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Comments
In your opinion my SF may be the 1 out of the thousands, the rest -- all making troubles?
I'm not anti-SF, I just don't think it's perfect, like you seem to. I've stated it before, but there's nothing there that 225hp could not fix. Hyundai's HCD6 concept made that kind of power from a 2.7l V6. Sound familiar?
A low price is something, but it's not everything. Most people are willing to pay more for a product they like more, or for one that has a more proven track record. Many people also want something quicker and more sporty feeling, these are SPORT utilities after all.
I almost think the Sante Fe would be more successful as a minivan, because noone would care that it's a bit slow and handling is lacking, and it's safety would get more attention.
You seem to be on a mission to convince everyone that the SF is God's own SUV and nothing else even deserves consideration.
-juice
But the general public, I think it is stupid to buy something only look at the brand name!
I still very enjoy your posts plus your good points & infos!
W/o the Shiftronic may be, but no no no becase of the "Shiftronic" magic wand!
It's actually intriguing. The price is substantially lower than other big vans, and it seems to be well equipped. The only catch is EPA mileage is poor. Fuel costs aren't a big concern, but range is.
It's no rocket, but in a minivan, who cares?
-juice
A Lexus RX300 owner visit our house and suddenly he saw my Santa Fe was in the garage. He said what kind of SUV is this. I told him it was Hyundai Santa Fe and he said Hyundai. I did not even know that Hyundai have this great looking SUV. He told me how the car performance. I told him that almost like your RX300 except a little bit slower; but then I paid half the price of your RX300. He said half the price....I said yes! He then tour my car from inside and outside! He really like it when I show him that the trunk window can open; the trunk have the hidden cargo bin; and especially my mobile system that he was so impress. He said that if he would have know about Hyundai having the Santa Fe then he would have get the Santa Fe instead of the RX300 and save plenty of $$$$. He said that he really like car (Hyundai) without worry because of the 10/100k warranty which I told him come standard.
**Overall what I am saying is that there are so many many people out there does not know anything about Hyundai now-a-day as well as Hyundai do have the XG300 and the Santa Fe. If people study about Hyundai then they might consider look into Santa Fe and XG300 and especially the warranty as well. People still lost in this world. You know what I mean**
For once, I know exactly what he means.
BWAHahahahahhaha
No automakers are spending lot of money on developing their "almost perfect in city" engines, whereas they spend $$$ on add-on accessories. Have you read the auto magazine recently (can't remember which one) that the new windstar van will come with "VACCUUM CLEANER"!
I think the name Hyundai is very well known, actually. Unfortunately, not in a positive light. For a short while the Excel was the best selling import. Luckily those memories are fading.
If they can keep up the momentum and keep owners happy in the long term, they can really turn things around, and more and more people will put Hyundai back on their shopping list.
I agree that many people cross the Santa Fe off their shopping lists before even seeing one. That's a shame.
-juice
PS Bill, yes, that Ford even had a clothes washer. I think Maytag was involved (really).
Could you clarify on the delorean? Is that the good example, bad example, or both?
;-)
For Hyundai fans, Audi has proven that it is possible to turn things around, and drastically.
Whether or not you believed the sudden acceleration debacle, Audis of the era had such poor quality that people believed it. They were seemingly ruined.
Starting with the A4, they really turned it around. Then the A6 and the TT stood out as style champs. Now everyone and their mother is copying Audi. Look at how many fake TT interiors are out there.
Subaru, Hyundai, Ford, and Jeep are all guilty of copying Audi's interiors. Imagine where Hyundai could be 5 years from now if they make a series of right decisions (no kidding).
-juice
Just needed to chime in on this topic since my forehead was getting sore.
Stephen
I'll stick with my idea of using the HCD6's 225hp 2.7l power mill.
So their angle right now is price, warranty, and throw in safety. It's just too bad performance isn't on that list.
-juice
That's right, no one else in the world knows how to drive the Shiftronic other than you....
"beside I think my Santa Fe as quickly as the RX300"
hehehe... let's not "think" and let's do the math.
SF
Weight = 3752
HP = 181
Ratio = 20.7 pounds per pony to carry (not counting the extra chrome and plastic wood slapped on the vehicle)
RX
Weight = 3924
HP = 220
Ratio = 17.8 pounds per pony.
So I don't care how good you know Shiftronic, the physics don't agree with you.
This place is so amusing.
Odie
Anyhow...good point. The buttmeter has never been that reliable of a measure, regardless of whose butt is used!
Stephen
Hung: Unfortunately, Hyundai has a bad rep. They really burned themselves in the late 80's/90's with the Excel. I remember a friend of mine in school bought one for the price, and he got what he paid for. A 7grand car that lasted about 50,000 miles (the engine blew up on the highway).
Juice - Put that WRX engine in the Forester, a little more height and legroom, and Subie's got one mean vehicle. Hope they do that!
BTW, I think my head is also feeling better, but my monitor will never be the same with all those dents in it.
-mad
Odie
-mad
Unfortunately it'll cost you $600 to replace the airbag everytime you read a message here!
-mad
BTW, did you know I could afford to buy any vehicle I wanted when I was shopping? I could have bought two Hyundais. But I needed a new gold-plated lawn mower, so that naturally took precedence.
Just thought you should know that.
Now that we've all had our fun with Hung's post, could someone turn the lever back to the "mature" setting for this forum?
Odie
that's a nice picture of your santa fe...
i just got mine, and looks like i'm missing some equipment on mine...in fact, yours look totally different from the one i got...
do you have the LX model?...and do the LX come with fender flares?...or did you buy those from the dealer?...
i have a GLS and it does not have those on there...i feel like i've been gypped!(joking)...i sure would like to put some on mine...
likes--
-plenty of interior room...
-nice smooth ride, more like a car than a truck...
-it's cool to see people glance at you while you're driving trying to figure out what it is...i haven't seen too many on the road here in northern cal (seems like this is crv country)
-nice long warranty
-priced right, i didn't have to pay for all the extras
dislikes--
-my main gripe..lack of power off the line...don't get me wrong, my santa fe flys when I'm on the interstate at 80 miles per hour..i just hate stop lights (i haven't figured out the shiftronic thing yet)....
-hyundai name = bad rep...i guess there's no denying this, but i guess i see it this way...my wife owns a 2000 honda accord, when we went shopping for it, we test drove numerous other vehicles--camry, maxima, sonata, taurus, stratus, (i even talked her into test driving a pt cruiser, which she hated)...but for the fit and price, the accord was her choice...the exact same thing happened when it was my turn to buy a new vehicle, i test drove as many as i could--xterra, rodeo, escape, rav 4, and crv...out of all these,i was torn between the crv and santa fe, because of the name and proven reliability of honda my logical mind was telling me to buy the crv,(we have had absolutely no problems with her accord, which made my decision so much harder to make)....but i liked the style and flair of the santa fe..plus it seemed to have more power, and rode so much better than the crv... my foolish heart told me to buy the santa fe...i listened to my heart only because i felt that i would have less regrets later...so far, i've been right...
Hyundai Sante Fe = ?
I looked at about 6 different reviews for the Sante Fe as well as the official US site and not one had any numbers for 0-60. However, your claim of 9.0 sec is still higher than the Rx300's 8.5 and they all had one common theme for their reviews (with the Triptonic transmission): Slow off the start but good around 65-75mph.
I least to me, how a vehicle responds on the highway is more important than how it gets off the line.
I love the Honda dependability and brand. But I also find the power, engine and value of the Santa Fe very appealing. They are two good cars, so it is not like I am making a wrong choice (unlike my Fiat purchase in the late 70s). I just need to figure out which one is more right for me.
But things gets complicated as those are peak numbers and the transmission might not be able to maintain those peak numbers during acceleration to 60mph. So, it is actually possible for santa fe to out pace RX300 during the sprint to 60 mph as the shiftable transmission allows you to better maintain the engine's torque.
Our numbers so far--
SF
Weight = 3752
HP = 181
Ratio = 20.7 pounds per pony to carry (not counting the extra chrome and plastic wood slapped on the vehicle)
RX
Weight = 3924
HP = 220
Ratio = 17.8 pounds per pony.
Now, I also have a 1999 GA SE2 with a V6 that beats the RX in speed and accelaration.
GA
Weight = 3118
HP = 170
Ratio = 18.3 pounds per pony.
How can this be with a higher HP/Weight ratio? Well, that V6 also has a whopping 195 torque rating. While the RX is defintely no star when it comes to torque to HP ratio, at least it has a number bigger than the HP. The SF is anemic.
So if we look at the torque to weight ratios:
SF = 3752 / 177 = 21.2
RX = 3924 / 222 = 17.7
GA = 3118 / 195 = 16.0
Just remember, you can only hold a car in second gear for so long ;-)
**My Santa Fe does not come with the flares. I bought the flares at HDKautosport.com**
**The BF Goodrich tires on the Santa Fe have a very good rating report and that's only reason why I don't change the rims and tires yet. I am waiting until the tires die/burn before I change to the Chrome 17" rims.**
(I should add that even with these numbers, the time for the Auto version is over 10.6 sec for 0-60. So the transmission does play a big part)
Oh yeah and the 8.5 number I got for the RX300 was from a review of the AWD version. If that's the one they were actually testing for the time (which came from Lexus'), I don't know.
Yes, Jeeps are very fun to drive! That is, if you like to drive. Make sense?
hp 210
ratio 18.37
torque 235
ratio wt/torque 16.41
2. No Brand Name to stop wind flow so more slippery
3. No chrome on OEM wheels to make slow SF
Some guys just don't get it, huh?
When you raced your friend, you mentioned he had wider tires. You were most likely faster because his wheels and tires were heavier and his choice of tire size more than likely changed his final drive ratio, delivering less effective torque to the road than you were able to.
To answer your question, a heavier drive will effect the times. Tire pressure also has an effect on traction, which will effect times too.