at least be real. I think the interior designers of Jags cut MANY corners.

As for the CR-V, it has very nice plastics and NO fake wood trim. With the Navigation system in, the CR-V looks way more luxury.

As for the Touareg, good thing you didn't buy that. They look nice, but are not.

markhoot1

Does anyone know if the '07 Santa Fe has a roll-over sensor for the side curtain air bags?? There is no mention of this on the window sticker or the brochure. A dealer told me that it does, but could not provide me with any documentation.

Thanks!

Mark

srdriver

I was wondering if anyone knows what Hyundai is using for their factory fill of motor oil?

I am operating under the assumption that it is a 5W20 oil?

I plan on using 5W20 oil in mine and change it at approximately every 3,000 miles as we make quite a few short trips.

I am hoping to get mine sometime this month as the dealer is having trouble in locating an Arctic White Limited 2007 Santa Fe with option group 26 (Premium Package) and option CF (Carpeted Floor Mats).

edmac1

I am not too up on many of the finer points of automobiles, so I am puzzled by some people's complaints about "hard" plastics. What difference does it make whether it's hard or soft since all you are doing is looking at it? If you are sitting on it or resting your head on it, there could be a problem - otherwise, so what?

jcspohr

I think you hit the nail on the head!

10 out of 10 for your observation.

JCS

pelican19

Well said. Unfortunately some think that if the plastics are softer they indicate quality. IMO the tougher they are the more durable. An SUV interior S/B DURABLE.

pelican19

I am sure I read about it in the additional handout when I bout my 07. My wife took the truck. When she gets back I will go through the documentation. If I find it I will scan and post...

Short answer - yes

hardlynot

has anyone gotten a dealer install tow hitch? i'm curious what it looks like and if you like it. i was told it must be installed by the dealer. i saw one on hyundaiassessories.com but i wasn't impressed.

thx

pelican19

I agree. I deal with them for everything on my Santa ( Bra, mud guards, cargo liner, mats and Vent visors) but was not impressed by the tow hitch as well. Still shopping for one. Will post pics and info on my carspace page if and when I find one that looks good...

carfreak8

It is not that people NEED softer plastics...it is that if they are smoother and softer, they look and feel better. The SF plastics are hard and they look hard and pretty cheap from a distance, and when you touch them. Softer and smoother plastics just feel more expensive. You wont see a lexus with tons of cheap plastic all around. It is just nice to have in a $30,000 vehicle.

sirvagabond

I partially agree, here. That tactile aesthetics pull some weight in overall appearance. Softer leather and supple plastics IN THE RIGHT AREAS, do make things a bit more plush. However, I don't see this too much the case with the SF. I can't see how the plastics look 'cheap'. I could see how certain plastics would deminish the appearance by REALLY looking cheap - monotone and lacking texture and being very 'thin' to the touch. Had the SF real wood trim and actuall steel accents then yes, more rich and luxurious it would be. But the plastics looking or being cheap? Just don't see it.

A little detail that I thought was pretty slick was the plastic that houses the front seat window controls. It's smooth, tough and soft to the touch with pleasant curves. Doesn't look or feel cheap at all. However, the door handles I believe really should've been a brushed steel. But that's splitting hairs....

carfreak8

I see what you mean, but the dash and glove box look cheap. That is the seat that looks at the most of the interior, and that plastic is right in your face. Also, the glove box door felt cheap when opening it. Also, the doors felt cheap (where the pockets are). It would have just been nice if they dropped the fake wood, and put in nicer plastics.

srdriver

I looked at several vehicles and all have both good points and bad. I think that the 2007 Santa Fe is a good vehicle considering everything and the price.

I also like the new 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.

I have been attempting purchase of a 2007 Limited Santa Fe but the dealer has not been able to obtain what I want and is hoping that he can get it on an allocation.

If not, will buy the Mitsubishi Outlander later this month. They have a new OHC V-6 that is getting some good reviews and good EPA numbers.

Honda CR-V is not a bad vehicle but did not want a 4 cylinder engine. Do not like the looks of the new body style either.

sampowers

Plus the exterior of the CR-V looks like this guy ------>

joe97

Autobytel 2007 Editors’ Choice Awards:

SUV of the Year: Hyundai Santa Fe (unanimous selection)



http://www.autobytel.com/content/shared/articles/templates/index.cfm/article_id_- int/2305

sirvagabond

Hey, hey!! Looky there! The CR-V came out ahead!
Oh!? And, hey!?!?! So did SF! (....I'm just so proud.... sniff, sniff...)

If it's possible, I feel even more happy and confident with this decision.
Congrats to all winners!

jcspohr

We have to be fair and say that carfreak's choice of the CR-V won best "Best SMALL SUV."

And I would like to point out that the vote was NOT unanimous.

The SF is the "Best Midsize SUV" and the vote was UNAMIMOUS!.



JCS

carfreak8

I can understand. The CR-V is definatly not the most powerful vehicle on the road. It also has a hit or miss exterior. But other than that, the interior is awesome, everything is ergonomically correct, and lots of technology. The interior is the BEST interior in its class. It definatly beats out the Sportage/Tucson, Rav4, Escape/Mariner/Tribute, Equinox/Torrent, and Vue.

sirvagabond

Gotta say that the CR-V's rear cam is pretty clever too. Nice upgrade. It don't parallel park your car or nuthin....!

srdriver

Have you looked at the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander?

Understand that starting first part of October the Santa Fe will come standard with XM radio and that a factory installed Navigation system will be an option before long.

The Mitsubishi Outlander currently has a Navigation System as an option.

carfreak8

I have already purchased my CR-V. I am not really a fan of Mitsubishi. I do NOT like the outlander. The front end looks good, but the back end looks squashed. Also what is up with the headrests, they are messed up looking (they are huge in the third row). I don't really like their designs (except for endeavor) of most of the vehicles. I also do not think their reliability is all that good.

I know that the SF will/has XM. I also have known about the navigation system coming to the US. My questions are, will it actually come out in the spring and how good will it be. Hopefully they will NOT do what the domestics have/are doing, with those tiny, useless 3-4.5 inch screens(EX: Town and Country)(I'm sure they won't).

davesuv

Congratulations "carfreak8" on your CR-V purchase. It's a great vehicle. It's a little smaller than I wanted to go and I wanted a third row seat for limited occasional use. If not for those two requirements, I would definitely have put the CR-V as a main contender.

It's nice to see so many choices in the crossover SUV segment. Everyone has a different set of needs and priorities when selecting their vehicle. It's getting to the point now where, no matter what you're looking for, there always seems to be two or more decent quality candidates from which to choose. Now we can start picking based on our personal tastes in designs and finishes. Based on the variety of vehicles, our tastes vary widely (thank goodness, I'd hate to see all the same car out there).

For me, a Red SF Limited AWD is what captured my attention. It's been great! BTW, I'm finding heated seats really do make the winter tolerable

joe97

Correct. The link will take you all of the awardees.

These are the three categories relevant to the recent discussion:

Small SUV - CR-V
Mid SUV - Santa Fe (unanimous)

Overall SUV of the Year - Santa Fe (unanimous)

Congrats to all!!

pelican19

A negative review of the CR-V / Source: Times Online

"Parked outside my house it looked a little odd, particularly at the back, but at least it’s more distinctive than the rather dull-looking CR-V it replaces. The airy cabin offers a big boot and good space but is let down by the detailing, particularly too many cheap, hard plastics and a dash that tries to blend analogue and digital readouts harmoniously and fails.

One missed trick is the lack of a third row of seats. These have been commonplace in mid-sized MPVs for years and while the Santa Fe is the only car in this class currently to offer a sixth and seventh seat, others are coming.
"

Hey, there go those darn " HARD PLASTICS " Again.

carfreak8

Negative info for the SF / Source: Autobytel

"It should keep its looks over time, then – just be sure the vehicle you choose fits together better than our tester did."

"They should have ditched the handle. It’s clumsy, and, well, a bit old school." (referring to the liftgate handle).

"It’s obvious to us that Hyundai sank significant cash into the interior design; unfortunately, the interior also suffers from poor finish, especially in the center dash area where the plastic and wood grain trims didn't’ fit flush. "

"Second-row seats are also comfortable, a place where occupants sit up high, and the third-row – well, you can climb back there if you want. Just avoid sitting back there for any length of time, unless you have a thing for your chiropractor."

So, the same type of stuff can be said about the SF.

carfreak8

I agree, I would not have bought the CR-V if I needed the Third Row. But, I only have my teenage son(and his friends) and my wife and I riding in it, so that is not a issue. Also we never need seven seats for anything we do.

And those heated seats are great in Chicago.

edmac1

After 500 miles I must say:

This is a very nice, peppy, well-handling vehicle (suv/cuv/van/car/station wagon/whatever). Acceleration is excellent, whether from a stop or for passing. As has been reported by others on this forum, there is definitely a very slight hesitation, but it doesn't seem to affect driveability. The ride is smooth and quiet, whether at 5mph or 75. I have a feeling this thing will do 100 without breathing too hard but I plan to wait a while to try it. The transmission shifts smoothly, the brakes are good, steering is good, heater is good - I'm going to wait for the outside temperature to get above freezing before I test the A/C.

I personally like the liftgate handle. It's much easier to use that the ones on my previous two vehicles, which were Dodge Caravans. To my admittedly not too critical eye the fit and finish, inside and out, are fine, and the hard plastics, wherever they are, don't bother me at all.

Therefore I would advise anyone in the market for a vehicle in this class to test drive a Santa Fe.

Question: Does the shiftronic transmission have any practical use?

gangsplatt

Question: Does the shiftronic transmission have any practical use?

Shiftronic has some practical use, besides just satisfying those of us that like standard transmissions but have wives that can only drive automatics.

My uses are as follows:

1.If you've driven a standard then you are familiar with the extra "power boost" you can gain by downshifting when you need to pass someone, for example.

2.While it's not quite applicable to the Santa Fe with its traction control, it could be used when sitting at a red light and you are in slippery/snowy conditions, shift to second gear as opposed to starting in first and you can reduce wheel spin thus allowing you to have more traction/control.

3.The other practical use is slowing down without braking which again is useful in slippery conditions like snow and ice.

My previous car was a standard and if I had never driven one then I would never have realized that not only do the standard transmissions give you better gas mileage, the other benefit is having more control over your vehicle, at least in my opinion.

retiredpilot

Has anyone done any towing with their AWD Santa Fe. I have a light weight 18 ft travel trailer (packed for vacation weight is about 2200 lbs) that I am currently towing with a 2002 Sienna (3 liter). How will the Santa Fe perform.

srdriver

My wife has it on her Hyundai but we have never used it.... Just put in drive and away we go.

May try it now that you have mentioned it.

srdriver

If I am not badly mistaken the 2007 Santa Fe with the 3.3 Liter Engine is rated to pull 3500 pounds.

There have been some posts it + where you can buy the hitch, etc.

srdriver

I was wondering what tire pressure people are running in their 2007 Santa Fe with the 18 inch tires?

hardlynot

i have a brand new Limited AWD - love it! how exactly does the auto temp control work? when i turn it on so that it blows both below and above and then click 'auto' the defroster automatically comes on. the outside temp is 48 and i have the inside temp set to 74. and when i try to turn off the defroster, the auto clicks off. with the auto on, first its the defroster only, then just the floor (with no defroster), then both floor and above. is this the way it's supposed to work? what's up with this?

thx

pelican19

I have been getting mixed responses on this myself. I am running at 34lbs. I tried 30 but it tripped the TPMS.

pelican19

Ran into the same issue. Dealer told me Auto is Auto. Not what you want. The moment you touch it its not Auto. Yeah, I know, silly repsonse but thats what they said. I did notice that if I left it alone it would eventually take it off defrost and regulate the lower end as the temp increased within the cabin...

slk70

The inside temperature sensors are on top of the front dash near the front window. It starts off on defrost until the temp sensors recognize the air is blowing appropriately. (i.e. getting warmer if the temp is set above the outside temperature, and getting cooler if set below.)

Probably two reasons for then starting with the lower part of the cabin. Since warm air rises, when setting the auto control to heat the cabin, it will first start with the floor to make sure when the inside temp sensors are reading the desired temp, it is somewhat accurate to the temp inside the cabin. Also since the fan is running at near high speed to get the cabin to the right temp quickly, it would be annoying to have it blow in your face during that time.

edmac1

You say "I tried 30 but it tripped the TPMS." 30lbs is the way they come and what the door calls for. It sounds like either your TPMS or your pressure gauge is a little wacky.

edmac1

Thanks for the reply. In the Army we used to have to double clutch to downshift. I guess that's not necessary with the Shiftronic. Good thing since I ain't got no clutch.

pelican19

Due for my first oil change this week. Mentioned this to them. On two of the four tires 30lbs is tripping the TPMS. They said they would look at it. 34lbs IMO is too hard on the ride with 18 inch rims. Will update...

sirvagabond

I agree with slk on the AUTO, also, keep in mind that if the outside temp is much cooler than inside, especially below the 50's with a bit of moister in the air, your gonna get fogged windows. It's not that uncommon. Im here in San Diego, and last night it got a weltering 58(!) with a little bit of drizzle, while inside cabin was 72. Windows fogged up quite easily. Does the defrost ever shut down after AUTO regulates itself?

colklink

I've pulled my 15' boat with motor and gear about 225 miles almost all interstate. Probably total weight 2500 lbs or less. No problems pulling the boat. However gas mileage dropped to about 17 mpg (expected), but can't seem to get it much over 18 mpg since then (not expected).

pelican19

Did you reset the gauge after a recent fill-up? As I understand it, its not real time, its an average. Pulling the boat will lower the average mpg.

eggtart

Have reached 2400km and sitting in rear seats in -20-deg centigrade weather is comfortably warm within minutes of starting engine because of heat ducts both under front seats and on B-pillars.

davesuv

I really like the automatic climate control in my Limited AWD. It's probably the best I've ever used. I too have noticed that the front windshield defroster will automatically come on every time you start up the car. It usually stays on for a few minutes before turning itself off. I find it helpful for defogging the front window (which will occasionally fog up when it first turns on). As has been mentioned, only the floor vents will blow as the vehicle comes up to temperature. I like the control programming that they've used. It seems to bring the vehicle up to the desired temperature quickly and keeps it there with a really quiet fan. I never have to worry about adjusting things.

I also really like my heated seats. Makes driving the freezing car pleasant while the air temp is warming up.

carrito

do the SF heated seats have more than one setting? my mazda only has one and gets pretty hot after a few minutes that I have to turn it off; it would be nice to have low/high setting.

doubleh

sure does....hot and hotter.

aschwindt

I have a question for anyone w/ the DVD player/RS entertainment system. We've had our '07 for 2 days now and when we play dvd's, the screen flashes black intermittently and sometimes there is a wierd bar on one side of the screen blocking view. None of this seems normal and I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this and what the fix was?

-thanks
aaron

07xle

You have posted this exact question in 3 threads.

That is not normal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tidester

Please - a single posting of your question is quite adequate. The shotgun approach simply annoys the people from whom you're trying to elicit help.

tidester, host

danny_rho

I have GLS with 5 seat. I live in Vancouver.

My Santa Fe makes this slight but definitely noticible

grinding noise when it's being shifted from 2nd gear to

3rd. It's as if when you are driving manual, you let go of

clutch a little too soon, and your transmission makes

a sound, just like that.

But it happens every once in a while.

I talked to the local dealer, they said they can't fix

what they don't know. When a mechanic took it for spin,

he couldn't feel anything. And told me they can't start

fixing without something concrete dignose to begin with.

I thought my full description of what's happening is

good enuf to start..

Any way, this is bothering me big time.

Anybody else having this issue ?

Or Did I pick 1 out of 1000000000 santa fe which has

this weird issue...