Hyundai Santa Fe 2007+

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Comments

  • jabbottjabbott Member Posts: 14
    I purchased my 2007 Santa Fe today. The price was non-negotiable until I threatened to look at the Highlander. After walking out and indeed looking at the Highlander, I called the Hyundai dealer and offered $1,000 under MSRP or no deal. They took the deal. Love the car.
  • mike_belknapmike_belknap Member Posts: 378
    "I wonder if the reviewer in Automobile Magazine just doesn't like Hyundais."

    Yes, perhaps that is the case here. I haven't read the article yet, but... while it's interesting to see what others think of a given vehicle, in the end it's only our own opinions that really matter.
    ;)

    Mike
  • wolverinejoe80wolverinejoe80 Member Posts: 337
    pilot maybe, but mdx isn't. mdx runs $37k to $44k. but $34k for mdx is a helluva deal.

    however i would rather get a new santa fe over outdated mdx. and i'm sure upcoming mdx would cost $40-50k easily.

    and this is coming from an acura owner.
  • wolverinejoe80wolverinejoe80 Member Posts: 337
    i don't think it's expensive at all. hyundai will sell $4-5000 of the msrp(next spring?), so we should be able to buy loaded fe's around 27k next year.
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    "I'm sure Hyundai's prices for the Santa Fe at the dealer will go down in time as well, but for now, this car seems to have received a good deal of hype so dealers will try to capitalize on it."

    As you have said in time not this time. What i'm saying is if your going to buy a vehicle right now I have to choose the pilot because of the price!/b> For me I have to weight the pros and cons and it seems that i have to go with the pilot at this time.
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    I'm not critcizing your reasons for deciding the Pilot is better for you. If you need a vehicle right at this very moment, the Pilot is definitely very appealing from a price vs. options perspective at the dealer, but since both of my vehicles work just fine at the moment, I have plenty of time to look for a more appropriate upgrade for my family(AKA Chrysler Pacifica, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-9) or maybe a minivan. I'm sure it will be more up to my wife anyway as it will be her daily driver. :)
  • lasberrylasberry Member Posts: 12
    As an inexperienced car enthusiast, I must make an observation. Comparing a Hyundai to an Acura is not an apples-to-apples comparison. Acura is considered a premium or luxury brand, just like Lexus. Hyundai is a blue-collar brand, just like Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Nissan, etc...

    I understand the relevance of the Santa Fe's price range in comparison to an MDX but a comparison is not justified. Hyundai leads "its class" in standard features. The luxury market is not Hyundai's focus, yet.

    On another note, as an Oklahoma resident, we don't even have any '07s on any lot yet which I don't understand. Alabama isn't too far from here. So all you potential buyers out there who have actually haggled over prices, consider it a blessing to have at least seen one in person.
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    There is a good chance that your dealer may have them in stock off site. We have 4 in, but are not putting them down on our main lot yet until we move out the majority of the 06 models. If someone wants to specifically see on, we will certainly bring one over.
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    When you consider features, the Santa Fe is up there with the Acura. The only reason Acura is considered a premium or luxury brand is that they don't have any budget offerings. Acura's are nothing more than rebadged and restyled Hondas. If it came down to the Pilot and some cash over the MDX. It's the same with other manufacturers (Lexus, Infiniti, Lincoln, Cadillac, etc.) You can most certainly justify a comparison based on features. The only difference seems to be in current brand perception.

    Hyundai seems to be shifting their market focus as well with the upcoming additions of a larger and possibly more luxurious crossover (Mesa) and a rear wheel drive sedan w/ maybe a V8 (Equus). Although, I do hope they change those names before production.

    It seems that Hyundai overproduced the 2006 model. This release is at best awkward. I've only seen a couple at dealerships in my area.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    I agree with you completely...but I thought it was worth mentioning that one mag did not like it at all...
  • lasberrylasberry Member Posts: 12
    This release is at best awkward. I've only seen a couple at dealerships in my area.

    I agree with you completely. This release is relying more on informal marketing channels, word-of-mouth advertising, blogs, and forums, to reach its value-conscious market. This is very strange for a vehicle that defied tradition and looked upmarket to benchmark its standards (Go ahead and brag about it!). ;)

    Furthermore, the surplus of 2006 models, as stated in this forum may times, may lead to better pricing for the outgoing model. This could help minimize buyer's remorse. Honestly, if I purchased a 2006 Santa Fe and 31 days later saw a 2007 model, I'd be upset. :mad:

    Consumer perception for Hyundai is beginning to change. I use my older family members as a litmus test. When 80-year old die-hard Chevy fans recognize the transformation of Hyundai, the perception must be shifting in Hyundai's favor. Just check out Business Week's review.

    New Hyundai Santa Fe Sets Class Standards

    Final word: I'd like to retract my statement about Oklahoma not having any Santa Fe's. I've found 2 so far. I'm test driving one as soon as possible. My review won't be as good as Mike B's but it will have to do. 'Til next time.
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    Nice find on that article. Maybe it's not a bad strategy at all, considering all the pages of comments on this vehicle vs. others just released or about to be released. All this debate and speculation is really decent, cheap PR for Hyundai. This release allows them to continue selling the 2006's to the less informed at a discounted rate, while still hyping the release of the new design.
  • reoname1reoname1 Member Posts: 6
    Hi group.
    I test drove the 2wd limited on Sat and loved it.
    I have 2 questions if anyone can help.
    1) Can you hit a button on the 2wd to make it awd?
    2) I live in Chicago and never plan on off-roading. What real benefits would I receive from the awd? Does a 2wd suv slip around much in the rain or snow?
    Any advice would be great.
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    I agree with you on that differentiation. It's not even close, although I like the new sta. fe.

    It should be santa fe vs. pilot. and if your researching the two vehicles the only major feature that pilot does'nt have is the AC on the third row (I'm differentiating the Pilot AWD EX-L with RES vs. Sta. Fe with DVD or whatever package is that)but when you look at the price difference with the same feature the santa fe is just way too much right now. :P They should price it the way they used to... ;) to compete but trying to hyped the vehicle and overprice it is not the way to go. :confuse: ;)
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    There is still about a $2000 price difference between the two, and the Pilot is a bit more fuel thirsty and less agile which also hits the bottom line.

    Hyundai can't really control what the dealer decides to offer consumers. If people really didn't like the vehicle, then dealers couldn't get what their getting.

    I think Honda is trying to move the Pilot faster to bring out the next generation. It's due for a redesign for the 2008 year. When Honda brings out their new Pilot, I'm sure the same thing will happen. Then people will be making the same argument in the Santa Fe's favor, but buying a Pilot now would be like buying at 2006 Santa Fe. You'll just be disappointed when the new one comes out.
  • r2d2_3cpor2d2_3cpo Member Posts: 11
    I looked at some 2007 Santa Fe's today that had just been unloaded but not yet ready to drive. I like what I see. None of the ones here (Des Moines) have sunroofs. From the video I saw on the net it looks like the roof only slides and does not tilt. Can someone confirm this? :(
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    1) I believe the awd version of the Santa Fe is a full time awd system. You can't turn it back and forth.
    2) The benefits of awd would be better traction in the rain and snow, but the 2wd Santa Fe is front wheel drive which does pretty good in the rain and snow, compared to rear wheel drive. Awd would grip the road better in those conditions though.
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    The website says it is a "power tilt-and-slide sunroof", but I've never seen how it works.
  • mike_belknapmike_belknap Member Posts: 378
    Like arumage was saying, the system can't technically be switched from FWD to AWD and visa versa. The AWD-equipped units are almost always only powered by the front wheels. When sensors detect front-wheel slippage, power will automatically be routed to the rear wheels.

    Now, there is a button on the dash of AWD-equipped Santa Fes that will lock the front and rear wheels into a 50/50 power split. This feature can only be used at lower speeds, however.

    As for advice on whether buying a vehicle with the system is necessary (or even that desirable) in Chicago, I personally would say no. Considering that all of the 2WD models still have stability control, are forward balanced, and front-wheel-drive, I'd have a hard time rationalizing the extra 176lbs in curb weight and $2000 in price for a feature that is unlikely to be used. In the end, though, it's totally your call.

    Mike
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    I don't really see a big a difference when your talking about 18-24 mpg and 19-25 mpg, in the real world it might still be the same and another thing when your talking about MPG Honda Pilot has 244hp with 240lb-foot of torque @ 4500 while santa fe has only 230hp with 220lb-ft of torque. I say Santa fe should have done a lot more better on mpg with 14hp difference. "Agile" is not really the word when your talking about SUV its not a racing car, its a people mover. Bottom line is Honda Pilot has still the edge because of the price. You can get Honda Pilot EX-L with RES around 27,500.00 right now while Santa Fe would be around 30,000.00 with the same feature. :P

    I agree with you when you say that they are trying to move out Honda Pilot because of redesign but their redesign will be out in 2008 which is a 2009 redesign. The only gripe that I have is that Hyundai just overpriced their car. How can they do that when that car is already made here in the US. :confuse:
  • jpanozzo1jpanozzo1 Member Posts: 50
    Several at the ORR Texarkana dealer. Test drove one there about 2 wks ago and they had 6 to 8 at that time. ;)

    Joe in Texarkana
  • jpanozzo1jpanozzo1 Member Posts: 50
    If you live in Chicago proper, snow removal and salt application keeps main roads in pretty good condition. Getting out of your neighborhood is the issue, especially if you park on the street. The front 2wd should be all you need, especially if there is no off roading involved. I lived there for 45 years and only a couple of the major blizzards, such as in 1967, posed a problem...and then nothing was moving. Save your money and go 2wd. ;)

    Joe in Texarkana
  • mike_belknapmike_belknap Member Posts: 378
    A small thing, the Santa Fe SE FWD is rated thus:

    Horsepower: 242 @ 6000
    Torque: 226 lb-ft. @ 4500

    Lb. per HP = 15.9
    Lb. per lb-ft = 17.0

    For comparison, the Pilot LX FWD is rated thus:

    Horsepower: 244 @ 5750
    Torque: 240 lb-ft. @ 4500

    Lb. per HP = 17.5
    Lb. per lb-ft = 17.8

    With these numbers in mind, the Hyundai is very likely a touch quicker, in addition to being more fuel efficient.

    Mike
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    Actually, the Pilot will be a 2008 models which means it will come out between mid 2007 to early 2008. I don't think it is Hyundai that is overpricing the cars btw. Retail price for the Santa Fe is still about $2000 less. I believe you have a gripe with Hyundai dealerships, who seem to be marking their vehicles up. Also, agility for an SUV is important in the way of accident avoidance. While neither vehicle is going to be a superstar in this area, with less weight, better power to weight ratio, lower center of gravity (72" tall for the Pilot and 68" for the Santa Fe with around the same ride height), and 18" wheels (on the limited and se models), the Santa Fe will definitely be a better on road performer.
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    I don't think its a racing competition when your on an SUV? Its a people mover and and a hauler Pilot's Towing capacity is 4,500 lbs. while santa fe is 3,500 lbs and the Pilot has 8 person capacity while Santa Fe has only 7. I'm not saying that Santa Fe is way outside the league but If you notice hyundai is just trying to match pound for pound Honda pilot, and their over pricing their vehicle? :confuse:

    If their going to do that they should at least set the new standard in SUV by leapfrogging the competition like putting a 6 or 7 speed transmission producing around 23-32 mpg city-highway driving. Don't get me wrong they did a good job on the redesign on this vehicle and I give them credit for that, that's why I'm on this forum. :) I just don't like the "pricing" and if you don't agree on me on that I don't know what to say bro. :P
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    I'm talking about the real world prices going on right now in the market and not manufacturers price, and if your doing that its rare to find a 2007 santa fe below manufacturers price right now while you can get a pilot less than 2500-3000 below invoice price. :P

    What I'm saying is Hyundai is not doing a good marketing strategy on their santa fe right now. Hope they would find a way out of it. :) If not they will be burned by competition. :sick: :P And by the way when you say agility its not all about the car its more about the driving skills, it won't help if you freezes when accident comes. :shades:
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    I was talking about accident avoidance. Have you ever had to maneuver quickly to avoid an accident or animal in front of you? An extra seat belt with no extra room to fit an actual person really doesn't mean anything to me, and to get that tow rating, you have to buy the awd Pilot, making gas mileage go down to 17/22mpg. It's really a trade off. You don't always have to leapfrog the competition to get ahead. The Santa Fe is available with the same options for about $2000 less MSRP.

    My problem lies less with the price of the Pilot. It's more that I think it is pretty ugly. I tend to lean to the more curvy look or something like the pacifica. If I wanted a fully traditional SUV look, I'll buy an Trailblazer. For a difference of 2mpg, less than $1000 MSRP, and more than 45hp, I can tow over 6200lbs and get a real 4wd system.
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    The only reason you can get a Pilot right now like that is because it is a relatively old body style. When the new Pilot comes out, Honda dealers will do the same thing and the Santa Fe's dealer prices will have decreased. It's really a never end cycle. It's really the dealers, not the manufacturer, and the consumer that are driving prices of the Santa Fe up. When there are more available, prices will probably change, although who really knows. I definitely agree that Hyundai should have marked down 2006 model vehicles much earlier than they did, similar to what Honda is doing now.

    The driver plays the most important part in accident avoidance, but if your vehicle is not capable of what you tell it to do, you are likely to wreck it worse, maybe even roll it. A more capable vehicle helps erase some driver error.
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    It's not really worth arguing anyway unless you need a vehicle right at this very moment. Let's just say that they are every comparable vehicles, and that we hope that the Santa Fe gets a bit cheaper as it ages a bit. I think everyone can agree on that. :)
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I don't have any problem with that, that's your opinion and i respect that. Accident avoidance is a driving skill, I've been driving motorcycles and cars for a long time and i know what your saying. And another thing that's the reason why Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), ABS, and other stuff that I can't enumerate is Standard on Honda Pilot and I guess on Santa Fe too to aid driver avoid accidents... :)

    Just make sure about that trailblazer of yours that it really hold up that EPA rating, a lot of people complaining that it only gets 10 miles to a gallon! :mad: (check the actual mpg of trailblazer forum) and that reliability issue on american cars... :cry: they have not addressed that issue for a long time now. They should follow what hyundai is doing right now 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. and the the Santa Fe 2,000 MSRP that your talking about, that's their actual price in the market too while the Honda Pilot has 2500-3000 below invoice that's a real trade off. :D
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    I agree on you on that!! :);)
  • jpanozzo1jpanozzo1 Member Posts: 50
    Regardless of initial good reviews, Hyundai still is fighting an uphill battle and a good example is the recent Automobile Mag. review. Toyota and Honda have leagues of satisfied owners, and reviewers who kiss their butt. They all need to be converted. The best way to do that is with quality products and good pricing, but it will not happen overnight and not with one vehicle. The new Santa Fe has all the stars lined up, Sonata too. This could be the time period when Hyundai goes from also ran to a serious Toyhonda killer. I believe the general public realizes Hyundai has a lower MSRP than Toyhonda, but still want an extra incentive.

    Walmart puts serious dents in any market they decide to get involved in. I am not a Walmart flag waver, just an observer of marketing. They take no prisoners and Hyundai shouldn't either.

    Joe in Texarkana
  • lasberrylasberry Member Posts: 12
    Thanks Joe! I'll look into that! :shades:
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    I agree with you on that observation... now Hyundai should make their mark now not 2-3 years from now. They should have started their incentives way back like 2 years ago for their 2006 Hyundai santa fe, they still have a lot of 2006 santa fe on their lot right now and they were holding back their advertisement on the 2007 santa fe when everybody knows that's its already out. :sick: :confuse:

    I say they don't really have a very good marketing strategy by looking into the future. It's going to affect their market share and image to the consumers. They don't really look like a wal-mart right now its more like a K-Mart. :P
  • mike_belknapmike_belknap Member Posts: 378
    Honestly, I don't really consider the Pilot to be much of a competitor to the Santa Fe -- the larger Hyundai SUV debuting this winter will be aimed directly at the more sizable Honda.

    Santa Fe competition better consists of the Buick Rendezvous, Ford Edge, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mazda CX-7, Mitsubishi Endeavor, Mitsubishi Outlander (2007), Nissan Murano, Subaru B9 Tribeca, Toyota Highlander, and Toyota RAV4.

    As far as pricing is concerned, the only real issues here seem to deal with the LIMITED models. I personally feel that the GLS and SE models are priced very competitively -- especially the SE. However, I do admit that the option packages (most notably the Touring + Ultimate) did raise my eyebrows a bit.
    :surprise:

    Mike
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    It seems like they might be trying to do too much too soon in my opionion. They are either redesigning older models or creating new models at an amazing pace. The sonata, azera, santa fe, elantra, entourage, and two new vehicles that aren't official are examples of this. Maybe they should have spread these about a bit to keep from spreading themselves so thin, but their newest lines of cars are still a considerable improvement over the previous models and serious competitors. When you made such poorly regarded cars in the past, it makes it hard for people to get over the preconceptions despite the quality of their new cars.
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    Again I agree with you on that! That's a very good observation. They are trying to win customers from toyota and honda by trying to improve their product on a fast pace but didn't realize that prices on the market had already plunged down!

    I'm not just saying honda, toyota is doing 2.9% financing on their cars right now and some incentives, they could have easily taken those sales from those two manufacturers if they were aggressive on the market earlier. How can they win toyota-honda followers in the market this way? When those people still see hyundai as a copy cat?! Even if the people here and magazine editors will say that it's doing well right now the resale value is holding up and blah blah blah, they won't listen to that especially with the price like this! Over pricing this car is not the way to go...

    Hyundai just didn't do their homework right, trying to hype the vehicle on the internet early (EARLY I mean since last year it already appeared on the internet!) by showing off the car and not doing some marketing on the old car?? :confuse: I don't know what their thinking, they just messed up BIG TIME!!
  • seniorsenior Member Posts: 13
    Hyundai started making relieable cars 6 years ago.I had always been a Toyota buyer years past.Had 6 of them over the years including Cresida's which were rated above Cadillac in the 80.s.But 5 years ago I saw a Hyundai XG 300,and bought it .Its been every bit as good as a Toyotowith far more bells and whistles.Needless to say I will only buy Hyundai products,you can't beat them.
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    My sister-in-law has a 2005 Sonata, and I am really impressed with it. There are, of course, some things I like in my Camry better, but the fit and finish, design, and ride of the Sonata is impressive. I really can't justify the price difference between them any more.
  • joe97joe97 Member Posts: 2,248
    New Santa Fe takes home the award for best 4x4 in the Autoexpress (UK) new car honor list:

    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/200528/new_car_honours_2006.ht- ml
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    That's a good review but it doesn't help here in the US because that car is a turbo diesel. Hope they would be able to release a clean diesel for Santa Fe here in the US that would be a great addition!!
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    I think they should be able to bring that engine here in the US because that's the same TDI turbo diesel engine of volkswagen. If I'm not mistaken... ;)
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    They did enjoy the interior as well, but I would like to hear what other reviewers think about the regular gasoline engines. I certainly would love to see a disel here. The diesel (if I converted correctly) has about 150hp and 250 ft. lbs. of torque. The would be plenty to tow a trailer, and still get great gas mileage (averaging over 28mpg in mixed city/highway).
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    Usually people over there in UK don't buy a regular unleaded engine because it doesn't give good mileage for them, especially with a lot of sitting traffic over there! and another thing magazine editors in UK doesn't recommend a regular unleaded engine. So figure it out... :P You might be able to find a review though with american magazines coming out... :D
  • jimsistjimsist Member Posts: 62
    first non amercian car i ever bought .looked a the toyota highlander and just out of my price range.have had it almost a year the only thing i,ve had wrong was the glass latch on the back door and the radio. now to the new 2007 hyundai santa fe .found one that i realey liked at my deale it was a gls with the package of headted seat sunroof and etc.but when i set down and started to look arround i found the dash trim was not put on right teh edge was sticking out near the radio the console was also loose. now i did not find anything like that on my lx when i bought it. the date on the 2007 was may 15th 2006. now whats wrong with this :mad:
  • arumagearumage Member Posts: 922
    Sounds like some of the early production gremlins that I've heard were on the 2006 Sonata. They could definitely use a little bet more quality control with the interior at the new Alabama plant.
  • driveyourwaydriveyourway Member Posts: 2
    2006 Pilot EX-L has an MSRP that is more than $4,700 over 2007 Santa Fe Limited Touring...$31,845 vs $27,145. These vehicles are very comparably equipped -- Pilot a bit bigger outside, Santa Fe more fuel-efficient and (I think) more stylish.
  • acronisacronis Member Posts: 29
    I haven't seen anyone post this reveiw of the '07 Santa Fe from Businessweek. Other than the good review there is one quote from John Krafcik, Hyundai's vice president of product development and strategic planning, regarding Hyundai's current warranty “We are seeing the end of the 5 year warranty and are halfway through the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty and those costs have been significantly less than what we had provisioned for."
    '07 Santa Fe Sets Class Standards This apparently means Hyundai will be revising their 5/10 warranty. Or does it?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    HMA execs have previously announced that the long warranty would end after the 2008 MY. They didn't say what would replace it, however.
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