Suzuki Grand Vitara vs Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Santa Fe vs Jeep Liberty vs Ford Escape vs Saturn
I've started this topic after reading the topics
on other small SUVs. I've found there to be a lot
of comparisons, and I think it makes sense to have
a few on your shopping list before you fall in love
with one of them and sign away your check. Lucky
us, we have several choices today.
Personally, I favor the Santa Fe because it has
the most bang for the buck. It also feels the most
upscale among the three models, in terms of NVH
damping, sophisticated exterior and interior
styling, ride comfort, and lots of gizmos. In
short, it feels more expensive than what you have
to pay for; the sound of the door thud resembles an
upscale German sedan for example.
The Tribute is definitely for the sporting crowd.
Corners, accelerates, stops well for an SUV. But
at the same time stiffer ride and subpar
fit-and-finish penalize its advantages. Also
reliability is a question mark, with numerous
recalls since it hit the market. Room and utility
are comparable to the Santa Fe.
Finally, the Forester is also a good choice
although it is definitely a 'box on
wheels'(translation: homely). The Forester sits
lower than the other two models, giving it an
advantage in handling, but frankly I think it
defeats the purpose of owning an SUV if you have to
do without the commanding view offered by the
higher stance. There are better choices out there
if you opt for an AWD wagon (VW Passat, or even
Subaru's own Outback) that sits low, handles
better, and is more sophisticated. Also the
Forester cannot be had with a V6.
To wrap it up, I'd choose the Santa Fe for
comfort, value and a dose of luxury, or the Tribute
for sporting light off-track duties on the
weekends (although I'd keep a cellphone handy in
case of mechanical failure), or the Subaru for its
proven reliablity and longevity.
on other small SUVs. I've found there to be a lot
of comparisons, and I think it makes sense to have
a few on your shopping list before you fall in love
with one of them and sign away your check. Lucky
us, we have several choices today.
Personally, I favor the Santa Fe because it has
the most bang for the buck. It also feels the most
upscale among the three models, in terms of NVH
damping, sophisticated exterior and interior
styling, ride comfort, and lots of gizmos. In
short, it feels more expensive than what you have
to pay for; the sound of the door thud resembles an
upscale German sedan for example.
The Tribute is definitely for the sporting crowd.
Corners, accelerates, stops well for an SUV. But
at the same time stiffer ride and subpar
fit-and-finish penalize its advantages. Also
reliability is a question mark, with numerous
recalls since it hit the market. Room and utility
are comparable to the Santa Fe.
Finally, the Forester is also a good choice
although it is definitely a 'box on
wheels'(translation: homely). The Forester sits
lower than the other two models, giving it an
advantage in handling, but frankly I think it
defeats the purpose of owning an SUV if you have to
do without the commanding view offered by the
higher stance. There are better choices out there
if you opt for an AWD wagon (VW Passat, or even
Subaru's own Outback) that sits low, handles
better, and is more sophisticated. Also the
Forester cannot be had with a V6.
To wrap it up, I'd choose the Santa Fe for
comfort, value and a dose of luxury, or the Tribute
for sporting light off-track duties on the
weekends (although I'd keep a cellphone handy in
case of mechanical failure), or the Subaru for its
proven reliablity and longevity.
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Comments
I think I would buy a car with that composition as well!
Any tall, boxy vehicle with a high seating position will roll over if you ask it to do energetic accident-avoidance maneuvers. That is why the Santa Fe and Tribute have stickers on the driver's side sunvisor saying as much. That is also one reason why I bought my Subaru Forester. In crash tests it out-performed every competitor, and with its low center of gravity it is unlikely to roll over when doing energetic maneuvers (and in fact does not have said sticker on its sun visor). Its performance off-road is mediocre -- it isn't going to run the Rubicon anytime soon -- but my Forester has proven quite capable at taking me up rough forest service roads to trailheads, which is as off-road as I (or most people) get with an SUV.
If you want REAL off-road capability, buy a Jeep Cherokee. It does not have the "commanding tall seating position" that you mention, but has off-road capabilities that make all such cars look ridiculously pretentious. A stock Cherokee, properly equipped, will run the Rubicon without a problem, despite the seating position not being 20 inches above the ground, and despite a low center of gravity (due to the unibody construction) that makes it unlikely to roll (and in fact the Cherokee has very good rollover ratings in the Insurance Institute's statistics).
Of course, you give up on-road ride and handling with the Cherokee, plus a lot of gas mileage (the I6 is powerful but very thirsty), but you gotta decide what you want. Personally, I decided I did not need such extreme off-road capabilities, and bought an SUV that was what I needed -- something to get me to a trailhead, without the sacrifices in on-road capabilities of a REAL off-road vehicle.
-Eric
You are absolutely right in saying that any car with a lower center of gravity can be a much safer choice than a top-heavy SUV.
However, it is also a reality that many buyers of SUVs choose it because it has that "commanding view" enabled by the high seating position. Just imaging getting stuck in traffic with a behemoth SUV or minivan in front of you while you're sitting in a Honda Civic. It's unfortunate that America's become an SUV nation, but that's a reality. And I am not here to promote people to snap up the SUVs and abandon their cars.
Nor do I condone the ever-growing size and thirst of the behemoth SUVs that are driven by a single driver during commuting hours.
But the marketing reality is that the mainstream SUV buyers favor the high seating position as well as the all-weather versatility and utility. Add to that the fervent pitch by manufacturers to project the romantic image of an active lifestyle of their potential customers.
Given the circumstances, we should push for safer, more frugal SUVs cause SUVs will be around as long as people will buy them and gas is affordable. And in this context, I think small SUVs, driven with care makes a lot of sense.
And ofcourse people who are concerned about the rollover potential have the choice to go for the likes of Forester or other AWD wagons. People vote with their checkbooks in this market economy, and as long as SUV's are "in" it's not easy to tell them otherwise. Under the circumstances, i think the Santa Fe and Tribute/Escape are viable options; not too big, thoroughly modern, relatively good MPG, smooth V6. I like the Forester as well.
By the way the Jeep Cherokee is aimed at a different category of customers altogether. It's more of a down-to-earth, hard core SUV that attracts different crowd than the mainstream buyers who opt for crossover vehicles.
Finally, it's important that the public be educated on the risks associated with driving SUVs. I've seen too many devil-may-care reckless driving by SUV owners who think they're invincible. Unless the federal law mandates that SUV drivers need to go through a series of tougher driver ed courses and training to obtain a separate drivers' license, we have to share the road with some of the idiots.
The educated buyer however has a choice in terms of safety, economy, fun factor, etc., and we should honor that freedom of choice.
Handling: Best of the 3
Accelerating & braking: comparable even though the Forester is the only one with a 4-cylinder
Interior room: The Forester has as much as or more front seat room than either the Santa Fe or Tribute
Appearance/Styling: This is a purely subjective field but I'll grant you that many people find the Forester's looks less than exciting.
Reliability: Subaru has established a reputation of building extremely reliable vehicles. On the other hand, both the Santa Fe and Tribute are first year models with all the inherent potential design flaws. As an example of this, the Tribute/Escape is all ready on recall #6. While Hyundai has a completely deserved reputation of building junk. Of course they are working diligently to change that as evidenced by the length of their warranties.
Cost: Equipped comparably, all are in the same ballpark.
Just my .02
-Frank P.
I thought it nice that Forester is much better than average on injuries. I must admit I giggled when I saw its MUCH better on theft! No kid wants to go joyriding in something that looks like that I guess. I think in both cases that is a great plus. It must be good on insurance costs.
Had my first Sube in '76. A DL I believe. And so far it looks like the only one to get for safety and bumper durability...... and theft resistance.
Dave
Bob
I finally found a Tribute, they're selling like mad in Chicago, and took a test drive. A Dx-V6. The seating was ok, but the driving in snow condition was a little sketchy. I'm a competent off-roader, and I know this vehicle is not for off-road, I have a Cherokee for that. But the tires are mediocre and the traction was mediocre. (No ABS) I did not get stuck, but slipped alot. I engaged the diff lock and it was a bit better. I did not get stuck but when I used the brakes, the sliding distance was not comforting. (Kudos to the Suby's AWD)
I then went and test drove the Santa Fe GLS for the second time and found that despite the sluggish start, which doesn't bother me, the handling was better in 6-8" deep snow covered road. The tires are better and I gave it a good slalom on a close by forest-preserve road. It slipped a little bit but it didn't worry me. The sporty feel was good and the road handling was good also. During the slalom test the vehicle did not rock or tip, like a cherokee does.
I'm somewhat apprehensive about the Hyundai name.
But you know Honda and Toyota did't get off to a great start either in the U.S.
Although here's some food for thought. Look and touch (push) the front and rear bumpers, and front wheel panels of both Santa Fe and Tribute. All three features on the Tribute were soft and weak. I checked each on the Santa Fe and they were appreciably stonger. Now I'm no crash test scientist, but I suspect I'd put my money on the Sante Fe when the test results come out. (Can you tell I was on the web for too long looking at crash stats). No stats on the Sante Fe or Tribute yet.
My biggest obstacle right now with the Sante Fe is that the rear seats do not fold flat. My 110 lb. dog was not too happy about that, even though he fit just fine in the cargo area. (I've got two dogs).
Good reviews on the WEB for both.
I suspect I'll be making my decision after the first of the year.
And anyway, after sitting in several other models (Protege, MPV, Impreza, Legacy) I then sat in the Tribute... I was horendusly suprised to find the interior pannels to be extremely flimsily put together... So I sat in another model, top of the line w/ leather this time... Same thing... Then another... Same thing... This bothered me tremendously.
So then of course, i went and sat in the Forester... Nothing flimsy there. Lackluster maybe (tribute was more so IMO), but not flimsy. And considering the Recalls, perhaps the Tribute is a rather poor put together vehicle...
And a couple months ago, I was able to check out the Santa Fe. Guess where? Maita Subaru/Hyandai where my mom got her Legacy GT Sedan
Anyway, on to a more comprehesive comparison-
Looks: Definatly the Tribute wins this, with the bulbous Santa Fe coming in dead last... (PS, check out a black Forester S with a Spoiler... Thats pretty sweet looking!)
Off-road ability: Not the forester... But none of these are major Off-roaders. ANY road maybe, but not off-the road (PS, Subaru's AWD is a big plus in "Real Life" conditions. Also note: Subaru's outstanding Rally racing reputation)
Ground Clearance: This is pretty suprizing... 8.4 (higher trim Tributes), 8.1 (Santa Fe) and 7.5 (Forester)... Despite the Forester's small stature and lack of "view height" it still compromizes little in ride height (Also note: Outbacks have like 6.5 inch ground clearance, and the Impreza's have 5+ inch ground clearance... Go look under the car's if you have a chance, its neat)
Quality: Subaru wins this one. Foresters have very good reliability, as do all current Subaru models. Tribute bottems this group, but I havent heard anything bad about the Santa Fe yet...
Fuel Mileage: Subaru wins this one too, not by much though... (like 21/28 vs. 19/23 (SF v6) and 19/24 (Tri V6))
Warranty: Duh, Hyandai!
On-road Performance: Forester... Better turning radius, lower center of gravity, and suprizingly good car-like handling put it at the top still... Despite the Tributes faster 0-60 time.
Cargo room: 33.1 Tribute, 32 Forester, 30.5 Santa Fe
Weight: 3200lbs Forester, 3400lbs Tribute (V6 4x4), 3700lbs Santa Fe (V6 4x4)
Price: Santa fe wins this easy... V6+4wd for #21k... But the Forester is right there, minus the V6 (Note, Foresters boxer 4 = 165hp, its no slouch, and its rather light as well) Tribute takes 22k+ for the same ammenities. (Check Carpoint.com, its easier to tell than Edmunds)
Final Analysis: This one goes down to Personal Opinion purely... Best Price + V6 + Warranty for the Santa fe? Or, Better Reliability + Better Mileage + Proven Subaru AWD? Or More interior room + More HP + Higher ride height?
After going over these stats, the Santa Fe has re-caught my attention. But the Forester still holds the candle IMO... Tribute would easily be my favorite, if not for the shoddy build quality, uncomfortable interior, and very bad reliability problems so far...
Hidden cargo storage compartment. 4 wheel drive automatically engages (I think on the Tribute you have to engage it yourself.) I could go on and on. All in all, I felt the Hyundai was sturdier, better built and was more stylish inside and out. The Tribute looks so plain and boxy to me now, so much like the CRV. I have 1700 miles on my SantaFe, no problems at all, and it drives beautifully. The engine starts off slowly when it's been sitting overnight in 20 degree temps, but it heats up fast and can really sail. I got the LX with heated seats, floor mats, roof rack rails, etc. for $24,400 out the door (DC area.-College Park Hyundai) Downside: no sun roof, although I can have one installed privately for $895 with lifetime warranty, and no cassette in radio. Don't count it out because it's a Hyundai, it defies any prior opinion you've had or heard before!! People who stop and ask me about it (and I have had MANY) "can't believe it's a Hyundai!" P.S. The rear seats DO fold down Sliwinski1, so there should be plenty of room for pooch (what made you think that they didn't?)
This is a nice feature to have if you get stuck because you can control how the traction is applied to all four wheels. If you don't have this, like on the Forester or Santa Fe, you can get stuck because traction will be applied by the computer to the wheel that is free. You'll sit and spin, just like an open differential 2WD car.
The only problem is exactly what's happening now. Uninformed consumers think that the switch on the dash is required to get 4WD on the Escape/Tribute. They're going to be locking the 4WD unnecessarily and it's going to cause damage to the system if it is engaged all the time, meaning warranty repairs. I can foresee Ford/Mazda eliminating the switch in the near future, and it's too bad, because it's a good feature to have.
I would like to say that probably all the people that have been posting here have done too much research (as I have) and are cautious and informed consumers.
Nonetheless, I still prefer the Santa Fe. No switch, no lock, but I won't be taking it in areas where I would get stuck. If I end up driving off a the side of a highway and can't get out. I suspect the Tribute wont be able to get out either... they both do not have low end range and torque is only good at high RPM's.
I would like to say that probably all the people that have been posting here have done too much research (as I have) and are cautious and informed consumers.
Nonetheless, I still prefer the Santa Fe. No switch, no lock, but I won't be taking it in areas where I would get stuck. If I end up driving off a the side of a highway and can't get out. I suspect the Tribute wont be able to get out either... they both do not have low end range and torque is only good at high RPM's.
http://www.autonet.ca/WOW/Stories.cfm?storyID=1180
Also, the manual tranny Subarus default power split is 50/50.
Some also say it may be based on the Legacy platform instead of the Impreza, but I don't think it will. It'll probably get a stretch in the wheelbase, and maybe the rear multilink suspension from the new Legacy, so interior room will increase.
The big question is, can they do it without gaining 400 lbs?
Maybe they'll even style it more toward the tastes of folks like Bill, who knows. I have not seen any spy photos yet. The current one is very much function-over-form. Despite being light and small, the usable cargo room offered is better than several bigger SUVs.
Will it get taller? Maybe a little, but not much. Subaru uses the low center of gravity in its advertising. It probably will get a seat mechanism like the new Impreza, which ratchets. It's kind of like the one in newer VWs.
Should be interesting. You have to remember, the Forester, competitive as it is, is in its last year on the current platform. It's already the 5th model year!
-juice
reliability; excellent customer satisfaction; all-wheel drive from most experienced manufacturer, along with a viscous limited slip rear differential; highest HP & torque 4-cylinder engine; best-of-class crash rating; best-rated handling and ride; larger cargo space; and 60 month/60,000 mile major components warranty. Key features that were also important to us but pretty much comparable to its competition were the 4-wheel ABS & disc brakes, side impact door beams, side airbags (except the RAV-4), moonroof (except for the CR-V, which doesn't offer one and can't have one installed -- Honda says they have to remove a roof beam, which would negatively affect the structure of the car body) and leather interior, gas mileage, price, heated seats, ability to use regular gas, a full-size spare, heated power mirrors, loaner cars for overnight service while under warranty and door-to-door shuttle service thereafter . Although I have to admit even the little things -- like the de-icing front wiper, integrated window antenna, multiple storage compartments, a rubber cargo area tray, subfloor storage, a dimming rear view mirro with electronic compass, and the easiest-to-open rear door (especially when compared to the CR-V) -- were advantages over the competition as well. I never would have bought the Ford Escape or Mazda Tribute -- neither companies have good reliability records overall, and these products are in their first year of production. The President of Mazda happens to be an old friend of mine, so I knew if I wanted the Tribute I could get a great deal. It
wouldn't have been worth it.
I'll also tell you we considered a few wagons -- with the Subaru Outback and Volkswagen Passat coming out on top. Here, my wife and I simply preferred the SUV-style over the Outback wagon. And while the Passat wagon is a highly-rated vehicle, to get what we got with the Forester would have meant spending an additional $4,000 to get all-wheel drive, forcing us into the 6-cylinder model with much poorer gas mileage and a requirement to use much more expensive premium gas. All in all, I can't get over the outstanding combination the Subaru Forester offers in terms of reliability, safety, features and value.
With all this, I still had just a bit of hesitation before making the final buying decision because neither my wife or I had ever owned a Subaru. This is where Al Rowe, our salesman, came in. His professionalism, knowledge and straightforwardness in dealing with both of us made the difference. In sales myself -- 20 years with IBM as a salesman, sales manager and now sales executive -- I've learned a thing or two about salesmanship and the right way to earn a customer's business. Al Rowe represented Subaru very well. We expect this to be just the start of a long-term, positive relationship with Subaru of Morristown, New Jersey as we need to service our Forester along the way -- and look for our next car!
They are part time because they only operate on slippery surfaces. 90% of the time they are FWD.
That is the Forester's edge. It's AWD is truly full time, wet or dry. So it acts to reduce understeer and neutralize the handling on dry pavement, which is 90% of the time. Part-time systems are by definition re-active, but the Soob is pro-active and works to prevent slip in the first place.
Despite all the clearance, C&D managed to get an Escape stuck in a recent test, and they couldn't even dig out. The Navigator saved it.
OK, none of these are intended for off road use. My Forester was great on the beaches in the Outer Banks and around the apple orchard for picking Granny Smiths. That's what these are intended for and the Forester was great.
The other point is that the Tribute isn't really a Mazda. We own two Mazdas now and would consider a Mazda SUV, but the Tribute is a Ford through-and-through. Ford Duratec engine from the Taurus with the lame and problematic Ford CD4E tranny.
If you disagree about the tranny, I'd invite you to read up on the 626 topic under Sedans. It's interesting, because the 5 speed trannies are Mazda units, and the auto for the V6 is also a Mazda unit. Only the 4 cylinder auto gets a Ford tranny, and guess which is the ONLY one with reliability problems?
To top it off, the Tribute has a bigger engine with more torque, and that tranny is being burdened with more weight to haul as well.
I personally would not gamble on the longevity of a known-bad Ford tranny.
The interior room is a big plus, and that a powerful V6 is offered is nice, but Mazda should have used the 626's engine, or even the Miller Cycle engine, along with a MANUAL transmission, and a true Mazda unit to boot.
Hyundai is an underdog and I hope they do well. The V6 should have more power, though, and it also needs to be offered with a manual tranny. Kind of funky looking but give them credit for being unique.
-juice
Back to the Forester debate. The Forester is the better "offroad" SUV when comparing to the tribute. The Foresters frame is more stout and can handle the terrain better. But, The Trib will eat a Forester for lunch on the highway, curves or hills when it comes to the road. (V6 of course). So it all comes down to your preference, road manners, or offroad manners?
For the hills and long straight highway drives, the torque of the V6 ought to come in handy. What they really need to offer is a manual tranny though!
-juice
sschumer, thanks for your comments, SOA couldn't have said it better.
Both vehicles have their ups and downs, but it's nice to read the real world opinions.....I'm trying to spend a lot of seat time in the Escape right now.
your comments are great.....
Ryan
Subaru R&D
We have a "Subaru Crew" under the Owners Clubs topics, and I'd like to invite you to drop in there too.
-juice
We just have a small office here in the US that does special research projects/requests for FHI in Japan.
We're a separate entity from SOA.
RP
Our group also has sponsorship for events (from Quality Subaru of Dandridge, TN) and SoA even catered our last event for free!
How's that for service?
-juice
Of course why would anyone in his right mind buy a vehicle that in just it's second year, is being
redesinged..!!!
Better yet, prices haven't really gone up. If you account for inflation and content, costs are way down.
If the Tribute makes your heart pump, can't blame you I guess. Hope it's reliable and the mileage at least comes close to the Subie.
-juice
Interesting news about Santa Fe: http://aftermarket.theautochannel.com/news/2000/05/24/959199332.1.html
http://www.newstimes.com/archive2000/jun30/aud.htm
Have to say, not bad.
The Santa Fe in particular was a pleasant surprise. I'm not into the styling much, but that's subjective. The interior was nice and roomy, and the one I saw carried a price tag of just $21.5k. It seemed heavy and probably could use more power, plus I'd wait to see how long-term reliability scores do, but otherwise it seemed like an impressive value, especially considering the warranty.
The Tribute was pretty nice, too. Very roomy interior, despite compact proportions. I prefer the Tribute's styling, but hated the front high-back seats and column shifter. Price was about $25k on the one I saw, which would be OK if they get a hold of the quality control quickly and stop using the Ford CD4E tranny. 3/50 on the warranty is not enough given this tranny's bad history in other vehicles.
So both seem competitive but could be better. Give the Santa Fe a bit more power, and keep quality in check long-term. I'd also like to see a manual transmission.
The Trib could use a manual tranny (which would kill two birds with one stone - more speed and dump the CD4E) and different front seats with adjustable head rests. The current ones look like a Pinto's.
-juice
-juice
The Sube was well lower than average (I think it was like a 3.5 or so) and the Santa Fe was well above average (like a 7.5 or so). Being a closet environmentalist (I almost bought a Jetta TDI for the fuel economy), I went with the significantly cleaner Forester.
-juice
The Santa FE is a full time four wheel drive vehicle with a 60/40 split. The split never changes. Neither the Tribute nor the Forester can run ALL the time in four wheel drive. The Tribute can run for short durations when in "lock" mode with a 50/50 split but when you exceed 18 Mph it switches back into normal mode "AWD". All all wheel drive systems can induce instabilities into any vehicle. AWD can be a detriment at times. The Explorer is such a vehicle that has caused accidents due to it's AWD system activating at highway speeds and causing the vehicle to either spin out or tumble even while traveling straight. Don't assume you are better with AWD.
JVM
The Mazda dealer had no stock and said the Escape was getting the parts (e.g. rear discs), so the wait was long and no price breaks. He had one Trib available for a test drive. The handling was overall excellent -- very fun to drive! And I loved the rear-seat room. The interior was somewhat chintzy; my guess is they don't want to undercut the Explorer, as the Escape is almost as wide and roomy, and, best of all, very stylish.
So why did I go with a Subaru? One word, no two, no three, sorry five-- quality, reliability, safety, and fuel-efficiency. I'm giving up a 13-year-old, 35mpg, ultra-reliable Toyota Tercel, finally ready for a change after 159K miles. I want ski and backpacking access, great handling, room for 5 in a pinch, a good commuter vehicle, and I *don't* want my truck in the shop. The Forester, a finely-tuned, proven vehicle, handles as well as the Trib, gets much better, more consistent gas mileage, and is safe. I'll be teaching my kids to drive in this vehicle. The clincher was checking out the user boards, which confirmed my fears about the first-year Ford reliability - ugh! Not to mention very inconsistent (and lower) gas mileage.
Lately, every time I drive up to the ski resorts (in our minivan), I just can't wait for my new Roo -- five more weeks on a custom order. I treated myself to the 'S', which, compared to my basic Tercel (which doesn't even have a day/night mirror!), will be like driving the Taj Mahal...
Regards all,
John
P.S. I like the way the Forester looks, whereas I love the Tribute's styling. So watch out, Juice, if Ford works out the bugs, I think they'll grab market share from every mini-SUV maker out there.
P.P.S. The Mazda/Hyundai dealer also took me for a spin in the Santa Fe. Not bad; I just didn't like it's looks or feel compared to the Trib.
The manual-equipped Forester has a center viscous coupling differential, which allows the full time AWD. Power is split at 50/50 and when one axle slips more than the other, the fluid in the diffy heats up and locks temporarily, ensuring that the power gets to the wheels with grip.
It is absolutely full-time. In all gears, all speeds, even in reverse, AWD is active.
With that center diffy AWD is not a detriment. With 4WD locked (i.e. no center diffy) you could have binding, like with the Explorer in your example above. But this does not happen in Subarus with the center differential, which can tolerate axles spinning at slightly different speeds.
AWD pro: reduced understeer, neutral handling, proactive traction. AWD con: slightly less gas mileage, about 150 lbs weight penalty.
The Tribute's system is part-time for slippery surfaces only. That's different. Two other catches: rear drum brakes only, and no limited slip differential on either axle.
John: as to market share, I think the Escape and Tribute are mainstream, so they'll steal sales from the Cherokee and Blazer, plus the market itself will expand. Subaru is a niche manufacturer and sales are actually up since the Escape came out. Go figure.
I didn't know the Santa Fe's system was full-time, but kudos to Hyundai. It also has rear disc brakes and an optional limited slip differential.
-juice
New Car Test Drive wrote "details from Hyundai about its full-time four-wheel-drive system are lacking", so they're in the same boat.
The Car Connection wrote "The 4WD system has a viscous coupling transfer case", which implies it's similar to Subaru's setup.
It's achilles' heel may be the mileage, though. One review said the V6 felt burdened by the AWD system, despite EPA ratings of only 19/23. A Forester S auto gets 22/27.
-juice
Initially, I thought that Hyundai should put the 3.0L V6 from the XG300 into the Sante Fe. However, the increase is not that much. The 2.7L V6 in the Sante Fe has 181 HP and 177 lb-ft of torque. The 3.0L V6 in the XG300 increases the HP to 192 but it only increases the torque to 178 lb-ft. Torque is where you feel it off the line so it probably wouldn't make a big difference in the Sante Fe.
It would be fun to see Subaru put the 3.0L H6 from the Outback into the Forester and stretch it out another 6 inches to allow adults to sit in the back seat. The 212 Hp and 210 lb-ft in the H6 would really make the Forester get up and go!!
Forester: 19.0 lbs per horse
Santa Fe: 20.7 "
Tibute: 17.3 "
Not bad, it splits the difference.
I wouldn't mind a bigger Forester if the weight gain was under 200 lbs, otherwise I'd keep the light and nimble current one. Weight is the enemy of handling and manueverability.
-juice