2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited September 2014 in Hyundai

image2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Long-Term Road Test

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Long-Term Road Test on Edmunds.

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  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827
    I'm surprised that you didn't also do a comparison between the Santa Fe and the different minivans on the market. I did and it showed me that they are almost identical, except that the Santa Fe rides two inches higher than the minivans, while the minivans will be much more comfortable for all, and be a lot easier to use. So basically three row crossovers are good for those who want to give up convenience for this perceived status they consider important. I'm not jumping on the back of anyone who buys them, I'm just saying that there's virtually no logical reason to do so... This reminds me of kids resisting their parent's advice that would make their lives easier, because it would seem uncool.
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    "...its shorter height brings out a wagon-like vibe that's reminiscent of the Flex." Except I have ridden in the Flex and it doesn't bottom its rear suspension when you put 2 passengers and a couple of suitcases in it. And yes, minvans are way better and the stigma is in your mind.
  • bankerdannybankerdanny Member Posts: 1,021
    I'm sorry, but I just don't get the 'stigma' thing.

    What's wrong with minivans? Some of them are quite handsome, they offer powerful V6's and can lay down 0-60 times that would have been respectable for a sports sedan 20 years ago. They are comfortable, handle well, offer plenty of space, and get reasonable fuel economy.

    Why should people attach a stigma to making a good sound buying decision? Why spend more money on a less efficient (space and fuel) vehicle?

    Maybe the 'stigma' would go away if auto writers stopped bringing it up every time they write about 3 row crossovers.
  • evodadevodad Member Posts: 135
    There is the stigma that is hard for many to overcome, but I've found that if my wife is any indication of the many potential minivan or crossover drivers out there that they feel much safer having awd and it's an option far more accessible in a crossover than in minivans. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the only minivan that currently offers awd is the sienna
  • zimtheinvaderzimtheinvader Member Posts: 580
    if all you ever haul is people then the comparison might work. However if you also want to bring some of their belongings the Odyssey in the background in your picture has 38.4 cu ft of cargo space compared to the Santa Fe's 13.5 cu ft. And if you fold the seats down it is 148.5 vs 80. So you lose a couple mpg on the highway and a huge amount of storage space going with the Santa Fe.
  • zimtheinvaderzimtheinvader Member Posts: 580
    evodad, Unless you are in a snowy area most AWD anymore isn't full time it only kicks in the rear wheels when the front slip so it doesn't improve handling or emergency maneuvers. And the right tires can make a huge difference.
  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827
    @zimtheinvader: +1 on the right tires. For adverse weather, I don't need more drive wheels to accelerate, I need more traction for stopping and staying in control. Only the right tires are going to help there.
  • yellowbalyellowbal Member Posts: 234
    Minivans are awesome with the sliding doors. Even better are old beat up but reliable minivans. You can park that thing anywhere and not worry about adding an extra ding to the hundreds. New stains are invisible among existing stains.
  • 7driver7driver Member Posts: 145
    If you're worried about space efficiency, why stop at a minivan? Why not step up to a Sprinter? Or a Unimog? Or a Bluebird bus? There gets to be a point where something is too big. A Santa Fe is almost a foot shorter and half a foot narrower than an Odyssey. For someone who considers a minivan too big and a Mazda5 too small, a 3-row crossover might fit the bill.
  • 7driver7driver Member Posts: 145
    In California, you don't buy AWD for traction benefits in the snow. You buy it so you don't have to deal with tire chains.
  • zimtheinvaderzimtheinvader Member Posts: 580
    7driver, the subject of their original post was the Santa Fe as an alternative only to escape the stigma of a mini-van, not as a slightly (and very slightly at that) smaller alternative to a mini van. So it probably should at least be mentioned when comparing interior space that you lose a lot of cargo space.
  • aggie94aggie94 Member Posts: 15
    Compared to the Odyssey, the Santa Fe is 600 lbs lighter, 10" shorter length, 5" more narrow, and 2" shorter height. That is a completely lower class vehicle size, so the smaller interior volume is no surprise. I wish good smaller minivans existed, but they don't. The Mazda 5 is much smaller still.

    As for fuel economy, the 3.3 is modern plus the lighter weight and frontal area will put the Santa Fe on top of the large minivans.

    I notice they have the same tire sizes.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Funny that a quick glance at the photos shows that about the only difference in looks between the Santa Fe and the Odyssey are the rear doors/sliders. If Honda hid the sliding track like Caravans do, the Santa Fe owner might just walk up and try to climb into the wrong driver's seat.
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