Every car has a personality and the Hyundai Santa Fe is no exception. The Santa Fe is an interesting vehicle because at first glance you could be tricked into thinking it’s a Mom Car. This crossover is a Mom Car but not in the defeated way that a minivan is a mom car. The Santa Fe is an everyone car and with the trim level I was in it’s a little bit snooty to let kids in but still affordable.
The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe is a crossover that makes you look smart.
I’ve never driven a Hyundai for more than a test drive before so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’ve also not owned a crossover and I’m not sure that I’ve ever had an extended drive in one. My friend Vincent at Slashgear got great video that shows you some of the terrain we covered. I took some video too, but it was decidedly less great.
We left the hotel and took paved and unpaved roads for a few hours from Deer Valley to Sundance. There are a few things I noticed about the Hyundai Santa Fe right away.
- It handles like a luxury car but looks like a truck (or SUV whatever…)
- The rear seats are heated
- It’s very fuel efficient
- The cabin is quiet even when the road is rough
- You can go 45 MPH on an unpaved road, slam on the brakes and there’s ZERO fishtailing. This thing is safe.
The Santa Fe is an attractive crossover. Crossovers by their very nature aren’t particularly sexy so the folks at Hyundai had to really work at this. I found the styling (particularly on the front grille) to be very attractive. It speaks of luxe to me. The vehicle has a very aerodynamic look to it that extends to the trunk area and saves it from looking like a clunky SUV.
I drove that car like the biggest jerk on the road. On pavement, I switched the steering from comfort to sport and back again all the while wiggling the wheel (and my poor passengers). I did experience a slight bit of tightness to the drive with it in sport but I wouldn’t call it dramatic. I accelerated wildly and then slammed the brakes on both on paved and unpaved roads, the vehicle performed perfectly.
Let’s talk about the interior. There’s space here. A lot of space actually. We were driving the Sport model which seats 5. I sat comfortably in the rear seat with a six-foot tall man in front of me. It was quite roomy, exceeding my expectations. They’ve also added an airbag at the knee to keep the driver in her seat in case of an accident. I hope to never need that feature but I like that it’s there.
The Santa Fe has great pickup. They’ve shaved more than 260 pounds off the curb weight of the vehicle without sacrificing safety. Hyundai uses high tensile steel which means that it can stand up to higher levels stress before necking. Why does this matter to you? Well, if you combine a lower weight vehicle with a little more torque all without giving up on safety you end up with a car that can get you up a ramp and onto a freeway at 65 MPH without feeling like you’re holding up traffic. It also means that you can quickly accelerate to change lanes or to avoid an accident because the dopey guy next to you is checking tumblr…
The price-point of the Santa Fe is extraordinary. It starts at $24,450 and ends at $29,450 for the turbo model with All Wheel Drive (money well spent if you can swing it). There are add-ons available for up to $6,600 so with every bell and whistle the Santa Fe could top out at $36,050. Let’s talk about some of those bells and whistles, shall we?
I love panoramic sunroofs. One of the most tragic moments in my life was when I realized that the only way to get a five-seater convertible was to buy a Bentley. My husband won’t buy me a Bentley, he just doesn’t love me enough. True story. Panoramic sunroofs take the sting out of not being able to buy a convertible when you’ve got two kids (which kid isn’t allowed a playdate because Mommy wanted a cute car?). I’m also someone who just feels better with sunlight. The sunroof is the size of Texas, I love it more than words can say.
There’s a lot of hidden storage in the cargo (trunk area) so you can leave your electronics and whatnot under the “floor”. If you get the longer wheelbase you can have a Santa Fe that seats 7 and since the interior of that one is still top secret I have no idea what happens in that cargo area.
Speaking of interiors the only part of the Santa Fe that has a whiff of Mom Car is that if you get fabric it features YES. Which is a stain resistant technology that keeps the seats clean and dry. I didn’t sit in a car with YES but if you prefer cloth seats then this might be a huge selling point.
Hyundai has a 5 year 60,000 warranty along with a 10-year 100,000-mile powertrain protection warranty and a few others too (see the site because there’s a lot to read there). While I was driving the Santa Fe I was thinking that it would be a smart car to buy (I lease cars not buy them), it’s got every luxury that a crossover can have (except air conditioned seats but I’m pretty sure that’s not a deal breaker). With a lower price point than most in its class, a longer warranty and a fuel-efficient engine it seems like a no-brainer.
There was a slew of great writers on this trip so here’s a wrap up of their stories:
Better in Bulk Hyundai Introduces the New 2013 Santa Fe in Park City
Gadget Review Hands On: A Day in the Utah Mountains With the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (Video/Pics)
Gear Diary Hyundai Takes Us up the Mountain to Discover the New Santa Fe!
Gunaxin 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
Surf and Sunshine The New 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Pushes the Limits #NewSantaFe
Southern Bella’s Way to Save Hyundai #NewSantaFe Driving Experience
Just Short of Crazy 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Test Drive
Makobi Scribe What A Mom Thinks About The All #NewSantaFe Sport
Discovery First Drive: All-New 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
The Vacation Gals 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Review
HighTechDad Hyundai Does it Right Introducing the New 2013 Santa Fe CUV
If you’re like me you’re looking for numbers and not an explanation, here are the specs. Decide for yourself.
| ENGINE | ||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
|||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0L Turbo |
3.3L |
||||||||||
| Type |
2.4L GDI DOHC 16-valve Inline 4-cylinder |
2.0L Turbo GDI DOHC 16-valve Inline 4-cylinder |
3.3L GDI DOHC 24-valve V6 |
|||||||||
| Materials |
Aluminum block/aluminum cylinder heads |
Aluminum block/aluminum cylinder heads |
Aluminum block/aluminum cylinder heads |
|||||||||
| Bore & stroke |
88.0 mm x 97.0 mm |
86.0 mm x 86.0 mm |
92.0 mm x 83.8 mm |
|||||||||
| Displacement |
2.4L / 2,359 cc |
2.0 L / 1,998 cc |
3.3L / 3,342 cc |
|||||||||
| Horsepower |
190 @ 6,300 rpm |
264 @ 6,000 rpm |
294 @ 6,400 rpm |
|||||||||
| Torque |
181 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm |
269 lb-ft @ 1,750~ 3,000 rpm |
252 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm |
|||||||||
| Valves per cylinder |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|||||||||
| Compression Ratio |
11.3 |
9.5 |
11.5 |
|||||||||
| TRANSMISSION | ||||||||||||
| 6-speed electronic automatic |
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
||||||||||
| Gear ratios |
2.4L |
2.0T |
3.3L |
|||||||||
| First |
4.639 |
4.651 |
TBD |
|||||||||
| Second |
2.826 |
2.831 |
||||||||||
| Third |
1.841 |
1.842 |
||||||||||
| Fourth |
1,386 |
1.386 |
||||||||||
| Fifth |
1.000 |
1.000 |
||||||||||
| Sixth |
0.772 |
0.772 |
||||||||||
| Reverse |
3.385 |
3.393 |
||||||||||
| Final Gear Ratio |
3.648 |
3.510 |
||||||||||
| SUSPENSION | ||||||||||||
| Front | MacPherson strut with twin-tube gas filled damper and 26-mm stabilizer bar | |||||||||||
| Rear | Multi-link with gas shock absorber and (FWD 21 mm AWD 19 mm) stabilizer bar | |||||||||||
| STEERING | ||||||||||||
| Type | Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) | |||||||||||
| Overall Ratio | 15.03 : 1 | |||||||||||
| Turns, lock to lock | 2.95 | |||||||||||
| Turning circle (curb to curb) | 35.8 ft (Santa Fe Sport), 36.7 ft (Santa Fe) | |||||||||||
| BRAKES/TIRES/WHEELS | ||||||||||||
| Front | Ventilated single piston disc, 12.6 in. x 1.1 in. (320mm x 28mm) | |||||||||||
| Rear | Solid single piston disc, 11.9 in. X 0.4 in. (302mm x 11mm) | |||||||||||
| ABS | 4-wheel, 4-channel, 4-sensors with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist | |||||||||||
| Wheels | 17 x 7.0 aluminum alloy18 x 7.5 aluminum alloy19 x 7.5 aluminum alloy | |||||||||||
| Tires | P235/65 R17P235/60 R18P235/55 R19 | |||||||||||
| EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS | ||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
|||||||||||
| Wheelbase |
106.3 in |
110.2 in. |
||||||||||
| Overall length |
184.6 in |
193.1 in. |
||||||||||
| Overall width |
74.0 in. |
74.2 in. |
||||||||||
| Overall height (w/ roof rack) |
66.1 in. (66.5 in.) |
66.5 in. (66.9) |
||||||||||
| Wheel Tread, front |
64.3 / 64.1 in. (17”/19”) |
64.1/64.1 in.(18″/19″) |
||||||||||
| Wheel Tread, rear |
64.7 / 64.5 in. (17”/19”) |
64.5/64.5 in.(18″/19″) |
||||||||||
| INTERIOR DIMENSIONS | ||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
|||||||||||
| Head room(w/ sunroof) | Front |
39.6 in. (38.2 in.) |
39.6 in. (38.2 in.) |
|||||||||
| 2nd row |
39.1 in. (37.4 in.) |
39.4 in. (38.3 in.) |
||||||||||
| 3rd row |
N/A |
35.7 in. (35.7 in.) |
||||||||||
| Leg room | Front (MAX) |
41.3 in. (44.1 in.) |
41.3 in. (44.1 in.) |
|||||||||
| 2nd row |
39.4 in |
41.3 in |
||||||||||
| 3rd row |
N/A |
31.5 in |
||||||||||
| Shoulder room | Front |
59.4 in. |
59.4 in. |
|||||||||
| 2nd row |
58.3 in |
58.6 in. |
||||||||||
| 3rd row |
N/A |
53.9 in. |
||||||||||
| Hip room | Front |
56.7 in. |
56.7 in. |
|||||||||
| 2nd row |
55.4 in. |
55.4 in. |
||||||||||
| 3rd row |
N/A |
44.1 in |
||||||||||
| SAE passenger volume |
108.0 cubic ft. |
146.6 cubic ft. |
||||||||||
| SAE cargo volume – Behind front seats (est.) |
71.5 cubic ft. |
80.0 cubic ft. |
||||||||||
| SAE cargo volume – Behind 2nd row seats (est.) |
35.4 cubic ft. |
41.0 cubic ft. |
||||||||||
| SAE cargo volume – Behind 3rd row seats (est.) |
N/A |
13.4 cubic ft. |
||||||||||
|
CAPACITIES |
||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
|||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
3.3L |
||||||||||
| Fuel |
17.4 gallons |
17.4 gallons |
18.0 gallons |
|||||||||
| Oil |
5.8 quarts (5.5 liter) |
5.8 quarts (5.5 liter) |
6.9 quarts (6.5 liters) |
|||||||||
| Coolant |
2.7 quarts (2.55 liter) |
2.7 quarts (2.55 liter) |
4.6 quarts (4.4 liters) |
|||||||||
|
CURB WEIGHT |
||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
|||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
3.3L |
||||||||||
| FWD |
3,459 lbs. |
3,569 lbs. |
3,869 lbs. |
|||||||||
| AWD |
3,616 lbs. |
3,706 lbs. |
4,012 lbs. |
|||||||||
FUEL ECONOMY |
||||||||||||
|
Santa Fe Sport |
Santa Fe |
|||||||||||
|
2.4L |
2.0T |
3.3L |
||||||||||
| FWD A/T (EPA) | ||||||||||||
| City |
22 mpg |
21 mpg |
26 mpg (Internal est.) |
|||||||||
| Highway |
33 mpg |
31 mpg |
19 mpg (Internal est.) |
|||||||||
| Combined |
26 mpg |
25 mpg |
22 mpg (Internal est.) |
|||||||||
| AWD A/T (EPA) | ||||||||||||
| City |
21 mpg |
20 mpg |
TBD |
|||||||||
| Highway |
28 mpg |
27 mpg |
TBD |
|||||||||
| Combined |
23 mpg |
22 mpg |
TBD |
|||||||||
Hyundai provided me with a trip to Utah to experience the new 2013 Santa Fe at altitude.
Very cool car! Would definitely drive this car, especially since I might need to slam on the breaks going 45 mph in LA in the rain since drivers here get so crazy when it rains!
What is with all of the minivan hate? I have no children. What I do have is a lot of road bikes. My two minivans were the best things we ever owned. Eject the middle seat, put the bikes in there, store all of the bike clothes in the back and there you go. We had covered storage and a changing room with tinted windows. Same goes for alpine skiing. Minivans are a very efficient use of space, and not a Cheerio to be seen.
They sort of symbolize defeat for me.
Maybe if I didn’t have kids I wouldn’t have a visceral reaction to them.
The day I get a minivan is the day…well, the day it all falls apart:)
for sure. Wife said to me – No MiniVan and No Volkswagen! ;-) MiniVans look great on paper for price vs hauling kids and gear… but often are not fuel friendly but there are other ways around this.. ie. a smaller motor in a smaller vehicle.. and then use a Cargo Box on roof for camping gear and skis etc! That’s probably the best plan.. unfortunately I love sunroofs too.. and the Santa Fe with sunroof doesn’t have roof rails for a cargo box.
Seems a bit big for my liking, but do like the fuel efficiency and the sunroof the size of Texas.
Again, a surprisingly appealing car by Hyundai – they’ve been pretty darn successful at re-branding themselves. Can you do a review of the Genesis next? I’m curious to know if it’s as luxurious as all of the ads purport. Make them send you another car! ;)
I fell in LOVE with the Genesis when I test drove it 2+ years ago. I’ll have to ask for a drive with it.
I actually love the idea of a crossover. They hold a lot, but don’t take up as much space as a standard suv. My lease is up in the next couple of months & this one looks worth a look! Thanks Jessica!
I want to know what you ultimately end up with. I LOVE car shopping (I know… so weird).
We are in the market for a new car and I will definitely check this out. Fuel efficiency and space are key, but luxury and “sexiness” are important too. Thanks for the thorough review!
Thanks for a great post Jessica! I had no idea that Hyundai made a crossover or that there was so much room in the backseat with a tall driver. Leg room as a passenger in the back seat is a struggle in our current vehicle!
It’s pretty and sporty and there’s room for my stuff. Works for me!
I’m actually in the market for a new car and hadn’t even thought about checing out Hyundai. How NICE would it be to save money AND get a great car! LOVE that huge sunroof!
driving carpool in style. i like. will definitely check it out!
Love cars that seat 7! With 2 kids and all of their friends, I have to have something that seats 7. Very nice looking and sounds like a dream to drive.
I would feel like a rock star driving this Mom Car! Holy sun roof!
I love that Hyundai is invested in making affordable cars with a luxe feel — there’s no reason a design shouldn’t be stylish. Plus, their cars always seem to be the best bang for the buck. I often mistake the Genesis for higher-end luxury models on the road. Well played (and made), Hyundai!