2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Review - Base Price $16,499
An attractive package with looks to match.
Introduction
The questioner, an airport shuttle driver, had just spied the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe parked outside the hotel's entrance. "That's a Hyundai?" He was favorably impressed. Even without an up-close-and-personal examination, he allowed as how he'd take a close look at the Santa Fe if he were in shopping mode.
We were in Southern California, where automotive observation has achieved post-graduate degree status. On a lengthy drive the following day, everyday folk echoed the shuttle driver's reaction. From blue-haired teens to elderly blue hairs, the response was the same: "What's that?" "A Hyundai." Finnbar O'Neill, president and chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor America, said the Santa Fe recorded a "very high gawk factor" whenever he drove one on Los Angeles freeways. These initial reactions give hope for Hyundai officials as the company launches its first sport-utility in the world's toughest automotive market.
While we didn't gawk, we liked what we saw. And for the most part, we liked how the Santa Fe drove, both on and off paved roads.
Interior
Our first impression is that it's easy getting in, thanks to a low step-in height. You don't have to climb up to get in or climb down to get out. And rear seat passengers don't need to turn their feet sideways to clear the door jamb.
Once in, the interior is mostly touch-friendly. Human-hand sized controls for the stereo and climate control system offer easy adjustment. Climate controls felt and looked plasticky, though.
Seats are quite comfortable. Space-wise, the Santa Fe is competitive with or betters the competition. Only the Ford Escape beats the Santa Fe by more than a half-inch in front-seat headroom or hiproom.
The Santa Fe's rear-seat headroom equals or beats all but the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Santa Fe legroom equals or beats the competition. Rear-seat passengers get head restraints and three-point seatbelts only on the outer positions, none for the center position. The shoulder belt anchor loops are fixed, not adjustable. The restraining loops for rear-seat belt buckles don't seem very durable. And the rear seatback recline adjusters are fiercely awkward, consisting of fabric loops extending from the outer edge of the seatbacks; the easiest way to adjust them is to climb out and yank them until the seatback is where you think you want it. Rear-seat cupholders are molded into the door-mounted map pockets.
Cargo-wise, the Ford Escape is the only competitor significantly bettering the Santa Fe. For hauling cargo-type stuff, the Santa Fe is a nirvana of tie-down loops, boasting as many as nine, depending on the seating configuration. The optional, subfloor storage bins in the cargo area are a thoughtful feature, provided your stored items fit the pre-configured bins. In other words, nothing too tall, wide or thick.
Walk-Around
Eschewing the demi-brutish, jutting-lower-jaw facade that's become so prevalent with today's quasi-off-roaders (see the Ford Escape, for instance), the Santa Fe proffers a visage that's softer, somewhat subdued, but still forceful. Hyundai has never designed a vehicle like this before, so it wasn't constrained with a sport-utility image, or that of an XUV for cross-over utility vehicle, an HUV for hybrid utility vehicle, or even a Cute-Ute.
Overall, Santa Fe's proportions are nicely balanced. The friendly front end blends smoothly into gentle flanks that suggest sufficient robustness to promise an off-road capability beyond that which most owners will expect or explore. Large wheel arches reinforce this robustness. The glasshouse is adequately sized. Like many smaller SUVs, the rear door side windows leave about four inches of glass showing when rolled all the way down.
The rear liftgate avoids the mistake made by the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, whose right-side hinged tailgates force U.S. buyers to walk around the tailgate to load and unload from the curbside. The nifty, pistol-grip latch handle makes opening the gas-strutted liftgate a one-handed cinch, while the inside-mounted pull-down grip make closing it easy. When open, the liftgate easily clears six-footers.
Being new to the genre, Hyundai didn't have any mistakes to undo. And it hasn't made any.
Impressions
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 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.
Summary
Hyundai's first sport-utility looks good. It's fun to drive, particularly the front-wheel-drive GLS. The optional four-wheel-drive system improves traction in slippery conditions, but places a burden on the V6 engine.
Overall, the new Hyundai Santa Fe is worth looking at for buyers considering the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Honda CR-V, Suzuki Grand Vitara or Toyota RAV4.
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