Used 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Consumer Reviews
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Great Vehicle at a Great Price
Josh, 12/03/2019
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 8A)
207 of 211 people found this review helpful
I love this vehicle. I think the Edmunds review and some other review pages have short changed this model. First off the performance. I test drove the 2.0T and the 2.4L in FWD and AWD options. The 2.0T is going to give you a little more zip and an AWD as expected going to give you a tighter feel on the road. It really just boils down to driver preference and if you want to pay for it. My wife and I went with the SEL 2.4L FWD with the convenience and premium package upgrades. Where we live AWD isn’t really necessary and we don’t haul anything. We also have a baby on the way so a sporty fast accelerating SUV wasn’t what we were looking for. The mpg has also performed better than what the manufacturer has stated. In the city have been averaging probably 24-27mpg and straight highway 30-33. I think the 2.4L engine is a little noisier, but still extremely quiet when driving. In regards to some of the complaints about accelerating we haven’t really had that issue. I’m a fuel save kind of driver so I’m not gunning it off the line. In the few times I’ve needed to get up to speed quicker there hasn’t been any issue. I’m not sure if all trim levels have it, but ours has the auto engine shut off when it comes to a stop (fuel saving feature). If this isn’t something you’re used to then it can be an adjustment period getting acclimated to it. It will feel like a delay if you’re quick on accelerating from a stop because the engine needs to reengage itself. I have this feature on a company car for a Ford Escape and the Santa Fe works remarkably better. This feature can be turned off if you’re not a fan. The best way to do it is let your foot off the brake, let the engine engage, roll, and then accelerate it really isn’t that big of an issue, and again you can turn it off if you choose. The safety features also a huge plus, adaptive cruise, collision warning, lane assist, blind spot monitoring, etc. The SEL and higher trims come with Bluelink complimentary for 3 years, basically Hyundai’s version of OnStar. Allows us to remote start with temperature control, check vehicle diagnostics, geolocate, security features should vehicle ever get stolen, and more. Has worked extremely well, wife loves the remote start. The interior is top notch. I read another site review that was dogging on the interior and I’m not sure what vehicle they got into. With the upgraded packages ours has the leather interior with the espresso/gray style and it looks sharp. I like the interior to be somewhat unique so the espresso/gray was perfect. The only interior I wasn’t crazy about was the all black, looked kind of basic, but the other standard cloth options looked really nice, just enough contrast and design to make it stand out. The upgraded packages do help give it a little more of a wow factor, premium sound system, led lights, leather, upgraded dash features, moonroof, and so on. If the packages are in your price point I’d highly recommend them. It also has a smart lift gate feature that you don’t realize how handy it is until you come out of the store full of bags in both hands. If the vehicle is locked and you have the key fob on you, all you have to do is stand behind the gate for 3 seconds and it will automatically open. No dancing your foot under the bumper to try and open, just stand there. The storage is adequate, it has compartments under the flooring in the trunk area, and the rear seats fold down. The warranty is outstanding as well, maybe best in the industry. For the price point and what you get with this vehicle it’s a really hard vehicle to pass up. When beginning the car search my wife was not a fan of Hyundai and didn’t even want to entertain test driving it, but given the manufacturer specials, the warranty, and the price talked to her into trying it. She did a complete 180 after the test drive and loved it. With all the features of the Santa Fe and the price compared to other midsize SUV models everything else we were looking at didn’t stand a chance. We bought the vehicle so obviously a little biased, but it has been a pleasure to drive. We have a family member who has a high end Mercedes SUV also considered a midsize and I honestly would take the Santa Fe, better designed interior, more room, user friendly controls, better driving angles, much better price. I would highly recommend this vehicle, or if you’re not sure at least test drive it like we did and go from there.
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This car walks and talks!
Suzanne, 11/17/2019
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 8A)
104 of 106 people found this review helpful
The Santa Fe Limited has more features than any car for the price and higher. You put on the blinker and you get a picture view of what is beside you. My back seat used to be full of jackets and shoes. The Limited has storage under the back area. Everything fits! The tailgate opens, no trying to balance on one foot - just stand there for 4 seconds. Seeing your speed/speed signs/navigation in your front view is marvelous. After a while, you don't notice it unless you want to. Set it to green, it is easier to see. The seat is so comfortable and now I don't have to yell at my daughters not to adjust the seat when they drive. The sun roof is to die for. I drove a convertible for 12 years - why? Oh, and these new cars that turn the engine off at every light, stupid! There is a button to disengage it!! Also, you can have the car where it adjusts to how you drive! And, when you shut the ignition off, the seat pulls back to give those of us with short legs and have to seat close to the steering wheel extra room to get out w/o banging our knees. I call it the "gentlemen's seat." You have to buy the Limited or higher to get all these features and a lot more, but it is so worth it.
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Beyond my expectations
G.Stevenson, 12/02/2019
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 8A)
37 of 37 people found this review helpful
The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe has sincerely met my expectations and then some. I ended up getting the SEL trim but got FW drive instead of the AWD. I personally felt for the money that I am more than content and satisfied with FWD and with all the extra features included that AWD is honestly a waste of money for what my needs are. The revamped upholstery in the 2020 SantaFe is so awesome. It looks like a durable flannel and I'm anxious to see how it withstands my kids and dog. The 3 year complimentary bluelink service is a godsend and couldn't have been a better time for us to have it when 2 days after driving off the lot we got a nice ice storm followed by snow and to be able to stay inside my warm cozy home and remote start my new vehicle from the app and in no time the ice was away from my windshield and the vehicle was nice, warm and toasty inside and I was ready to go.
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Pleasant surprise
DDDESQ, 01/12/2020
updated 07/18/2022
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 2.0T 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
100 of 103 people found this review helpful
I had never considered a Santa Fe. Once I drove it, I was very pleasantly surprised at what a great vehicle it is. I cross shopped it with the 2020 Ford Edge and 2020 Ford Escape. Was planning on buying a Ford based on great past experience with Ford products (Escape, Edge and Expedition). For me, the Santa Fe Limited was the best fit. Incredible features for about $10,000 less than a comparable Edge Titanium and similar pricing with the Escape Titanium, both with similar equipment. Fantastic value, drives great, and is sized just right for me, larger than Escape, smaller than Edge. I love it. Interior: At 6’4” tall, I appreciate the room in the Santa Fe. The power driver’s seat cushion extension is a great feature. The feature set in the Santa Fe was larger than the Ford’s, with the exception of the auto park feature that Ford has and the Santa Fe does not. Was not a deal killer. The other features and additional room in the Santa Fe were more important. My wife’s Escape has the auto park feature and she never uses it. If you can’t parallel park, maybe you should not be driving! Exterior: I really like the look of the Santa Fe. The Edge looks great too, but from behind the wheel it seems as broad as a barn. The Escape seemed a tad too small, and the 2020 Escape looks more like a wagon than a crossover. The Santa Fe styling just stands out. The exterior camera system is a really helpful feature. The blind spot cameras are far more useful than I thought they would be. The surround view display is very helpful in the parking garage I use daily. For me, the look of a car seals the deal. If you don’t like what you see walking towards or away from your car, it just isn’t the right car for you. Drive: The Santa Fe drives smaller than the Edge and larger than the Escape. Honestly, the Escape with the 2.0 is quicker, but also requires premium fuel for maximum performance, just like the 2.0 in the Edge. The 2.0 in the Santa Fe runs great on regular gas. The price difference of about 40 cents a gallon really adds up over the life of the car. I keep cars a long time. My daily driver before the Santa Fe was a 1997 Chrysler Town & Country with 210,000 miles on it. Still ran well, but was time to retire it. The Santa Fe is quiet, refined, handles and rides well. Intangibles: The Hyundai warranty is far better than Ford, and it has the highest possible safety ratings from multiple organizations. JD Power quality awards too. It is very well thought out, ergonomically friendly, and very easy to use. As I mentioned in the beginning, I was not expecting to be as impressed with the Santa Fe. I’m still a satisfied Ford customer, but the Santa Fe just seems like a better car for my needs. Will be anxious to see how it does over time and if it lives up to its universal acclaim and awards. So far, I’m very happy. 6 Month Update After 6 months and over 11,000 miles my opinion of the Santa Fe remains the same. Still very happy with the car in all respects. In town the Transmission shift patterns are such that the power delivery is not as smooth as my wife’s Escape, but it is not a problem. Just annoying every once in a while. Still averaging almost 30 MPG so very happy with that. I have learned how to adjust the driver aids such as not having the lane keep assist intervene as aggressively as in the beginning when the solid line on the side of the road veers away at the entrance to a right turn lane. I continue to be very happy that I purchased the Santa Fe. One Year Update-Still Very Satisfied Over a year has passed since I purchased my Santa Fe. 21,000 miles on the odometer. Am still very happy with the purchase. Everything I liked about it when new I continue to like. If there is a negative, it is that the windshield seems very easy to get very small stone chips in it. These are the ones that are too small to repair but are visible in the sunlight, etc. I have read about the 2021 model changes and seen pictures of the new model. I don’t care for the front end styling and prefer my center console design to the 2021 version. I do like the more powerful turbo engine and the new top end model with its extra features. However, I am still very pleased with what I have and will continue to enjoy it. Have had zero service issues other than routine maintenance every 5,000 miles. Still very satisfied. At the 2.5 year mark with 54,000 miles. A bit irritated that I had to change spark plugs at 45,000 miles but that is what the schedule recommends. Most other cars’ plugs last 90,000-100,000 miles. Other than that very minor matter, still totally satisfied with the Santa Fe. Zero issues of any kind other than routine maintenance. Still give it 5 stars.
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Very good SUV
Alex Lukash, 11/03/2019
updated 05/04/2020
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 2.0T 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
74 of 76 people found this review helpful
Overall, a very good SUV. The 4 cylinder turbo is a lot noisier than the V6 in my Kia Sorento, but it’s performance is ok. The main reason for buying this vehicle has been called a “gimmick”. It is NOT! Having no vision in one eye, the blind spot camera along with the heads up display have made driving extremely safe again. Eventually, I can see all vehicles having this marvelous safety technology.
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A Winner After the First 10,000 Miles
pluffs, 09/26/2020
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL 2.0T 4dr SUV AWD w/Convenience and Premium Packages (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
44 of 45 people found this review helpful
This is the first SUV that I have ever owned and I am very pleased with it! I spent a ton of time cross-shopping and test driving this car against the CR-V, RAV 4, Forester, Outback, Legacy, Accord, and Sorrento. After a lot of nights spent at dealerships and doing many test drives, I narrowed my decision to the CR-V and Santa Fe. I went with the Santa Fe for the looks, interior space, arguably more premium interior, and driving feel. I really liked the CR-V. I had a Honda Accord that I put over 200K+ problem-free miles on, I have a soft spot for Honda's, but the CR-V just didn't do it for me. The fake interior wood, outdated infotainment, and oil & gas dilution concerns and higher financing rates kept me from pulling the trigger on it. I initially had a little buyer's remorse because I spent so much time admiring the CR-V, I wasn't sure if my decision was right. I have since come to love my Santa Fe! It's extremely quiet and compliant out on the road. Road imperfections are soaked up, the interior is solid (no squeaks or rattles), and everyone has plenty of room and there is an abundance of storage for both cargo and people's belongings. Nothing is perfect though, so I'll highlight some of my pros and cons so far. Pro's - Space. As mentioned above, the car has a tremendous amount of both cargo and people space. Seats fold down very easily and lay completely flat. Load hight is nice and getting big or heavy items in and out is no problem. Tons of space for cell phones, water bottles, and whatever else you have. The front-passenger shelf above the glove box is great and it gets a ton of use from whoever is sitting there, freeing up more space in the center stack. There is also storage under the loading floor in the back which has proven useful and practical a number of times already. - The "premium" feel? I know it sounds strange about a Hyundai that has its fair share of plastic, but when I'm in the car it feels pseudo-premium. Fit and finish are great, all touchpoints are nicely appointed, all screens are clear, crisp, and easy to read. Doors make a satisfying thud when closing, door handles are nice, and nothing really looks or feels cheap. I am highly impressed at the balancing act Hyundai did to make it feel the way it does w/o making the price creep up too much. - Infotainment. Hyundai has done a great job of making something that can be complex and distilling it down to a wonderful, easy to use the system. All screens make sense, they are logical, and getting where you need to is always a pain-free task. - Suspension. The car really is quite quiet inside and riding over uneven roads is never a problem. The car is smooth and uneven roads just put off a subtle low grumble as you pass over them. This is probably the most impressive thing about the drivetrain. - The audio system is pretty good. My model has the upgraded Infinity system with subwoofer and it's decent. If you get the right input it can sound loud, clear and you can tell it's a premium sound upgrade. Most times though, it just sounds somewhere between a decent stock system and some kind of an upgraded system. It is good, but it's not as good as other premium systems in other brands. - I am not sure if it's just the color I choose, but I really like the paint job on my car. It's in Portofino gray and there is a really nice metallic finish to the paint. In sunlight, it looks really good. I remember seeing one or two other colors and I don't think the popped as much as this gray does. Con's - Other than the suspension, the drivetrain leaves a bit to be desired. I have the 2.4 non-turbo engine with the 8 speed automatic. It is fine 95% of the time, especially if you drive on the softer side. When you push the car that's where things can get a little iffy. Sometimes there are shifting misses in the transmission and low-end torque is generally lacking. Getting off the line can be a bit lethargic. For me, none of that is a big deal due to my driving style, but if you need something peppier, this is not the engine for you. - MPG. I am averaging about 26+ MPG of mixed driving with the AWD system. Nothing great, nothing terrible. Contrasting with other cars in the segment, however, leaves me wanting more here. - Engine ticking. About 1,000 miles in I started to get worried something was wrong with the engine. This was in January in the northeast and it was quite cold. This happened every time when I would start the car, for the first 5 min or so until the engine warmed up and it then went away. I took it in for service and was told this is normal with a GDI engine. Other cars I have owned would have their own set of cold weather warm-up issues, but this one was the most concerning. I continued to hear it every day and am still concerned, but looking around for others with similar stories it sounds like it may just be the way it is. During the summer months, it's much less noticeable. I am very pleased with my car and would buy it again!
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Awesome crossover (Update 1.5 Yrs)
David, 11/23/2019
updated 05/25/2021
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 8A)
22 of 22 people found this review helpful
This is my first Hyundai and it does not disappoint. My 2020 Santa Fe limited exceeds all my expectations. The cameras give you 360 view and at a push of a button on the center console you can turn on the front camera for parking. The gas mileage is better than advertised I get 25 in town and 30 at 75mph on the highway. I just made my first long trip (800 miles/12 hrs) and the cooled seats are a lifesaver. Very comfortable. Update: After 18 months I'm still as happy with my Santa Fe as the day I bought it. The gas mileage is still better than advertised. 24 in the city and as long as you keep it under 78mph it will get 30+ on the freeway. The towing is surprisingly good too. I have 2 jet skies that weigh around 2000 lbs with the trailer and I towed them from Arkansas to Florida and got 29 mpg. You could hardly tell they were behind you. I cant say enough about the backup camera having a hitch view that has a line that moves with the steering to help you hook up. It also has no problem pulling them up the launch ramp. Even on a wet ramp I have never even spun a tire. Best car I have ever owned.
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Goodbye Tucson Eco, Hello Santa Fe 2.0T
Brian Lee, 03/21/2020
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 2.0T 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
My dad recently bought a 2020 Santa Fe in place of his old '16 Tucson he had driven for the past 5 years on Wednesday, March 18th 2020. I love the looks of the Santa Fe so far, the light configuration is pretty confusing now, the DRLs are on the top and the headlights are on the bottom, same what you'd see on the new Palisade. There are a few likes and dislikes about our new Santa Fe. First off, unlike our previous Tucson that we've had, our new Santa Fe now has leather interior, no leather on our Tucson (they're heated and cooled for D/P), heated steering wheel for cold winter days, and our new car has a panoramic sunroof, which is pretty darn cool. One of the things that my dad doesn't like about his recently purchased Santa Fe is the stupid and silly ISG (or as Hyundai calls it, Intelligent Stop and Go, sister brand Kia has it too). It is pretty darn annoying whenever the car shuts off at a red-light, thankfully, there's a button for it to disable that crap/fuel-saving nonsense. I turn it off every goshdarn time I get into the car (the stupid button is underneath the drive mode button). Having to turn off the damn button every time irks and drives me frigging insane, I don't need the ISG system at all (our previous Tucson never had this crap), it doesn't save you any fuel and does nothing but wears out your starter EVERY single time you let off the brake pedal. Anyways, the car is pretty good (except for the stupid and permanently annoying/irritating/unnecessary auto start-stop or ISG crap), drives pretty good and has three drive modes (Comfort (which is normal mode), Smart (replaces Eco mode in our Tucson) and Sport mode.) The gas mileage on this car is fantastic when driven in Smart mode, it won't run out as fast if you set it to that mode. So far, our new '20 Santa Fe 2.0t hasn't let us down yet, and hopefully it won't in the long run. So a few things I need to do before riding in the car: 1. DISABLE the stupid Auto-Start Stop function or have the dealer disable it permanently/ another way to disable it is to have the A/C on at full blast. So far, we love our new Santa Fe 2.0t. We couldn't be more proud of it.
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“Great Car - Limited
Russ F, 09/28/2019
updated 03/30/2020
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 2.0T 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
38 of 40 people found this review helpful
I purchased this car last week, and so far I am very pleased. It’s comfortable, quiet, handles well, and has plenty of power. The electronics are wonderful. The cameras make parking a breeze, even inside my garage. It lacks front sensors, like my other car, but with the cameras the sensors are not needed. The climate control system works perfectly, and even provides adequate cooling in the back seat. The milage could be better, but this car replaced my F150 4x4 pickup, and it’s much better than the truck. The only improvement I would like would be a hybrid engine.
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I love my Santa Fe
Christie , 11/16/2019
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 2.0T 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
We have the Santa Fe Limited 2.0 Turbo with AWD. The price point was unbeatable for all of the features and it’s very comfortable and fun to drive. The shifting could be a little smoother, but that’s my only minor complaint. The safety ratings are the highest possible which was very important to us. I absolutely love the modes you can choose while driving. Sport mode makes it easy to accelerate quickly and it always makes me smile!
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