Bluewinds: First, thank you very much!!! I really appreciate the additional information. Also your English is excellent. Would you like to find out how good my Korean is? (I forfeit the battle to you and crown you the champion now!!)
For your information the V6 for the US and the Canadian markets only comes with the automatic sport shift and AWD. For a manual transmission for here, you would have to purchase the I4 engine.
Also on the Hyundai web-site, there is a video clip showing a rear facing third seat, that folds up and stores into a depression in the back of the Sante Fe. Do you know if that option is available for the US market?
Lxowner: Please do not defile "Pumbaa" that way, I'm mad now. I personally prefer the following comparison of the Hyundai Sante Fe to the Pontiac Aztek -- Nicole Kidman versus the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
My humblest apologies to the creature. Please forgive me Mr. Creature. I am so sorry for the horrible comparison I made comparing you to the Aztek.
You Sir are funny..However, I beg to differ..! If you could take one of them out for a night.........would you still choose "Nicole" over ( she has some great curves) Pam Anderson.. I heard she handles well in the fast lane..!!
I'm ready to go out and put down a deposit on one of these and I haven't even seen it yet. Does anyone actually know when these are supposed to be available (and I don't mean sitting on the lot with a dummy sticker on them)? Maita Hyundai in Sacramento, CA has one on their lot. A friend of mine stopped by there today to take a look at it and was totally sold on it. Unfortunately he didn't come back with any news on when we can actually buy one. What's the word on the street. My intuition tells me that this might be the next PT Cruiser as far as people wanting to buy them.
I was trying to find more info on the Santa Fe when I came across the site below and it had a 'teaser' ad for the Hyundai Galloper SUV. Has anyone heard of it? Is it a step above the Santa Fe? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
WOW! Pretty, curvy, nice style in & out! Dealer said 2 to 3 weeks - they'll receive shipment & then will be able to drive one. I've been waiting on the Mazda Tribute - now the're here but haven't been able to see all the colors in person yet - now I'm confused on which one. I really like the Tribute but Hyundai has a great warranty & it fits my pocketbook better. I know Hyundai has greatly improved in the last couple years - so I'm told but if there's anyone out there with something to say - GOOD or BAD - I'm listening.
I'm pretty not sure that Hyundai will sell the santa fe which has i-4 engine....
There's some example... In Korean domesitc market, sonata has only i-4 I.8 and 2.0 Engine. We can't buy i-4 2.4 and if somebody wants to get v-6 in sonata he or she should order special model. The factory will produce v-6 korean version after getting order from individual consumer. Usually hyundai put stronger engine to American version. (for example, elantra has 1.5 and 1.8 engine in korea.) Especially santafe whicih is sold in Korea doesn't have i-4 engine. Only you can buy v-6 engine model and you can choose both manual or automatic transmission in korea.
Because of Tax and expensive gas in korea, santafe k-version has propane engine and third row seat. I'm pretty sure that you can't choose third row seat in U.S market.
The propane V-6 put 170Hp horsepower but Gas V-6 which will be equipped in NA-version put 185hp out.
I don't know exactly what model hyundai will sell in North American market.
Galloper is same model of Mitsubishi montero/pajero. Hyundai have sold this car almost for 10years in south korea and other countries. Galloper is really strong car but it's really old model and thesedays nobody want to buy it. Many people prefer Musso by daewoo to Galloper.The galloper will be disappeared and hyundai will launch new model in 2002. The new model looks similar to New Montero.
and being disappointed, my wife and I spotted the Santa Fe. Unfortunately, we could not drive it but I was impressed with the apparently good quality materials, fit and finish. It seemed to be a well made car. The price, size, and features seem right as well. I am now down to buying either a Subaru or a Santa Fe 4x4. We'll see.....
I was surprised at the quality appearance of the Santa Fe. They have come a long way since their first offerings.Hopefully they will keep their stigma of a junky car so availability will be high and prices low.I will test drive both Tribute and Santa Fe,hopefully some car magazine will do a back to back reviews.My local dealer says the end of September they should be here. If money grew on trees I would get an RX300.
I have not seen the Sante Fe but I am interested in seeing it. I have been looking into purchasing the Mazda Tribute but would like to take a look at the Sante Fe before I make a decision. I am curious as to the interior dimensions of the Sante Fe. I am 6'-7" tall and I don't fit in most SUV's. (The Pathfinder, 4Runner, Durango, Cherokee, Xterra, Rav4, Suburban, Rodeo, Trooper, and Montero Sport all have inadequate head room.) I do fit in the Tribute. The leg room was adequate and there is plenty of headroom. I could even squeeze into the back seat with the drivers seat all the way back. I am also curious to the safety ratings for the Hyundai. Previous years vehicles do OK for the driver but rear passenger safety has been poor. I have 3 children and would hate to get a vehicle that compromised the safety of rear seat passengers. If I do get a chance to test drive a Sante Fe, I wouldn't make a purchase until after the vehicle has been crash tested.
Looking at the pictures posted by bluewinds above, the Sante Fe looks like a cross between a Subaru Outback and a Subaru Forester. Not that that is a bad thing . . . I like the looks of the Sante Fe.
The Santa Fe is built in Korea and you will have to take what you can find as far as options, whereas the Escape/Tribute can be ordered custom made from the factory.Regarding seating it felt roomier than the Tribute/Escape.One nice thing about the Santa Fe I liked is the storage area under the rear floor for emergency stuff like flashlights,flares,jumper cables etc.The Tribute has a spare tire at that spot without any storage pocket.
A dealer in NJ told me they expected a shipment in 2 to 3 weeks. This dealer had limited info. but there is supposedly 6 models to choose from. Hyundai is a sponsor for the Olympics which explains why the Santa Fe "teaser model" has been put in the showrooms to see. Expect to see commercials advertising the new Santa Fe.
I thought my heart was set on the Tribute - I'm not so sure any more. From just sitting & looking over the Santa Fe - the quality and especially the style gives it a whole new dimension on the SUV. It copies the Honda CR-V picnic table & storage well in the back but other than that it's original. But - don't know how it drives yet. I was also told by a internet rep. who works both sides Hyundai & Mazda - not to expect the drive to be as nice as the Tribute. We'll see.
A local dealership has a silver Sante Fe V6, AWD, w/ leather and fog lamps. The vehicle looked very nice. The interior is nicer looking than the Mazda Tribute. I was able to sit in the vehicle and was able to fit in the driver seat (6'-7" tall), without laying the seat down like I have to do in a lot of sedans. I was impressed with the vehicle. I will have to wait until they get a delivery in about 3 weeks to take a test drive. I would like to compare the power and ride of the Sante Fe against the Tribute. There is a dealer for Mazda two blocks from the Hyundai dealership . . . that will allow me to test drive the vehicles back to back and get a good feel for the pros and cons of each. I did notice that the roof rack for the Sante Fe is only rated at 75 lbs whereas the Tribute is rated at 100 lbs. The Hyundai dealer didn't know anything about tow packages or towing capabilities of the Sante Fe either. Anybody heard anything about those stats for the Sante Fe?
The KIA dealer two blocks from Hyundai dealer has KIA Sportages in droves so I imagine in 6 months Hyundai lots will be full of Santa Fe's. Point being Korea can pump out lot's of cars and people aren't knocking themselves out to buy them. Hopefully this will keep prices low.Speaking of Korean cars I saw where Daewoo came out #4 in customer service which is very good.
I've found two reviews at the Kelly Blue Book website, www.kbb.com, on the Sante Fe. One is under the Reviews tab, the other in the New Car Previews section. The New Car Preview is actually a release statement by Hyundai that gives some technical info on the Santa Fe. Unfortunately, I did not find towing capability. I haven't been able to look at or sit in one as they haven't arrived in my area (Detroit), but I'm glad you had enough legroom since I, at 6'-2", often feel cramped in all but the largest vehicles.
I felt comfortable with the leg room in the Sante Fe but "enough legroom" is a very subjective thing. Depending on how you are used to driving, and whether or not your height is "mostly legs", can dictate if you feel comfortable or not. I started driving in a '72 Subaru Sedan and had to angle my knees to the sides of the steering wheel quite a bit and lay the seat back down to have enough head room. The only car I have owned that allowed me to stretch out my legs was an '81 Camaro. I have always been more concerned with headroom than with legroom. I can always adjust my legs (to a point) but you just can't drive with your head pressed up against the ceiling.
I love the new Santa Fe! I love the muscular styling, and I hope it has good handling and power! 185hp doesn't seem enough compared to 240 (Nissan), 205 (Isuzu), 210 (mitsubitshi) I've also heard rumors of terrible off road capability. But, who cares? About 99% of the Santa Fes would probably NOT be driven off the road!
I test drove the Hyundai Santa Fe at the Rick Case dealership in Bedford, Ohio. It drove really nice. It was the fully loaded model with 4WD. The interior is way better than the tribute or escape.It looks a little like the Lexus Rx300. The gear shift isn't on the steering column like the tribute and escape. It was very roomy. I didn't get a chance to take it on the freeway but it drove real nice on the street. As of right now, the truck only had a dummy sticker price on it. I was told that the top of the line model would be somewhere around 23K. I figure people will definitely be able to negotiate a fair price on these trucks because the Mazda and Ford dealerships are not budging when it comes to negotiating. I test drove the tribute and escape. The tribute was nice but too expensive. I feel that Hyundai is definitely offering more bang for the buck!!
Sat in a Santa Fe at Jay Marks Mazda Hyunda, good fit and finish, salesman said several should come in early next week and they will be selling at MSRP like they are doing with the Tributes.
Forgot to ask what the + and - console shift position stand for, anybody know? Btw, where's the hood open release?
It was really nice and roomy. The engine looked strange (btw, hood release is under dash on left) and I couldn't locate the spark plugs! But there's all kinds of room to work on it with the bonus feature of a manifold with a flat top for cooking! (Somehow, I don't think that'll be a listed feature)
I am anxious to drive one. When I asked about availability, the sales manager said a definite "November."
No pricing or brochures yet.
The fit and finish was quite good, the only problem/potential problem I saw was the plastic insert on the tail gate.
One thing that concerns me is visibility. The rear headrests are quite large and obstructed views to the rear more than usual.
The vehicle was not drivable and I took my time with it, in the showroom, without having a single dealer employee bother me -- a first!
The only other questionable area is the roof rack. There were no crossbars -- perhaps they just weren't installed.
I got some news from one of the dealerships in my area. There will be an option for a sunroof (something I wanted but wasn't sure if it would be an option). Not sure how this will change the details that I've seen on the Santa Fe. Maybe they do away with the sunglass holder or shorten the rack up top. I've been to several dealerships in my area. Saw the silver with grey leather (nice if you like leather - I don't), also the silver with velour seats (these I like, very nice) & I saw the crystal blue (which is kind of a blueish grey with a hint of purple) it's actually a nice color. The seats in this one - had velour seats but had a colorful polka dot in them which looked cheap - so there must be a upgraded upholstery version. I definitely have the fever again - waited for the Tribute. Very nice but too many ifs??? I need to drive the Santa Fe - which by the way - I'm very jealous of (neryn) in Ohio who got the priveledge. The dealer first told me 2 weeks they expected a shipment - now has told me there's a rumor that's it more like October. Does anyone have info. on all the colors offered or a site too see them on?
I had the opportunity to test drive the Santa Fe SUV and thought that the ride was really nice. I also had my eyes on the escape and tribute and when I was looking at the posting on this site I heard about the Santa Fe and went to go see one. I feel in love with the look and all the features that they offer. I was also able to look at the full catalog from the manf. the colors that they will be offering is red, white, black, silver, and a funky color gold. My question is why is the Hyundai the same price as the ford and madza. I am looking for the fully loaded version with leather and no sun roof. The dealer also told me that they should receive pricing at the end of this week and that he will be purchasing his vechicle on tuesday and they will be in in two weeks. He quoted me the price of $23,686 for the Lt 4wd with the leather package.
Maybe the Koreans figure they can sell them based on merit not on price.Are you sure this wasn't a dealer gouging.If they are priced the same as Tribute then you have to decide which one excites you.If you ever need service and or parts you won't have to wait for them like you might for a Hyundai.I have had the brakes on my Acura replaced twice and both times they were not in stock and I had to wait while they found another dealer that they could get them from.
I was told the prices on the Santa Fe should be between 15 to 20 - maybe 21K - we're talking invoice here. If you work through the Internet Reps. offered - you shouldn't be paying anymore than - say $500 over invoice price + you should get any rebates they may have to offer. The dealers still make a nice profit. Thanks (briante) for info. - but I do know there's more colors going to offered on Santa Fe. I saw the crystal blue. One dealer said there would be 2 shades of green. And on one of sites listed in here - they showed a deep reddish brown (maybe that's the red) and there's the orange coppery colors showed on Hyundai sites. I'm glad to hear some of you are already test driving them, hopefully the nj area will be soon. Keep us all posted.
Finally saw one today in the Tampa Bay Area. It was red with grey leather interior. Looks really good. Couldn't test drive...it was on the show room floor. Dealer said they will have cars available to test drive by the end of this month. Asked him about pricing. He said between 17k and 24k. Also mentioned they will be hot sellers. Sounds as if there will not be any negotiating room. Am not crazy about the roof rack, but it is standard.
The new Car and Driver reviews the Santa Fe and said it's performance is tepid.Not very sporty and the price loaded is 23k.It's 0-60 time of 9.5 seconds puts it typical suv time but not near as good as Tribute/Escape.So what would cause one to get a Santa Fe instead of Tribute? Warranty? Triptronic tranny?Looks?If you buy from a dealer that might make a difference.I don't like my local Mazda dealer because of vulture like salespeople. I do like the Hyundai dealer because of low pressure style.Then again I my son works for FORD and I can get an Escape at invoice thru him.
I recently test drove a Tribute and was quite pleased with the exterior, responsive engine and smooth drive, the interior however was somewhat disappointing. I figured I would wait and check out the Santa Fe, the interior looks a lot more appealing to me, unfortunately the performance does not appear to promising. From a couple of first preview drive reports:
C&D: “ 185-hp V-6 is sufficient for normal driving but wanting when a burst of power is required, passing on a two-lane takes forethought. The Santa Fe’s relatively ponderous mass takes a toll here”.
Wheels: “The V-6 gets the ute up to speed in reasonable time, and is far smoother and quieter six than either Ford or Mazda will offer in their new SUV’s. It’s worthwhile noting, however that if you’re cruising in top gear and want passing acceleration, knocking the sportshift back a notch into third isn’t going to achieve much of anything-it’s better to drop down two gears”.
Why Hyundai did not use a more potent powerplant for the Santa Fe I don’t know. Oh well, back to the Tribute.
I can get a loaded 2wd Escape for under $22k and have 20 more horses.Hyundai is a bit ambitious asking $23440.If you mention warranty I can get an extended to 100k miles warranty for about another $1000.So we are about even in price but not performance.Don't forget too if you need an oil filter the Escape filter will be available everywhere,not so Hyundai.We shall see if they accumulate on lot's.Maybe Highlander will be better.With gas at $2.00 a gallon soon consider a 4 cylinder,slower, but nothings free.
I have brochures on both and equipped the same the Tribute is $300 cheaper. The dimensions are so close that there had to be spying going on during design process.The Santa Fe is 300 lbs heavier and has 20 less horses.This is because they had to use a Sonata engine to keep costs down.I guess Hyundai is hoping the warranty will sell them.If it is as quiet as a Sonata then maybe it could compete favorably with Tribute,which is noisy so I'm told.
That is an excellent price. Here in the Tampa Bay area, I just got a call from the local salesman. I had stopped in earlier and looked at the one they had on the floor. Couldn't test drive as it was the only one they had. He now calls me and says they are releasing it for sale. Price is $25,000. I said thanks but no thanks It was not even a fully loaded SF. Looks like they will be price gouging for a while. I am willing to sit on the side for now.
The Santa Fe LX 2wd is $20934 inc. dest. The Tribute ES is $22340 incl.dest. So Hyundai is $1406 less but has a longer warranty.It is also slower.Will have to drive both to see if Tribute is as noisy as they say.I assume the extra weight in Santa Fe is sound proofing.3549 lbs vs 3292 lbs.As soon as the lot's are filled there will be deep discounts you can bet.
Has anyone found any reviews of the Sante Fe posted on the internet? I would like to read as many articles as I can regarding this new SUV. I followed the link for reviews posted at kbb.com and it stated that the interior of the Sante Fe has more space than the Tribute/Escape. It also put the V6 HP at 185. Does anyone know what the max torque rating is for the Sante Fe?
I have compared the interior finishes in the Sante Fe with the Mazda Tribute and I like the Sante Fe a lot more. (The materials in the Sante Fe were softer in appearance and I prefer the shifter on the floor instead of mounted on the steering column.) I did test drive the Tribute and I liked the way it handled and the acceleration and braking were very good. I am still waiting to have the chance to test drive the Sante Fe and I would like to see some crash test data before I make a purchase. I expect the Tribute to come in at 4 star frontal and 5 star side impact for its crash test (same as MPV since they share the same platform). I understand that the Sante Fe is built on the Sonata platform. The 2000 Sonata has not been tested but the 1998 Sonata had a 3 star driver, 4 star passenger frontal impact rating and an abysmal 1 star front seat and 2 star rear seat rating for side impact. Those numbers don't look to promising. I elicits images of a tomato can under a 10 lb sledge hammer in the event of a side impact collision.
Car and Driver has a review in the October issue which should be available online soon. They like the look of the Sante Fe, but the power was a dissapointment. You should definitely drive one yourself before deciding on one vehicle or another.
The Tribute is not built on an MPV platform. It is built on an evolved 626 platform. Mazda expects to get 5 star ratings all aroung on the Trib. The results should come out late this month or in October.
The Santa Fe’s were supposed to arrive next week, but now the local dealers were told by Hyundai Canada not to expect any till the middle of October.
Why is there a constant delay? No one seems to know or won’t tell.
I am waiting to test drive one so I can compare it to the Mazda Tribute, which has good power and handling, but the interior leaves me somewhat cold. I am willing to sacrifice some power for a better fit and finish exterior and interior wise.
Since I will be buying in mid-October to mid-November, the timing will be perfect for me. I am glad to see that Kelly's Blue Book has pricing at their web-site. I wonder when Edmunds will have the pricing listed, or a review of the Santa Fe.
I have seen two in Houston, at different dealerships. The wine red "Merlot" is a bad exterior color. The other one I have seen is a metallic silver and extremely better looking.
I finally got to drive one - the one & only on lot - LX version (silver), grey leather seats - and am very impressed. The dealer wanted $25,000 - close to a $1,000 over sticker. I don't think so! He also said they expected a shipment by end of month.
Drives extremely nice & smooth. I think smoother than the Tribute. Steering not as tight & a little more play in gas pedal than Tribute. You can definetely feel its a heavier auto - but pickup was good.
The one & only option I was most interested in was a moonroof with sliding glass. I was told by one dealer a few weeks ago - it would be an option. I don't see it on kbb's site. This dealer I talked to today did'nt know of this option but he wasn't very informative to begin with. Does anyone have any info. on this? I can't see how this can be installed even after market with the roof rack & sunglass console.
I have the full brochure in front of me and that plus a disc changer is the only things not offered. That should not be a problem because there are a number of after market companies ASC is one.I once had a power sunroof installed in a new 89 Mazda and it cost about a $1000. I have a 98 Explorer and I ordered it from the factory with a sunroof.It is one of the few Sport models with it.I'm thinking of trading it in but I want to see all the possibilities.Subaru has a big sunroof offered,and RAV4 will offer it, CRV does not offer it but I have seen some with it.The only time I use it is when it's cloudy or dark cause I burn very easy and it is very noisy on the freeway.
Drove a Santa Fe at a Glen Burnie dealer. I was also looking at Tribute, but don't like the cheap, short cut seats and super cheap interior (with minimal controls for airflow, ac, etc.). Hyundai clearly put more thought into the entire design of the interior, whose quality, layout and comfort far exceeded the Tribute. I was ambiguous regarding the Santa Fe's performance: I noticed a vibration probably from the driveshaft at low speeds when accelerating sharply. There was a faint but noticeable whine when you lifted your foot off the accelerator at most any speed. As this the only Santa Fe the dealer had for demo, I could drive another to compare the two. As for speed, it seemed adequate to me. The interior was relatively quiet, without the wind noise of the Tribute. If I were to shut my eyes and forget that the Santa Fe is a Hyundai (and the possible reliability problems associated with that brand) I would certainly buy it over the Tribute. However, if towing capacity is an issue, the v6 Tribute will certainly be more practical. BTW I owned a 1989 Sonata that had more problems alone than every other car I have owned since! My wife nearly killed me when I said "let's look at a Hyundai." I say, don't be the first one on your block to buy one: wait a few months if you can to let others be the "beta testers."
1st - I've had 2 cars with sunroofs & never experienced any leaks - not even a trace. These were installed by the manufacturer. I've never had an after market roof installed & that worries me - even if it is possible on the Santa Fe. I'm going to call a couple sunroof installers on Monday & see what they have to say. I did see on h-t-c galleries web site a sunroof on the Santa Fe.
Hyundai name has worried me too. Never thought I would even consider one - till I saw the Santa Fe. From what I heard - they really have cleaned up their act. I've heard praises & horror stories. They want to keep up with the competition & be selling $30,000+ vehicles like the rest of them. It looks like their on their way & the only way their going to get their is to prove themselves - which is where their warranty kicks in.
(toeouch) I heard no whines or vibrations on my test drive. I drove a LX model 4WD, ABS - not that it should make a difference. I'm waiting ANXIOUSLY to drive a GLS model. I think the upgraded cloth seats I saw at another dealer was really nice. The base seats were cheap looking.
Again, please keep me posted on any power sunroof options you all hear about. Thanks
have completely turned my off about getting a Tribute/Escape. But I don't understand the people who are paying Sticker even more. I could be very wrong, and this could continue like the PT Cruiser craziness, but I for one will buy a Santa FE if it is close in performance. Unless of course the Hyundai dealers act like the aforementioned group.
The Santa Fe is now supposed to be available in Canada in a few weeks. Went to one of the local dealers and they still to not have any pricing or feature information. The US and Canadian Hyundai sites are still not updated with Santa Fe specs. You would think that by now their dealers would have been provided with said information.
As a side note the only available cars this dealer had on their lot were a few 00 Accents and one 01 Elentra. Hate to be a Hyundai dealer at the moment with basically no product choice to sell.
I called the Hyundai 1-800 number Friday 9/22 and they will put your name on a mail out list for the Santa Fe brochure to be mailed out after October 1st. Also, the one dealer I talked with in Houston at HUB Buick-Hyundai, they had a lot of Hyundai's on the lot; he told me that he could sell the Tiburon like hotcakes if they could only get them in stock. He also could only say what most people already know about the Santa Fe pricing in the 18 to 23 range.
You think they would even update their USA web-site, considering that October is always considered to be the new car year deliver time.
Comments
First, thank you very much!!! I really appreciate the additional information. Also your English is excellent. Would you like to find out how good my Korean is? (I forfeit the battle to you and crown you the champion now!!)
For your information the V6 for the US and the Canadian markets only comes with the automatic sport shift and AWD. For a manual transmission for here, you would have to purchase the I4 engine.
Also on the Hyundai web-site, there is a video clip showing a rear facing third seat, that folds up and stores into a depression in the back of the Sante Fe. Do you know if that option is available for the US market?
Lxowner:
Please do not defile "Pumbaa" that way, I'm mad now.
I personally prefer the following comparison of the Hyundai Sante Fe to the Pontiac Aztek -- Nicole Kidman versus the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
My humblest apologies to the creature. Please forgive me Mr. Creature. I am so sorry for the horrible comparison I made comparing you to the Aztek.
If you could take one of them out for a night.........would you still choose "Nicole"
over ( she has some great curves) Pam Anderson..
I heard she handles well in the fast lane..!!
http://www.hyundai-motor.com/eng/vehicles/product/galloper/index.htm
I'm pretty not sure that Hyundai will sell the santa fe which has i-4 engine....
There's some example...
In Korean domesitc market, sonata has only i-4 I.8 and 2.0 Engine. We can't buy i-4 2.4 and if somebody wants to get v-6 in sonata he or she should order special model. The factory will produce v-6 korean version after getting order from individual consumer. Usually hyundai put stronger engine to American version.
(for example, elantra has 1.5 and 1.8 engine in korea.)
Especially santafe whicih is sold in Korea doesn't have i-4 engine. Only you can buy v-6 engine model and you can choose both manual or automatic transmission in korea.
Because of Tax and expensive gas in korea, santafe k-version has propane engine and third row seat. I'm pretty sure that you can't choose third row seat in U.S market.
The propane V-6 put 170Hp horsepower but Gas V-6 which will be equipped in NA-version put 185hp out.
I don't know exactly what model hyundai will sell in North American market.
Galloper is same model of Mitsubishi montero/pajero. Hyundai have sold this car almost for 10years in south korea and other countries. Galloper is really strong car but it's really old model and thesedays nobody want to buy it. Many people prefer Musso by daewoo to Galloper.The galloper will be disappeared and hyundai will launch new model in 2002. The new model looks similar to New Montero.
(This is not a picture of concept car...)
http://www.t-h-c.org/gallery/SantaFe-Pictures/1770_1.jpg
http://www.t-h-c.org/gallery/SantaFe-Pictures/1770_2.jpg
http://www.t-h-c.org/gallery/SantaFe-Pictures/1770_3.jpg
http://www.t-h-c.org/gallery/SantaFe-Pictures/1770_4.jpg
http://www.t-h-c.org/gallery/SantaFe-Pictures/1770_5.jpg
http://www.t-h-c.org/gallery/SantaFe-Pictures/1770_6.jpg
http://www.t-h-c.org/gallery/SantaFe-Pictures/1770_7.jpg
http://www.t-h-c.org/gallery/SantaFe-Pictures/1770_8.jpg
Santa Fe. They have come a long way since their
first offerings.Hopefully they will keep their
stigma of a junky car so availability will be high and prices low.I will test drive both
Tribute and Santa Fe,hopefully some car magazine
will do a back to back reviews.My local dealer says the end of September they should be here.
If money grew on trees I would get an RX300.
to take what you can find as far as options,
whereas the Escape/Tribute can be ordered
custom made from the factory.Regarding seating
it felt roomier than the Tribute/Escape.One nice thing about the Santa Fe I liked is the storage
area under the rear floor for emergency stuff
like flashlights,flares,jumper cables etc.The
Tribute has a spare tire at that spot without
any storage pocket.
As to the Sante Fe's projected arrival, I keep hearing late September to mid October.
I thought my heart was set on the Tribute - I'm not so sure any more. From just sitting & looking over the Santa Fe - the quality and especially the style gives it a whole new dimension on the SUV. It copies the Honda CR-V picnic table & storage well in the back but other than that it's original. But - don't know how it drives yet. I was also told by a internet rep. who works both sides Hyundai & Mazda - not to expect the drive to be as nice as the Tribute. We'll see.
any Honda so why shouldn't the Santa Fe ride
as well as a Tribute.
has KIA Sportages in droves so I imagine in 6
months Hyundai lots will be full of Santa Fe's.
Point being Korea can pump out lot's of cars and
people aren't knocking themselves out to buy them.
Hopefully this will keep prices low.Speaking of
Korean cars I saw where Daewoo came out #4 in customer service which is very good.
Forgot to ask what the + and - console shift position stand for, anybody know? Btw, where's the hood open release?
It was really nice and roomy. The engine looked strange (btw, hood release is under dash on left) and I couldn't locate the spark plugs! But there's all kinds of room to work on it with the bonus feature of a manifold with a flat top for cooking! (Somehow, I don't think that'll be a listed feature)
I am anxious to drive one. When I asked about availability, the sales manager said a definite "November."
No pricing or brochures yet.
The fit and finish was quite good, the only problem/potential problem I saw was the plastic insert on the tail gate.
One thing that concerns me is visibility. The rear headrests are quite large and obstructed views to the rear more than usual.
The vehicle was not drivable and I took my time with it, in the showroom, without having a single dealer employee bother me -- a first!
The only other questionable area is the roof rack. There were no crossbars -- perhaps they just weren't installed.
jd
on merit not on price.Are you sure this wasn't a
dealer gouging.If they are priced the same as
Tribute then you have to decide which one excites
you.If you ever need service and or parts you won't have to wait for them like you might for
a Hyundai.I have had the brakes on my Acura
replaced twice and both times they were not in stock and I had to wait while they found another
dealer that they could get them from.
said it's performance is tepid.Not very sporty
and the price loaded is 23k.It's 0-60 time of
9.5 seconds puts it typical suv time but not near as good as Tribute/Escape.So what would cause one to get a Santa Fe instead of Tribute? Warranty?
Triptronic tranny?Looks?If you buy from a dealer
that might make a difference.I don't like my local
Mazda dealer because of vulture like salespeople.
I do like the Hyundai dealer because of low pressure style.Then again I my son works for FORD
and I can get an Escape at invoice thru him.
C&D: “ 185-hp V-6 is sufficient for normal driving but wanting when a burst of power is required, passing on a two-lane takes forethought. The Santa Fe’s relatively ponderous mass takes a toll here”.
Wheels: “The V-6 gets the ute up to speed in reasonable time, and is far smoother and quieter six than either Ford or Mazda will offer in their new SUV’s. It’s worthwhile noting, however that if you’re cruising in top gear and want passing acceleration, knocking the sportshift back a notch into third isn’t going to achieve much of anything-it’s better to drop down two gears”.
Why Hyundai did not use a more potent powerplant for the Santa Fe I don’t know. Oh well, back to the Tribute.
an extended to 100k miles warranty for about
another $1000.So we are about even in price but
not performance.Don't forget too if you need
an oil filter the Escape filter will be available
everywhere,not so Hyundai.We shall see if they
accumulate on lot's.Maybe Highlander will be better.With gas at $2.00 a gallon soon consider
a 4 cylinder,slower, but nothings free.
the Tribute is $300 cheaper. The dimensions are
so close that there had to be spying going on
during design process.The Santa Fe is 300 lbs
heavier and has 20 less horses.This is because
they had to use a Sonata engine to keep costs down.I guess Hyundai is hoping the warranty will
sell them.If it is as quiet as a Sonata then maybe
it could compete favorably with Tribute,which is
noisy so I'm told.
Santa Fe, Loaded... invoice = $21,844
The Tribute ES is $22340 incl.dest. So Hyundai
is $1406 less but has a longer warranty.It is also
slower.Will have to drive both to see if Tribute
is as noisy as they say.I assume the extra weight
in Santa Fe is sound proofing.3549 lbs vs 3292 lbs.As soon as the lot's are filled there will
be deep discounts you can bet.
I have compared the interior finishes in the Sante Fe with the Mazda Tribute and I like the Sante Fe a lot more. (The materials in the Sante Fe were softer in appearance and I prefer the shifter on the floor instead of mounted on the steering column.) I did test drive the Tribute and I liked the way it handled and the acceleration and braking were very good. I am still waiting to have the chance to test drive the Sante Fe and I would like to see some crash test data before I make a purchase. I expect the Tribute to come in at 4 star frontal and 5 star side impact for its crash test (same as MPV since they share the same platform). I understand that the Sante Fe is built on the Sonata platform. The 2000 Sonata has not been tested but the 1998 Sonata had a 3 star driver, 4 star passenger frontal impact rating and an abysmal 1 star front seat and 2 star rear seat rating for side impact. Those numbers don't look to promising. I elicits images of a tomato can under a 10 lb sledge hammer in the event of a side impact collision.
The Tribute is not built on an MPV platform. It is built on an evolved 626 platform. Mazda expects to get 5 star ratings all aroung on the Trib. The results should come out late this month or in October.
Why is there a constant delay? No one seems to know or won’t tell.
I am waiting to test drive one so I can compare it to the Mazda Tribute, which has good power and handling, but the interior leaves me somewhat cold. I am willing to sacrifice some power for a better fit and finish exterior and interior wise.
I have seen two in Houston, at different dealerships. The wine red "Merlot" is a bad exterior color. The other one I have seen is a metallic silver and extremely better looking.
Drives extremely nice & smooth. I think smoother than the Tribute. Steering not as tight & a little more play in gas pedal than Tribute. You can definetely feel its a heavier auto - but pickup was good.
The one & only option I was most interested in was a moonroof with sliding glass. I was told by one dealer a few weeks ago - it would be an option. I don't see it on kbb's site. This dealer I talked to today did'nt know of this option but he wasn't very informative to begin with. Does anyone have any info. on this? I can't see how this can be installed even after market with the roof rack & sunglass console.
plus a disc changer is the only things not offered. That should not be a problem because
there are a number of after market companies
ASC is one.I once had a power sunroof installed
in a new 89 Mazda and it cost about a $1000.
I have a 98 Explorer and I ordered it from the factory with a sunroof.It is one of the few Sport
models with it.I'm thinking of trading it in
but I want to see all the possibilities.Subaru has
a big sunroof offered,and RAV4 will offer it,
CRV does not offer it but I have seen some with it.The only time I use it is when it's cloudy
or dark cause I burn very easy and it is very
noisy on the freeway.
Hyundai clearly put more thought into the entire design of the interior, whose quality, layout and comfort far exceeded the Tribute. I was ambiguous regarding the Santa Fe's performance: I noticed a vibration probably from the driveshaft at low speeds when accelerating sharply. There was a faint but noticeable whine when you lifted your foot off the accelerator at most any speed. As this the only Santa Fe the dealer had for demo, I could drive another to compare the two. As for speed, it seemed adequate to me. The interior was relatively quiet, without the wind noise of the Tribute.
If I were to shut my eyes and forget that the Santa Fe is a Hyundai (and the possible reliability problems associated with that brand) I would certainly buy it over the Tribute. However, if towing capacity is an issue, the v6 Tribute will certainly be more practical.
BTW I owned a 1989 Sonata that had more problems alone than every other car I have owned since! My wife nearly killed me when I said "let's look at a Hyundai." I say, don't be the first one on your block to buy one: wait a few months if you can to let others be the "beta testers."
Personally there are only two kinds of sun/moon roofs in existence, those that already leak and those that are going to leak.
Every car that I have ever been in with a sun/moon roof has leaked. That is why I never want one.
Hyundai name has worried me too. Never thought I would even consider one - till I saw the Santa Fe. From what I heard - they really have cleaned up their act. I've heard praises & horror stories. They want to keep up with the competition & be selling $30,000+ vehicles like the rest of them. It looks like their on their way & the only way their going to get their is to prove themselves - which is where their warranty kicks in.
(toeouch) I heard no whines or vibrations on my test drive. I drove a LX model 4WD, ABS - not that it should make a difference. I'm waiting ANXIOUSLY to drive a GLS model. I think the upgraded cloth seats I saw at another dealer was really nice. The base seats were cheap looking.
Again, please keep me posted on any power sunroof options you all hear about. Thanks
As a side note the only available cars this dealer had on their lot were a few 00 Accents and one 01 Elentra. Hate to be a Hyundai dealer at the moment with basically no product choice to sell.
You think they would even update their USA web-site, considering that October is always considered to be the new car year deliver time.