Did you recently rush to buy a new vehicle before tariff-related price hikes? A reporter is looking to speak with shoppers who felt pressure to act quickly due to expected cost increases; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com for more details by 4/24.
Hello all. I have updated my web page with scans of the "glove box sized" guide mailed to my from Hyundai. It goes over a few things like: Features, warranties, how to change the clock, how to change the radio, when to run the A/C, wash the exterior, wash the interior, where is the tire jack, how to tow, phone numbers.
I invite you all to visit www.geocities.com/adamjrae and view these scans.
If you have or know of any other Hyundai Santa Fe web site please let me know so we can link to each other.
Adam J. Rafels Happy Santa Fe GLS 4WD owner since October 2000 with 11,000+ miles
This place is getting very exciting and I can't believe it. You guy really make feel exciting too. Just in case you guy need any help or information about parts installation please send me an email: I will try my best to answer your question as well as try to shoot pictures and show it on my website. My Santa Fe website
I have been reading this board for a few months and I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you for all your great feedback, tips and enthusiasm! Especially to Hung and Tung! You guys are awesome! I owned my first Hyundai in 1988 a little Excel that I just loved! I traded it in on a 1992 Sonata. I loved it too. Then three kids later, needing the space, my husband talked me into a mini-van! UGH!! First of all it wasn't a Hyundai...ANYWAY, my lease is up in a few months, so I have been searching for a new car and came across the Sante Fe...lets just say the rest is history, I was SMITTEN! I am in the process of putting a deposit down on a 2002. I just can't wait!! I have always loved Hyundai's, and I always had the "thats a Hyundai?!" comment on my other two Hyundais. I think that is the most fun, especially when the person riding in your Hyundai spent twice the money on thier car, and it has all the same ammenities! Anyway, thanks again! I promise to post all the info and pictures when I too am the proud owner of a new Sante Fe!! P.S. I have read the 2002's are due sometime in September? Has anyone else heard this?
I just joined the happy owners' club. In Southern California the Santa Fe hasn't quite caught on yet, so we can actually find them on the lots, and we bought ours for dealer's invoice. I think they just want to get them out on the road so people will start saying. "What's that and where do I get one?"
I'd never have known about or considered a Santa Fe if the clever folks at Hyundai hadn't staged a promotional sweepstakes at the local community college I attend. We had just bought a 2000 Chrysler Voyager, and I saw the Santa Fe and said "Oh, rats!". In the category of mixed blessings, my 21 year old daughter totalled the Voyager (no injuries to anyone [thank you, God], just one badly mangled car) and we got to reconsider our purchase. Since the Santa Fe did even better in the crash test than the Voyager, we went straight over to Hyundai (after searching around to *find* a dealership in the area) and bought a Pine Green GLS. Wonderful car, and the more we drive it the more we like it.
Thank you for sharing the information. I have visited your site and look at all the pictures in the Photo Gallery. I really like. Thank you. Wow! Those kind of Stereo System built in the Back Trunk is amazing.
I've actually had my Santa Fe since 8 Dec. but this is the first time in a long while that I've visited Edmunds and lo and behold, owners have their own forum now! This is great. I'll be visiting more often again. I do have one question to anyone who might know, has anyone else heard anything about a new, larger suv coming from Hyundai sometime in the future? I first learned about the possibility while researching Santa Fe here at Edmunds. Don't get me wrong, I love my truck and will try to keep it long after my extended warranty expires, but with one more child, my family will outgrow the Santa Fe. Any information, even just rumors, would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi and Welcome to the board! There will be the new SUV layout coming from Hyundai and it is called the Hyundai Terracan. The Terracan have an option of 5 seats or 7-8 seats. Will be release to the US somewhere next year. Starting about $29k to $35k depend on the model you choose. I really like this SUV too. However, the Santa Fe exterior look better while the Terracan interior look better. **Go to hyundai.com (automobile) and click on Hyundai Terracan and learn about it**
I am looking to get a mini SUV, and the Santa Fe seems very appealing. On MSN, I have read some reviews which complain about engine failure, and other major problems. I wanted to hear what you have to say.
I am thinking about the Ford Escape and the Jeep Liberty as well. I like the looks and standard feature of the Santa Fe the best, but issue with such serious problems from what I have seen have me very concerned. Who cares about a great warranty if the engine is bad from the start.
Please I would like your comments, feel free to e-mail me at sawyer1370@hotmail.com
Thank you for the info on that, hung. I'll actually have to look for it at home, though, instead of work because I can't seem to find it from here. All I found was info on what looks to be a new minivan coming from Hyundai.
To laring, just my two cents worth. I've never had a lick of trouble with the engine or drivetrain at all. I've put on almost 10,000 miles on mine already and all have been smooth sailing. Literally smooth because the Santa Fe handles so much like a car. Its the nicest riding truck I've ever owned. Now, if you want to take a chance on a vehicle that was recalled half a dozen times within its first few months of production, then be my guest. Just keep in mind Ford has nothing like the warranty you're going to get with Hyundai. The Jeep is a brand new vehicle, completely untested so you know you'll have to watch out for bugs there, also. For my money you get outstanding quality and support from Hyundai that I haven't seen from either Ford or Jeep/Chrystler. The Santa Fe is the first Hyundai I've owned and if it maintains like it has so far, then it definitely won't be my last. Also keep in mind, every auto maker produces a few lemons. Most of the people that are complaining on the MSN site are those that unfortunately found Hyundai's. I think for the most part, Santa Fe owners are very, very happy with the steal they found as opposed to the overpriced competitors they could have bought.
The percentage of people that you hear about the engine failure are very rare. Sometime other people hate and jealous about the Santa Fe and then they went on and post that message to scare people away. Most of the Santa Fe owners we have talk to in the SANTAFEFORUM.COM have never really complain about the engine failure, etc. I only heard people talking good about the Santa Fe. I have not have a single problem with the Santa Fe so far at 6k miles. Just recently do my first oil change at 5040 miles. The break-in of my Santa Fe make my Santa Fe run smoother and faster right now. I just love the car more and more.
Remember me "the CANADA SF promotion department chief manager" (I call myself this title! LOL)
My SF had reached 19,500km yesterday! I really tortured my SF, because I used it to deliver flowers, I went to so many different places everyday, mountains, downtown, country side, somtime offroad, highway.....etc, also never wash my car even once since last Nov, 2000. Never have any powertrain problem/paint peel off.
I turned my engine ON/OFF almost hundred times a day, but never having any problem/engine stall.
I hitted my rear corner bumper twice in 5 km/hr, but only have very minor damage (I don't even have to fix it!) After that my SF can still drive at over 160km/hr (or 100 mile/hr) smoothly.
If it is not a good car that WHAT u think it should be?
I test drove a black LX two Saturdays ago. LOVE, WANT IT, GOTTA HAVE IT!!!!!! It was the first vehicle I had test drove since deciding to get a new car - I was surprised by how it fit all my needs and still looks sporty. I am not ready for a mom-mobile, or a monster truck - this suv is awesome. I got a letter from the dealer saying they were having a 4 hour sale to get rid of some stock. Everything on the lot was to be sold at "employee pricing" , plus a $500 voucher was included as extra incentive. The salesman would not tell me how much "employee pricing" was for this vehicle - only that they could give me $1000 off the $23,400 price (including the $500 voucher). I had forgotten the negatives of car buying, but am trying to not let that deter me from getting what I want. Does anyone have any idea how low I could possibly get one at? I'm willing to travel to get a deal. I keep visiting the black one I test drove, it's still there - it's a front wheel drive, does that make a difference in performance?
What state do you live in? Here in Southern California, two dealerships offered us invoice price for the GLS. We went to the dealership that had the color we wanted :-). Midwest and Eastern dealers seem to have figured that this is a hot seller and don't seem to be dealing. Here in Lala land, everyone is still driving the overpriced versions. No accounting for taste, eh?
I just wanted to say "Hi" to everyone and introduce myself to the board. I bought a new Santa Fe GLS 2WD with the ABS, upgrade stereo, mudflaps and roof rail cross members on Friday night. After almost four hours of negotiation, three bottles of water, much pacing, and more than a little intimidation (on their part) I drove home in my new Pine Green Santa Fe. Is it just me, or has the person who named that color never seen a pine tree? It seems teal to me! I love the vehicle, and for $17979, who can beat the price? One question, has anyone converted the rear bumper reflectors to actual brake lights? The lenses seem designed for that purpose, but there are no bulbs or wires. Any info on this conversion would be great! Thanks in advance! David
What are the most important factors in your car-buying decisions? The Chicago Tribune is looking for a ranking of concerns such as safety, price, monthly payment, styling, quality, etc.
Please send your response to jfallon@edmunds.com, or post in Talk to the Press.
Just picked up our new silver LX from Mirak Hyundai in Arlington, MA this week. We have been eyeing the Santa Fe for more than a year, but have waited while I read every possible review, crash test, and recall report (on other vehicles). With winter approaching (supposed to be a good one this year) and an impending drive to VA for Thanksgiving, we decided "now or never." We gave a hard look to the Liberty (which I really liked) and the Forrester. We kicked the tires on all of these at the car show here in Boston last week, but decided to only test drive the Forrester - the Liberty just felt too truck-like for my 5'2" wife. We drove the Forrester on Sunday and I was very impressed with the car-like handling. I thought it would be the better car for my wife whipping around the city. The other pluses for the Forrester: Subaru quality, years of AWD experience, and the only similar crash-test ratings (to the Santa Fe). I also loved the visibility and the glass - a view that felt much safer.
So we moved up the road to the Hyundai dealership in Arlington with the Forrester the one to beat (we had previously driven the Santa Fe twice in the past year). We gave it a good test drive this time, with my wife also getting behind the wheel. I think we both sensed some Serendipity this time - they had a fully loaded silver LX on the lot, precisely the vehicle we would want. My main concern had been visibility - with less glass and the flared hood, I was concerned about more "spatial relationship" problems, but my wife drove it and felt comfortable. In driving it felt smooth and solid and I liked playing with the shiftronic, so the Santa Fe moved into the "lead" again (with of course the main benefits being getting leather, and all the trimmings for less $ than the Forrester).
Now for some background - we are now three-time Hyundai owners. My wife had a '93 Sonata from college that I inherited in marriage. When looking for a car two years ago, we did not set out looking for a Hyundai. I really did not care much for the car, but the economics (we bought an Elantra wagon) were hard to argue against. And, I realized, they are building better and better cars, and the Sonata (built at a time of lower quality) had not had a significant problem at all through 70K miles; the main problem to me had been the quality of construction and fit (it rattled a lot).
So we put only 22K miles on the Elantra in 2 + years, and were generally happy with it – not so much that’d we consider ourselves “loyal” Hyundai drivers yet, but we were at least used to being Hyundai owners. The only problem was a recall part - I believe the power transmission fluid line. My other beefs – the car got TERIBLE mileage. I should have had it looked at, but was too lazy. Our hunch in looking at an SUV was that we might get a better trade-in value from a Hyundai dealer. Not sure if that was the case or not, but they offered us $1000 over blue book trade-in value - and the car had a big dent and scrapes in the rear passenger-side door (the result of some, uh, spatial relationship problems my wife had had with a few poles). All-in-all, with that and some service needed (alignment, etc) we were probably looking at sinking a $1000 into it before winter, so trading up was a relief.
So we returned to the dealer on Monday and put a deal together quickly. I think they were pretty straightforward on the price - our biggest break came on the trade-in, so I had no complaints. We picked the car up Tuesday, and off we went.
We have only 70 miles on the car so far (all in hard city driving), but we are absolutely thrilled with it. Time will tell, of course on reliability and quality, but it is a dream to drive, and it has exceeded our expectations. My wife loves driving it and actually feels much safer. Again, we love it. With each Hyundai we've had, it's clear they've made strides with fit, finish, and - let's be honest - the automatic transmissions (the Elantra never felt quite “right”). This is a great car.
I've had a few snickers from friends whom I've told we bought another Hyundai. But I don't care -I'm not a "car" person. A car will never say much about who I am, but I feel smart driving this. I really don’t think you can go wrong in the compact SUV class. This seems like almost a “golden age” of cars, with so many companies making good cars. I’m sure we would have been happy with the Forrester, but the Santa Fe makes us almost giddy. To paraphrase one review I found – if you like the looks of the Santa Fe (and many understandably don’t) you don’t even need to consider the competitors.
One last thing - we've already had one of those "Santa Fe moments" other drivers have reported. A man stopped my wife as she was plugging her meter in the South End. He marveled over the car and actually asked if he could sit in it.
Actually it's more than that. I live in south TX and I am not sure wether it's worth for me to fork out the extra bucks on an AWD model; but I'd like to have something that gives me a little more safety than pure front wheel drive only. Can anyone shed some light on the exact function of the TC vs a Limited Slip Differential? HDK Autosport are advertising ECUs or modified EFI chips for improved performance, and I have a feeling one of those could really improve quirkness in the SF, plus some stabilizing bars.................. I am also interested in knowing if anyone has had trouble with the quality of the leather interiors for the LX model...............more questions to follow. I already went through all of the previous posts in all of the Santa Fe boards here and they are only wetting my appetite for it; the only other alternative for me would be the Passat 1.8 turbo GLS Wagon, but at the expense of a couple extra grands. I have been looking at the SF for a couple years now, even before it ever made it to the dealers show rooms and auto shows.
I did a lot of extra research on this board and the S/F forum to get me past the Hyundai prior reputation. The S/F has more happy and enthusastic owners than any of the competition and now we are part of the family. My wife likes the look and I like the big and confortable seats. We both like the way it rides. Thanks to all of you who helped us make the purchase decision.
My husband and I just bought our 2002 GLS AWD Merlot Santa Fe with ABS and traction control yesterday! The last day of the year. We determined that neither of us had ever bought next years model in the previous year before. Even if it was by only one day. I guess we got a good deal. We used Edmunds TMV price as our guide. After telling the salesman that that price was our bottom line and if they couldn't do it we would have to pass, he came back and said ok. They said that the Santa Fe is really hot and go very quickly. They had just gotten a big shipment and had 17 new ones on the lot. Luckily one was exactly the color and options we wanted.
So, here we are new SUV owners! It will primarily be my car. My husband has a 95 Thunderbird he says he'll drive till it dies. I bought a pre-owned 2000 Taurus last January and though I tried to love it, I just never did.
I am not anticipating that being a problem with the Santa Fe. I love it already! When I saw pictures of them before they first came out I told my husband that that was what I wanted for my next car. Then I got sidetracked by the Taurus because it was such a bargin. But every time I would see a Santa Fe drive by I'd drool. So, when our credit union advertised 3 day only 4.99 percent intrest rates on new cars I knew that this was my chance. The Taurus rate was at an obscene 8.5 percent and the warrany was 2000 miles from running out. Didn't take much convincing to get my husband to agree.
Today I went to Menards (midwest home improvement chain) and I pulled in the parking spot and a man walking by started walking around the SF and asked if I liked it. I said, "well, I just got it yesterday but so far I love it." He asked several questions about it and then said that it was a really nice looking vehicle. I have NEVER had that happen to me before. It was great.
So, tonight I found this board and thought I'd join your club.
Just picked up my new santa fe 3 weeks ago! Love the look and the ride. But I'm a little scared because I've had a few problems. The oil light was coming on and off. Had it looked at the dealership and said it was an electrical problem. Then, a week and a half later I discovered oil was leaking from 3 differerent spots from underneath. The front, middle, and passenger rear tire. I called the dealership and am having it fixed Monday. I hope the drive to the dealership in o.k. since I live 60 km from it, near where I work. I hope it is just a seal or something. Has anyone else had this problem?? This site has been very helpful. I need to reassure myself that I made the right choice by choosing Santa fe. I was also considering the Saturn Vue, Toyota Rave 4. But the Santa Fe's value and looks wooed me and my husband over.
Yes I checked it, and a friend at work checked it and it was fine. The light would only come on and off, not stay on. I was worried it was an oil pressure problem and did not want to ruin my engine so I took it to the dealer that day. They said it is an electrical problem. I'm going to get the oil leak fixed tommorrow, so I'll keep you posted on what the problem was.
When we first got our Santa Fe it was great. I love the style, the cargo space, interior, roominess. Well, there is a lot I like about my Santa Fe but I have had a lot of inconveinances since I bought it to. It has been in the shop ten different times. Four times for the same thing. I had a full size Ford Bronco(Eddie Bauer)it was an 88. I had had to put about a $1000.00 worth of work in just about 6 month period. So, I told my husband I wanted to get rid of it. So we went out looking. I was naive to think that if we bought a Brand new vehicle that we would have NO PROBLEMS......Well, I was soooooooo WRONG. I never would have thought that I would have used my Warranty this early. I just got my Santa Fe back a week ago. I have never received the gas mileage that they said, I would get. but I had taken it in for the 4th time about the fuel gauge not reaching full. They put in a brand new fuel gauge, I went and filled it up well, didn't show full. They finally decided to drop the tank for a second time. This time they found out that the sending units were not working and the fuel pump nipple was off. So, we are really hoping that our problems are over because if not we will have to go to Lemon Law. I hope everyone elses experience is much better.
Just got home with our 2002 SF GLS fw drive. We have been looking for almost 2 months. Back and forth with a BUICK RDV. Your web pages have helped me get a good understanding of what is out there and a good price I think. MRSP 21334 got it for 20300 with some free oil changes and a bike rack.
Found edmunds most helpful with the wealth of information. Planning a 3400 mile trip next month. I will be letting all who wants to know how things go. Thanks again.
We visited a SF dealer today. Listed on the invoice was an additional charge for "pre-delivery inspection fee" of $295. Does anybody know what this includes, is it a normal charge or just additional profit for the dealership?
Did you ask the dealer/salesperson what this fee included? I would definitely question it.
There have been many questions about legitimate dealer fees in various discussions. To find these discussions, enter "dealer fees" into search. Or check the Smart Shopper board for current discussions.
Last week, Edmunds rolled out new pricing pages. Along with this is a new "consumer ratings & reviews". This functionality lives in the "consumer opinions" area of the new vehicle detail page, and allows users to rate a vehicle on a number of different criteria (1 to 10 scale), as well as add his/her own free-form comments.
If you have some time, we would really appreciate Town Hall members writing a review of their current auto, or a favorite make/model. It takes approximately a week for your review to appear on that make/model.
I live in the Washington, DC area. I have owned a 1988 GMC Jimmy for 14 years. It was the best vehicle I have ever owned. It finally began to have minor problems and so I decided to think toward a new car. A co worker and friend went for a day trip in his SF...and I thought it was a neat looking vehicle...I loved everything I saw. Then I noticed my new neighbor had one so I started asking questions. No one had ANYTHING bad to say about it! My a/c finally died last Friday so I decided to go with another co worker to have a look. I was sold in a minute but I said I would be back with my wife tomorrow. My friend Patti liked it too and said she wanted one ...So she bought the one I picked... (The Merlot) She took me home in her new SF so I went back two days later, on St. Patrick's Day and bought mine (Pine Green) in Woodbridge, VA. We all love our Santa Fe!
I plan to trade my wife's Grand Am for another one next year.
I just bought a beautiful black LX 4WD and I just love it. I just want to go drive it all the time. We wanted a small suv and I did alot of research into this type of car online. For the price and everything that is standard in this car you just can't overlook this car. I got alot of flack from some family members who were like, "you don't want a Korean car," but the way I see it is if Hyundai didn't belive in this car why would it put such a long warranty on it?
One of my favorite features on this car is the automatic climate control! It is just great and it takes no time to cool down the inside of my car.
I do have a question for all you LX owners: I've read that the Santa Fe has underseat ducts. Mine doesn't and I asked the salesman and he "thought" that it didn't. Can someone let me know if their LX has them.
Having grown up in metro Detroit, I still hear comments about "buying Korean". And not too long ago I might have been one to make similar remarks. But after more than a year with my Hyundai Elantra (and 18 years with American cars), my advice to others is "you don't want an American car".
I just took delivery of a pewter 2003 LX after spending much time reading owners comments on this forum and talking to owners here in Wisconsin. Everone seems to love this vehicle. My initial impressions are also positive.
CAN ANY ONE TELL ME IF THE HAVE THE SANTA FE 2003 4WD LX .. IF THERE IS ANY MORE FOR THE DRIVER. I CURRENTLY OWN A 2001 SANTA FE AND GETTING READY TO PURCHASE ANOTHER ONE . DOES ANYONE KNOW THE ANSWER. AND SOME ONE SAID ALSO IN 6 MONTHS THEY WILL BE PUTTING THE X350 MOTOR INTO THE SANTA FE ANY NEWS ON THIS ONE
O.K I have driven every small suv out there. When I slid into this one well......it was hard to conceal from the salesman how turned on I was. Yes as a wise owner said on this board Serendipity for sure. Just wanted to know about the price. 4 w.d.lx with the complete woodgrain kit for $24,700. Awaiting delivery. I have been dealing with internet prices and this seems to be the TMV. Any input would be appreciated!!
Just took delivery of an 03 Santa Fe GLS. Wanted the LX but couldn't swing the deal. I'm not dissatisfied. This car is fantastic. There hasn't been a day go buy that I haven't discovered something else great about this car. I had an 02 Chevy Tracker and was totally unhappy with it. Took a shallow bath when I traded it in but am not unhappy. I purchased it from Hyundai City of Burlington, NJ. The sales people and finance people there are great and extremely knowledgeable. Even after the sale and delivery I received thank you cards from the salesman and promises of follow-up. I can't begin to compare the Chevy to the Hyundai other than to say it's like riding on a cloud. The Tracker was a ZR-2 and totally cramped for space. The Santa Fe is much larger even from the 02 model to the 03. My son-in-law has an 02 GLS which I feel, from the drivers side is a little tight but the 03 has more leg room. I'm 6'2" and am able to stretch my left leg out fully in the driver seat and both legs fully in the passenger seat. I can't stop bragging about this car. It's fantastic. My wife is even looking into the Elantra for her next car.
Hello, everyone. We purchased 2002 GLS 4WD, ABS, Crystal Blue in June, and we love the vehicle. We have put 12,000 miles on it already, and it still drives like dream.
I have taken it to service only for oil change at 1,200/6,000/10,500 miles, and plan to take it in for 15,000 miles service.
Since our first Hyundai has been so good to us, we are considering Elantra GT for the next car.
That is correct our new santafe v6 4wd with only 40 days and 2600 miles is going to have a heart transplant (new longblock engine). We took it to the dealer for a clicking noise under the hood, slight noise. They put it the shop and hoisted it up and listened for it underneath and heard louder. They called Hyundai and told to drop the old pan to check out. Service manger came and got me outa the waitn room and gave me keys to a loner car. Hyundai told them to replace the enitre engine. Its our baby as we love the car and it's drive and looks. But a new engine, I would think Hyundai would transfer us to a new model same for same, rather than put in a new engine, and have to worry about comming back for other realted items to that engine transpant. We will hve to wait and see what he dealer and manufaure will do. Have contacted atty.gen office and local news company that works on correting issuses like this. I hope it dosnt come to that. Like I said the Dealer has been great. 06/08/03
I just purchased a 2003 Santa Fe with the 3.5 V6. The automatic transmission shifting is not smooth. You never know how it's going to respond. Accelerate fast and the transmission shifts somewhat normal. If I accelerate moderately, it's not very smooth, meaning is lunges and then lugs down in the next gear. It runs as if the engine and transmission are seldom on the same page. Does anyone else having this mystery transmission? Fresno, CA
The 5 speed automatic transmission on the LX has a "learning" function, whereby it learns your driving habits and shifts accordingly. Exactly how this functions and how it affects your driving I honestly don't know... I've only put a few hundred miles on mine thus far.
The assumption would be that if you consistently accelerate hard, it is going to move the shift points up and you'll get a later (harsher) shift, emulating what some car makers call a "power" mode. My Daewoo Nubira has a switch on the shifter that, unlike an overdrive function, actually changes the shift points of the transmission. It's way cool.
I do know from reading technical papers on Hyundai's web site (www.hyundaiusa.com) that if you disconnect the battery, the transmission has to learn all over again. If I remember correctly, it spells out about how long it takes to re-learn as well.
Perhaps, and this is just a guess, someone is drove or is driving the vehicle hard or not, just opposite how you are driving it? I don't know if the learning process is continual or not, but I often wonder if the people that test drove mine and put the initial 250 miles on it had an influence on how my transmission shifts. Which, by the way, is moderate (neither harsh nor soft). Hope this info helps!
Just got the Santa Fe 2.7 GLS 4WD in St Louis for my wife. She loves the looks and the comfort. I was sold on the reviews (Edmunds, Consumer Reports and Car & Driver). I'm looking for the reliable car. I just sold my 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee LTD. I liked the vehicle and put 165K miles on it but it was becoming a money pit the last year and a half. My new payment will be lower than the maintenance I was paying on the Jeep.
I paid $21,800 after rebate. It had the following options: Anti-Lock Brakes, upgraded Monsoon stereo and mud guards. Also am having them add leather for $850.
Did anybody purchase the Hyundai extended warranty?
I have a 2003 Santa Fe with the 3.5 V6 with 195 advertized HP. The Santa Fe 2.7 V6 has advertized 175 HP. The 3.5 V6 is 30% larger than the 2.7 V6 but the 3.5 V6 only puts out a additonal 20 H.P./12%. It seem Hyundai is not getting very much H.P from a 3.5 DOHC V6. Anyone know why?
Don't forget that torque is a valuable number, too. From what I understand, if you are towing something, it is a MORE important number than HP. Since I never tow anything, I am going by what people tell me. The torque numbers are up over 20% from the 2.7 to the 3.5. While not equal in terms of percentage, I would believe that those who tow things would want an extra 20% or more.
Another way to look at it is for those of us that don't tow, the 2.7 has plenty of giddyup and gets very reasonable mileage for an SUV. The only complaint that I have about the 2.7 is that the mileage takes a much bigger hit when running the AC than in any other car that I have owned. I wonder why that is.
Good luck with your Santa Fe. Keep us posted on the 3.5.
Comments
My vehicle is better than yours because....
Brag about your ride on Tuesday, May 8, 5-6pm PT/8-9pm ET in the new News & Views Weekly Chat
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
Features, warranties, how to change the clock, how to change the radio, when to run the A/C, wash the exterior, wash the interior, where is the tire jack, how to tow, phone numbers.
I invite you all to visit www.geocities.com/adamjrae and view these scans.
If you have or know of any other Hyundai Santa Fe web site please let me know so we can link to each other.
Adam J. Rafels
Happy Santa Fe GLS 4WD owner since October 2000 with 11,000+ miles
More...
- http://www.members.home.net/g7florist/sf/wooddash01.jpg
- http://www.members.home.net/g7florist/sf/wooddash02.jpg
- www.members.home.net/g7florist/sf/wooddash03.jpg
- www.members.home.net/g7florist/sf/wooddash04.jpg
- www.members.home.net/g7florist/sf/wooddash06.jpg
- www.members.home.net/g7florist/sf/wooddash07.jpg
- www.members.home.net/g7florist/sf/wooddash08.jpg
I'd never have known about or considered a Santa Fe if the clever folks at Hyundai hadn't staged a promotional sweepstakes at the local community college I attend. We had just bought a 2000 Chrysler Voyager, and I saw the Santa Fe and said "Oh, rats!". In the category of mixed blessings, my 21 year old daughter totalled the Voyager (no injuries to anyone [thank you, God], just one badly mangled car) and we got to reconsider our purchase. Since the Santa Fe did even better in the crash test than the Voyager, we went straight over to Hyundai (after searching around to *find* a dealership in the area) and bought a Pine Green GLS. Wonderful car, and the more we drive it the more we like it.
Glad to meet ya'll!
if you wanna more KOREAN SF or Wolrd SF pictures,
visit to my homepage ^^
http://myhome.hananet.net/~netwon/
I've actually had my Santa Fe since 8 Dec. but this is the first time in a long while that I've visited Edmunds and lo and behold, owners have their own forum now! This is great. I'll be visiting more often again. I do have one question to anyone who might know, has anyone else heard anything about a new, larger suv coming from Hyundai sometime in the future? I first learned about the possibility while researching Santa Fe here at Edmunds. Don't get me wrong, I love my truck and will try to keep it long after my extended warranty expires, but with one more child, my family will outgrow the Santa Fe. Any information, even just rumors, would be appreciated. Thanks.
There will be the new SUV layout coming from Hyundai and it is called the Hyundai Terracan. The Terracan have an option of 5 seats or 7-8 seats. Will be release to the US somewhere next year. Starting about $29k to $35k depend on the model you choose. I really like this SUV too. However, the Santa Fe exterior look better while the Terracan interior look better. **Go to hyundai.com (automobile) and click on Hyundai Terracan and learn about it**
I am thinking about the Ford Escape and the Jeep Liberty as well. I like the looks and standard feature of the Santa Fe the best, but issue with such serious problems from what I have seen have me very concerned. Who cares about a great warranty if the engine is bad from the start.
Please I would like your comments, feel free to e-mail me at sawyer1370@hotmail.com
thanks,
Larry
To laring, just my two cents worth. I've never had a lick of trouble with the engine or drivetrain at all. I've put on almost 10,000 miles on mine already and all have been smooth sailing. Literally smooth because the Santa Fe handles so much like a car. Its the nicest riding truck I've ever owned. Now, if you want to take a chance on a vehicle that was recalled half a dozen times within its first few months of production, then be my guest. Just keep in mind Ford has nothing like the warranty you're going to get with Hyundai. The Jeep is a brand new vehicle, completely untested so you know you'll have to watch out for bugs there, also. For my money you get outstanding quality and support from Hyundai that I haven't seen from either Ford or Jeep/Chrystler. The Santa Fe is the first Hyundai I've owned and if it maintains like it has so far, then it definitely won't be my last. Also keep in mind, every auto maker produces a few lemons. Most of the people that are complaining on the MSN site are those that unfortunately found Hyundai's. I think for the most part, Santa Fe owners are very, very happy with the steal they found as opposed to the overpriced competitors they could have bought.
My SF had reached 19,500km yesterday! I really tortured my SF, because I used it to deliver flowers, I went to so many different places everyday, mountains, downtown, country side, somtime offroad, highway.....etc, also never wash my car even once since last Nov, 2000. Never have any powertrain problem/paint peel off.
I turned my engine ON/OFF almost hundred times a day, but never having any problem/engine stall.
I hitted my rear corner bumper twice in 5 km/hr, but only have very minor damage (I don't even have to fix it!) After that my SF can still drive at over 160km/hr (or 100 mile/hr) smoothly.
If it is not a good car that WHAT u think it should be?
David
Please send your response to jfallon@edmunds.com, or post in Talk to the Press.
Thanks!
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
So we moved up the road to the Hyundai dealership in Arlington with the Forrester the one to beat (we had previously driven the Santa Fe twice in the past year). We gave it a good test drive this time, with my wife also getting behind the wheel. I think we both sensed some Serendipity this time - they had a fully loaded silver LX on the lot, precisely the vehicle we would want. My main concern had been visibility - with less glass and the flared hood, I was concerned about more "spatial relationship" problems, but my wife drove it and felt comfortable. In driving it felt smooth and solid and I liked playing with the shiftronic, so the Santa Fe moved into the "lead" again (with of course the main benefits being getting leather, and all the trimmings for less $ than the Forrester).
Now for some background - we are now three-time Hyundai owners. My wife had a '93 Sonata from college that I inherited in marriage. When looking for a car two years ago, we did not set out looking for a Hyundai. I really did not care much for the car, but the economics (we bought an Elantra wagon) were hard to argue against. And, I realized, they are building better and better cars, and the Sonata (built at a time of lower quality) had not had a significant problem at all through 70K miles; the main problem to me had been the quality of construction and fit (it rattled a lot).
So we put only 22K miles on the Elantra in 2 + years, and were generally happy with it – not so much that’d we consider ourselves “loyal” Hyundai drivers yet, but we were at least used to being Hyundai owners. The only problem was a recall part - I believe the power transmission fluid line. My other beefs – the car got TERIBLE mileage. I should have had it looked at, but was too lazy. Our hunch in looking at an SUV was that we might get a better trade-in value from a Hyundai dealer. Not sure if that was the case or not, but they offered us $1000 over blue book trade-in value - and the car had a big dent and scrapes in the rear passenger-side door (the result of some, uh, spatial relationship problems my wife had had with a few poles). All-in-all, with that and some service needed (alignment, etc) we were probably looking at sinking a $1000 into it before winter, so trading up was a relief.
So we returned to the dealer on Monday and put a deal together quickly. I think they were pretty straightforward on the price - our biggest break came on the trade-in, so I had no complaints. We picked the car up Tuesday, and off we went.
We have only 70 miles on the car so far (all in hard city driving), but we are absolutely thrilled with it. Time will tell, of course on reliability and quality, but it is a dream to drive, and it has exceeded our expectations. My wife loves driving it and actually feels much safer. Again, we love it. With each Hyundai we've had, it's clear they've made strides with fit, finish, and - let's be honest - the automatic transmissions (the Elantra never felt quite “right”). This is a great car.
I've had a few snickers from friends whom I've told we bought another Hyundai. But I don't care -I'm not a "car" person. A car will never say much about who I am, but I feel smart driving this. I really don’t think you can go wrong in the compact SUV class. This seems like almost a “golden age” of cars, with so many companies making good cars. I’m sure we would have been happy with the Forrester, but the Santa Fe makes us almost giddy. To paraphrase one review I found – if you like the looks of the Santa Fe (and many understandably don’t) you don’t even need to consider the competitors.
One last thing - we've already had one of those "Santa Fe moments" other drivers have reported. A man stopped my wife as she was plugging her meter in the South End. He marveled over the car and actually asked if he could sit in it.
HDK Autosport are advertising ECUs or modified EFI chips for improved performance, and I have a feeling one of those could really improve quirkness in the SF, plus some stabilizing bars..................
I am also interested in knowing if anyone has had trouble with the quality of the leather interiors for the LX model...............more questions to follow.
I already went through all of the previous posts in all of the Santa Fe boards here and they are only wetting my appetite for it; the only other alternative for me would be the Passat 1.8 turbo GLS Wagon, but at the expense of a couple extra grands.
I have been looking at the SF for a couple years now, even before it ever made it to the dealers show rooms and auto shows.
Thanks to all of you who helped us make the purchase decision.
So, here we are new SUV owners! It will primarily be my car. My husband has a 95 Thunderbird he says he'll drive till it dies. I bought a pre-owned 2000 Taurus last January and though I tried to love it, I just never did.
I am not anticipating that being a problem with the Santa Fe. I love it already! When I saw pictures of them before they first came out I told my husband that that was what I wanted for my next car. Then I got sidetracked by the Taurus because it was such a bargin. But every time I would see a Santa Fe drive by I'd drool. So, when our credit union advertised 3 day only 4.99 percent intrest rates on new cars I knew that this was my chance. The Taurus rate was at an obscene 8.5 percent and the warrany was 2000 miles from running out. Didn't take much convincing to get my husband to agree.
Today I went to Menards (midwest home improvement chain) and I pulled in the parking spot and a man walking by started walking around the SF and asked if I liked it. I said, "well, I just got it yesterday but so far I love it." He asked several questions about it and then said that it was a really nice looking vehicle. I have NEVER had that happen to me before. It was great.
So, tonight I found this board and thought I'd join your club.
scared because I've had a few problems. The oil light was coming on and off. Had it looked
at the dealership and said it was an electrical problem. Then, a week and a half later I discovered oil was leaking from 3 differerent spots from underneath. The front, middle, and
passenger rear tire. I called the dealership and am having it fixed Monday. I hope the drive to
the dealership in o.k. since I live 60 km from it, near where I work. I hope it is just a seal or
something. Has anyone else had this problem?? This site has been very helpful. I need to
reassure myself that I made the right choice by choosing Santa fe. I was also considering the
Saturn Vue, Toyota Rave 4. But the Santa Fe's value and looks wooed me and my husband over.
engine so I took it to the dealer that day. They said it is an electrical problem. I'm going to get the oil leak fixed tommorrow, so I'll keep you posted on what the problem was.
I never would have thought that I would have used my Warranty this early.
I just got my Santa Fe back a week ago. I have never received the gas mileage that they said, I would get. but I had taken it in for the 4th time about the fuel gauge not reaching full. They put in a brand new fuel gauge, I went and filled it up well, didn't show full. They finally decided to drop the tank for a second time. This time they found out that the sending units were not working and the fuel pump nipple was off. So, we are really hoping that our problems are over because if not we will have to go to Lemon Law. I hope everyone elses experience is much better.
Found edmunds most helpful with the wealth of information. Planning a 3400 mile trip next month. I will be letting all who wants to know how things go. Thanks again.
There have been many questions about legitimate dealer fees in various discussions. To find these discussions, enter "dealer fees" into search. Or check the Smart Shopper board for current discussions.
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
If you have some time, we would really appreciate Town Hall members writing a review of their current auto, or a favorite make/model. It takes approximately a week for your review to appear on that make/model.
If you have any questions, please let me know!
Thanks!
KarenS
Host
Owners Clubs
Then I noticed my new neighbor had one so I started asking questions.
No one had ANYTHING bad to say about it!
My a/c finally died last Friday so I decided to go with another co worker to have a look.
I was sold in a minute but I said I would be back with my wife tomorrow. My friend Patti liked it too and said she wanted one ...So she bought the one I picked... (The Merlot) She took me home in her new SF so I went back two days later, on St. Patrick's Day and bought mine (Pine Green) in Woodbridge, VA. We all love our Santa Fe!
I plan to trade my wife's Grand Am for another one next year.
One of my favorite features on this car is the automatic climate control! It is just great and it takes no time to cool down the inside of my car.
I do have a question for all you LX owners: I've read that the Santa Fe has underseat ducts. Mine doesn't and I asked the salesman and he "thought" that it didn't. Can someone let me know if their LX has them.
I can't stop bragging about this car. It's fantastic. My wife is even looking into the Elantra for her next car.
I have taken it to service only for oil change at 1,200/6,000/10,500 miles, and plan to take it in for 15,000 miles service.
Since our first Hyundai has been so good to us, we are considering Elantra GT for the next car.
Like I said the Dealer has been great. 06/08/03
The assumption would be that if you consistently accelerate hard, it is going to move the shift points up and you'll get a later (harsher) shift, emulating what some car makers call a "power" mode. My Daewoo Nubira has a switch on the shifter that, unlike an overdrive function, actually changes the shift points of the transmission. It's way cool.
I do know from reading technical papers on Hyundai's web site (www.hyundaiusa.com) that if you disconnect the battery, the transmission has to learn all over again. If I remember correctly, it spells out about how long it takes to re-learn as well.
Perhaps, and this is just a guess, someone is drove or is driving the vehicle hard or not, just opposite how you are driving it? I don't know if the learning process is continual or not, but I often wonder if the people that test drove mine and put the initial 250 miles on it had an influence on how my transmission shifts. Which, by the way, is moderate (neither harsh nor soft). Hope this info helps!
I paid $21,800 after rebate. It had the following options: Anti-Lock Brakes, upgraded Monsoon stereo and mud guards. Also am having them add leather for $850.
Did anybody purchase the Hyundai extended warranty?
Don't forget that torque is a valuable number, too. From what I understand, if you are towing something, it is a MORE important number than HP. Since I never tow anything, I am going by what people tell me. The torque numbers are up over 20% from the 2.7 to the 3.5. While not equal in terms of percentage, I would believe that those who tow things would want an extra 20% or more.
Another way to look at it is for those of us that don't tow, the 2.7 has plenty of giddyup and gets very reasonable mileage for an SUV. The only complaint that I have about the 2.7 is that the mileage takes a much bigger hit when running the AC than in any other car that I have owned. I wonder why that is.
Good luck with your Santa Fe. Keep us posted on the 3.5.
Tim