Hyundai Santa Fe (2006 and earlier)

tomsr

The close by Hyundai dealer has 4 of the 4 cylinder gl models but has sold all but one
V6,he did not offer me a test drive cause I was not interested in the Black one.They are suppose to be getting 20 more in soon.No pressure at all
in fact I was hanging around looking at them for
15 minutes before someone came out to ask if I needed help.As far as reliability take look at
the Sonata postings, people have no complaints.

fuller2

Wind Noise & dash trim Q's !
Hey folks! I've learned so much info here.-Thank you!
I'm loving my white v-6 santa fe, but I do have wind noise. I wonder if it could be from the cross bars on the roof. Anyone have this problem?
Also, I plan to buy a dash kit and want it to be a "brushed aluminum" look.(silver metal). Of the places that sell the dash kits, which one would you recommend for this look?
Till then...

big_guy

I had the opportunity to test drive the Sante Fe and Tribute back to back over the weekend. I test drove a loaded Sante Fe LX with V6, AWD, Leather etc. Then drove a loaded Tribute LX. I was going to compare the Tribute ES to compare top of the line on both but the ES had a moonroof and that cut 1.5 inches out of the headroom so I couldn't fit comfortably in the ES. (I'm 6'7" tall). This is my impressions based on the test drives;

Sante Fe:
PROS: Interior is nice. I had enough head room and leg room but all the interior gadgets (shifter, door mounted controls, etc.) cut down on side to side leg room. Since I am tall, that made it a little uncomfortable in the leg room department. I like the floor mounted shifter though. The AC has more controllability than the Mazda. You can get a V6 with AWD and 4 wheel disc brakes for a not a lot of money. Heated rear view mirrors are a plus. Full size spare tire. Lots of cubby holes for storage.

CONS: V6 engine is not very responsive. Steering felt numb. Exterior styling is not as nice as Tribute (IMO). No factory mounted trailer package. Reliability? One of the rear seat belt latches would not lock down properly and hold the seat belt. First year of production. Cargo cover is difficult to move around.

Tribute:
PROS: Very responsive V6 engine. Excellent handling and road feel. Nice looking exterior. Very nice stereo system. Available tow package. Plenty of head room and leg room. Low price.

CONS: Cheaper looking interior. Column mounted shifter. Reliability? First year of production. Firestone Tires. Donut spare tire. Recalls?

Based on the results of my test drive in each of these small SUVs I can now say that I would prefer the Tribute. I can live with a cheaper looking interior and column mounted shifter when you get the type of handling and responsiveness that you get with the Tribute. The Sante Fe felt pretty sluggish and dull in comparison. Even the spruced up interior didn't change that impression.

I took my kids with me on the test drive as well . . . primarily to see if I could fit all three in the back seat (two of the kids in car seats). I asked them what they thought at the end of each test drive and then which one they liked better. My 7 year old and my 3 year old both liked the Tribute better. For whatever that is worth.

dunn3

buy hope your firestone tires don't "pop" b/c Ford asked you to underinflate them; don't come back to this forum telling us how you should have bought a Santa Fe because your ford has had numerous recalls already (I say ford b/c they are made by the same Co.)and your front assembly or rear wheels suddenly break off when you're driving. The Santa FE is beautiful, and while I did not drive it, I do have a Sonata which I love and would take over a 626 any day. Best of luck with your choice, and as long as you're happy, don't pay attention to what any one says

big_guy

I have not made a final decision on a new SUV. I have test driven the Sante Fe and the Tribute and based on the test drive, the Tribute appealed to me more. My brother-in-law drives an Elantra and I am currently driving a 626. The Elantra is a better looking car than the 626 but that does not make it a better car. I have had the 626 for 3 years and have had no problems with it.

I have several months to make a final decision on a new vehicle so I am in no rush to make a quick decision. My previous post was just to review my impressions of the test drives of both vehicles.

I am also waiting to see if the Sante Fe is going to be crash tested. The Tribute should rate well (based on previous Mazda vehicles) but Hyundai vehicles, in general, protect the driver very well in a front impact crash but side impact ratings are generally very poor and the passenger data is dismal.

ranger47

giggo.com has the specs on the Sants Fe at their site. No pics though. Only pic I have seen is at Hyundaiusa.com

natescape

Big guy, have you driven a Subaru Forester? They're excellent vehicles that are often overlooked. I LOVED my test drive, and plan to get one in January. The AWD system is unsurpassed, and the 166 HP gives it plenty of "oomph".

big_guy

Yes, I have driven the Forester and I liked it a lot. Lots of pick-up and very good handling. It is among the few vehicles I can fit into comfortably. It would be on the top of my list if it wasn't for the minimal rear passenger leg room. I believe the rear leg room is specified at 33" or so. I am 6'7" and need the drivers seat all the way back. With the drivers seat all the way back there is minimal room behind the drivers seat. I have three children, two in car seats (3 year old and 8 week old, 7 year old is big enough to ride without a car seat). I won't be taking the kids with me everytime I drive but it will be enough that more rear leg room is needed. If the Forester was 3" longer with all that additional length added to rear passenger leg room then the Forester would be ideal for me. Actually, if you look at the interior volume numbers on the Forester and compare them to the Sante Fe and Tribute, the only real difference is the rear seat leg room. If there was 36" instead of 33" then the leg room, and cargo volume would be almost identical in the three vehicles. I really like the Forester and still may buy one . . . maybe one of the future redesigns for the Forester will include a bit of "stretch" to the frame to give it more rear leg room.

I have owned two Subarus and really liked them. The first car I drove was a hand-me-down '72 Subaru Sedan. The second car I owned was an '80 Subaru Hatchback. Both of them were just front wheel drive (Subaru hadn't started doing the AWD in all of their vehicles at that time) but I never got stuck and could go anywhere in the snow and slush as long as I didn't get high centered.

bri70

A Northern N.J. dealer just got back to me and stated that Hyundai is not dealing with leases at this time for the Sante Fe. Is that true?

drew37

I stopped by my local Hyundai dealer on the way home today and they had just received 2 Santa Fe's with 12 more to arrive in the next couple of day's. The price sheet I got has the 4WD V6 prices as follows : Base 19799, GLS 20799, LX 21999. This does not include various available options. There are only 2 options for the LX which are: Luxury package 2 (electrochromic auto-dimming rear view mirror , $295) and ABS with traction control. It appears that you can get the luxury package alone, but not the ABS. If you get the ABS you have to get the luxury package (total of $890). This gives a fully loaded LX an MSRP of $22889. I didn't take a test drive because there were several people already waiting. I hope to drive a Santa Fe within the next few days. Also, the hp in the new brochure is given at 181 hp, not the 185 hp I saw written in several places (not that the 4 hp will really make a difference). Finally, available colors are: nordic white, black obsidian, pewter, merlot, pine green, crystal blue, sandstone.

drew37

I wonder when edmunds.com (and other auto. sites) will even include Hyundai in their new truck section ?

nightman

Hi,

I just took a test drive of the Santa Fe today and it does drive great love everything in it especially the Sportronic Shifter. The only problem I had was there was a pronoune amount of engine noise, has anyone else experienced this. It was sounding more like a 4 cyl with the way the engine was whining.

drew37

nightman:
I agree there was a bit of a whine as the engine shifts through the first couple of gears. The automatic transmission seemed a little sluggish. It sometimes seems to take forever to change gears. Anyway, you can speed things up a bit using the Sportronic Shifter, which I agree, is loads of fun.

papimom

I drove a sandstone GLS yesterday. I really like the dash and console better than the Tribute. It doesn't have as much power as the Tribute, but for my needs it should be just fine. I didn't like the color, too brown for my taste. To flip down the rear seats, is not as quick as the Tribute. The dealer is going to check if a moonroof could maybe be installed. I really wanted one. When you close the doors, the Sante Fe seems more solid than the Tribute. I like being able to adjust the driver's seat, also. I thought the ride was smoother and quieter than the Tribute.

brutherford

Has anyone test driven the V6 with 2WD, I personally do not need the AWD option, so that will equate to better mileage and engine performance than the AWD. I was just wondering. I am going to wait until the end of October to mid November before I go in to start dealing on a vehicle.

I liked your review of both the Santa Fe and the Tribute. Thank you Big Guy. At 5'- 7" the headroom issue does not apply to me.

My impressions of the Tribute (have not driven yet) have been from going over, under and inside of a few at one of the dealerships on a Sunday without any of the eagles around to swoop in for the kill. I preferred the Santa Fe over the Tributes that I looked at. I have not seen the LX yet, only the GLS. I have checked out the top end Tribute and still preferred the Santa Fe GLS over it.

supratoy

Saw and drove the Santa Fe. Am in the market for a new mid sized SUV. Trying to decide between, Rav 4, Honda, Tribute/Escape and Santa Fe. I have looked at all of them. I am most impressed with the appearance and apparent quality of the Santa Fe. I am surprised to say this. The Trib/Escape twins are too american and cheap feeling and looking. Many have complained about door handles etc. But if you compare them to the Hyundai there is no contest. Santa Fe looks to be better built. The doors go thunk like a VW or Honda. The Trib/Escape door closes like it is a cheap car. Maybe the tighter fitting doors make it quieter when driving. My dilemma is that I know nothing of Hyundai. If it looks good and feels good but breaks down that it is not what I want. Better to look cheap and feel cheap but run well and be reliable. Hyundai owners would I be making a mistake buying a Hyundai? What is there track record on reliability. They are built in Korea. Will they go Kabloom after 20k? What are others take on this Korean Suv? Does it look better than it is and would I be sorry? I am thinking of taking the plunge soon.

lanman2

Hi!

Since the Santa Fe is based on the Sonata platform, and the motors are very much the same, I suggest you may want to read some of the postings in the SEDANS section, Sonata, Sonata 2, or Sonata 3 topics.

Personally my family has owned 4 Sonatas. Two 1997 models and 2, 2000 models. We have over 85,000 total miles and no problems!

I think you'll find most of the postings are very positive.

Good luck, and please continue to post your experiences while trying to find the vehicle that is right for you.
LANMAN2

wesl

I finally got to test drive a Santa Fe this afternoon. There is only one Hyundai dealer in Birmingham, Serra Chevrolet-Hyundai-Subaru. Before I talk about the SUV, let me say that the dealership experience was horrible. I pulled up in my Contour, hopped out, and had to track down a salesman. I walked into the Hyundai showroom, which looked more like a glorified double-wide trailer. After getting some strange looks, the LOT PORTER asked me if I needed help. Since no one was available in the Hyundai trailer, he went to grab someone from the Chevrolet showroom. Out comes this older gentleman. We walk up to the only two Santa Fe's on the lot. I pull on the drivers door handle and the car is locked. At this point he graciously offers to get the key. He opens the passenger side first, and the alarm begins to sound. Not that I care, but he had no idea how to turn it off. So the manager comes out and promises to get the remote. Five minutes later no manager, but we have somehow fooled around enough that it stops sounding the alarm. The first salesman says NOTHING to me. Not about the car, nothing. He gets out, and to prod him along I suggest we go on a drive. I have driven the Tribute, and was curious about the Santa Fe. He suggests that he does not go on test drives, and that he will go find a younger salesman. Out comes a guy named Sanders, who is only marginally better than the first guy. We go on the drive, where he says NOTHING about the car. Hell, make something up. Tell me it has a diesel-electric hybrid, at this point any comment will do. The only thing I say is the Santa Fe seems a good bit slower than my car, a V6 Contour 5spd. He says that around town maybe, but on the highway the Santa Fe would leave my car choking the Hyundai's exhaust fumes. Sure buddy. Anyway, about the car. It was a base 2wd in Nordic white. Pretty loaded considering it costs only 19,814 sticker. I liked the refinement, the exterior build quality, and the transmission. Personally, I found most of the plastic o.k., but Hyundai somehow managed to grain the center stack plastic to feel like styrofoam. Looking in the passenger footwell area I also noticed an exposed screwhead. Not the best quality, but decent. No rattles or squeaks during the drive. However, the Tribute did drive better and I feel the quality is very similar (personal opinion). You really had to keep it above 3500 rpms do get what I consider to be decent acceleration. The handling was o.k. but once again not as good as the Tribute. As for appearance, I am not sure what to make of the "snout" like front end. Kind of looks like Edsel made an SUV. Overall, a positive first experience.

tronsr

IF YOU DECIDE TO GET THE SANTA FE, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE A GOOD WARRANTY, MUCH BETTER THAN MY NEWLY ORDERED FORD ESCAPE.IF YOU WANT IT...GO FOR IT...

papimom

I had driven a Santa Fe on Sat. and really liked it. I would like a moonroof, but I know it is not an option. The dealer said I could have one installed, but I'm kind of leary about it. Have any of you had any experiences with a non-factory installed roof? Or is there a message board here that deals more with that subject? Would appreciate hearing of anyone's past experiences on this.

jjayj

This past weekend the wife and I test drove the Santa Fe. I currently have a 98 Subaru Forester with a stick shift. The only Santa Fe on the lot was the 4 cylinder with stick. This was good since I thought I could do a really close analysis between the two vehicles. My forester has 156hp and the Santa Fe has 160hp. Both were stick. The only major differences were curb weight and that the Forester is AWD and the Santa Fe was FWD.

My first visual impressions is that I like the Santa Fe styling better. It looks more like an SUV than the Forester. I always thought my Forester looked like a hybrid Volvo station wagon. The front end of the Santa Fe looks like something from an older Honda automobile. The one thing that really impressed me was the Santa Fe's tailgate. The ability to just pop the glass open was one of the major complaints I had about the Forester. Also, the tailgate is smoother and easier to handle on the Santa Fe. I really didn't see that much difference in cargo room between the two, but the Santa Fe does have more rear leg room. But for some reason, I had less head room in the SF, probably due to a higher seat. The front leg room seemed about the same.

On to the test drive. The Santa Fe's ride was very smooth. I didn't notice that much wind noise. I took it up to 75mph on the highway. The one thing that really disappointed me was the acceleration. There was none. The engine strained to pull the car up to speed. The fifth gear is definitely an overdrive gear without any pull-away power. For having the same horsepower as my Forester the engine is woefully inadequate. I would like to try a 6 cyl.

My wife really like the Santa Fe's ride, look and feel. She was concerned about the lack of acceleration.

To summarize:

2001 Santa Fe (4cyl stick)

Pros: Great ride, good rear leg room, well designed tailgate, solid feeling doors, higher driving position

Cons: Poor acceleration, three piece puzzle to fold down rear seats, less head room

1998 Forester (4cyl stick)

Pros: Good acceleration, easy to fold down rear seats, more headroom, AWD

Cons: Mediocre tailgate, lower to the ground

Unless the 6 cylinder Santa Fe blows me away, I will be waiting on some other SUV to appear before I trade in my Forester.

big_guy

I also test drove a Sante Fe. I drove a loaded V6 LX and found the acceleration lacking with the V6 as well. The ride was smooth but the steering felt numb and the seats were very hard. If you liked the Sante Fe you should try the Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape. They are very similar in size to the Sante Fe and have similar features. They have the separate glass tailgate and interior room is almost identical. The interior materials in the Tribute seem a bit cheaper but the acceleration and handling of the V6 Tribute are far superior to the V6 Sante Fe. The Mazda handling and acceleration were closer to that of the Subaru in my opinion. I have not made a purchase yet and the Forester would be on top of my list if the rear seat room was better. The 33" rear leg room is only adequate for small children, particularly with the front seats all the way back . . . which I need to do being 6'-7" tall.

ruski

have you ever had a salesman fart loudly during a test drive? I have.

drew37

ruski:

In some parts of the world that is actually a compliment to your good driving....kind of like burping after a good meal.

tomsr

You sure it wasn't a backfire!

james24

Just test drove a LX fully loaded last night. The dealer was asking $2000.00 over invoice, please. Anyway, I was interested in the Sante Fe for my wife, we live in a rural area and most of the roads here are gravel and they beat up our Passat. She wanted something more truckish, without being a truck. Went to go see the Ford Escape, didnt look very closely, as soon as I got behind the wheel, I was done, didnt fit. I couldnt get my legs to clear the steering wheel. I am 6'5" tall, and was really disappointed. It looked nice for the money. Anyway, I do fit in the Santa Fe, although it is somewhat tight, but not uncomfortable. Had my wife and 2 kids as well. I was amazed by the room in the back seats, the kids were comfortable, nice interior, and it appeared to be put together well. The doors closed with a nice sound, the window motors were quite and fast, the rear hatch was nice, like the split glass. Test drove with the family. I never drove the Escape, so I cant compare, but the Santa Fe seemed livable in the power department, especially if I used the tiptronic transmission, which I am used to doing in our Passat. Braking was excellent, steering felt tight, low body roll, good visibilty, a little bit of road noise an the highway, but overall nice.
I like the suburu's, but I dont fit in them either. The CRV doesn't seem to even compare with Santa Fe and no V-6, no Kia, the Suzuki is to small, the Rav4 only has the 4 cylinder. In this class, what else is there. My wife drove and liked the vehicle as well, but we will reserve final judgement when we go back alone and take the vehicle out for an extended road test with no saleperson, which we do before we buy anything, and no way am I going to pay over invoice for anything. Also, as anyone seen crash test data yet, I am waiting to see if it does well.

drew37

James24.....
what did you think of the acceleration in the Santa Fe ? I thought it was sluggish even with the tiptronic (or whatever they are calling it).

When I went for a test drive (twice) I told the salesguy that it didn't have much power. He called me 2 days later to tell me that "there must have been something wrong with the one you drove....the ones we just got in are more peppy. Come back and drive another one". I wonder what he plans on saying if I were to go back and say the same thing?
They are asking MSRP. And I now notice that they now have a handwritten note next to the sticker adding $395 for dealer prep and $195 for some pinstripes they put on the side. WHAT A JOKE.
You never should pay for dealer prep....and that stripe is the most expensive tape in the world. Basically this is just a $590 markup. It is a lot of fun to drive though, especially with the tiptronic transmission.

big_guy

It is interesting that you found the Escape too small for you. I am 6'7" tall and found there to be more leg room in the Escape than in the Sante Fe. The center console and some of the widgets on the drivers side door stole some of the side to side leg room and made it tighter in the Sante Fe. The rear seat leg room was similar between the two vehicles. If you get a chance, take a test drive in the V6 Escape (or Tribute) then take another test drive in the V6 Sante Fe. I am sure you will be surprised. The Escape/Tribute has a lot more get-up-and-go and the handling is a lot better than the Sante Fe. The Sante Fe is not bad but the handling feels sluggish and the steering numb after a comparison to the Escape. The interior is a lot nicer in the Sante Fe and you get some better features in the Hyundai as well (4 wheel disc brakes, heated rear-view mirrors, floor mounted shifter, and more control on AC - although the Sante Fe roof rack is only rated to carry 75 lbs of gear). Plus, a loaded Sante Fe is less expensive than a loaded Escape.

I too am waiting for crash test data on the Sante Fe. Hyundai does NOT have a history of good crash test results. But they have improved over the past couple of years. If you check out the NHTSA reports for the 2000 Sonata, you will see that the side impact data is much improved over the previous tests. No front impact test data are posted. The Sante Fe is built off the Sonata platform so data should be comparable.

I have time to make a decision and I like the Sante Fe but the engine performance and handling leave a lot of room for improvement. The safety is undetermined as well. Six months down the line I am hoping to see crash test data on the Sante Fe and Escape/Tribute and by then the major bugs should be worked out of both of these first year production vehicles.

bj02176

Why would you consider a Korean vehicle, don't you like animals, don't you like dogs in particular. Didn't I read a while back that Koreans torture dogs by keeping them in cages, before eating them. I'm a cat person but it still bothers me, just say no, buy american or Japanese, or better still german, or at least European.

brutherford

Huh?

What does that even have to do with automobiles, even if it is true?

P.S. I love animals, especially the ones I hunt, kill, clean, cook and eat.

brutherford

Now back to what this message board is about. Has anyone bought a Santa Fe yet?

If so, what model type and what is your current opinion, now that you are an owner of one.

tomsr

Pigs! So much for German cars.I love animals too!
Baked,fried or barbecued it's all good.

james24

I had a problem getting my legs under the steering wheel in the Escape. While I am only 6'5" tall I do weigh 280lbs. I do not like to drive with my legs to either side of the steering wheel, but I was going back to look at the Tribute to see if I could find more room. As for the acceleration, I felt it was OK, definetly not sportscar fast. Based on what I have read about the Escape, the 0-60 numbers are generally 9 seconds. The escape weighs less and has more power, so I expect the Santa Fe to come in about 9.5 to 10.0 seconds to 60. The only place I really felt the Santa Fe may have real problems is in highway passing on 2 lane roads. Before I would seriously consider this car, I would have a extended test drive to check out highway prowess. However, our Passat has the same transmission by Porsche that the Santa Fe has, and it is equiped with a computer that determines your particular driving style and sets the shift paterns accordingly. We noticed that after 4 to 5 months, the acceleration times in the Passat where much better, and I expect the same in the Hyundai. Overall, I was impressed with my first look at the Santa Fe.

papimom

The salesman I talked to said the Santa Fe has been out a couple years in Korea but is just being introduced in the U.S. I haven't read anything about this, does anyone know anything about this? Why does Hyundai have a bad reputation? Is it hearsay or are there facts out there. I'm seriously thinking of buying a Santa Fe over the Tribute.

big_guy

papimom - The Sante Fe is built and specifically marketed to the U.S. market. It was designed by a team of engineers from California, Germany, and Korea to appeal to the American buying populace. To my knowledge, it has not been in production for a couple years in Korea. Hyundai has a bad reputation based primarily on the Excel. When it was first introduced, the car had a bad reputation for reliability and was in the shop frequently. Hyundai has worked hard to erase that reputation and has offered the "Americas Best Warranty" to prove it. Hyundai also has had a bad reputation for crash worthiness. Check out NHTSA for crash test data on Hyundai vehicles. They have been getting progressively better but are still not as good as they could be. It can be hard to live down first impressions on a vehicle. My concerns are not with reliability but with crash worthiness . . . until I see test data on the Sante Fe, I am not going to make a purchase.

James24 - When you sat in the Escape, did you adjust the tilt steering wheel up all the way? Just wondering because there didn't appear to be any more room under the steering wheel in the Sante Fe than there was in the Escape when I test drove them. I would never be able to fit my legs under the steering wheel . . . I have to rest my legs to either side.

adamjrae

Canceled my Tribute order for a 2001 Silver Santa Fe GLS AWD, ABS+Traction and drove it off the lot!!!. I love it!!! 4 recalls for the Tribute/Escape in under 2 months when the car is under 2 months old is worse than Hyundai's past.
I would reccommend a Santa Fe to everybody.

adamjrae

The book says there is a First Aid kit in the GLS> I can't find mine. Where is it?????
Does anybody know?

adamjrae

Never mind, The dealer has it in his desk. He said he didn't want someone to take it.

khj

Tell us about your new Santa Fe! Where, how much, etc. etc. Is it everything you hoped it would be - tell us all good & bad (if any) hope not...Do you agree that it's quieter than the Tribute (wind & tire noise) I found the seat comfort about the same.

I have been waiting - TRIBUTE OR SANTA FE - never put in an order on either yet. Still undecided - but the Santa Fe is winning. Like you had posted - two many recalls on the Tribute/Escape. I'm afraid too much FORD in it. Both Santa Fe & Tribute very sweet looking - but Tribute has a powered sunroof which I really, really wanted and Santa Fe I think has even more style to it - I like the curves & better quality inside.

Has anyone noticed the orange peel paint on Tributes. The ones I've seen - which I've seen alot - all but the blue - which there is none in the s.jersey area yet. I'd say atleast half of the Tributes I've seen had some or bad orange peel - certain colors may show it more - like black, but I've seen it on just about all of them.

I also saw orange peel paint on a black Santa Fe - it was sharp other than that. I personally like the green - very pretty color & I'm not a green loving person.

So what do you do when you are ready to make the purchase - do you really have to request that you want a good paint job on the vehicle you're purchasing?

james24

Yep, I did tilt and move the seat in the Escape all the way up and all the way back, and I could not clear the steering wheel, it sat right on my thighs. At the time I went to look at the Escape, the dealer only had 1, and it had not even been prepped for sale yet, so I am going to go back and look at several and see if I fit like than in different ones. I find however that I generally have more room with vehicles with leather seats, the Santa Fe I drove had leather, the Escape I looked at didnt. I will let you know if I find a Escape I can fit in and how the test drive goes.
Adamjrae, please keep us posted on a regular basis how it goes with your Santa Fe, I really like the vehicle my self, and am seriously considering it. Any updates would be appreciated.

adamjrae

Here is what made me change my mind.
I’ve been eyeing the Tribute because my Grandfather worked for Ford and I was able to get the Ford Family Plan where you get a HUGE discount from the dealer(like what the dealer pays). Well since Mazda is owned by Ford I was trying to use my discount there. At first the dealer wanted nothing to do with me because they would not make any money on the Tribute. After talking to his manager we agreed to order me a Tribute so I would have my car with discount and they would not loose any money selling on from the floor. I was told 6-8 weeks for delivery. Week 2 and week 4 I called and asked on the progress of the custom built Tribute and was assured everything was running fine and I would have mine in 6-8 weeks like quoted. Called on week 5 and was told that Ford put a ban on the Escape/Tribute and they could not make mine until the ban for family members on that model was lifted. 5 weeks wasted and nothing has happened!!! I called Mazda Ops and they said the dealer could not sell the car the there is no reason they couldn’t start making it. This is what made me think. I was so gun ho on getting a Mazda (since my 92 Mazda runs great) I ignored the recalls (4 in under 2 months) and blocked out the ideal that the Tribute is nothing but a Ford product. I thought it was more Mazda than Ford but I was wrong. I remember seeing a post on www.edmunds.com BB saying this one person is holding off for a Hyundai Santa Fe. That weekend we needed a car because ours was falling apart(95 Pontiac Grand Prix 80,000Miles).

My Girlfriend and I took a 2wd Santa Fe out for a spin and loved it. The dealer kept winking at us and was trying to get $$$ for his rust proofing and scotchgaurd, we left there in a hurry. Went to another dealer in Austin Texas and took a AWD out for a spin. It has been raining for 2 days and during the test drive it was still raining. I had to make a right turn from the parking lot onto the street…. punched it with the steering wheel turned and she took off. No slipping, no spinning, nothing but traction on wet pavement while turning. I decided to get it. I paid $22,000 (sticker)for a GLS with AWD, ABS, and Traction control. I could not negotiate sticker because they were going to pay off my car for me ($3900) but it was only worth $3000.

I love the car and I love the warranty.
The Santa Fe is quieter than the Tribute. I like the Santa Fe because I’m short 5 foot 4 inches and I can actually see the hood with the up slanting sides. This helps me out when driving. The interior is quite clean looking and you have plenty of room inside. I called a trailer hitch shop here in Austin and Draw Tite will be carrying trailer hitches(class 2) for the santa fe in about 3 weeks.
Ours is Silver and I wish I would of got the black one but we needed a car that day.
The only thing I don’t like about the Santa Fe is with the roof rack there are not bars from side to side, only front to back. I don’t know where to get the side to side bars to add a roof rack. If you have any questions please e-mail me at adamjrae@austin.rr.com I'll be more than happy to tell you anything.

tjsen

Our local dealership finally got their first Santa Fe. It is a black loaded GLS. Very sharp. To me, it looks better in person than in pictures. I actually began to get excited until I looked at the sticker and the $385 pinstripe and get this $1,000 dollar "market adjustment fee" on top of the sticker. I actually burst out laughing and thought for a second I was at a Ford/Mazda dealership. However, I guess that as long as people line up to pay sticker and not negotiate I will continue to wait.

tomsr

I finally got to drive the GLS 2WD I had been eyeing. It is so slow, compared to my Explorer
with 4.0 liter SOHC.I liked the Escape much better
for it's fun factor.I guess it is all a matter of
what you are use to.I have had no problems with my
Ford so I am not convinced of it's rumors.By June
when I am ready to buy all the bugs will be worked
out of Escape but Santa Fe will still have 181HP,
no sunroof,or cassette. I don't mind paying more
to add some excitement to my daily drive.

natescape

I haven't gotten to test drive a Santa Fe yet (the local dealer in Fall River, MA still doesn't have any), but I LOVED the Subaru Forester. It's zippy, handles great, and is the perfect height - both I (6'0") and my wife (4'11") found it VERY easy to step into and we both loved the ride and the GARGANTUAN moonroof (which you have to see to believe - it covers half the back seat.

If you're looking for fun, a great 5-CD changer and cassette stereo, a moonroof, great reliability and AWD system, go test drive a Forester S Premium. I'd stay away from the Ford/Mazda for reliability issues.

tomsr

But in San Diego there is no dealer loyalty
to the brand.You never know when a franchise is
going to close down.Case in point I had a 96
Outback which developed a vibration at 40k miles.
I called the dealer where I bought it and they said we no longer deal in Subaru.I called others
and they all said that Subaru mechanics don't
work Saturdays.I sold it and got an Explorer
because my son works for Ford.It has been trouble
free for 30k miles and maintenance is cheap.My son a mechanic did the 30k service for $28.
Which was dealer costs for supplies.I would be
equally concerned about Hyundai because as soon
as sales slow they will close down the franchise
or merge.

adamjrae

If you want to see the inside of my Santa Fe go to http://www.geocities.com/adamjrae
It's not the best web page but who cares....you're just there to see the pictures ! ! !
Please give you feedback on this post.

camacle

Here's a question I haven't seen really discussed: is the four wheel drive worth the extra weight, decrease in gas mileage, and increase in cost? Neither the Santa Fe or the Tribute/Escape are designed for off-roading, and here in Illinois we get some snow, but I won't be dealing with mountain passes or anything. Do you 4-wheel drivers have some advice? Is there any significant handling difference in wet or snowy conditions in a 4WD? Thanks to all....

adamjrae

I didn't get the 4 WD because I wanted to go off road. I got it because it's more like All WD and it handles better in poor weather conditions than front wheel drive.

brutherford

For me personally, I have no need for either 4WD or AWD in Houston, table top flat terrain and if there is ice or snow; the every 10 or 12 year occasion for ice or snow; no one drives. My 2WD Ford F150 has taken me anywhere off road I have ever needed or wanted to go.

Camacle, even with all the rain Houston gets, (or use to before this 2 1/2 year horrendous drought) I would not recommend AWD or 4WD to anyone, unless they are true off road drivers that need it. My boss has 4WD Chevy Suburban with a true Hi and Lo range selector -- he also owns a ranch just west of central Texas, with only calache rock roadbeds on it, and he has admitted that he has never even needed 4WD out there in 29 years. I grew up east of Houston in the middle of rice field country, out there all the farmers have 4WD because of their work for driving in that black gumbo Beaumont clay, it is slicker than slime when wet.

Remember, it is just that many more movable parts to potentially break down. I would not recommend it.

hankt5

I too am going to cancel my order for the Tribute. After almost 7 weeks of waiting and ambiguous answers concerning no VIN number or why my car wasn't ordered, I am going to purchase a Santa Fe. The one that I am buying is blue and outfitted just like yours. Did you ask why the descriptive literature lists CD/cassette but the car actually comes with just CD? I was told that it was a typo.