Hyundai Santa Fe

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Hyundai Santa Fe Models

The Hyundai Santa Fe comes in three versions. The base GL model, the GLS and the LX.

A 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is available on the base GL model fitted with a five-speed manual transmission with front-wheel drive. A four-speed automatic is optional for $800.

All other models come with a 2.7-liter V6 with a four-speed automatic. All V6 models are available with front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

ABS is optional across the line.

Standard features include cloth seating, power-assisted steering, power door locks and windows, tilt steering wheel, AM/FM/CD stereo with four speakers, illuminated glove box, air conditioning, carpeted passenger and cargo areas, three power outlets (two front, one rear), digital clock in overhead console, rear seat heating and air conditioning ducts, eight-way manually adjustable driver's seat, and reclining rear seatbacks.

In addition to ABS, optional on the base GL are a six-speaker AM/FM/CD and AM/FM/CD tape cassette stereo, power door locks and heated outside rearview mirrors, rear limited slip differential and first aid kit (comprising sunscreen, poison ivy balm, bandages and thermal blanket).

With GLS you get four-wheel disc brakes, the four-speed "Shiftronic" automatic transmission with manual shift override, foglamps, the six-speaker AM/FM/CD and cassette stereo, power door locks and heated outside mirrors, first aid kit, under-cargo floor storage bin and leather-wrapped steering wheel.

GLS options include full-time four-wheel drive, traction control, limited slip differential and power driver's seat.

No surprise, but the LX is the plush entry, although to get the best you still have to check a few option boxes. Traction control, for instance, and ABS. Also Hyundai's full-time 4WD system. And automatic climate control. And the power-adjustable driver's seat and heated front seats. But you do get leather seating surfaces (which aren't offered even as options on the GL or GLS), auto-dimming inside rear view mirror and limited slip rear axle (when your order the optional full-time 4WD) for no extra cost.

All Hyundais boast one of the best warranty/service coverages in the business - powertrain: 10-years/100,000 miles; bumper-to-bumper: five-years/60,000 miles; corrosion: five-years/60,000 miles; and 24-hour roadside assistance: five-years/unlimited mileage.

Driving the Hyundai Santa Fe

We first drove a four-wheel-drive LX model, which came with a 2.7-liter V6 that produces 185 horsepower and 187 pound-feet of torque. That's good power when compared against the V6-powered Ford Escape and Suzuki Grand Vitara. Indeed, only the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute, which come with a 200-horsepower 3.0-liter V6, offer more power in this class. The Santa Fe offers much better acceleration than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 with their four-cylinder engines. Still, we were a bit disappointed. Responsiveness was a bit sluggish. Downshifts were prompt and smooth, but somewhat less than fulfilling. Acceleration from a stoplight was, well, OK. We don't doubt the rated towing capacity, but we suspect it will be less than exhilarating.

Handling, though, was excellent with minimal top-heaviness in corners. As expected, the Hyundai Santa Fe understeers in hard cornering (meaning it wants to go straight while you want it to turn), but nothing beyond what everyday drivers will expect. The brakes are refreshingly responsive, even before the ABS steps in.

We also drove a GLS without the optional full-time four-wheel drive. The GLS proved to be much, much more fun and more responsive, no doubt the benefit of subtracting the 331 pounds the 4WD system adds. EPA estimated fuel economy is 19/26 mpg city/highway for a front-wheel-drive GLS and 19/23 for a four-wheel-drive LX.

Then it came time to navigating Hyundai's selected, off-road venue, a sometime-motorcycle circuit in Southern California. A couple of sections were challenging, but the Santa Fe's full-time 4WD system was more than up to the test, even without the traction control system. Though details from Hyundai about its full-time four-wheel-drive system are lacking, the system worked fine on the off-road course Hyundai offered us. It's a dynamic, viscous system. Though the torque split wasn't available, we jacked up the back tires and stood on the accelerator and it raced across the room. So the system appears to do a good job of sending the torque where it's needed: to the tires with the most grip.