Used 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe Consumer Reviews

Has anyone gone in snad? Help!

Overall, I think my new car is great. I have 2500 miles and all is well. been through a few snowstorms and the car handled great. One problem: One reason that I purchased a 4wd vehicle was because I live on Cape Cod, MA in the summer. The dealership told me that I should have no trouble going on Cape beaches with the 4wd system. I took it out today and I did not feel comfortable at all. I felt that I was going to get stuck the entire time. I didn't get stuck, however, is this how 4wd is supposed to feel? The engine also smellled funny when I got back on hard pavement, like it had been working too hard.

6 Year report

Love the car @ 125K miles. only history to report is Velocity sensor gear failed, P/S pump and lines fail/rust prematurely. Almost impossible to replace P/S pump yourself. Must use hyundai oil filter or you will have engine knock after sitting overnight. Window antenna is garbage on 2004, improved at 2005.

Santa Fe GLS - A Winner

This is one of the most comfortable vehicles I have owned. For the money paid, it has more extras and refinements than any of the other makes of SUVs on the market. When factoring in the 5 year mfgers. bumper-to-bumper warranty, this, in my opinion is one of the "best buys" on the market today. Most importantly, my wife, who previously never drove an SUV, loves it.

very comfortalbe

love it alot! very much enjoy it.

I love my car

It's the best car ever, fun, safe and easy to control.

the best

tryed saturn and kia these is the best I found with options and milage in the suv 2hours a day or more no problem

Loving It!

I have had the vehicle for over a week now: it drives great and the comfort is awesome. Moving form a Kia Sportage to the Santa Fe is liking moving up to a luzury car. I purchased a fully loaded vehicle - encluding the entertainament pkg -for only a few thousand more than my Sportage. The road side service and warranty pkg was not to bad either. This vehicle was worth the shopping around I did. Great product for a great price.

Wow. . . .

I just brought the Santa Fe this month and I can't stop driving it. Its a great suv and im happy I made it my 1st car!

Not Impressed!

My significant other bought this vehicle. I can not drive it! The steering is stiff and hard to handle... seems like it has no power steering... I need that. I get back aches from the seats... seems like there is no lateral support for my back and bottom, as I slide side to side in the seats, and my back side is not small...

Love It !!!!!!!!!!!!

Great new car experience. Would recommend this car to any women or first time younger buyers for the reliability and economy of it.

Bought it knowing the possible problems

I almost immediately experienced the"bump" when after driving a short distance I came to a stop. It seems to have been fixed with a computer replacement however I have just recently, after 5000 miles, had a scarey bump when going about 50 on highway. My passengers all felt it. That was two weeks ago and have not felt it since. That's the extent of the problems and I knew about the transmission unevenness from extensive board reading. So, I'm very pleased. It's great for the mountain and city driving I do -- now wishing for a hybrid that gets 40 mpg.

No surprise - Korean vehicle done well!!

Now has over 5K miles. Still very tight (no squeaks/rattles). Still, very impressed with the build quality. I took a leap of faith and, so far, it has worn well. It drives/rides very smooth (especially w/passengers and at highway speeds). It has a full-size feel (more like a car than a truck, which makes sense since it's based on the car platform - Sonata). Getting around 20 mpg w/3.5L engine (75% highway). One thing I have noticed, the climate control compressor is always engaged (unless you completely shut off the whole system). This is why mileage is not better. Maybe would add another 15% mpg (might be significant for some). All in all, if resale holds (which it has, so far), a very good value.

Great Vehicle

I am very pleased with the vehicle - it is the best overall car I've owned - It lets you sit up higher and see the raod - it's fun to drive and looks like a much more expensive vehicle.

Great SUV except MPG

Great for the money. Great in the snow. Sound system, heated seats, moon roof and added remote start with alarm are terriffic. Power seats would be helpful and/or ability to extend leg room of drvers seat. I' m not that tall but uncomfortable on long distances. Gas milage sucks much less than advertized!

Santa Fe Is a Great Buy

The Santa Fe excells in every category except for one in my opinion. The fuel economy is not what I was expectiong from a 4 cycl. engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. But that being said the comfort of the ride and the spacious interior matched with the affordability and reliability greatly over shadow the fuel economy.

My Santa Fe

I picked up my Santa Fe in July of 2003. I purchased a 2002 Demo,3600 miles, silver in color, that was a 4 cylinder automatic.The funny thing is that I wasn't in the market to trade in my 2000 Sonata GLSV6 and I certainly didn't want a 4 cyl SantaFe. After my test drive I was hooked on this little beauty. The dealership gave me an awesome deal and I am VERY HAPPY!

I love the Santa FE!

I have loved my Santa FE. It is a great car. It is stylish, economical, and has been a great investment. I would recommend it to anybody.

buying a hyundai

its a great car highly recommend hyundai santa fe

EXCELLENT! RIDE!!!

I LOVE this vehicle!! Reasonable price for an SUV!! Safety ratings are very good, especially for an SUV!! VERY IMPRESSIVE, STYLISH Appearance! People on first glance think it is a more expensive SUV!! Very comfortable riding! I can't stop, saying enough GREAT things about this vehicle!!

NOT BAD, NEEDS BETTER SOUND

I purchased this vehicle as a second vehicle, my other car is a convertible, not much room. I like just about everything about it, but, and there is alway a but, the reason the gas milage is so low is the beafy 3.5ltr engine, does not put out HP, it is torky. compare other 3.5ltr engines and they are putting out 225 to 280hp, this engine is putting out only 195hp. The sound system is week, it is supposed to have a seperatly powered subwoofer in each door, that means you should be able to feel the music, even at low volume, not true with this one.

I Love It!

I finally bought my dream car. It has body design like No other SUV on the market - not boxy not square but sleek and bubbly. It is a fun light midsize suv for anyone. Hyundai has become my hero as far as make is concern; this is the second Hyundai I have purchased and am even more pleased with this than the first. Well build, Excellently priced, fun, stylish, and everyone asks me how a guy like me can afford such a nice car. I named him Deshawn.

great SUV I believe to out there f

Just bought and driven over 2000 miles on it since then. only bad thing is the tires are out of balance and need to be balnced and checked by the dealer before given to customer. Also the 2.7 is a good engine but lacks power in the mountains. I would recommend the 3.5ltrGreat buying service no i got to have this one saleman and great service. I would definately recommend to anyone

Great Suv

Everything on our 2004 is Very nice, Plenty of pickup power,needs getting used to,Seat warmers are nice just wish they heated up a little faster.all in all a lot for the money. I will post again in 3 years with a longevity update.

Great Alternative

I love my new Santa Fe. This 4 cylinder has better pick up than my 6 cylinder Explorer. I also like being able to switch to switch to a stick shift when I need to.

Excellent SUV Great Value

As a body shop owner and a Santa Fe owner this vehicle is wonderful. I've driven almost all the others and this one is by far the best and the warranty is excellent. We bought one after fixing four of them. They are built well, and Hyundai really cares about their customers. We may even buy a second one and will trade this one in in 2005 for another one.

owner

It runs well but I think the engine is loud when sitting inside. I just bought the car and I have some trouble adjusting the front seats. It's very roomy inside and looks good on the outside.

Sunroof caution

We were not informed that consumers lose about 2 inches of headroom with the factory installed sunroof. It is also leaks when we go through touchless car washes. It has been replaced and still leaks. The Hyundai regional rep. told us that all sunroofs leak.

SMOOTH AND COMFORTABLE

TO DATE, THE SANTA FE EXPERIENCE HAS SURPASSED EXPECTATIONS. AS A PREVIOUS OWNER OF OTHER SUV'S, THE SANTA FE PERFORMANCE EXCEEDS THE OTHERS. A SMOOTH AND QUIET RIDE FOR SURE! NOT TO MENTION, A TROUBLE FREE VEHICLE SINCE TAKING IT OUT OF THE DEALERS LOT!

Cheapest SUV

We like it for our family of four (parents and teenagers). The size is not too small as you might think. It is really just roomy enough. The mileage is coming up to 21 mpg this last fill up(1200 Miles). We can not wait to take a 4 hr trip to Lubbock soon to see how the ride is on a longer drive and how the milage comes out. Around town this is a fun little car. The kids call it our 'suv'. It is a lot of fun to drive. Peppy and responsive is the word. We got the 2.7L V-6 for the extra milage. Frankly more power is not necessary. The torque steer is very strong with the little engine.

Hyundai in Florida

Although I have only owned this vehicle a few months, I am very satisfied so far. At this point my only complaint has been some hesitation and jerkiness when accelerating from a rolling start or sometimes from a standing start. This may have something to do with the electronic accelerator linkage. Mind you, I have not reported this to the dealer at this time, as the vehicle is hardly broken in and the vehicle is primarily driven in town. The vehicle is comfortable for me even though I am a large person at over 6 ft tall. I am still waiting for some gas milage improvement.

always on the road

bought in march now have 2000 miles and have enjoyed every mile and look forward to the next 100,000 not in the market to buy but what a great deal and warranty couldn't pass up next time will buy a 6 cyl. the 4 is slow to get up but once it does it goes. would recomend to anyone looking for the suv look but the ride and price of a luxury car.

just bought it

great truck

Nice ride

Love the vehicle, however the steering wheel and driver's seat can't coordinate to get comfortable with me.

i love my santa fe

I LOVE MY SANTA FE,IT VERY ECONOMICAL AND IT'S FUN TO DRIVE!

Sante Fe

I owned a 2001 Santa Fe and I made the mistake of trading it in. It was awesome in the snow and it had power. The ride was smooth and it was a reliable SUV. I recently bought a 2004 Santa Fe and am so glad that I was able too. I'll never trade this in unless it is for another Santa Fe

Aas good as Japanese cars

Been driving excellent Japanese cars for 30 years. My SantaFe is as good as any I've ever had. Tows my 3000 lbs boat better than Toyata or Isuzu. Great features & no problems at 20K miles. Very solid vehicle and fun to drive. Would like to have a real manual shift, but beats a straight automatic. I have front wheel drive so I get about 23 MPG with the 3.5 liter with loads of power. Love it...

Best Vehicle I Have Ever Owned

Love it! It handles like an expensive European sedan, but is "off road" tough. Quite a buy for the money.

My 2004 Hyundai

I've had my 2004 Santa Fe for 5 1/2 months now. My prior vehicle was totalled in an accident and I had not planned to have to purchase a vehicle any time soon; however, I have no regrets over purchasing my Santa Fe! My biggest compliment is how well is does on gas mileage. It also drives very smoothly--more like a car! I never worry about getting somewhere safely I have also aken it down South, and it handled just fine on the road.

Hyundai = Fun day

Best Money I've Spent

The first major point, for me, was the warranty. No one can beat 5 yr bumper to bumper & 10 yr powertrain. The standard features are awesome. It came with everything; air, power locks and windows, automatic, cd, am/fm, tape... even a leather wrapped steering wheel! The interior is very roomy and it seems all the controls are set up perfect for the driver. Nothing overly confusing about the controls or their locations. The styling is chic. I did not want to buy an SUV that looked like a box. It has the perfect amount of cargo space. The area behind the back seat is huge. Not to mention, the back seat folds down completely flat for more space.

My Second Santa Fe

This is my second Santa Fe. Originally owned the 2002 fwd LX but wanted the bigger engine and 4wd. Also got the sunroof, woodgrain interior and running boards. This car has been great. It offers a compiant ride, good handling and many safety features including side air bags. No wonder Hyundai is tied with Honda for Initial Quality. Buy it...you won't regret it!

unbelievable car and value

my hyundai santa fe has impressed me so much that i now own two hyundai's. more options for less money. since i have purchased my car, j.d powers and assoc. has done nothing but rave about the entire product line that hyundai makes. that really makes me feel good about the cars that i own.

Love my Sante Fe

We looked at many vehicle comparisons in searching out the perfect one for us. Much exhausting research to be confident in our decision. After looking at dealerships, searching on line, and auto shows,we feel we absolutly choose the best of the rest in our Sante Fe. It is the best value for what you get in it. After driving cars all our lives, we wondered how we would like driving a SUV. Suffice to say, we will only buy SUVs in the furure. Our Sante Fe is truly fun to drive, and has great looks and features for the price.

My 2nd Santa Fe

I own a 2002, and a 2003 Santa Fe, and am getting ready to purchase a 2004. I love the car, only flaw I have seen so far is for some reason the Headlights dim and then brighten up and this is done repeatedly every time using the lights, other than that this SUV is great.

I love my Sante Fe

This is the first new car that I have ever bought that hasn't had to be taken back to the dealer to fix incidentals. Nothing has ever been wrong, or unfinished. I am from Detroit, so this is my first foreign car.

Shopped for 1.5 years

I got th FW drive and the 3.5 Liter engine. I discovered that the FW drive can tow more weight than the 4WD. I don't plan to go off the road anyway and if the snow gets to deep I'll wait till it melts. You cant beet the warantee. 10yrs OR 100,000 miles power traine.

Frugal, but it's a workhorse

Traded in a Lincoln.Needed room for more hauling.lawn tools,retaining wall blocks,back-fill mat.topsoil and mulch just to name a few items. Also took it on vac. to beach, carried our stuff plus 2 other couples luggage, golf clubs, beach stuff and 4 coolers.Has proven to be a good all around SUV. Also great in the snow!

May be a repeat buyer

My 2001-5 speed Santa Fe sticker price was the same as some other used vehicles I looked at. Styling is sharp, interior space is best in catagory, performance and handeling are good for a small SUV

longshot buyer

i took a longshot on this purchase, ive only had it a week not much to complain or compliment on at the this time. i own a 2002 trailblazer for 2 years and thats what i traded in for the santa fe. now being that i just left a 300 hp suv its hard to critized a smaller suv at this time but i am amazed that gas milelage only differs about 2 to 3 miles the santa should give more gas milage. so far so good first 400 miles hope the next 400 is something to brag on. (hello shreveport la.) LOL

Sante Fe Irritation

We are not getting near the gas mileage as listed by the manufacturer and find this very disappointing. We are irritated enough about it that we have discussed trading it in to get another (more expensive) vehicle of the same size which gets better mileage. Although I really do not like the exterior design we were pleased with the overall performance, interior looks, and handling. It has lots of pep.