Used 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Consumer Reviews
Still great after 40K
UPDATE: Hello Edmunds readers. They asked me to update this review of my Santa Fe Sport. It now has 90K miles. Everything below still holds true and I still love my Santa Fe. Big issue however. At about 80K miles, the engine quit. It went into limp mode and I happened to be within a couple miles of the dealership in a residential neighborhood and was able to drive it very slowly there. They put me in a brand new 2019 Santa Fe rental for 10 weeks at no charge and replaced my engine for free. Evidently this engine failure is a known problem to Hyundai and they really didn't push backk too much about replacing it. So, I fell in love with the 2019 while I had it, except it did not have the turbo and is a real slug. When I got mine back I realized how much that extra power added to the enjoyment factor. It won't push you back in your seat, but it's more than adequate and feels effortless when accelerating. I had my 2013 painted to cover the myriad rock chips it had picked up on the hood over the years, and voila!, I felt like I had a new vehicle! As of this writing, it has about 90K on it. The interior still looks like new and is as comfortable as ever. Interestingly, with the new engine, my mileage dropped significantly. Now I get about 18 mpg around town and 24 mpg on the highway. So, about 20 or so in mixed driving when I used to get 22 mpg. But other than the engine failing, I've had zero mechanical or any other problems. So now I've got a 2013 Santa Fe Sport with a new engine, new paint job that still looks sharp and drives well. At this point, I feel like I can easily squeeze two or three years out of it, and why not? Now I own it outright and it looks good and runs great. I see that the new Hyundai Santa Fe is coming out with a "refresh" of the already new body style in 2021, so I will wait until at least then before I contemplate getting a new one. But I still love this one for all the details listed below and it has proven to be a fantastic buy and car companion over the years. So, if you're reading a review about a 2013 Santa Fe Sport, I would have to guess you are thinking about buying a used one. After the engine went on me, I did some research and discovered Hyundai had the same thing happening to a lot of different models in the 2012 to 2014 model years, so buyer beware! As an original owner, they treated me great, but I would not buy a used model from those years without doing a ton of due diligence. But if you're interested in this model, and you find one with a replaced engine, I would jump on it. Love my Santa Fe Sport! Edmunds asked me to update my review. I've now had my Turbo Sport going on 4 years and 54 thousand miles. The only problem I've had is the plastic trim came undone around the bottom of the drivers seat. Hyundai fixed it for free. Also, I have a few rock chips on the nose and a couple door dings. But overall, still looks great. See my review below. Bottom line is that I still love my Sport and would buy another one. Note: I especially like the design of the open cubby below the dash. Perfect for tossing in my GPS and cell phone. Love the interior. Looks like new! Another note: The turning radius is a very tight 38.5 feet. You really notice how easy it is to whip in and out of parking spots or make a U turn. No other SUV comes close :) Below is my original review with updates. Except now I'm 63 :) I'm a 59 year old short, fat guy in Dallas, TX. I was looking for a comfortable but somewhat sporty smaller SUV. The Santa Fe Sport hits the sweet spot. I drove the CRV, RAV-4 and the CX-5 and I owned the GMC Terrain. As they say, when I sat in the Sport I found it just right. I got the turbo with leather. None of the others were as comfortable as the Sport which I know is a very individual thing. Also, for me, the Sport has just the right amount of room without being too small. It's really quite roomy and the seats are wide enough to accommodate an, ahem, "executive" body style. The turbo is very quick but gets mediocre gas mileage; about 20 mpg in mixed city driving. UPDATE 2 1/2 years & 40+k miles later Still love my Santa Fe. I've had zero mechanical problems. Now average about 22 mpg in mixed driving and have gotten as much as 28 on only steady speed highway driving at or below 70 mph. Love the tight turning radius but the steering could feel a little tighter. Still has plenty of power with the turbo, great storage capacity and a very comfortable drive. Had to replace the tires about 5k miles ago. Other than that, just routine maintenance. I would buy another one :)
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- Reliability
- Value
78,000 miles update; 3+ year update
Edmonds asked me to review my car again, so here we are at 5 1/2 years and 78,000 miles. It has been a fantastic car up until now. Suddenly, the engine went! The check engine light came on, the car went into "limp" mode, so I had it towed into the dealership. This evidently is a common problem with Hyundai engines. Not sure if it is only the turbos or not, but the service rep said they see this alot and they had to follow Hyundai's protocol. That meant replacing a wireing harness and some sensor first and if that didn't work, then replace the engine. It didn't work. Hyundai has been great. They paid for the tow, the rental and of course the engine. So far, it has been three weeks. They anticipated up to six weeks. So, we shall see if it comes back fixed. Also, the paint has begun to peel off the nose of the hood. Looks terrible. I'm planning on getting it painted if the engine fix is good. Other than that huge issue, all is well. Still love the car. The ergonomics are perfect for me. The interior still looks very good. Gas mileage is about 22 mpg on average and up to 26 mpg on the highway. I have loved this vehicle and am anxious to get it back. And, yes, I would buy another one! St Just drove from Dallas to Knoxville and back. My turbo was a great cruiser. Very comfortable and quiet. Averaged 25 mpg overall for the trip cruising at about 80 most of the way with it set on ECO. Did a long stint between Memphis and Little Rock going between 70 and 75 and averaged about 27 mpg. They always say if you slow down you get better gas mileage! Not the best gas mileage but love everything else about the vehicle. My brother has a brand new Lexus RX350 and my Sport measures up very favorably to it. Almost the exact same size. The Sport's interior has a nicer layout. The Lexus has a 6 with about 8 more hp and got 22 mpg on their trip. UPDATE: 42,000 miles. Still love my Sport! Not one single problem. Did have to change out the tires at 35K. Nice highway cruiser with plenty of power. Still gets about 22mpg in mixed driving. Can get up to 28 mpg on the highway if I'm going the speed limit. I usually get about 25 going 75 to 85. One of the things I love about this vehicle is its tight turning radius. Makes a big difference and makes it feel smaller. The turbo gives you plenty of power but won't push you back into your seat. The only very minor complaint I have is that the steering is a little slow/loose feeling. Oh, and beware the enormous blind spot. The third back windows are small and sweep up. Nice look from outside but you can't see anything. Get the blind spot warning! I still love everything about this vehicle and will certainly get another one when the time comes!
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- Comfort
- Reliability
2014 FWD Santa Fe Sport Homerun
I took my time and test-drove many cars (Rouge, Murano, RAV4, CRV, CX9) and none came close to the comfort and style of the Santa Fe Sport. I love driving the car, it handles so well I cant see why anyone else would by any other vehicle.
Best 5 passenger crossover we found
We were looking for a replacement for our SUV, but we didn't need the 3rd row seating. We also wanted something a little smaller, but no smaller than our other vehicle (a CRV). After we cross shopped the RAV4, Rogue, CRV, Escape, Murano, and Pilot we had decided on buying a CRV when we looked at the Santa Fe Sport and were sold after our test drive. It has more leg room and driver comfort than any of the other vehicles we considered. It is every bit as comfortable as our big SUV but is smaller, more economical, and has a better set of features. We have the premium and technology packages, and love the features. We never considered a Hyundai before but are very satisfied with it.
Fully loaded 2.0T is a great value.
We normally purchase luxury brands but I became really intrigued by the '14 SFS and all of its tech features. We decided to buy a fully loaded one and love it so far (2800 miles in). The amount of tech features is staggering. We also love the looks of the car (exterior and interior). Some friends are surprised we bought a Hyundai, but they change their tune when they see the car. The cargo space is also impressive for a 5-seater. I shopped around for many months but realized no other crossover could beat it in terms of looks, features, performance, and value. I realize Hyundai reliability isn't considered as strong as Honda or Toyota, but I am hoping it lasts a while.