Hyundai Santa Fe (2006 and earlier)

mtnrunner1

The Santa Fe's owner club sounds like a great idea. I am a potential buyer at this point, and it would be great to have one place to come to to learn all I can from existing owners. Here, we have to watch for new messages come up that are Santa Fe related and then follow each one.
Go do it!

mikezak

Two Hyundai clubs, but with most activity regarding the Santa Fes already exists. They are;

http://hyundai-owners.com and http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/hyundai

 

Lets make use of what we already have.

losthat1

Mikezak-
The Edmunds Town Hall has a section called "Owners Clubs" which is far superior to anything I've seen on the above two sites you posted. Take a look at the board. I would love to see one started for just Santa Fe owners here at Edmunds. I especially like the suggested first catagory that was mentioned at #950. Are there two people out there with some talent for this sort of thihg that could start it out?

kim532

I don't have my SF yet but will in a couple of weeks, but I would be interested in the owners club board. Kim

rsharp83

Owners club count me in. I am going on the first month with the SF. This week has been snow and ice. I picked out some really steep hills with ice and slush and tried to get the SF to slip and slide. I couldn't even get the TCS to come on but once and then very briefly. I just motored right up the big hills with no trouble. Handled it all with ease.

BTW there is a specific Sante Fe owners club on yahoo but very few posts have been made there.

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/santafeowners

thor9

Here is the URL for the Santa Fe Discussions on The Hyundai Connection web site:

http://t-h-c.org/station-a1/

And here is the Santa Fe discussion on the Car & Driver board:

http://forums.caranddriver.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000015.html

This is the Popular Science Santa Fe message board:

http://www.popsci.com/community/forums/auto/1121.html

parkchester

...is the hyundai undercoating that supposedly is sprayed on to protect during over-sea shipping. i still smell mine on my tiburon after 950 miles but it's getting fainter. It will eventually go away (so I've been told)....

Karen_S

A little bird (Steve) told me that this group is interested in starting a Hyundai Santa Fe club on the Edmund's Owner's Clubs board. I'd be more than happy to help you! I'll talk to Dana/Town Hall Community Manager about setting this up asap. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for discussion titles.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
Edmunds.com Town Hall

bironb

I have read every available review on the Santa Fe GLS V6 AWD. The consensus appears to be that the vehicle is underpowered. Unfortunately, I was only able to test drive one on city streets and felt that the acceleration was acceptable from a stop. My main concern has to do with freeway merging, two lane highway passing and mountainous highway driving. I have a feeling that the performance would be wanting in the above situations, where one would have to constantly floor the gas pedal and in the process create a lot of wear and tear on the engine/transmission not to mention the extra consumption of gas in the process. Is this the case?

Comments would be appreciated.

topofthehill

We ordered our SF over three weeks ago, with the "Oh yeah, should only take two weeks" well now it's a new story. Production has slowed down, hard to get the one you want, etc. Now looking at Mar/Apr timeframe. Is the vehicle worth the wait?

thor9

Hello all,
I have noticed that in every professional review of the Santa Fe, and even in Hyundai's own literature and web sites, the definition of Santa Fe 4WD / AWD system is very vague, and the professional auto magazine reviews are split about 50/50 on describing the Santa Fe as being FWD(only) until wheel slip is detected, and only then will it supply up to 40% of the torque to the rear wheels. The other half of the reviewers state that the Santa Fe is a full-time AWD system (similar to Subaru), supplying a 60/40 split of torque in normal dry-pavement conditions, and can vary that split as needed.

The information contained in the owner's manual, and the factory brochures would suggest the latter is true, and it supplies a 60/40 split under normal dry-pavement conditions, but the overwhelming public opinion is that the Santa Fe system is the same as the Escape /Tribute, being FWD until a wheel slips.

I have had no luck getting an official clarification from HMA on this.

Can anyone offer anything concrete on this?

Also one off-topic question: Is there any way to change the rear 3 spark plugs without removing the surge chamber (intake manifold extension) on the V6?

Thanks!

guyf1

This engine needs to rev to produce power. Just use the shiftronic to downshift to 3rd as you merge on the highway at around 60 mph and you will be just fine.

I usually cruise at 80 mph on the highway and can get up to 100 pretty quick if need be.

I used to have a CR-V and I had to keep it always above 4000 RPM to climb hills and accelerate. I dont think it created any additional wear. Those engines are designed to rev high (which by the way keeps the oil pressure high) unlike the old american V8.

BTW I love my Santa Fe. Much better than the CR-V in the snow, and we have lots of it up here!

billtung

I use SF for my busy Flowershop to delivery flowers & my wife use to meets clients.
Here is 2 real stories happen to me in this 3 months.

1) During a severe show fall in november, when I went down a very slopy hill, there were so much packed snow on the road I couldn't make a complete stop 10' before the STOP sign. My santa Fe was skating on the high-den's snow surface. But within a second, the ABS functioned & I gained my control & the car finally stop just parallel to the STOP sign before I collided to a school bus.

2) Yesterday the road was very wet after rain. I use my SF to delivery flowers instead of my GMC Van. When I drove down a slopy hill which had a 90 degree turn which no one can safely passed at more than 30Km/hr. I forgot to slow down before that turn, my whole SF was likely spinning out from the road toward the road side's concrete wall . I thought in that moment my SF was going to ruin in the next second. But God bless me, the SF ABS reacted so fast that I resume my SF full control just before my car hit the concrete wall, I remembered may be only couple of inches away from the wall (A perfect 90 degree turn!).
After this 2 scary new experience, (In my 20 years of driving so many different cars, I only have one accident which was when I made left turn with my Accura Integra, I was hit by a Tercel to my Integra rear side.) I really know the important of being "don't speed" in city traffics, & how important a car must equip with ABS no matter how good your driving records & how powerful your engine.

It make me feel more & more confident with Hyundai SF's safely concerns.

Do any unlucky person have accident with SF recently (I only read a SF hit the front car's rear in a traffic (only damage the bumpers), could you share your bad experience with all of us!
Thank You!

davc2

Has anyone compared the Santa Fe to the Toyota Highlander? The Highlander is $5-7K more with its options.

losthat1

You can compare any vehicles, including the Highlander and Santa Fe, using the comparison site at Intellichoice.com. It appears the Highlander at $5-7k more is overpriced! Has anybody driven one?

Karen_S

For those interested, there is now Hyundai Santa Fe Owners club folder on the Owner's Club board. I hope you'll check it out and introduce yourself in the Meet the Members discussion.

Also, I have linked this discussion to the Owner's Club. No, it hasn't moved. The beauty of this software is that a discussion can "live" on more than one board. So you will see and can access the same discussion on both SUVs and Owner's Clubs boards.

Looking forward to meeting you soon!

KarenS
Host
Owner's Club

santafegeroge

Funny how Hyundai calls it an AWD but the little silver plaque on the rear of my GLS says 4WD!

richardr4

Thor9



I was think the same thing last night when I looked at the wifes Santa Fe LX. Really a head scratcher isn't it? I'll look into that tomorrow if at all possible.I'll get back to you if no one else has posted the answer.

Now we get an owners club? Sounds good to me.

I don't know about anywhere else but it would seem that the Florida Space Coast has ALL the Santa Fe's as the dealer I bought mine from has at least a dozen on the lot at any given time.

Rich

rsharp83

Yea I compared the two autos, for about 45 seconds! My local Toyota dealer is asking $35 grand for a V6 Highlander!! Well I will take the Loaded SF LX for less than $23,000. At the prices they want for Highlanders I would look at a used Lexus RX300 first. Eventually Toyota will stop exploiting the newness and drop prices or quit loading Highlanders with lots of gulf port add ons. But for now there is no comparison as to VALUE. The SF wins that hands down.

lrchome

I have used my santa Fe on the interstate a lot and it has excellent acceleration from 60 to 90 mph with out high revs. and if you are in 4th in shiftronic using cruise control it does not need to downshift when starting up hills or on them. I have not tried auto in cruise control on Interstate but next time I will try auto and let you know if it downshifts.

pethaven

About 1-1/2 to 2 weeks ago I saw that someone posted a web address that shows you how to remove/replace the Santa Fe's radio/CD unit. I tried to find it again but as luck would have it, I can't. Could someone repost it or tell me the post number? I am looking at having the radio replaced with one that has a little more power to it and one that can play CD's randomly. I've had my LX about 2-1/2 weeks now and am pretty happy with it. Thanks!

hal2001

Acquired SF LX FWD w/mats, cross rails, and pkg 12 option for $20,700 plus tax/title. Took a while to locate as V6's are hard to come by in Ohio.

Checked SF very carefully inside and out and also on the road. Zero flaws! None of the reported vibration at 60MPH either. Mine was built 10/3/2000. First full tank gave 22.3 MPG mostly city. Not bad at all.

Very pleased with SF at this point but do have a few critical observations; (1) body needs additional sound deadening (2) the speakers need upgrading. Sound is not full and musical. Too tinny (3)engine noise (growl)is somewhat distracting. Don't know yet if this is exhaust noise, air plenum noise, or what but Hyundai needs to work on muffling this. Perhaps a sound deadening liner under the hood would work (4)who was the idiot who decided to put the clock in the overhead console? You have to take your eyes from the road to read it. Why not make it part of the radio? Then put outside temp reading and an electronic compass in overhead console. Not expensive to do.

Anyone out there figured out how to put brake lights in the bumper reflectors?

Chet2001@infinet.com

william49

r-
I, too live there and am looking hard at SF, but am finding add'l dealer markup of $1995. There goes my negotiating room. Where and what kind of deal did you get; any others out there finding these outrageous dealer markups? Should I act now, wait until supply gets better, greed level of dealers subsides? Is it likely that the manufacturer's price may go up if demand continues? Is Hyundai increasing its deliveries?

rbentrider

I haven't had any problem with the SF that needed warranty work. I've only had it a week. However, with other vehicles I have owned like Toyota Cressida, Infiniti Q45 I've been glad to have the extended warranty. So far, it looks like I'm ahead on the BMW by having the warranty. For instance, BMW air bag seat switch = $599 to replace. It doesn't take too many hits like that to pay for the warranty. Hyundai parts and replacement costs may not be as high but I think the extended warranty still is a good buy,

big_guy

Are there any V6 AWD SF owners out there that have taken a long trip in the vehicle? By long trip, I mean something like 300+ miles one-way. If you have, how was the ride at freeway speeds? Was it comfortable for that long of a ride (i.e. leg cramping, poor seat support, vibration)? What type of mileage did you get? How many occupants in the vehicle for the trip? How was the cargo room? For the same owners, how is the vehicle in the snow?

The Sante Fe is at the top of my consideration list for a new SUV and I would like some input from owners. I still have some time before I make a purchase but I am one of those types that investigates all the possibilities in a new vehicle before I drop a big chunk of change at the dealership.

wichlinski

interested in feedback. 30 oms. on a PS Jimmy and ready to dump it. searching out alternatives and discovered ante Fe...behind one yesterday thought it was attractive, stopped by dealership and was impressed. How the power friends. the Jimmy has a lame 190hp over ~500 LFS more curb weight... put on the A/I or heater and there goes "the beef" plus it is unreliable and a gas HOG. thinking this is alternative... Honda CRX without the gwady, swipeable tire or the Forrester with the lame hp's. need the feedback of experienced user. forget the mfg. representations...when I'm at full throttle and engage the A/C does it fell like I set out an anchor??? reasonable acceleration is expected, but is there power to keep one safe when merging, avoiding trouble, et. al. think the Hyundai is a good offering, but want to be certain before I distance myself from a ~20 year relationship (o.k. I'm gullible) with GMC.

jh45

Drove by a new Hyundai dealership and got my Santa Fe totally on impulse when on the way to see a used 97 Pathfinder. Got a V6 totally loaded vehicle/leather etc. for the same price as they were asking for that Pathfinder. Test-drove it at night out on the highway and was hooked. Have had it since Halloween and have over 5000 miles on it already. Drive just about each weekend to pick up daughter at college 173 miles roundtrip and enjoy it on the highway.Have not had any problem with horsepower. Am most impressed with the leg room in backseat and comfort of seating. It handles great in the snow and we have had a very typical Michigan winter this year. We have to venture up a steep, ice-covered hill to our house and it has behaved like a tank. In response to some of the other comments I have seen on this site - I agree that a bit more insulation to isolate the engine noise would be nice and it did take quite awhile to get rid of that undercoating burn-off smell when new.(about 1200 miles) I love the dashboard design as anything placed there on top does not roll away. The cargo net in the back is great - I put all my grocery bags under it and nothing rolls around. I do notice we have to keep running the defroster on these cold days as the windows fog up alot. That only happens when there are multiple passengers. These picky little things are pretty minor compared to the overall handling and good feel of driving this SUV. I had a Ford Windstar van 98 prior to this and the handling was so poor - we just zigzagged all over the road. Also my gas mileage is pretty good - 22 mpg with in town driving. I am very happy.

natescape

Has less than "lame" HPs. It has a big 2.5L h4 engine, whereas the Santa Fe has a 2.7l v6. The Santa Fe only produces 16 more horses (at a higher RPM), and only 11 more lbs of torque. The Forester is 700 lbs lighter. So it has significantly more HP and torque per pound than the Santa Fe.

Not to diss the SF. I test drove both, and had the SF had better gas mileage (19/23 doesn't compare to 22/28), I might have bought one. They both accellerated well. Having put 10k on my Forester S+, I can say it has MUCH more than adequate power, especially at highway speeds. It zips from 70 MPH to 90 MPH VERY quickly and effortlessly.

So, in essence, don't say the Forester has "lame hps". Drive it, then decide. It's a blast, and it hugs the pavement MUCH better than the SF (because of the lower center of gravity). It clings to turns like it's riding on glue and is just insanely fun to drive hard.

richardr4

Hi william49,

I know what you mean! But try Cocoa Hyundai and ask for Frank Driscoll. They do have a lot of Santa Fe's on the lot and more are coming in everyday. They are on the corner of US 1 and SR 520 where there used to be a pawn shop.
Frank will get you a deal. All the dealers down here add at least $2,300.00 dealer profit markup!
Don't pay it! I bought mine out the door, no trade in, tax, title transfer for $22,220.00 Would have been a lot higher for the FWD LX if not for Frank Driscoll.
Be aware that the same dealer owns another Hyundai dealership in Melbourne and a Mitsubishi dealership somewhere. Coastal Hyundai and Coastal Mitsubishi are the other two. Bruce Nelson is the owner but I never met the gentleman.
Take a test drive but do not buy that day! That drives them nuts and when they tell you that the car will be gone the same day just take your chances and let them wait. He who blinks first wins.
But all in all I think that Cocoa Hyundai is more than fair IF you don't mind that haggling crap!
Drives me nuts but it did pay off.

Good luck,

Richard

guyf1

The SF, Forester, Outback, MDX, RX-300, CR-V, Volvo XC etc are all excellent vehicles. Is'nt it great that we have such a wide choice??? Once you have decided what you want and how much you are willing to pay, you can go out there and buy it.

Before I bought, I set my specs: I needed 4WD for traction and around 8" of ground clearance for the trail to our Cabin. This was to replace a CR-V so I wanted more power, more luggage space and a little more equipment. The vehicle had to be refined, comfortable and with good handling; I drive fast and push it in the corners. I wanted 4 disc brakes, ABS, independent suspension front and back and unibody construction.

So I road tested extensively all the above mentioned vehicles, (I passed on the Tribute, I could see no improvement in luggage space over the CR-V) and of course they were all nice and all had positives and negatives.

I chose the SF because of the excellent value and as I do go on unpaved trails in the woods and use it for transport to mountain bike races after which a lot of dirty gear, clothing etc. gets in; I got kind on shy to take a $50,000 CDN vehicle in those conditions. Also, the shiftronic was a big factor in the scale for me.

BTW, we had a snow storm last night. We have a steep hill, Double S shaped nearby on a lightly travelled road. I was doing the same as the Pathfinder ad where the guy is going uphill on the ski slope. Used the shiftronic, got all sideways but nicely in control; lots of FUN!!! It was the first time in at least 10 years that I got out in a car for a joyride!

3000 Km so far and nothing to report. The undercoating smell is now gone. Bridgestone Winter Dueler tires are a must if you have to drive on ice and wet snow.

Finally, let's keep this forum positive unlike the one on CarPoint.

Karen_S

I've started a few discussions in the Hyundai Santa Fe Owners club. Please take a look and jump in if you like.

I'm still building discussions and open to suggestions!

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

infinia1

my mother is seriously considering the sante fe. she has almost always owned fords (which i hate) so of course i took her to test drive the escape. she was impressed and had decided that's what she wanted. then...i took her to see the santa fe and told her about the warranty. guess what? she wants the hyundai over the ford and never would've considered it had i not showed it to her. the ford dealer wouldn't even let us test drive alone without him. i asked why the salesman said for insurance reasons. whatever...they only had a leather and sunroof version for us to drive and since my mother doesn't want those options, the salesman said he would bring another escape to her at work to look at. well he never did. so we went to the hyundai dealer and were treated quite well, we took the test drive for about 2 hours, i must say i was very impressed with this vehicle-being a hyundai and all. the sticker was marked up an additional 1500 "market adjustment" tho. we will go to denver when she sells the ford. i am starting to get jealous that she will have this awesome truck. i just bought an alero a couple months ago and got an exceptional deal so the santa fe probably would've cost me much more. oh well i can always borrow mom's truck.;) has anyone had the experience of buying online? thanks.

alvin10

http://www.hmaservice.com/xml/graphics/ET/ETJA320B.gif

mikezak

Can anyone give a knowledgable estimate of when the supply of SFs will increase? How 'bout some input from some dealers or salespersons?

Does anyone know how often ships arrive at Portland from Korea (ie; once a day, week, month?).

I am getting frustrated that more than one dealer tell me that "its best that you order out" -- but it will still take ATLEAST 10 -12 weeks.

bobcook54

Bob here,manager at a Hyundai dealer in Ohio. No doubt, they are in tight supply.The Central Region that you are part of received very little allocation the last 2-3 weeks,due to a larger piece of the pie earlier in the year. Hyudai,I understand, is cutting back production of other models in Korea to be able to build more Sante Fe's.I wouldn't look for any substantial increase in availability until spring/late spring.If you can find what your looking for at sticker price or less(don't expect much of a discount) then buy it. Many dealers are charging up to $2500.00 over sticker,which IMHO,doesn't make for a long term customer/dealer relationship,but rather looks like a dealer trying to make a quick buck. Bob

mikezak

Thanks for your honest and frank response. I wish there were some more Hyundai dealers of your type.

Is your dealership in the Cinci area, as I sometimes get there on business?

Can you also confirm or verify that the regional Hyundai reps can check the inbound shipment of vehicles - and thus reserve a specific model/color? Also what has been the average wait time for a 'order out'?

Again, thanks Bob for your post. Much appreciated. How 'bout starting a dealership in central WI?

bobcook54

Mike- We are about 120 miles north of Cinn. in Lima,Ohio. Yes, Hyundai district managers can check with their region's distribution manager and find out what has arrived at port.The dealer can then get with the district rep to match up a vehicle to your wants and desires. IF!!! the dealer has allocation availabilty, they can then mark it sold and it should take about 3 weeks shipping and prosessing time to receive it at the dealership.Remember,this is from the port on the west coast and not an order placed to Korea. That would take probably 3 months or so.As to opening a dealership in Wisconsin,I would have to ger assurances that you Badgers would not continue to beat up my Buckeyes!!!

megasuvowner

I just test drove a santa fe lx with everything today and i was wondering the actual price of one in other parts of the country. i live just outside washington dc and the prices for cars are usually a little bit higher here than in other places. the price on the lx was $22,900 with only a $300 mark up for the dealer whatever it is which doesnt sound as bad as $2500. i am perfectly willing to pay $22,900 because its excellent for a car with leather and 4wheel drive, but i was just wondering if i could do better. ( P.S. does anyone know how much a sunroof would be to put in? i forgot to ask them that at the dealership)

-Dave

big_guy

Dave - Here in the Rocky Mountains, a fully loaded Sante Fe LX w/AWD stickers at about $23.3k. The price you quoted of $22.9k sounds like a pretty good deal.

secretariat

i live in central new york where the winters are quite snowy. i am looking to buy a new car this summer or fall. I want a small wagon/Suv that does well in the snow and has the power to tow a pop-up trailer or a small boat. I don't want a Jeep or Explorer because i need a vehicle with ease of entry. Do you think the Santa Fe can do the job for me? I would appreciate any responses.

thanks.

drew_

Interesting username! :-)

You may also want to consider the Subaru Forester. Since it is based on the Subaru Impreza car/wagon platform, entry and exit is extremely car-like. Towing capacity is 2000 lbs, I believe. Click here for the Subaru Forester discussion topic.

Happy hunting!

Drew
Host
Vans and SUVs message boards

bobcook54

A FWD Sante Fe with a V6 is rated at 2700LBS. and AWD is rated at 2400lbs. Remember,this is the weight of the trailer and all gear stowed inside. The reason for the difference is the compensation for the extra weight of the AWD system. Hitches will be available soon from your parts dept.,but I would recommend going to a Draw Tight dealer-they have them now or can order them.By the way, Sante Fe already has a tranny cooler standard. Bob

billtung

Thank you for let us know the link to Hyundai's service manual

http://www.hmaservice.com/webtech/default.asp?source=/home/

I find it very handy!

mac41099

I am researching SUV's for a purchase in the fall. The Santa Fe has jumped to the top of my list. Can anyone tell me why the dash board features on the Hyundai Motor Co. web site shows climate control and a digital tripometer on the dash while the hyundaiusa.com site and the vehicles in the U.S. don't??? Are these feature available as extras? If not, will they be on the 2002 models?

Also, does anyone know if a sunroof is an option? Thank you so much.

fitnessman42

The climate control and digital multimeter are not available on the US version. You can however, order them from hdkautosport.com. I have heard that in 2002 the sunroof may be an option though.

I have a Nordic White 6 cylinder LX and I love it! I have installed the bug deflector and rear mud guards. I am waiting on back ordered front mud guards as well as back ordered window visors. I have also ordered the nerf bar type chrome step rails, chrome bush guard, and a black carbon fiber dash kit. Hopefully all these items will be here and installed on my SF within the next couple of weeks.

I shopped around for SUV's a lot before I decided to take the plunge and get the SF. I figure it this way; for the money, features and warranty as compared to other models you can't go wrong.

bobcook54

Climate control and the digital tripometer are not available on any Sante Fe and we dealers haven't received info on 2002 models. Sunroofs are not available as a factory option,either. Bob

janes5

B4 I bought my 99' grand am, i was initially shopping for SUV but crv and rav4 that I test drove werent speaking my language. Santa Fe really is a neat suv and attracts me alot. Im seriously thinking of trading my car for SF until I found out about xg300 in this site. Ive never even knew this car existed. These two models from HD are seriously good-looking and they are speaking my language crystal clear. Thanks guys for your honest detailed inputs. I feel like an expert on SF before even owning one. Will decide btwn SF and XG. If I choose SF, my gratitude to all who had contributed on this board.

sincerely,

viperu

I've been reading these posts for over a month while everybody had been saying how happy they were to have one.Well,as of today,so am I.Bought a GLS Santa Fe and I just love it.Had to go about 130 miles to get it as the dealers in the Central Florida area are having tough times getting them and they are not budging on prices.In fact,I payed almost $1000.00 over invoice but at least I was treated decently at the dealership I bought it from which is more than I can say about a few others.Supplies are tight with no more expected during the month of February and some dealerships are already out as they have received their allocations.Drove like a charm on the way home and I can honestly say this vehicle purchase has been probably the best I have ever made and what value.Good luck to everyone else in obtaining one and thanks for all the informative posts.

Steve

santafegal

Have four weeks and 1,400+ miles on my Sandstone GLS... only problem is the danger it causes on the road... people straining their necks to see what it is! I had read those comments on this message board and thought they were exaggerating.. but it's true! I'm in Southern California where your car is you... and the percentage of Santa Fes on the road still is miniscule... it adds to the fun of the handling and everything.... I love it, and hope I still do in five years.

ramada

Hi Gang! I'm new here! Let's try this again, "edited"...LOL) I bought my Santa Fe, LX, Sandstone, on November 5th in San Diego....
I got my LX Sandstone, 2WD, 6 Cylinder for $2,000 under MSRP! I just now turned 3,000 miles and I love it! I get lots of stares, and people really do walk up to you thinking it for a Lexus! At my work, I park in an underground garage, and I get to work early...well, every morning at lunch, every day, there's a differnt SUV, BMW, LEXUS, Acura, etc...ALWAYS parked next to my Santa Fe...obviously they wanted to get a better look! Ha! The Santa Fe really does turn heads...the room is outstanding....the ride and feel are comfortable. Next week, a friend and myself are taking the Santa Fe, from San Diego to Santa Cruz, Hihway 101, Monterrey, Palo Alto, San Jose, and San Francisco, and Berkely for 5 days, just driving and hitting all the spots! It should be real fun. For those of you who are still undecided...go look for yourselves and test drive one... I checked out the Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Jeeps, Fords, and Mazda and Acura SUV'S...ALL OF THEM...and for the price, selection, value and peace of mind, the Hyundai was the best in it's class. It has everything the over priced SUV's have..but a better warranty...it has auto everything, the leg room, cargo space is WOW!!! and the ride is very smooth and soft. I love it! Get the Santa Fe! It's fun and awesome! I have lots of pictures and will post them up herre real soon...like in a day or two.