Maybe someone here can clarify this for me. Traction Control uses the brakes when the SUV senses slippage while AWD gives power to the back tires during slippage. If your vehicle has both, how does it know which one to use at the proper time???
If you go to post #701 the second site listed as a hyundai site it lists the standard features on the Santa Fe this Hyundai site says antilock brakes are standard on the GLS&LX this is a canadian hyundai site. I dont know if the ABS is standard on Santa Fe's in the US or not. I would be intresting to find out.
The Santa Fe LX and ABS does not come with a LSD because the TCS does the work that the LSD does on the AWD GLS. If you will notice the you can't get a LSD on a GLS or LX AWD if you get the ABS and TCS option. Finally a Hyundai mechanic explained it to me. I had noticed that the LSD was not on the sticker with the LX AWD ABS TCS that I got.
We have same problem as you guys have. Door lock doesn't work on really cold day. Hyundai service team changed whole wire set. --> Now it works well.
Gas gauge problem... -->Hyundai doesn't have spare parts when I went to service shop. --> will be changed...
The other SF'S PROBLEMS.... Some folks reported that they got service about L.S.D and shiftronic transmission.
Hyundai launched Santa-fe last year July in Korea. It seems that the model which are produced these days don't have problem but I think early models have problem.
After reading the posts on this board for nearly 3 months, I decided I was finally ready to purchase a Santa Fe. I live in St. Louis, Mo. I went out planning to locate and purchase a GLS FWD and ended up with an AWD LX! Not what I intended but I think I got a great deal. None of the dealerships here had a FWD GLS, they all tried to sell me a GL with add-on package saying it was almost the same thing. Yeah it is, except for the 4-cyl engine, plastic black door handles, no foglights, and ugly upholstery! Two Sundays ago The Post Dispatch (St.Louis paper) ran a Hyundai invoice sale for one of the local dealers. Turns out they were gonna let the S.F. go for 3% over invoice! I was skeptical to see what their "invoice" price was but was surprised to find it was within 50 dollars of what edmunds and other sites had said. I agreed to purchase a pewter AWD GLS that was supposed to be on the lot by Thursday for 20,600 (including dest charge). Thursday came and my car hadn't shown up. The only one that came on the truck that week was an LX. The Hyundai sales manager was off that day, but the owner of the dealership was there, and he offered me the LX for $800 more than my original offer! I ended up with a merlot AWD LX with the heated seats/electrochromatic mirror/roof cross rails/floor mats/cargo tray for only $21,400!!!! It made for a very nice XMas present! I now have about 1100 miles after my Xmas trip and have no problems. I love it!
I finally have my first suv in Santa Fe gls awd, before I settled w/ Hyundai my first choice was the Mazda tribute but after test driving both I was convince the Santa Fe was a little better although the Tribute is more powerful and agile. The only problem is it cost more the the Tribute (with comparable trim and feature) I paid $25,136 out the door which include a protection package worth of $500 that the salesman said it was free. I love the car (styling, features, etc.) but a little steep price, I guess that's the price for owning a car here in MAUI!
I am considering the purchase of a Santa Fe this spring and I'd love to hear from anyone who has been driving his or her Santa Fe GLS through the recent harsh winter weather, especially in Canada. I'd like to know how the Santa Fe holds up under the elements: Good in the snow? Start right up in sub-zero conditions? Does the heater warm up the car quickly and at what fan setting for a comfortable temperature? Does the interior glass ice up?
Much to my surprise I drove home with a GLS FWD today. Had gone to dealership to test drive and ended up buying it. Test drove without salesman, and remembering comments about vibration at 60mph...I had it up to 70 and 75. Not a hint of vibration. Bought it at Fitzgerald Auto Mall in Clearwater, Fl. Absolutely painless experience. $20,447. Out the door with tags, tax, etc.
I wish my GLS V6 AWD had a little more power, although it is not really underpowered, I would like a little more on hills. Would using high test fuel give it a little more HP?
I'm finally ready to purchase a Santa Fe. Is there any one in NJ/Phila area purchased at near invoice? There are dealers offering $100 & up over invoice but they're also charging near $600 & up advertising fee that they neglect to tell you until the numbers don't add up. I've called Hyundai Corp. & Hyundai Consumer Affairs & they have confirmed this advertising fee number on the so-called invoices shown to customers is bogus. Hyundai does not charge the dealers this fee. The dealership themselves are adding this & continue to lie and say that they had to pay it to purchase the car from Hyundai so you have to pay it. It really, really bothers me that the dealers are lying to you right off the bat. So if there is anyone in the area who found a decent hyundai dealer - I'd really like all info you can give me. Thanks in advance.
The dealer in St. Louis I went to was Dean Team Hyundai. They are located on Manchester Road in Ballwin. Coming from downtown you take 40W to 270S exit Manchester, go right on Manchester then about 3-5 miles down on your right. The salesman that helped me was Sean Espey. He was really easy to get along with and didn't pull any B.S. with me. (I think he saw all my notes and numbers and knew I knew what I was talking about.) I work down the road from the dealership and when I drove home after work today I stopped in to see if the mudguards I had ordered were in yet and noticed what they have on the lot. They have another merlot AWD LX like mine but this one has the ABS/TC package also. They have a sticker of something like 26,xxx on it, but like I said in my earlier post they are on "sale" for 3% over invoice which takes all the add-ons (paint protectant/fabric guard/undercoating out of play). They also have a black AWD LX with the ABS/TX also. The only other two there were GL's-one white, one pewter. Let me know if you are gonna go see this sales guy. He promised me some $ if I referred people to him. I would have done that anyway, I have only purchased three cars in my life but I can say without a doubt this was the most painless experience I've ever had. The day I went into the dealership I was there no longer than 30 minutes before I had signed the offer and the dealership had accepted it and that is the truth. If you have any more questions let me know.
Allow me to suggest San Leandro, Richmond & Bob Lewis (San Jose). These 3 dealers were basically honest & just at, over or below invoice. I purchasd at Bob Lewis and only had to experience about 5 to 10 minutes of "pressure" before they agreed to honor the 40 bucks over invoice price I'd been quoted over the phone by their internet managers. Have to credit San Leandro too, they just didn't have the package i wanted....
I have been watching the posts on this board for some time now.... After 12 years in a mini-van I was ready to trade in my grocery getter for something a little more fun to drive. As I commute quite a distance to work, I was particularly drawn to the mini-suv category. I drove and researched every vehicle in the class for about 6 months straight. Every weekend we would test drive and Monday - Friday I would get on line and research. While not at all interested in owning a Hyundai (I actually dismissed a salesman's earlier suggestions to try one)I was very disappointed in the craftsmanship of the much anticipated Tribute and Escape and stumbled into a Santa Fe by mistake at a huge off-site dealer sale. I could not get the vehicle out of my mind, and it soon became the standard to which all others were compared to. After waiting about 6 more weeks and continuing to watch this site and the "buzz" on the Santa Fe, we were very receptive when the dealer we had been working with called to say they had received one new Santa Fe in that we had to come see...It was the V-6 GLS in Crystal Blue. Now I still had my brochure from the dealership and Crystal Blue does not show well in the brochure....We went and looked at the Santa Fe and the deal was done out the door for $19,500 (including carpeted floor mats, cross-members on the roof rack, first oil change free and free detail) in about 15 minutes. They have not yet ever recieved another one in Crystal Blue and I understand the V-6's in general are slow to ship from Korea. We were very hesistant to buy Hyundai from their past reliability issues and poor resale value..but because we hold a vehicle for a long time, this should not be an issue. First time out is also scary as we had numerous problems with our "first out" MPV...but we have experienced no problems. NONE !!! No vibration, no blinking clock, no brake problems, no problems with the shiftronic transmission. My only complaints are that the passenger seat is not adjustable like the drivers seat and that it is a Hyundai. We cannot help notice the glassy look that comes over people when they are smitten with the good looks only to realize it is a Hyundai. I have never even seen another Santa Fe on the road....anywhere....and I live and work in the greater Seattle area....My Santa Fe has just over 3000 miles on it...It comfortably seats our 3 children (2 teenagers and a 3 year old). Even our skeptical relatives have acknowledged that men over 6 feet tall can ride in the back seat for long travels and still walk when getting out of the car. The handling and pick-up give me the sporty feel I wanted. The hatchback and folding seats give me the cargo space I need. The sound system makes my long commute tolerable. I will continue to watch this board for signs of impending doom...but so far, I have to say.....thank goodness I didn't go zoom, zoom, zoom.....
I'm not sure what you mean by test gas, but if you're talking about testing it with higher octane gas, it shouldn't make any difference. There's no performance and gas mileage benifit from running your SF with mid or premium gas.
I am considering the purchase of a 4 cyl SF auto GL. Due to another posting, regarding watching the warranty requirements, I reviewed them in an owner's manual. It appears that replacing of the timing belt every 30K is required. Isn't this more often than other similar imports. Does anyone know the cost? The dealer's service dept. wasn't open. I drove a 4 cyl auto around town, seemed like it had decent power.
The manual says to change the oil every 7500 miles unles you are doing heavy duty use, towing, etc. which is 3500 mi. 7500 seems a long time, how about 5000 mi?
Hunter 46: According to the brochure, the engine uses a timing chain, not a belt! Perhaps they are referring to the power steering or alternator belt, which would not be expensive or difficult to replace. Hope this helps. Note that this info is for V6 only, perhaps the 4 cylinder uses a belt, although you are correct that this seems to be frequent. Most vehicles that use belts for the camshaft require replacement every 100,000 km or 60000 miles. Canadian version only comes with V6, so I can't verify if the 4 cylinder uses belt or chain.
Hi, I am considering purchasing a Santa Fe, had my heart set on a Tribute until I test drove the Santa Fe. Here is my question, is the traction control a worthwhile option on the front-wheel drive Santa Fe? Please explain what traction control actually does and how is it different from the four-wheel drive. I have been a mini-van driver for 10 years and didn't have to know about traction control and four wheel drive before. Thank you.
I have been following this board for quite some time and I have seen many discussions of greedy dealers. I have also read many postings about great deals. I obviously is going to vary by areas and dealers. I am trying to decide which model to get but I am wondering if anyone has dealt with dealers in the KC area. I've looked at stickers at Sunflower Hyundai in Olathe and they seem to match what Edmunds says for MSRP. Has anyone dealth with them?
Who did your great deal? We have been looking at dealers for the past 4 weeks looking for an DX, 4WD and cannot find the one we want. Lots of AL and some GAS in AWD. The interned sales managers are the way to go: responsive and a great price. Most of the salesman and sales managers are not prepared for the info we have gotten from Edmunds.
I road tested the new Santa Fe today and once I returned to the dealership I noticed that there was a strong smell of burning plastic or rubber. When I asked the salesman about the smell, he told me it was because of a coating placed on the engine to proptect it during shipment. He stated it would wear off in a week or two of normal use.
Has anyone else experienced this odor and if so how long did it take to dissipate?
The engine smell you mentioned is normal and it is caused by the coating they put on the engine. They smell on mine went away in about 2 weeks. Don't worry, its OK. My LX AWD Sandstone now has 1200 miles with no problems whatsoever and we are VERY happy with it and highly recommend. Santa Fe has been named as a " best buy" by consumers digest. They have a nice selection of SF's at First Team Hyundai in Roanoke, VA. (right off interstate 81). They are $300.00 under MSRP since they are a "no hassle" dealer. (they have web site). They won't come down on the price, but you can dicker on trade-in. Be sure to read the SF review at Motorweek Online and the consumer reviews at MSN CarPoint and the review at CarPoint. I hope everyone enjoys their SF as much as I have. Awd in Virginia
I am in the market for a Hyundai Santa Fe LX 2wd with floor mats as the only option. Trying to locate a decent price for this vehicle. Has anyone who has purchased a similarly equipped model felt like they got an awesome deal? If so, could you please share it with the rest of us shoppers. Please include the TOTAL out the door price before tax and registration fees. Would like to try to get an idea of just how much can be negotiated on these things. I have frequent flyer miles that I need to use so I am willing to travel just about anywhere in the US if I can find a great deal on one. It would make a fun road trip also. Could you please include the dealership name, phone number and contact person if you can. I wish everyone who has recently purchased a Santa Fe the best of luck and Happy Driving!!! I look forward to being part of the Santa Fe Driving Club. Thanx
Well, We're quickly approaching the two-month mark since purchasing our new 2WD-LX-V6 Santa Fe and we still could not be happier with our decision to purchase...
In the almost two month we have owned it, we have driven on dry, wet, snow-covered (1 foot or more), ice and mud.. The Santa Fe performed flawlessly! I still see no need to purchase the 4WD version as the 2WD version performs way above expectations for the climate I live in (Springfield, Missouri)...
We have filled up 7 times for a total miles driven of 2033.2 using 90.863 gallons and averaging 22.0 miles per gallon (to date). This includes mostly in-town and little highway driving...
After driving the Santa Fe almost 2 months I only have one real complaint... Road Noise! The Santa Fe could use some more insulation to deaden road noise a bit more... When you have the radio on at an acceptable level, you don't notice it as much but with the radio off and talking to one another, you definately notice the noise...
Other than that, I have had no problems with the motor, shiftronic transmission, clock, 60mph hum/vibration or any other thing...
Maybe a stupid question here, but I never owned an AWD vehicle, and as you can see by my frequent posts I am considering the SF --- just waiting on my tax return to pull the trigger.
I religiously change my transimission fluid and filters on my present vehicles -- evry 30K miles. On AWD vehicles does transmission changes require filter and fluid changes for BOTH the front and back or do the units use a 'central' system?
The dealer we used was Auburn Valley Hyundai. Manager's name is Todd Peterson and the salesman we worked with was Quilly...Excellent service and no "hard sale"....GOOD LUCK..
I've had my Santa Fe AWD LS for about a month now, and after doing some calculations my miles per gallon seem to be terrible compared to most of what I've read. Granted, we've had a lot of snow and ice, and I've done all non-highway driving (suburban streets...stop and go), but I'm averaging less than 11 miles per gallon. I'm going to give it a bit longer for the break-in period, but that seems really low compared to everything I've read here. I'd be very interested to hear anyone else's mileage experiences.... and if anyone has seen such a low mpg result.
Also, has anyone added the interior wood trim option...I'm thinking about it and would like to hear about the experience of installing and the end result.
Mileage issue aside, I love my Santa Fe and am really enjoying it. All the posts here were a great help in making the purchase decision.
FYI. My GAS 4WD was getting 19 City and 16-19 Highway for the first 3,000-4,000 miles. I now have over 7,000 miles and I'm getting 20 City and 23 Highway. Strange for the highway numbers to go from 16 to 23 but I've seen stranger things.
to drebin97 I am picking up my new Sante Fe LX AWD tomorrow from Sunflower Hyundai in Olathe. I first delt with them through contact with the Internet via Autoweb.com. Their internet sales manager is Neal Weaver and he has been very good to deal with. I was charged exactly what I was told by Neal when I had my first phone conversation with him, $500 over invoivce within a few bucks of Edmunds ideal price and below the MSRP price.
My contact with Northtowne Hyundai was OK, however they do not have an internet sales dept they just give your request to a floor salesman who treated me just like a customer who would walk in the door, and they are not offering the $500 over invoice pricing that Sunflower did.
If you want AWD and ABS though there are none to be had in the KC area, I got the last one Sunflower had and Northtowne has none and none coming.
I am looking to get a Santa Fe in the next few months and can't decide on on if I want the FWD or AWD version on the GLS. Any suggestions? I live in Richmond, VA so the whole snow thing isn't a huge issue for most of the winter. Just wondering if maintenance costs are more down the road or if anyone has had any major problems. I did see some postings about shaking at over 60. Thanks!!
Well, its been a month since I bought my Santa Fe GLS fwd (sandstone) and I still love it. I laughed about the heated mirrors since I live in Houston, but I have changed my tune. We had a hard freeze the other day and my mirrors were coated with frost 30 seconds with the defrost and they were clear. It also clears wet fog. I also love the fog lights when I am on dark country roads. They really light up the road just in front of you. Yes there is a little road noise but who cares. If you want everything perfect spend $20,000 more and buy a Lexus. I have a lot of other things to do with my money then prevent road noise. The brakes did seem a little soft when I first got the car, but either I got use to them or the adjusted themselves with all of the backing out of the driveway. I haven't figured my in town mileage yet. I filled up two weeks ago and still have half a tank left, so it must be pretty good.
After talking to a dealer service rep, he indicated that the SF owner's manual says inspect the timing chain at 30K, replace at 60K, est. cost w/4-5 hrs labor, total parts & labor is $400-450, which is pretty much in line w/Nissans, etc. 6 cylinder models seem to be scare here, mostly 4 cylinders GL on the lot, selling fast.
Well, I had some bad luck with my Santa Fe GLS this morning. With only 2720 miles I rear-ended an Eclipse when the traffic came to a stop on the freeway. I do not have ABS but in this case it probably would not have made a difference. I thought that I was stopping in time but was paying attention to the car behind me as I was sure that they would hit me. When I looked forward again I knew it would be too late. My right front bumper hit the left rear bumper. Almost no damage to the Eclipse. But, the Santa Fe bumper cracked in the recessed area of the fog light.
The reason for this post though is that I thought that people may be interested in the repair costs. Parts 181.70 USD (New bumper) Body Labor 71.40 Paint Labor 102.00 Paint Supplies 51.00 Sublet/misc 11.00 ( EPA waste charge & Flex Add ) ---------------------- Subtotal 417.10 Tax @ 6.5% 27.11 ====================== Total cost 444.21 USD
If anyone has any questions then I will do my best to answer them.
The Hyundai Dealer in Roanoke, VA on Peters Creek Road has a website at "first team auto mall. com" or you can search for "first team hyundai" and click on first team hyundai at peters creek rd. My salesman was Gerald Grogan. They have about 12 Santa Fe's as of a couple of days ago. They are located just off Interstate 81. Hope this helps. Awd in Virginia
After much research and dealing with the dealers for about a month I got my Sante Fe tonight. White LX AWD with TX and ABS. I am glad I got it when I did (I made the deal Friday on my way out of town for the weekend). There were 4 people getting Sante Fes tonight at that dealer. All of the AWD models are gone in the Kansas City Metro area (3 dealers) and people were driving in from Wichita Kansas looking for Sante Fe AWDs. Luckly my dealer was honest and did not sell mine out from under me while I was out of town for the weekend, they had opportunity to do so. I got mine for $500 over invoice plus a $149 "administrative fee" but no dealer add ons or advertising fees etc. So I still got out under MSRP and within a few bucks of Edmunds TMV pricing.
The General Manager had demoed my car himself and so it had a few miles but that just means nothing was wrong with it because he kept driving it until it was the only AWD left on the lot. He said that only 15% of the 2001 Hyundai allocation will be Sante Fe, so expect the sticker to go up. He said the other 3 sold tonight were all MSRP walk in folks. (I did mine via Autoweb.com).
The LX with ABS and TX will be especially hard to find. If I had not gotten this one they said it might be a month or two wait for the specfic package I wanted.
I was changing oil tonight in our Santa Fe, when I notice that our Santa Fe did not have a Mud Guard (which is a skid plate to me) covering over the bottom of the engine. I have a Santa Fe GLS FWD with 1300 miles on and according to the book, there should be a mud guard covering the oil filter and bottom of the engine.
I was going to wait until I had a few more miles on my SC but I couldn't wait to say that I love this vehicle! We picked up our Pewter GAS AWD I/ AS and TICS last Wednesday at Dick Edwards in Manhattan, Kansas. This dealer was great to work with - since I wasn't having any luck finding a AWD Pewter SC I/ ABS and TCS on a lot this dealer watched the vehicles coming into the US and snagged this one as soon as it showed up on the computer. They called me and 22 days later I'm driving my new SF. I paid $20,800 incl. admin fee of $75 and taxes. (Our SF also included the optional rubber cargo tray and carpeted floor mats.) or just a little over $400 above invoice.
I won't go into the details but our SF doesn't appear to have any afore mentioned problems. (build date of 11/23) We filled up the tank today and as close as we can tell we are getting somewhere close to 22 mpg with 370 miles on the odo.
The dealer had several GLs on the lot as well as GLSs and LXs but no others had the ABS/TCS pkg. which I wanted. I would be glad to answer any questions about the veh from a mom w/ kids point of view or about our dealer. You can e-mail me at mksmith@southwind.net.
I own a GAS 4WD. I have a skid plate but I have also noticed that the 4cyls do not have the skid plate. I'm not sure if they should or not but I'm just telling you grc4 what's I've seen. If you learn anything please let us all know.
I also have the GLS FWD. Mine does not have the skid plate either. Does the FWD come with one? or does it only come with the AWD option? If anyone knows please let us know.
As for engine smell. I noticed it the first day that we drove it home from the dealer. But that is all. I did put a lot of miles (approx 250) on my SF that day so all of the coating probably burned off that day. Maybe if you get your SF up to temp and keep it there for an extended period then the smell would go away quicker.
I'm checking on that today with our dealer. There is too much expose on the under side to leave it that way. Thanks adamjrae & roadkill55 for your replies.
I called AC/Delco and they told me that the 2001 Santa Fe 4 cyclinders and 6 cyclinders both use their part number PF-1127. I changed oil last night and the works fine. I thought my Chevy Astro Van had the easiest oil filter to change until I look at the Santa Fe. It is a piece of cake. Also, the oil pan bolt is a 17mm if anyone care. I was however, disappointed with the sharp edges on the oil filter mounting bracket and the nozzle that the oil filter screw on. They could have done a better job there.
Comments
a hyundai site it lists the standard features on the Santa Fe this Hyundai site says antilock brakes are standard on the GLS&LX this is a canadian hyundai site.
I dont know if the ABS is standard on Santa Fe's in the US or not.
I would be intresting to find out.
because the TCS does the work that the LSD does on the AWD GLS. If you will notice the you can't get a LSD on a GLS or LX AWD if you get the ABS and TCS option. Finally a Hyundai mechanic explained it to me. I had noticed that the LSD was not on the sticker with the LX AWD ABS TCS that I got.
We have same problem as you guys have.
Door lock doesn't work on really cold day.
Hyundai service team changed whole wire set.
--> Now it works well.
Gas gauge problem...
-->Hyundai doesn't have spare parts when I went to service shop. --> will be changed...
The other SF'S PROBLEMS....
Some folks reported that they got service about L.S.D and shiftronic transmission.
Hyundai launched Santa-fe last year July in Korea. It seems that the model which are produced these days don't have problem but I think early models have problem.
Have a safe driving....
Two Sundays ago The Post Dispatch (St.Louis paper) ran a Hyundai invoice sale for one of the local dealers. Turns out they were gonna let the S.F. go for 3% over invoice! I was skeptical to see what their "invoice" price was but was surprised to find it was within 50 dollars of what edmunds and other sites had said. I agreed to purchase a pewter AWD GLS that was supposed to be on the lot by Thursday for 20,600 (including dest charge). Thursday came and my car hadn't shown up. The only one that came on the truck that week was an LX. The Hyundai sales manager was off that day, but the owner of the dealership was there, and he offered me the LX for $800 more than my original offer! I ended up with a merlot AWD LX with the heated seats/electrochromatic mirror/roof cross rails/floor mats/cargo tray for only $21,400!!!! It made for a very nice XMas present! I now have about 1100 miles after my Xmas trip and have no problems. I love it!
I love the car (styling, features, etc.) but a little steep price, I guess that's the price for owning a car here in MAUI!
I would also appreciate directions (from Downtown) on how to get there.
Thanks.
Thanks for any info.
Can you share the dealer's and the sales person's name. Your info is greatly appreciated.
Have to credit San Leandro too, they just didn't have the package i wanted....
Thanks
you're talking about testing it with higher octane
gas, it shouldn't make any difference. There's
no performance and gas mileage benifit from running
your SF with mid or premium gas.
Thanks for the info.
I am planning to buy my first SUV, having seen this forum for more than a month, I am planning to go in for Santa Fe.
I would highly appreciate if U can give the differences between GLS Vs. LX FWD Vs. AWD.
In on another forum I read that AWD is inferior to 4WD in the snowy conditions...
U'r words of wisdom please ...
TIA
Note that this info is for V6 only, perhaps the 4 cylinder uses a belt, although you are correct that this seems to be frequent. Most vehicles that use belts for the camshaft require replacement every 100,000 km or 60000 miles.
Canadian version only comes with V6, so I can't verify if the 4 cylinder uses belt or chain.
Has anyone else experienced this odor and if so how long did it take to dissipate?
Would like to try to get an idea of just how much can be negotiated on these things. I have frequent flyer miles that I need to use so I am willing to travel just about anywhere in the US if I can find a great deal on one. It would make a fun road trip also.
Could you please include the dealership name, phone number and contact person if you can. I wish everyone who has recently purchased a Santa Fe the best of luck and Happy Driving!!! I look forward to being part of the Santa Fe Driving Club.
Thanx
Well, We're quickly approaching the two-month mark since purchasing our new 2WD-LX-V6 Santa Fe and we still could not be happier with our decision to purchase...
In the almost two month we have owned it, we have driven on dry, wet, snow-covered (1 foot or more), ice and mud.. The Santa Fe performed flawlessly! I still see no need to purchase the 4WD version as the 2WD version performs way above expectations for the climate I live in (Springfield, Missouri)...
We have filled up 7 times for a total miles driven of 2033.2 using 90.863 gallons and averaging 22.0 miles per gallon (to date). This includes mostly in-town and little highway driving...
After driving the Santa Fe almost 2 months I only have one real complaint... Road Noise! The Santa Fe could use some more insulation to deaden road noise a bit more... When you have the radio on at an acceptable level, you don't notice it as much but with the radio off and talking to one another, you definately notice the noise...
Other than that, I have had no problems with the motor, shiftronic transmission, clock, 60mph hum/vibration or any other thing...
I would recommend the Santa Fe to ANYONE!
MrTwix
I religiously change my transimission fluid and filters on my present vehicles -- evry 30K miles. On AWD vehicles does transmission changes require filter and fluid changes for BOTH the front and back or do the units use a 'central' system?
Thanks again.
Thanks
Also, has anyone added the interior wood trim option...I'm thinking about it and would like to hear about the experience of installing and the end result.
Mileage issue aside, I love my Santa Fe and am really enjoying it. All the posts here were a great help in making the purchase decision.
Adam
http://www.geocities.com/adamjrae
I am picking up my new Sante Fe LX AWD tomorrow from Sunflower Hyundai in Olathe. I first delt with them through contact with the Internet via Autoweb.com. Their internet sales manager is Neal Weaver and he has been very good to deal with. I was charged exactly what I was told by Neal when I had my first phone conversation with him, $500 over invoivce within a few bucks of Edmunds ideal price and below the MSRP price.
My contact with Northtowne Hyundai was OK, however they do not have an internet sales dept they just give your request to a floor salesman who treated me just like a customer who would walk in the door, and they are not offering the $500 over invoice pricing that Sunflower did.
If you want AWD and ABS though there are none to be had in the KC area, I got the last one Sunflower had and Northtowne has none and none coming.
Thanks!!
6 cylinder models seem to be scare here, mostly 4 cylinders GL on the lot, selling fast.
The reason for this post though is that I thought that people may be interested in the repair costs.
Parts 181.70 USD (New bumper)
Body Labor 71.40
Paint Labor 102.00
Paint Supplies 51.00
Sublet/misc 11.00 ( EPA waste charge & Flex Add )
----------------------
Subtotal 417.10
Tax @ 6.5% 27.11
======================
Total cost 444.21 USD
If anyone has any questions then I will do my best to answer them.
The General Manager had demoed my car himself and so it had a few miles but that just means nothing was wrong with it because he kept driving it until it was the only AWD left on the lot. He said that only 15% of the 2001 Hyundai allocation will be Sante Fe, so expect the sticker to go up. He said the other 3 sold tonight were all MSRP walk in folks. (I did mine via Autoweb.com).
The LX with ABS and TX will be especially hard to find. If I had not gotten this one they said it might be a month or two wait for the specfic package I wanted.
Good luck shoppers.
I won't go into the details but our SF doesn't appear to have any afore mentioned problems. (build date of 11/23) We filled up the tank today and as close as we can tell we are getting somewhere close to 22 mpg with 370 miles on the odo.
The dealer had several GLs on the lot as well as GLSs and LXs but no others had the ABS/TCS pkg. which I wanted. I would be glad to answer any questions about the veh from a mom w/ kids point of view or about our dealer. You can e-mail me at mksmith@southwind.net.
As for engine smell. I noticed it the first day that we drove it home from the dealer. But that is all. I did put a lot of miles (approx 250) on my SF that day so all of the coating probably burned off that day. Maybe if you get your SF up to temp and keep it there for an extended period then the smell would go away quicker.
Thanks in advance.
Check out the following link, the multimeter really looks cool.
http://www.hmc.co.kr/egg/vehicles/product/santafe/index.html