Used 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Consumer Reviews
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Great versatility with good looks!
2010 Sante Fe GLS 2.4L Blue W/Tint Alloy Wheels -- Really enjoy this vehicle. Bought it 3 years ago, used with 36k and in great condition. It hasn't given me a single problem mechanically (I do regular maintenance to be proactive) and has started every single time during these past 3 years no matter the weather. I have recently moved to the country to our farm and it gets used more as a truck these days; pulling, hauling, and carrying two great danes around. It tows a 15ft trailer with 2 ATV's and does it with ease. I would recommend this SUV and the newer models to anyone looking for a "close to luxury on a budget" kind of SUV. If I really didn't need a REAL truck, I would most definitely buy another Santa Fe in the future. **my one complaint** to spite having premium audio, the bass is a little lacking. I like my butt to vibrate. (no pun intended)
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Very Good with One Stinking Flaw
A very good dependable vehicle with a couple issues. The ride is nice. Handling is very good. The 3.5 V6 has plenty of power and speed. Fuel mileage is good too. It doesn't feel or look cheap. I have been in comparable Lexus and it is just as nice. Why pay double the price just to drive a Lexus?? It is comfortable except it needs a little more leg room in the drivers area. I feel too close to the pedals. Other cons may be freeway noise at high speeds. The one major flaw is the odor from the A/C that many owners seem to have. Hyundai needs to step up and fix this.
- SE 4dr SUVMSRP: $5,25095 mi away
- GLS 4dr SUVMSRP: $5,995118 mi away
- GLS 4dr SUVMSRP: $7,395136 mi away
Great Ride
We traded in a 2005 2.0L Tucson for this vehicle. Our Tucson had been a reliable car. No probs of any kind in 5 yrs, but we had just outgrown it. And we needed more safety features (6 airbags) and a more comfortable ride. The dealer was clearing out the 2010 Santa Fes. We got a 6K rebate. Car was reduced to 23K (Canada). Car is a bargain at this price. 276 HP with 6 speed tranny. Smooth acceleration, tons of power. At 120 KM car is 2000 rpm. Quiet cabin. Lots of storage. Very much a sedan like ride. Great family car. Only had a month, but so far extremely happy. Drove the 2.4L. found it underpowered. Go with the 6 if yer considering it.
No issues when driving in reverse
Always loved the look of the the Santa Fe so when the time came to purchase a new car it was at the top of my list. The added bonus of a top safety rating and comfortable interior sealed the deal. Two years later, after intermittent shifting issues that "could not be replicated" by my dealer, I now have a beautiful car that only moves forward reliably when in neutral attached to the back of tow truck. Hoping that it's current failure to move at all when in "drive" makes the situation a little easier for the dealership to figure out. Might be worth taking a peak at the transmission this time (?) So far, the only bright side is that I've never had any issues when driving in reverse ;)
Still going strong!
September 2020 Update - Now has 108,000 miles on it. Ever since Covid-19 hit, I haven't driven it that much. Reason for update: a cautionary tale. Long story short--the car is still a solid vehicle, but make sure you have it worked on by a reputable (read, "honest") service department/dealer. Longer version: Brought it in to have the 100,000 mile spark plug change and brake job at a Hyundai dealership that was closer to me than the usual one I take it to, lured by the shorter distance and a coupon. Had the work "done" and when I picked it up, it was misfiring. Went back three times before the dealership finally diagnosed it as misfiring on cylinders 3 and 5, but claimed no responsibility, even though the car had never misfired a day in its life until after they worked on it. Insisted it was not their fault, but offered to fix it for almost another $700.00. So, when I brought it in to have my usual dealership fix it, they discovered that the mechanic at the other place had re-used the ten-year-108,000-miles-old gaskets (probably causing a vacuum leak) instead of replacing them as specified; failed to reattach the wiring harness for the ignition coils properly; and never re-installed a necessary bolt used to secure a bracket that they had to open up to do the work (it was missing).--i.e. this was the proverbial half-assed job. Thank God for the second dealer--the car now runs like a champ again, thanks to their integrity and competence. Come to find out from different employees at the crappy dealership that their service manager had quit the day before my appointment (therefore, no oversight) and had been the second to do so in the past year. I was also informed that they were understaffed by 6 people, +/- ,and that they had 18 vehicles waiting for their engines to be replaced as part of a massive recall by Hyundai on some 2.0l and 2.4l engines. Again, I love the vehicle, but as with any other, it needs to have dedicated, honest repair people work on it. 2019 Update - I'm very pleased with this vehicle in the little over 9 years and 100,000 miles I've had it (purchased new). Will now need to get the spark plugs replaced as part of routine maintenance. Still running strong and I really like it. The evaluation I did 2 years ago still holds true--read on. 2017 review - PROS: Besides replacing the lower ball joints at around 72,000, I've just had routine maintenance thus far (oil changes, tranny flush). Replaced brakes and tires at 63,000 and then had a six-point buck decide to charge straight at me on a country road the next day (on opening day, first deer ever!) which took out the ac condenser, the radiator, and the water pump--saved me the 60,000 mile radiator flush cost and I also got a few other replacement goodies thrown in for good measure (hood, bumper, sensors, grill, etc). The car itself has not yet let me down and I would recommend it whole-heartedly to anyone in the market. Other pros include: Great acceleration, smooth and agile handling, comfortable and durable seats, decent sound system. Good for road trips or for grocery runs. Milage is decent (20-22), given the way I like to push the pedal down. CONS: Other than the way Hyundai makes you purchase a $4000 package to get a sunroof, the only con in my experience is the lack of sound damping material--the cabin can get quite noisy at highway speed--the original tires were pretty loud (better now with new, softer tires--but still not great) and the wind noise at anything above 60 is pronounced and gets tiring. That would probably be the only reason I would sell it. I would also like AWD for those times it's necessary, although w/global warming, it's becoming less and less of an issue every year. Apart from that, everything still feels tight and ship-shape--almost like a new car. I imagine it has a lot of life left in it yet. I plan to see how many miles I can get out of this beast before I send it off to greener pastures. I'll check in when it passes 100,000 mi.
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Transmission Failure
2010 gls with 34954 miles transmission went out with a bang 600 miles from home and now waiting for a replacement. Hyundai expexts me to drive 1200 miles to pick up the car when ready... UNREASONABLE !!!!! Buyers BEWARE.
Great except for the transmission
We purchased our Santa Fe after driving at least 8 competing models and the Santa Fe was way above the compting models. The Santa Fe V6 has plenty of power, decent MPG, rides pretty smoothly, and has lots of extras at a good price. The problem is it's transmission. It started having shifting problems at about 3k miles and we took it in and they reset the tranny. The problem was gone for a while and then gradually returned. We took it back to the dealer and the replaced the tranny at about 7k miles. Now it's been reset again, then reprogrammed and now I'm taking back to the dealer again for the fifth time Jan 10. There are lots of posts about tranny problems on Santa Fe forums now too.
Very Poor Customer and Dealer Service
Our vehicle is going on 4 yrs, with numerous recalls (and some others issues mentioned). But, the real problem is when you have to deal with a dealer. Our vehicle suddenly has paint bubbling up everywhere from a poor factory paint job. I've never seen a problem like this with any other vehicle we've owned. The dealer was very unhelpful (I'm sure ours isn't the only vehicle with this problem). He downright just didn't want to deal with us. When I emailed Hyundai and told them I was disappointed in their dealer attitude and build quality, their response was a legalistic you're out of warranty response. Never will buy another Hyundai after this.
TOTAL LEMON!!!
I bought my 2010 Santa Fe V6, full option, last year. I've been having problems from the start. I noticed a violent jerk and sounded like my transmission fell off. I took it in to the dealer but they couldn't find anything wrong. My wife drives the Santa Fe, and the engine shut down on her twice. When we took it to the dealer, he gave us a rental for a week while they test drove it. Again, they didn't find anything wrong with it. Last month, when I was driving, I was making a left turn and when I stepped on the gas, the car was not moving, only the engine revved up. I hope people read this and never buy this crap. I am Korean-American and I will NEVER buy Korean crap again. Thank you.
A very solid vehicle
Mine is a Limited, FWD. Bought in June of 2010. Just turned 37,000 miles. Runs great. Nice power and handling. 20-22 mpg combined winter and summer--all right for v-6 w 276hp. Has been completely reliable thus far with absolutely no mechanical issues at all! The only complaints I have are the road noise at highway speeds and its sensitivity in acceleration from a standstill, it wants to jump right out there...not much room for finesse. If you need to floor it to pass or maneuver, it takes a noticeable lapse of time where it does nothing ( like a turbo hesitating before it kicks in) and then it snaps to and takes off. Aside from these things, it's been a great vehicle.
Very Decent If Purchased Correctly
This is a medium term follow up. I have owned this unit about 6 months with about 5k miles on it. Simply put, I went in with low expectations but it is growing on me. I had the issues with the transmission like many. Three trips to the dealer (flash upgrades and a fluid refill due to a dealer mistake) followed by disconnecting the battery for 30 seconds (computer reset) finally sorted it out. Now the vehicle drives smoothly with only an occasional missed shift. Mediocre MPG (about 16 to 18 city). All around, though, for the price (purchased at wholesale) it is hard to beat.
Tranmission
I am into my 3rd transmission for a car that is 4 years old and 30,000 miles. Dealer cannot explain why my car keeps destroying the transmissions. But when engaging my car into gear there is a delay and then bangs into gear. I am totally disgusted and am getting rid of this car. I will never recommend this car to anyone.
Great long lasting vehicle!
I’ve had this Santa Fe for over 4 years and the vehicle itself is 9 years old. I got it at 92k miles and it’s been through countless road trips including one non stop trip to California from Colorado. It’s currently at 182k miles and the only things I’ve had to replace are the batteries. Basic maintenance like oil changes brake changes and a tranny flush are all that it’s needed thus far. So far, really happy with this purchase. The only cons that I can think of are that it’s gas mileage could be better and that the value is so low it’s easy to go upside down on what you owe compared to the vehicles actual value.
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Paint issue
Love the car, its great in the snow. Problem is, its only 5 years old and is covered with specs of rust all over the entire car! Hood has big chips of missing paint
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Transmissions.. a re-occuring theme?
After repeatedly complaining about the jerking shift on our 2010 SF, the dealership finally replaced the transmission. The replacement was okay for a while, but it seemed as soon as the cooler weather hit, we started having a new problem. Now the vehicle seems to shift "down" when coasting in lower gears. Now the downshift is accentuated by "missing", causing the engine to red-line when attempting to overtake another vehicle attempting 15kpm speed increase. Waiting to hear ... again ... how Hyundai will be resolving this. The SF has 45K on it. Our previous vehicles had 250+km and 350+km on original drive trains. This is not what I was looking for in a new vehicle.
Surprised
My wife is having our first baby, and wanted a crossover. Rated very safe, and my brother in law was hit on the side of his sante fe, and rolled the car three times, and walked away from the crash. I drive a lexus, and did not think highly of Hyundai. We bought the limited edition, all wheel drive. This car is a tank, and great in the snow. We both love the car, and on weekends it is my first choice of ride. Hyundai has come along way, and I would certainly recommend this car. Plus we bought it new for 25k, and list price was 32k. They have great deals, and the car is very nice. Heated seats, many amenities. Great Job Hyundai!
Some Regrets
Traded in a Toyota van which had great ride quality and am disappointed in sante fe's ride. Very stiff ride which I did not discover upon test driving. Interior is noisy, could be the leather seats rubbing together and vibrating. A/c controls are more complicated than they need to be. Engine seems to have some hesitation upon acceleration. Black interior is more dark gray than black which I like better. Anxious to see how it handles in snow. Lots of features on this SUV for the money but not sure I will keep it for the long term due to ride quality and interior noise. Interior comfort is more important to me than all the bells and whistles that this car has. Not sure it was right car for me.
Odor in AC
I bought a Hyundai Santa Fe from Coconut Creek and complained about the odor in my car. They would not honor my warranty and wanted to charge $140 for repairs. I took it to another dealer and they used disinfectant and the smell came back. Hyundai admits the problem because they changed the ionizer to eliminate bad odors. I wouldn't buy another Hyundai again since they are not standing behind their problem with the AC
Waste of Money.. A LEMON!!
My car has now been in the shop for 44 days and have not had a call from the dealership for a week. purchased the car from West End Hyundai in Edmonton On Oct 20, 2010 and have had nothing but problems since. drove the Coquahalla in severe weather conditions only to find there was no wrench to change the tires if we had a flat.. contacted the dealership but never got a reply.. then the troubles really started,the window would not go down, the truck would not open, car would not go into gear, no reverse, took the car to service centre for the 5th time. More tests.They said 1O Days to have part come from Korea BY BOAT! now 44 days later no car, no loaner, huge disappointment!!
Best bang for the buck!
I would recommend this car over most of the competitors. I looked at the Rav4, CX-7 and the Ford Edge and for the price and warranty the Santa Fe limited is by far the best value hands down. My Limited has the navigation, XM, sunroof and everything else except the towing package. And so far the 4- cyc has not been lagging on power and the gas mileage has been great.
Not perfect
Bought used in 2016, 2010 Sante Fe GLS 2.4L very reliable over 430,000. I did have transmission work done at 380,000 miles. I did experience loss of power while driving less than a handful of times for a period of time. I don’t know if my mechanic I directly fixed issue, because I haven’t had loss of power for a couple years. Had annoying issues with child safety lock in back seats. Had front end suspension issues which is expected for a heavy vehicle. Overall very happy. It’s at the end of its life now and looking for another SUV
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Very Pleasant Surprise
We traded in a BMW X3 (big disappointment) and had planned on getting a Toyota Highlander, but with the recent problems there we looked at the Santa Fe. This is a great looking SUV, much more attractive than the latest Highlanders. Fully loaded with Nav (hard to find for some reason) and most other options, this cost us under $30K. It's more fun to drive than the X3, more comfortable, looks great and has awesome options -- the touch screen Nav also controls the audio system with XM radio and iPod controls. I can stream audio from my iPhone to the vehicle using Bluetooth! We're thrilled with the Santa Fe. Gas mileage is lower than expected so far though (17 city).
New Santa Fe problems
Car ride is ok but tires are noisy. AC unit goes out on hot humid days, dealer says can't replicate. Breaks squealed when new, deal said couldn't replicate. Major problem with transmission, auto trans. slips down shifting and upshifting between 20- 40 mph, bringing in next week, hoping dealer doesn't say can't replicate. Would never buy another Hyundai, will sell this one soon.
Pleasantly Surprised
First purchase ever and the Santa Fe was not my first choice. However, after test driving and sitting in all areas of the vehicle, I fell in love with the comfort and ease of the car. Drives quietly, smoothly and has an awesome pick up for a 4 cyl. Gas mileage has been great. Body is sleek and classy. Two downfalls; some parts feel flimsy i.e. gas tank cover, moldings on doors below windows. Also, I have an unexplained muffled thumping sound from the cabin of the car.
Not happy with service and Hyundai
I bought this car and am not happy with the car primarily bc. Hyundai refuses to address my problems with the Air Conditioner. It has a vinegar like smell and the several dealerships refuse to admit that there is a problem. I have owned several Hondas and foreign cars and never before have I met a manufacturer that won't admit to a manufacturing defect. Hyundai has an attitude of superiority starting from the sales department and heading down to the service arena. They don't know how to take care of their customers and treat them with respect and dignity; instead they make you feel as though you are imagining the problem. I will never buy another Hyundai due to lack of integrity!
Bad Transmissions
I am extremely disappointed in my Santa Fe. I purchased this vehicle due to there popularity. I immediately noticed that the transmission was slipping and making a loud banging noise when shifting from 1st to 2nd and so forth. I have since found out that this is a huge problem with the new Santa Fe and Hyundai is doing nothing about it as far as a recall. New transmissions are replaced with ones with the same problems. The Santa Fe must need a complete trans redesign. Just Google Hyundai Transmission Problems.
Too good to be true?
I'm sad to report that I'm having the same transmission issues that others seem to be having and that is rough shifting (a definite "THUMP" into gear) from 1-2 when the engines cold. Has happened on rare occasions from 2-3 and 3-4. Shifting is fine when car is warm up. Just had transmission "reset" by dealer for 2nd time yesterday, but it thumped softly this morning. Bought the car in May & don't think this started until the weather turned cold at night in the fall.
Better Than 2008 SF
This replaced our '08 due to a defective engine. Interior is more upscale now, and seats look much nicer but they need to be firmer for taking turns. The 3.5l V-6 is ridiculously powerful for the FWD model. Torque steer is actually dangerous during full throttle operation in 1st gear. Grab the wheel with both hands or you'll be in the ditch! It's great once you get used to it, though. Left foot placement is a bit awkward for the driver. I wish the sunroof didn't require the only and very expensive upgrade package. I don't need a nav system. I live on an island so I'm not going to get lost. 3rd row seating is also gone. Overall very satisfied and great build quality so far.
Service Status
Be aware the manufacture allows the local dealership to decide whether the car needs to be serviced under normal conditions or severe conditions. This could double the cost of ownership for you. This is according to a response I received from Hyundai.
Great Comfort, Ride, and Dependable
I bought my 2010 Santa Fe 4 yrs ago with 85,000Km's on it. It now sits at over 230,000. Except for the usual service work, I have changed tires but only once, brakes have been replaced. I use synthetic oil in it and the motor is a beast. Very dependable, smooth ride for long trips. I hear no road noise when cruising around town, or out on open highways. Would i buy another one? Heck Ya I would !!!!!!!
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TONS of research, not as advertised!
Fellow buyers, I am torn in this review. I researched this purchase literally to death! There isn't a site I left unviewed, a model in this category I didn't drive, PERIOD! But I eventually settled on the Santa Fe due to unbeatable feature/$$ list, improved mileage, and warranty. I love the truck in almost all ways, BUT, there is certainly a transmission issue with these trucks (slams into gear, lurches forward unpredictably as others mentioned!), and the mileage is nowhere near EPA. I have 25k km on mine, and never see below 12 L/100 km and EPA est is 7.6/100 km hwy and 10.1/100 km city. NO CHANCE! I have had service chk tranny twice, and going for third time in two days! :-(
Bad Transmission
Purchased 2010 Hyundai Sante Fe V6. While the car rides smoothly and gets good mileage for midsized SUV the car has serious transmission issues. When you first start off it sporadically will make a loud bang as it shifts between 1- 2 gear. It also has a rocking motion caused by the transmission when slowly accelerating. It also shakes badly when shifting from park to either reverse or drive. Contacted Hyundai Consumer affairs about this issue and they say that they do no have any trend as to any transmission issues. Do a Google search on 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission problems and you will see many unhappy owners. Car is at the dealer as I write this. Doesn't look good. Don't buy
AWD not when needed
The all wheel drive is unreliable. The rear trans axle fills with water and ruins the all wheel drive. I have replaced the trans axle four times in 100,000 miles and the rear axle once. The problem reoccurs. One mechanic installed a snorkel for the breather, but it did not work.
White Pearl Paint Peeling
Over the past couple of years I've noticed little chips in the paint on the hood. Originally thought they were from rocks, but today found a larger chip of paint missing from over the windshield. The car has been sitting in the driveway for 3 days and it wasn't missing last weekend when I washed the car. As coincidence would have it, I saw another Santa Fe the same color yesterday missing quite a lot of paint over the windshield. Obviously there is a paint problem with this color.
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Impression After 2 Days
After two days of driving the Santa Fe I am very pleased with my purchase decision. My last 3 cars were Hondas so I was a little hesitant to consider a Hyundai but after a lot of research I learned that the Santa Fe has good reliability and consumers reviews. But I am so glad I did. I really love the exterior and interior styling of the Sana Fe. The power of the V6 is impressive even though I am driving easy for the break-in period. The only negative I have so far is that the suspension is pretty tight and road bumps,etc. can be felt (and heard) in the cabin at times. Although, I am coming from a car so it might be that I am not used to driving a SUV.
Not Happy
Just wanted to let anyone interested in buying a 2010 Santa Fe Limited to know the problems that we have had. The first problem was a hard shift from a slow start. The dealership tried to tell us that it was because of a new electronic transmission and that we would get used to it. Well, it became so bad and after taking it in several times they replaced the transmission. Big surprise the problem went away. Next, the A/C went out and their service department said they could find anything wrong and it miraculously started working again. The latest is the satellite radio, it has stopped working and they will now have to replace it as well. Never again will we buy a Hyundai vehicle.
Watch out!
I purchased this car with the mindset of it being a family car for the next ten years. Now I hope I can get five. I had the car in for its first oil change and had the dealer look at the transmission since it had been shifting hard into first, second and third gear. To my surprise a week later I had a new transmission. From reading the other reviews it looks like this is a universal flaw. If you have this car I hope your dealer is as honest as mine was or you could have a big problem on your hands! To anyone thinking of buying this car don't!
Defective transmissions and poor ride
I have had the transmission replaced twice in my 2010 Santa Fe. The new transmission has the same problems and Hyundai will not fix it. They have to "replicate" the problem which is there way of not fixing it. I have never had a car with this many problems in 50 years of buying cars. The dealer is just as bad as Hyundai. The vehicle has many squeaks and rattles which shows poor build quality. The GPS unit is useless in cold weather as you can not see the screen. This is the last non American car I will buy. Poor quality as the floor carpet is just cardboard covered with a poor quality fuzzy material.
Not really pleased
Bought the Santa Fe after quite a bit of research. Can't tow even close the half of the listed weight, listed a 19 gallon gas tank, can only put 17 in bone dry. Already have a leak that needs to be repaired on the timing cover. Was told it is an issue they are having with the 3.3 engines. Lots of bang for the buck but not happy with there already being mechanical issues.
More 2 come
My wife and I purchased a 2010 Santa Fe from the Wayne auto mall on route 23 on June 17. Before leaving the dealership we realized the hood did not open and the driver door did not close correctly. My wife was very excited with the new purchase and wanted to bring it back in the morning to be what we thought a half hour adjustment, she waited for 2 hours to be told that we might need a loaner. Should a brand new car have these issues? How will the dealership handle their faulty product? Will let all know the outcome
Defective Transmisson
Very Comfortable car nice ride on long trips. Developed a transmission problem on occation transmission bangs into 3 gear when driving in town or traffic had to dealer numerous times explain how to duplicate but dealer refuse to give time to test drive for it to occure! Then you get unable to duplicate. Wife refuses to take a new car into the city. This is not the only car this is happening to.
Great, good looking SUV for the price
Exactly after 3 months & 3000 miles, this decent SUV is going great, love driving it, not a head-turner but great SUV for the price. Test drove Tuscon, was very tight, harsh drive and wasn't good, liked Santa Fe better. Interior is comfortable and Sonata-like (we own 2006 Sonata), turns are sharp and steering is fun. Brakes were a tad hard initially, but now they work fine. Had a few doubts about I4 engine, but it gives enough power with four adults inside and decent pick-up. In fact, had to tell a friend that its not V6. AWD is good, but will know more in winter. After reading a few complaints about transmission problems, was a bit concerned, but GLS seems to be fine. Love the BlueTooth!
Excellent
I have just bought the Santa Fe for my wife and newborn son and I am amazed by the high quality and luxury features. Unbeatable price, big warranty, and better trim level. Was initially considering Toyota Highlander, but disapointed with price and low quality on test drive. Was starting to consider smaller SUV's with better trim, but was unable to scape the Santa Fe. My brother has a Tucson for 2 years now and he also loves his car. I guess we will be a hyundai family.
Traded my 2010 Sante Fe - defective transmission
I am so sorry to say, I no longer could live w/ the transmission issues w/ my 2010 sante fe & got rid of it. My initial problems within two months of purchasing: bucking everytime I turned on the car & slamming/thumping into 2nd & 3rd gear w/ slow acceleration and also experienced a hesitation of shifting between 2nd & 3rd. Been to the dealership numerous times & they reset my transmission once. They were able to fix the bucking when the car is turned on. Then took it back for the original problems resurfaced within a few hundred miles. Then they "couldn't duplicate" the issues & told me 'till they can there is nothing for them to do - as if I am making all this up. BUYERS BEWARE!
High Quality Vehicle
I am a field claims adjuster for an insurance company so I look at wrecked cars all day every day. Recently I have noticed that Hyundai's build quality has improved vastly. I've also taken note of how well they hold up in crashes. When we received a letter from our local dealer offering added incentives for Toyota owners to trade their vehicles in, my wife and I went to the dealer and checked out the Santa Fe.We we were sold on the looks, the quality of the interior and the performance, and traded in our 07 Rav4 right then.Don't be put off by Hyundai's prior reputation, the fit and finish is at least equal to Honda and Toyota and the warranty is excellent.Feels like a lexus inside.Recommend!
Hyundai Respect!
I trade every 3 years and wanted a smaller SUV with improved mileage and adequate room. Looked at the Equinox, Rav4, Subaru outback, and the Murano. Chose the Sante Fe due to the power, interior design, fuel mileage, ride, and backseat/storage room. Also made in America. Very good sound system and climate control.
New Hyundai Owner
I'm a first-time Hyundai owner who was previously skeptical of the brand. I read lots of reviews and learned that Hyundai has greatly improved it's quality so I decided to test drive a SF. Who knew? I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and standard features given the price. I was leaning toward buying a 2009 RAV-4 V6, but the 2010 SF SE was approximately the same price with more cargo room and more comfortable ride and fit/finish. Hyundai is giving Toyota and Honda a run for their money, especially considering the warranty and price. If you're looking at SUVs, you should definitely test drive a Santa Fe.
2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 4dr SUV AW
This is my Wife and I first SUV and so far we are loving it. We look at some of the other smaller SUVs and the Hyundai won us over. The engine is a bit underpowered and has a little lag from the start compare to other SUVs in this class but the trade off for better gas mileage may make it seem right. The ride is firm but not overly harsh and the steering is precise with very little under or over steer. The sound system could use some work the speakers lack range and depth. Overall we are happy and can't wait for our first long trip.
Great Except For
Great vehicle-except A) no protective covering on rear bumper as in 2009 models, B) and takes a lot of effort in order to lock steering wheel (180 degree turn of steering wheel). Lastly, no daytime running lights, reason unknown.. All controls easy to see, reach and use. I do mostly city driving and have gotten about 20 mpg thus far.
Luv my Hyundai Santa Fe
I have been driving various Honda vehicles for the past 13 years. They have pretty much priced themselves out of the market(for what you get). And let's face the fact that a Honda drive like a Honda. I purchased the 2010 SE this past Saturday. I wanted something a bit more "luxurious" & want to feel that I am getting little bit more value for my money. Everyone I have spoken with who has a Santa Fe highly recommends this vehicle. I was sold after my test drive. Very comfortable & lots of space for everyone. I am impressed that the sticker said 20/26 for gas mileage. Very solid/safe/sporty suv!