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These are all normal wear items:
Adjustments (by this they mean things like wheel alignment... things people knock out of whack alot), belts, brake pads & linings, clutch linings, filters, wiper lades, bulbs, fuses..."
I'm not taking the bait. From now on do not post anything aimed at me as this will be the last time I respond to you.
Bill
Bill
Could you elaborate on that, please?
How could a floor mat be a a potentially serious problem? I am very curious!
8/03/01
.
Although I am not YET a Santa Fe owner (still gathering the down payment), I must say that murrays98's post really gave me pause. After hearing about this obvoius design flaw from the factory, I am seriously reconsidering my plans to purchase this vehicle! I think I will go back and look at/drive the Ford Escape & Mazda Tribute- at least the only thing I would have to worry about with these SUV's is the possibility of an engine/passenger compartment fire (fuel vapors/fuel odors) or serious crash-related injuries (NHSTB "marginal" frontal/side impact ratings)! Would not want to risk a "slip and fall" lawsuit against me by a passenger in the Santa Fe!! ;-)
P.S.- Go find your sense of humor tb88- I think you lost it somewhere.
Al
What is the final drive ratio of the AWD model? What is the GVWR and the GCVR? Cannot find info anywhere.
Has anyone had experience towing a boat or camping trailer with the AWD V6 Santa Fe?
Brochure states with V6, can tow up to 3500lbs. However, cannot find an e-mail site to get some precise questions answered from a corporate level.
What is the final drive ratio of the AWD model? What is the GVWR and the GCVR? Cannot find info anywhere.
Has anyone had experience towing a boat or camping trailer with the AWD V6 Santa Fe?
buddy@yhti.net
Curb Weight: 3700 lbs.
GVWR: 5250 lbs.
Max Towing Cap: 2200 lbs.
I've seen the towing capacity listed as 2400 lbs., but this doesn't take the driver's weight into consideration. Also, I've never heard or read anything about the final drive ratio, so I can't help there.
It seems that braking is the issue with the AWD model, as the 2WD V6 Santa Fe is rated to tow 3500 lbs., and their difference in weight isn't even close to 1300 lbs. which is the difference in their towing capacities. I would suspect that one could tow more than 2200 lbs. assuming the trailer had its own breaks.
On another note, after 10 months of deliberating and comparing models, I put a deposit down on a Black AWD LX this past Thursday. Now I just have to wait for the dealer to get one.
Appreciate the response guru 101. The Santa Fe
salesperson data book lists the towing with AWD as 3500lbs. Now I have heard or read 3500, 2400, 2200, 2000 pounds.
Maybe I'll just forget trailering. It seems like a well built vehicle. I intend to order an LX for 2002.
can someone post photos of grill guards similar to the ruff brush guards on HDKautosport.com just not as tacky looing. hehe.
keith
My fahter serious consider buying this new SUV - Rexton instead of buying Santa-fe.
The main difference between SF and RX is structure.
(SF - frameless mono body RX - frame sturcture)
Also Rx has a 4wd system instead of AWD.
It is bigger and heavier a littile bit than SF is.
It has Mercedes 3.2 6cyl engine and all new Mercedes 4 speed A/T.
Ssangyong has a plan to launch this SUV in the state next year. Own dealers in the U.S have been already chosen.
Rexton - click 2002 new models spyshots
http://myhome.naver.com/mildbreeze/menu2.html
Bill
Decided to investigate the Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape V-6, 2002 Ford Explorer, and the Subaru Outback Wagon with 2.5 4 cylinder engine, automatic transmission. These vehicles were selected because of decent reviews, price and value to some extent, capacity, handling, cruising at 65 to 80mph, quality and opinions offered by many on various net sites, and last in importance trailering or towing ability. I currently own a Toyota Avalon and an 18+ year old 4 x 4 3/4 ton pickup rusty which is hardly used but operable.
My wife and I drove each "test" vehicle at least twice in different weather conditions. Here are our biased opinions.
My wife thought the 2002 Ford Explorer had no real styling as compared to the Santa Fe at the other end of the spectrum, for example. The Explorer she thought looks like a box. She thought it lacked power and its mass above 70mph makes the engine work to maintain that speed or a greater speed. We also thought the interior was okay but nothing special and that the coin holder was basically unusable while driving. Fit and finish seemed good; however the vehicle handled like a big lumbering oaf. We decided it was too large for us, got fairly poor gas mileage, lacked styling inside and out and probably would have difficulty getting out of its own way in an emergency handling situation and had Ford "reliability" or lack thereof. Lastly, the Explorer XLT (2001 version in this instance)is a 4WD vehicle not an AWD vehicle and the Subaru Outback Wagon beats ALL in the snow. NO CONTEST. Last winter I test drove the 2001 Outback in an empty mall parking lot which was basically sheet ice and hard packed wet snow. I COULD NOT GET THE OUTBACK TO GO INTO AN UNCONTROLLED SPIN NO MATTER HOW I TRIED TO ABUSE THIS VEHICLE. I MEAN IT! TALK ABOUT GIVING A PERSON CONFIDENCE!
We then drove the 4WD Mazda Tribute V6 and Ford Escape V6. We both were impressed with the power. It is a lively vehicle to say the least. However it is NOT an AWD but a 4WD vehicle and will not perform as well as an Outback in the snow. It emits a fair amount of engine and road noise. As all SUV it does not give us the feeling of safety or confidence in an emergency handing situation with the center of gravity significantly high. Perhaps a great view of the road in a SUV but I don't want to flip if I have to perform an emergency swerve. In additon to the powerplant another strong point is the Tribute's/Escape's 3500 lb. towing capacity compared to the Subaru's 2000 pound capacity. Gas mileage fairly decent, interior straightforward and plain vanilla. The Tribute's/Escape's doors seems to lack any heft and felt rather "tinny" which probably added to the road noise.
The Santa Fe AWD in our view wins the exterior and interior design award. We drove 2 different AWD Santa Fes. We were very impressed. The ride was excellent and was similar to the ride we experience in our Toyota Avalon. The fit and finish were excellent. For an SUV there was a minimum of lateral swaying. The engine could use more power and it supposedly doesn't tow over 1500 pounds in the AWD model. It is VERY WELL EQUIPPED. However, the down side is that there was a noticeable smell similar to something burning when we existed one of the 2 vehicles. The salesperson tried to blow it off but we found similar comments re the Santa Fe on the net. Further we decided against it because of few dealers and limited dealer support, very limited numbers of Santa Fes for the marketplace and in many cases a premium of $1000 added to the MSRP. NO THANK YOU. I AM NOT A FOOL. However, I do believe that Hyundai is a real comer in the global quality marketplace.
All in all, the Subaru Outback looks and feels like a quality vehicle. It rides and handles superbly. The interior is tasteful and appealing, bordering on plush, 2 tone dash with complimentary tan/creme colors and nice tan fabric seats. Fit and finish are excellent thoroughout. The specs are great. The OUTBACK is 14 inches longer (& more stable) than the Tribute/Escape and 10 inches longer than the Santa Fe. The 2002 Ford Explorer is only 2" longer than the Outback, hard to believe. The Outback has 4 wheel disc brakes and the Tribute/Escape do not. Pickup and accleration are certainly decent. The Subaru Outback can cruise better and handle the road better and has a better top end than the other vehicles in this comparison plus it gets far superior gas mileage and is the clear winner in snow/ice conditions. Thus we chose the 2002 Subaru Outback, tried and true 2.5H 4 cylinder engine, auto transmission, All weather package (including heated seats), comfortable rear seats, a nice heavy duty cupped rubber mat for the rear cargo area. I feel I am getting the same vehicle for around $23k that would cost over 30k if I ordered the leather seats and 6 cylinder engine. In my mind, a great vehicle and even better value.
Perhaps this evaluation will help a few folks decide.
I don't know what's going to change for 2002. I'm hoping that there will be a bump in power, that the 3rd seat rumor becomes true, and more chrome on the exterior (I want the tailgate grab handle to be chrome, just like the rest of the door handles). Also, I hope price doesn't increase by much.
Regarding some of the post's here about the looks, the Santa Fe is not for everyone. I like the curves, and think it beats the boxy look of most suv's.
I agree with your subsequent post; we are talking transportation here. The basic issue is getting from point A to point B safely and reliably. A car/van/suv is a vehicle. If it gets you where you want to go, it has fulfilled it's purpose.
For those who are worried about the quality/warrenty issue, I have found that post-purchase service is more important than initial factory quality. Changing oil, belts, brake pads/rotors, rotating tires, and maintaining the recommended service intervals have been, in my experience, the best way to maintain a vehicle for long usage. So you know I have a little bit of experience in keeping cars running, I was the manager for various courier/armored car/atm service companies from 1980 to 1998. During that time we ran Chevrolet, Plymouth, Dodge, GMC, Ford, Hino, Nissan, Toyota, and Mazda cars, trucks, pickups, vans, and minivans. I like my Hyundai.
The engine is M104 inline 6 - 217 HP.
Thanks.
We know the Santa Fe has 77 or so cubic feet of cargo space (seats down), but we'd like to know the LONGEST, WIDEST, and TALLEST hard object that can be put into the Santa Fe - taking into account the rear hatch opening, the not-quite-flat folded rear seats, and the wheel well intrusions on the side. I am hoping we can put something up to about 60" long, 32" tall, and 38" wide. Any help and information would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Also, how is the build quality??? find any squeaks, rattles come up in the time you've owned it?
I have no knowledge of the 2002 model, and know of no planned changes.
I hope this helps answer your questions.
Length: 175.6 |177.2 in.
Width: 68.3 | 72.6 in.
Height: 65.0 | 65.9 in.
Weight: NA | 3720 lbs.
Wheelbase: 99.4 | 103.1 in.
Turning Circle: 34.7 | 37.1 ft.
Ground Clearance: 7.5 | 8.1 in.
Front Headroom: 39.6 | 39.6 in.
Rear Headroom: 37.2 | 39.2 in.
Front Shoulder Room: 53.5 | 56.3 in.
Rear Shoulder Room: 53.6 | 56.5 in.
Front Hip Room: NA | 54.3 in.
Rear Hip Room: NA | 53.9 in.
Front Leg Room: 43.0 | 41.6 in.
Rear Leg Room: 33.4 | 36.8 in.
Maximum Cargo Capacity: NA | 78 cu. ft.
Maximum Towing Capacity: 1500-2000 | 2200-2700 lbs
Maxium Payload: est. 1100 | 1350
**I pick this information from Edmunds.com Specifications. No matter what you want to compare the Santa Fe will beat it; in term of size, etc.***
Im looking around to replace my 1998 Nissan Pathfinder, this looks like a really good car so far, but then since its Hyundai, i have been skeptical, and the numerous little problems i hear about in the problems board is kind of a downer... Rattles, wind noise, vibrations, rotten eggs, chipping paint, rust...
The dealership is only about 5 minutes drive from my home, so i guess its okay...
No rattles, shakes, etc. But, it is still a new car with less than 3000 on it.
My father-in-law is shopping for a small car that will give him good mpg. He is looking at the Jetta. Now, if you want a car with a iffy track record...
In 1997 I bought the RAV4 and they do have the same smell as the Santa Fe when I bought early back in Jan. 2001. I replace my RAV4 with the Santa Fe. Pretty much I have the ride of the Santa Fe similar to the RX300. I rather compare my Santa Fe with the RX300 instead of the RAV4. The size is bigger and ride much smoother and quiet and well. Also can do more serious off-road compare to the RAV4....I really love my Santa Fe and almost reaching 10k miles close to my 2nd oil change..I will do the tires rotation at this time as well as adding a little bit more Transmission fluid as well..."In order to keep the car last longer; depend on the driver taking care of the car; that's my term".....
1. Smell (Rotten Egg); Almost every import car do have same problem but they tend to go away..(That's not a problem to me)
2. Rattles; this was happen on some of the 4 cylinders Santa Fe but the problem have been fix base on the timing belt situation...re-adjust the timing belt (6 cylinders; I have not heard about this problem)
3. Wind Noise; Cause by the rubber on the windows (Not much Santa Fe have the problem but then it is under warranty and the dealer fix it for free; that's not a big deal to me; since I don't have this problem on my Santa Fe).
4. Vibration; Cause on the high PSI tires that the dealer pump more than 40 psi (just change to lower psi 30-35 and help solve the problem). I don't have this problem on my Santa Fe either and I do believe on most of the Santa Fe written in this board as well.
5. Rust; I even seen other car even rust worser than the Santa Fe. However, the rust are causes depend on the region you live. Salt water like me in San Francisco is an example; Near Ocean watch out...You know what I mean.
6. Chipping Paint; (I don't have a chipping paint on my Santa Fe and I hope other don't get it but if you do I am sure that is under warranty to fix it at the dealer).
I have 22,000 km now and no problem, no rattle, nothing!!! Fuel mileage is improving slightly.