2007 Hyundai Santa Fe

New Kid On The Block Can't Be Kicked Around Any More
By Mark Williams

Once, being the new Korean automaker on the block meant nobody took you seriously and you didn't get much respect. That should change in the near future. In fact, with the last few products we've seen--actually the last few "of the Year" competitions--we're impressed by how far Hyundai has come. Case in point: the Santa Fe. When the first Santa Fe came out, it was a quirky-looking new kid with an off-putting interior. With the compact and midsize segments more competitive than ever, the new Santa Fe has upped the ante. Based off the car platform of last year's new Sonata (a car we liked), the Santa Fe offers a soft and cushy ride, bordering on luxury soft. Several judges enjoyed the compliant ride, while a few others found it sloppy during enthusiastic driving on our test track. Additionally, the new 3.3-liter all-aluminum 24-valve V-6 and responsive five-speed manumatic are a vast improvement over the twitchy and unresponsive characteristics of the previous version. While it might sound surprising, more than a few judges felt the chassis and powertrain could support a differently tuned sport package. We can only dream. Of note, when compared with the top players in the field (RAV4 and CR-V), the Santa Fe matches up close or as good in almost every category, save one: price.

Our Hyundai Santa Fe, featuring standard ESP and six airbags as well as an optional third-row seat, gets a strong reading on the bang-for-your-buck meter. Offered in three trim levels, the new Santa Fe starts just over $20,000, which includes the base all-aluminum 2.7-liter V-6 and a vastly improved interior. Gauges are more readable, material choices are superior, A/C and radio controls are more integrated into the waterfall center stack, and larger storage pockets are all over the interior. Although not the fastest, strongest, or biggest SUV of our test, the Santa Fe did everything well. In the end, however, as respectable as it is, just keeping up isn't good enough.

...>>next page