Hyundai Santa Fe 2007+

stever

Another member recently commented about the "look" with the center nose sticking out, in reference to the RDX. His comment was "Not a fan of it, but I have the feeling that this "look" is going to become more prevalent, if indeed, this is a response to the European pedestrian collision regulations."

So maybe more and more front ends will start to look alike?

bostnwhalr, "Acura RDX" #1986, 18 Sep 2006 4:09 am

mrnice

You do need insurance and plates. In my case I will phone my insurance company and tell them I bought a new vehicle and want to add it to my policy. I will give them the vin number and they will mail me a slip to carry with me. As for plates the dealership in NY will provide transport plates. While I have not confirmed the cost the salesman emailed that the fee for the transport plate is less than $20. At the border I will pay GST on the purchase price as well as the import fee of $195.00. Canadian customs will give me paperwork that I must keep in the vehicle until it is registered.

An important step is ensuring that you contact US Customs 72 hours prior to exporting. You then must present the vehicle and title of the car at the border. From what I gather to have the title in your hand and in your name you need to own the car, that is not have financed the car. This means paying for the car outright or using a line of credit etc to pay for the car.

You really should check out the riv.ca site for all the details.

rick2456

I don't know about Canada, but you can get the leather AWD 5passenger here (Atlanta) no problem. I have checked out the SF and love it. My only gripe is that the rear window is intergrated into the hatch and does not open independently. Oh well, can't have everything.

rick2456

With the standard electronic stability control and wider/lower profile, rollovers should not be an issue.

tibtuscani

If your car pulls to the right you have a FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR AKA Torque steer
if you get the santa fe in RWD or AWD that wont happen

tibtuscani

spring of 2007 a navigation system will be offered
Navigation is already on the korean models:

lgs

I'm seriously considering purchasing a santa fe, but I've always avoided buying a redesign in its model year.

Is it possible that this model has been in production longer in the Korean market? That might make me feel a little better about the possibility of "fixes" already applied to the U.S. built version.

nifty56

So you must know the vin number for the insurance. Do you tell them and receive the insurance slip before you leave to purchase the car. Or do you phone the insurance company from the dealer and drive home with no slip but sill insured.

lgs

You have to have proof of insurance to legally drive on the road. Its not rocket science. They can fax you a slip.

tibtuscani

yes it has been out in Korea longer then the US

blstanle

My wife and I went to test drive and 07 Santa Fe Ltd last night. I am not that tall (6'0) and for me, the driver seat was extremely uncomfortable. Due to the curve of the seat, I felt like I had to really arch back to get any support as it hit me very low on my back. I tried every adjustment with lumber and lean and nothing helped. I went in ready to buy, but was completely turned off due to this issue. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

santafeed

I am in the dc area too and could not find what I wanted so I am going to pittsburgh saturday to pick up mine. Ed

nifty56

Thanks, I knew that reading my post would cause ones eyes to roll up and point to the sky, lol.. but did not think of the fax factor..

lv2drv

I noticed inventory is starting to move as the word gets out about this vehicle. My husband's brother is in the business in Dallas and is checking with a friend at a Hyundai dealership in the area. Good luck to you. I hope you find the one you want.

merf1

I also found the drivers seat to be very uncomfortable in the GLS. I was ready to buy until I took a test drive and was extremly disapointed in driver comfort. When you raise the seat it tips you forward and you tend to slide forward when braking. Whoever designed those seats had to be a complete idiot.

bp25

Apparently the production of Santa is almost 95% completely automated at the Hyundai Alabama plant giving the Santa Fe impeccable quality. Here is acute commercial of 350 dancing robots that can produce up to 150 000 Santa Fe's yearly.

http://www.swayftp.com/Hyundai_HNCS_0114.htm

mrnice

nifty: The dealer can tell you the Vin over the phone after they find the vehicle you want. You then pass it on to your insurance company. If you are ordering a vehicle that is not on the dealers lot you will have time for them to mail you the slips. If you need them right away they will fax them.

lgs

I've checked out what I believe are comparable U.S and Canadian models, and the price difference doesn't appear to be *much* more than currency exchange, compared to the ridiculous markups Honda and Toyota Canada are doing.

Perhaps the reason that Hyundai allows their U.S. dealers to sell for export is because they figure that there won't be a lot of people bother with the trouble, for the relatively small dollar saving.

mrnice

It is true the Hyundai Canada's prices are closer to the US models than other manufacturers. However there is more than price at stake. Why settle for less options on the same Santa Fe? If you buy the Canadian FWD, 3.3, 5 seat, leather package in Canada as opposed to the Limited model with the same configuration in the States (add sun roof option) you would miss out on:
- Automatic temperature control with outside temperature
display, air filtration and smog-sensing air quality
system
- Electro-Chromic auto dimming rear view mirror
- Homelink® integrated transceiver
- Chrome accent grille and exterior door/tailgate handles
- Rear spoiler

MSRP in Canada without these options is $31,445.
MSRP in the US (including $950 sunroof option) is $26,895 USD. Currency exchange done one minute ago puts the price at $30,032.87 CDN.

Those are of course MSRP prices. I have been quoted on a Santa Fe in this configuration in the States at $25,710 USD or $28,708.00 CDN. I have not yet followed up with a Canadian dealership for their best price.

Assuming the same sort of offer below MSRP in Canada we end up back at the beginning which is the choice between doing a little paperwork and running around to save some $$ and get more for your dollar. Or simply settling for what Hyundai Canada has decided that you should have.

jimsist

:surprise: :sick: :confuse: i have looked at a lot of santa fe and i,m find a lot of little defects. like on the door panel the uphustery is come off the wood trim not fitting right seatbelts not working and so on i own a 2005 and none of these nave i had any problem with what goes

lgs

That's a good point, I hadn't considered the details of the trims.

However, I personally wouldn't consider the extras the U.S. trim includes worthwhile enough to go through the bother of importing. Well, the climate control would be nice, but not a huge big deal.

lgs

Dunno what to tell you. The fit and finish on the ones I've seen have been flawless.

sirvagabond

I've been holding out on my purchase of a SF for about a month now, and have another month to go. Agonizing! Keeping updated on the posts however and taking this time to look for con's on this car. I've test drove it and have been to 2 different dealers to see trims and colors. I consider myself a bit of a perfectionists (15yrs+ graphic designer/artist), and i've looked quite closely at the details of the interior and exterior. Admittedly, this isn't a upper class car. No BMW, Cadillac, Jag, or Mercedese. BUT, it DOES appear to have a level of quality above anything in the class that it's in. That says a lot. Any flaws that have been mentioned on the boards or that I've come to hear, have either been on selected models, and rarely repeated by others. Personal standards aparently are a considerable factor when reviewing ratings on boards like these. And keep in mind the fact that Hyundai is most likely dialing in their own standards as the line continues it's production. Erego, some problems with earlier models may be non-existant in models produced early to mid next year.

Looking at cars like the new Rav, Jeeps, Mazda's Tribute, 4runner/highlander, the standards for interior design are just not at the level Hyundai has brought the SF too.

I really, really can't wait to get my very own.

be well.

davesuv

I noticed on my last check that NHTSA has posted the rollover test results for the 2007 Santa Fe. This completes their testing of the Santa Fe. NHTSA results I'm very pleased to see that the Santa Fe is one of the safest SUV's on the market. Five star frontal and side crash protection and four star rollover (16% chance, one of the better SUV scores). No tip-up on this model either. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also gave the Santa Fe top marks (good) for all of it's rated categories.

On top of it, the Santa Fe comes standard with active head restraints, a critical help in rear end collisions. All this, together with the standard electronic stability control, 4-wheel drive, and vehicle weight put the Santa Fe at the top of my safe vehicle list. Since safety is my number one criteria in purchasing a vehicle, the Santa Fe's other great attributes are icing on the cake for me. Not only will my car be safe, but it will look great, ride well, and be very quiet. It's as if Hyundai designed this car just for me

lgs

Interesting. All scores are equivalent to the Rav4, with exception of front passenger, which is in fact better.

tinydog1

I purchased a 2007 SantaFe Limited a little over 2 weeks ago and am thoroughly impressed with this vehicle. It does have a few small defects which my dealer is going to take care of as soon as I can get it back to them. It had a bad front right door speaker, already taken care of, and my left front fender slightly out of alignment, so slight only I would notice it, and a slightly misaligned left rear door. Judging by the VIN it was an early build model, so I am not upset and I chose accept it that way because it was the color combo I was looking for Black on Black. I looked at others on the lot that were built later and they are flawless. By the way this is my 7th Hyundai and the first with any defects. Having stated that I can honestly say I love it more than my 2006 Sonata Lx, which I traded for this.

leeh2

Just returned from a 5000 mile trip from Florida. After several days with Air Cond running all the time we found water on the passenger side floor mats. It appears to be cominmg up from the floor, I think there may be a line running under the car and this was from the air conditioner line. Dealer has not had other complaints and will check out on 1st visit for service. Averaged 25mpg for highway and 19 while in city.

rockytee

Did you buy the 2.7L or 3.3L engine?
AWD or FWD?

new2diesel

According to JD Powers ratings on intial quality, you are right it isn't a BMW, Jag, Caddy or Mercedes - it is better. JD Powers gives them the third highest rating on initial quality only coming in behind Porsche and Lexus. Just thought I would set the record straight!

new2diesel

I just made my first oilchange at 4800 miles. I changed to Mobil 1 5w40 and did it myself. I can't describe to you how much of a pain in the rump changing the oil is on these vehicles. I did it without ramps and without lifting the car which I will never do again. There is not much ground clearance to work with and the filter is recessed in a hole under the skid plate (plastic skid plate). You have to buy a special "cup style" filter wrench from the auto store becuase you can not get your hand around the filter or a wrench around it. Once you get it off your hand will not fit back through the hole while holding the filter. I ended up spilling oil all over the floor of my garage which I never have done on any other vehicle. Personally speaking, this is the first major flaw I have noticed in the design of the vehicle. Next time I will use ramps and cover the entire garage!

Still loving the vehicle though!

sirvagabond

Diesel,
Whow, anyone got any peppers n' cilantro?!?! Bout to eat my words here. Usually I'd argue till the cows come home on this one, but this is a pleasant surprise. My fathers has owned caddy's all his life, and keeps them pretty prestine (as should be). Have a friend who own's a jag and of course seen the quality of BMW's and Mercedes. And although I believe the aesthetic/visual quality of the SF is at a high level, I still don't believe the materials, and craftsmanship is at the superior level that these other vehicles are. My personal opinion, of course. As far as mechanics and OVERALL quality, well.... you just put the cherry on the sundae for me with that post. Not to mention making it even harder to wait another month to get behind the wheel of my SF.

Sorry bout the oil-changing dilema. My plan was to save cash and do oil-changes myself as well. Guess now, I may reconsider. Sounds as if the construct of the new engine block being more compact, is making things harder to get too. Had you been prepaired with the right materials, would you still recommend Do It Yourself?

thanks for the info.

jcspohr

I can't speak for the 2.7, but the 3.3 uses a cartridge filter located on the top of the engine. Remove 6 screws/nuts from the silver cover and use an 89mm cup or 3.5 inch band wrench to remove the cap. Pull out filter, put on new o-rings (come with filter), insert new filter, and replace cap and engine cover.

Remove drain plug, drain oil, install new crush washer (also came with filter), replace and tighten drain plug.

Fill with 6 quarts of oil.

BTW - I recommend and do use ramps.

JCS

new2diesel

Sirvagabond,
I agree with you about the materials. The JD Powers survey was strictly about intial build quality and didn't really cover materials to my knowledge. Still good news any way you slice it. I'm not sure i would have ebeleived it if my Hyundai dealer didn't give me a copy of the report.

As far as oil changes go, I will continue to do them myself but will be ready next time. I will definitely use ramps and put down lots of absorbant material. I am even considering removing the plastic "skid plate" permanantly since I can't see how it serves much of a purpose.

I'm hoping to achieve 30 mpg on the road with mobil 1 - time will tell.

leeh2

I have the 3.3L engine, FWD. Another question on oil changes, the manual says 7500 miles between changes. This seems unusually long, any thoughts appreciated. Lee

new2diesel

7500 miles is correct. The 3000 mile change is a very effective marketing strategy by lube shops and garages. If you use synthetic you can go much farther than 7500 but you get into warranty issues if you have a problem. I am sticking with 7500 and synthetic oil. On other vehicles i have gone as long as 15000 on synthetic without any issues.

fonefixer

Thinking about buying the 2007 santa fe limited model. Would like to know your opinion of the general build quality, engine mechanics and braking prowess of the Hyundai you are driving.

davesuv

After trying to track down a Santa Fe to my specifications, I found it helpful to understand what the VIN numbers mean. So far I've found the following. Anyone with additional info or corrections, please add to this. The Vehicle Identification Number is 17 characters long.

Sample VIN number for Santa Fe: (Ficticious number I made up)

5 N M S H 7 3 E 4 7 H 0 2 1 6 5 8

POSITION IN VIN:
1-3) World Manufacturer Indentifier (WMI). For Santa Fe's built in the USA, the 5 corresponds to the USA with the N and M indicating Hyundai.
4) This is Hyundai's model, S = Santa Fe
5) H = SE or Limited trim line. G = GLS trim line.
6) 7 = All Wheel Drive and 1 = Front Wheel Drive
7) Unknown: this is 3 for all Santa Fe's. May be GVWR code
8) Engine type: E = 3.3L and D = 2.7L
9) Check digit used to make sure it's a valid VIN (may be 1 to 9 or X for 10)
10) Model year: 7 = 2007
11) Assembly plant: all are H for the Montgomery, AL plant
12-17) This is the sequential serial build number for that car. The lower the number, the earlier it was built. These are at least over 20,000 at this time.

sinned

Can anyone who has the 2007 Santa Fe let me know if the 2nd row seats fold flat, and if not how much does it protrude? The reviews I've read are conflicting on this matter. Thanks.

sirvagabond

Dave,

Thanks for the info man. This could be extremely helpful. Appreciate the efforts.

davesuv

Don't have mine yet, but here are two pictures I found that might help you decide how flat you think the 2nd row folds.

radek

I bought my Santa Fe a couple of weeks ago. There were no leather ones in any showroom when I was buying it so I assumed that black leather meant black. To my surprise it is charcoal. Is this standard for all Hyundai's?

santafeed

I added a trailer hitch yesterday to my 2007 Santa fe. I am gonna do the wiring this weekend.

Ed

dlm820

I agree. Great post also. There are more than 25,000 built to date, as the VIN I had for the one I bought was over 25,000. Unfortunatley, they had to send it back to Alabama as there was something wrong with it. Now I'm waiting for the dealer to call me back on the new one that they are getting.

dlm820

I ask the question because my wife and I really want the thrid row and the dealer we bought ours from doesn't have any on the lot. Has anyone else bought one with the third row, and if so how long did it take for you to get it.

I talked to the dealer today and he said that he ordered it from the factory and it should be here by the week of the 9th. I hope he's telling the truth and isn't blowing smoke up my butt, cause I'll be one pissed off mo fo if he is!!!

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, as I really don't want to go to another dealer as I've already started the paperwork and everything.

Anyone have any insights into this?

Thanks

davesuv

I took a Black Limited AWD with the 3rd row on a test drive at our dealership. It wasn't a color I wanted, so now I'm waiting for the dealer to come up with a Limited AWD 3rd row and sunroof in Dark Cherry Red with Beige leather interior. He has not mentioned anything about ordering one from the plant, but has been looking at other dealer inventories to arrange a buy or trade from them. I'll have to ask him about ordering one from the factory. By the way, I really liked the way they did the third row. It has a relatively easy entry/exit with the passenger side 2nd row seat tipped forward (spring loaded mechanism so it tips forward effortlessly). I don't plan on using the 3rd row very often, but when I need it for relatives, etc., it's invaluable. Too bad they didn't start building the ones with the 3rd row until August. I've been trying to get mine since the beginning of September.

lgs

Can any owners provide feedback on the base 6 speaker stereo? Compared to average car stereos, how does it rate?

jpanozzo1

I talked to the dealer today and he said that he ordered it from the factory and it should be here by the week of the 9th. I hope he's telling the truth and isn't blowing smoke up my butt, cause I'll be one pissed off mo fo if he is!!!

More than likely he swapped an allocation with another dealer. Sometimes it is easier to say that and the customer thinks it is a big deal. Usually ordering from the factory is not impossible but not usually a 2-4 week affair; more like 2-4 months.

As long as you get what you want,it is no big deal. However, if the rig shows up and it closely, but not exactly matches what you want, then there is smoke billowing from a very dark place.

Joe in Texarkana

dlm820

It's funny that you mention the Dark Cherry Red as that is the color that I was supposed to get. The dealer had the Invoice in house and everything!!! They said it was sent back to AL because it was defective. That might be right as I do remember that there was a recall on some of them which were still at the dealerships. My dealer has been calling around also, but no luck yet.

I like the way they did the third row also and we are getting it for the same reason that you did. I did not know that they started building the thrid rows until August. That could explain why dealers only have a limited amount of them on hand.

I really shouldn't complain too much as I got a really really good deal on my trade in and the sales guy was pretty friendly. He even offered to build me one himself...LOL.

Let me know if you find out anything else with yours. I'd love to hear.

dlm820

I hope you are right and it's just gonna come from a dealer that is farther away. I don't think I can wait 2-4 months for one and I got the ball rolling with this guy already and really don't want to back out now. I got a good price (about 29K OTD including trade in and TTL), plus it's not fair to him and wouldn't be ethical either.

I agree though that as long as I get it and it is what I want then I don't care where it comes from. I got the Limited and it is fully loaded anyway except for the DVD, so I guess as long as the third row is there and it drives well then I'll be happy.

It's just frustrating as he told me I would have it on Monday this week and then call to find out that it was sent back. :mad:

new2diesel

Any pics of the hitched installed? I have one on order but don't want to have it detract from the look of the rear. I think the rear is the best looking side of this vehicle. I would really appreciate a pic if you could post.
Thanks