Used 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV Consumer Reviews
Used Santa Fe for sale
Calligraphy AWD Trim - Fully loaded lux'ish fun
PGIndependent, 07/02/2022
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
It's almost been a year, and my first Hyundai ever- and I have to say I'm impressed with the Santa Fe Calligraphy. The other trims were nice, but it was the Calligraphy that nailed everything I wanted. It's got all the tech, comfort and 281 horsepower, not the 277 incorrectly reported here and lots of other sites. Acceleration is effortless- and I've come close to the 6 seconds 0-60 reported by C&D with this engine. The driving modes (Smart, Comfort, Sport and Snow) are distinct, changing transmission and steering. Sport is what I call the "fun" mode. It raises the idle and shift-wise, it reminds me how one would drive a manual when wanting to max out engine performance. Of course, thanks to insane gas prices, I often leave it in Smart mode, as it's this mode that is "dynamic" and can maximize fuel savings, while still adapting quickly based on a variety of factors. Braking performance is great. I've driven in considerable snow going cross-country this past winter and the SF handled it well. When it comes time to change the tires, I'll be updating them to Michelin CrossClimate 2 which will only serve to enhance traction. Inside, the cabin is comfortable with supportive napa leather seating. The leather extends across the dash and doors. People who own cars costing thousands more, always compliment the car- and that says a lot. The high res instrumentation is clear, customizable to a degree, and easy on the eyes. The heads up display (Calligraphy) is great for keeping your eyes on the road ahead. What's even better is someone spent time deciding which functions get true buttons on the center console- and they did a good job. I can't stand all digital touch controls and this is a great balance. Added bonus for techies- you can control a lot of car functions by voice- from opening & closing windows to setting the temp and lots of other things you wouldn't really expect. Thanks to two firmware updates in less than a year - they've added functionality, and improved others. The AC system performs well, even when the temp passes 100. It can quickly cool the car down, even panoramic roof shade open. The cooled seats work well, and are a must in hot areas. There's a lot of subtle sophistication most people won't ever notice, such as automatically switching to fresh air should you be set to recirculation should crack a window or the sunroof. Close the window, it will go right back to recirculation- but it will end it automatically after a while to be sure fresh air is allowed into the car. The cabin talk feature seemed goofy given the vehicle size, but I have to tell you, if you have any hard of hearing relatives like I do- it's actually saved my sanity a few times! The upgraded Harmon Kardon 12 speaker 360 watt sound system sounds fantastic- it's clear with a very spacious sound. It even sounds good from the back seat - a rarity. My favorite features are the live video blind spot monitoring that appears when signaling. It's a godsend when navigating traffic. Personally I wish they'd give you the option to use the turn signal video without the signal such as when parking, etc. It would just further enhance the 360 vision. Hyundai really did a good job with the cabin tech, and I prefer the built-in navigation over Apple maps. I just wish they'd let us change the voice. Oh and the self parking feature- yes, it seemed cool but also silly. However, I've actually found a few times it actually came in handy. Great example: you park your car, go shopping, it downpours, and then your car and others surrounded by a small lake. We've all had that happen. However, I just use the fob to move the car clear and get in- no soaked shoes! A surprise bonus! Overall the Santa Fe in the Calligraphy has things most drivers would want, at a very fair price. I have no regrets. If I end up with any, I'll try to update this review.
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Overall Outstanding Vehicle
Hurist, 01/19/2022
updated 02/06/2023
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)
33 of 36 people found this review helpful
I purchased the 2022 Santa Fe Limited 2.5T FWD model in December 2021 and I truly love this vehicle. I’d say it’s the favorite of all the cars I’ve owned. However, it has what I think is a SERIOUS problem related to what I assume is drivetrain that I’d like a professional to explain just in case I don’t understand how the car works. I don’t know that this issue is called but my biggest grip with my Santa Fe is that it is EXCEPTIONALLY easy to spin the tires. I’ve experienced this in several different scenarios and I’ve found it to be so bothersome that I’d say that it’s dangerous. I DO NOT have a heavy foot but when I need power to merge into traffic; the vehicle should not spin it’s tires on less than hard acceleration and especially when I’m only in Comfort or Smart driving modes. I love that the engine has the power but I hate that the tires can’t seem to handle that power. My second big gripe is what seems to be a disconnect between the transmission and the engine. When I approach a stop, the engine auto start/stop feature turns the engine off. As designed, the engine restarts when I lift my foot off the brake so there could be a small (but expected) delay between the time my foot is on the accelerator and when the vehicle begins to move. Problem is that I experience another delay because it feels like the engine and transmission disengage when auto start/stop first kicks in. The result is extended delay in moving the vehicle because the engine and transmission have to re-engage. My third gripe is not big but odd and annoying. I’m sure others have experienced what it feels like when you’re sitting in a car (not moving) and the wind is strong enough the push on the vehicle. I’ve noticed this same experience in my Santa Fe when the engine is running and the transmission is in park. If I sit in park long enough, I’ll feel a very slight push that feels like the wind but it’s not. It happens maybe once or twice a minute. My guess is that something is going on between the engine and transmission but I’m not sure. Another gripe is the electronic nature of the shifting mechanism. Unfortunately, there is a very noticeable delay between the time I push the Drive, Reverse or Park buttons and when the vehicle initiates the action. It’s not a terrible delay but enough to be an annoyance. These are just my impressions as a regular driver but I can’t help but wonder if other drivers with the same model as mine have the same experiences. Overall I love this car. UPDATE: The one thing that I hated about this vehicle (the jerky nature of the drivetrain) has been resolved by a software update applied to my Santa Fe's computer on February 4, 2023. For those who may not know this update is in response to a recall for the Santa Fe’s 8-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT). This is recall number 236. If your Santa Fee has this transmission you should have received notice from Hyundai. Now my Santa Fe drives as expected and I love even more than before.
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2022 Hyundai Santa Fe for sale near you
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- SEL 4dr SUVMSRP: $23,9377 mi away
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Good drive but...
Tashi, 12/29/2021
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 4dr SUV w/Prod. End 10/21 (2.5L 4cyl 8A)
43 of 48 people found this review helpful
I bought the SEL version and it drove great and interior is awesome but after a week I got an annoying loud wind noise coming from the passenger side. I've taken it to the dealership 3 times and they can't figure out how to fix it and now I'm fighting with hyundai to buy it back. I don't know if anyone else has had this issue or I just got a bad car.
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My new favorite brand
JJAMW, 07/30/2021
updated 09/12/2022
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 8A)
34 of 38 people found this review helpful
This is my first Hyundai and overall it's been a solid car. Update after a year of ownership: I have the SEL with the convenience and premium package so it has all the bells and whistles for a lot less money than the other brands. I actually had a Honda Pilot on order until I read the horrible reviews, cancelled it and went shopping for a Hyundai since they are currently one of the top rated SUVs. Reviews said Honda ruined the Pilot with complicated technology and features. Not so with the Santa Fe. I am not a techy person and I can use and enjoy them all with ease. Everything is so well thought out. I love that I can turn off most features I don't want or adjust them to my liking. I actually had the intention of buying the Palisade but there was a waiting list so I was pleasantly surprised by the space and luxury feel of the Santa Fe. The biggest negative is the engine is underpowered and not too fun to drive so I suggest the turbo. There is a sport mode which gives it a little more pep but it will cost you some gas mileage. I average 28-31mpg in comfort or smart mode. I don't know if this is across the board but I was also pleasantly surprised by the customer service from my dealer. You also can't beat the 10 year warranty or the optional lease wear and tear warranty. My few minor annoyances are there is nowhere to put sunglasses, the cruise control is off by 1 mph, the back seats shake when no one is sitting in them but my kids don't complain when they're back there, and the doors don't always automatically unlock as they should when I touch the handle. I think those are probably unique to my car but overall I have had no issues. After 14 months of ownership I decided to trade my lease in early to purchase the Tucson. So far I'm glad I did.
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Good in some ways, not in others
JFH, 11/05/2021
updated 08/10/2022
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)
50 of 57 people found this review helpful
I'm updating this review after a few months to better articulate what I do and don't like about this car. I bought it in October and it drove really well on the test drive. However, at the time, I was unaware of what a DCT was and I admit my test drive wasn't particularly thorough. Still, after 5 months, I have a handle on this car. Pros 1. Comfortable seats 2. Spacious interior 3. Excellent trunk space and I like the extra cubbies under the floor. 4. Outstanding sound system 5. Good views. I have no problem seeing out of this thing. 6. Turbo engine gets up and goes when you need it to. 7. The positive part of the Wet DCT is that once you're up and going, you literally can't feel it shifting, it's that smooth. 8. The safety tech is pretty good. 9. The pano sunroof is nice. 10. I like that all the controls are physical, even if there are a lot of buttons on the center stack. Fun fact, if you adjust the temperature, you can hear the system clicking into place. It works even if the touch screen takes a sec to show you. 11. The Hampton Gray color looks really nice in real life. A very pastel gray and not the usual boring silver many cars have. Cons 1. The DCT is bad at low speeds. 25mph and under and this thing is wildly inconsistent. You're also not supposed to creep in traffic else you'll mess up your clutch over time so you can't just drive this thing like a normal automatic. 2. I get steering wheel shake when accelerating from a stop with anything less than half throttle. I've taken it to the dealership twice and they say it's within spec. I am not a fan. 3. The infotainment screen is sometimes excruciatingly slow to respond to inputs. Luckily everything is mechanical so it'll change temp even if the screen doesn't show it for a couple of seconds but it's still annoying. 4. Some of the graphics on the infotainment are bad. For example, when switching the airflow, it uses a fancy graphic to show where the air is going. It's difficult to see in the daytime. 5. Apparently, the 2.5L engines are having oil burning problems. There are videos about it online and Hyundai has been doing some weird stuff. I have not been able to find out if they fixed the issue before the 22 model year or before the engine made its debut in the States. I'll be monitoring my engine oil every 1000 miles and you should too if you buy the car. Between this and the DCT, I'm weary of the long term reliability of this car. 6. The ride quality is very inconsistent. On the freeway and at higher speeds (45mph+), the ride quality is pretty decent. However, on slower, less maintained roads, this thing bounces wallows around enough to be noticeable. Edmunds noticed this as well on the Sorento (same platform, same engine), but didn't say anything about it on the Santa Fe. I suspect the 19 inch wheels are to blame for some of it, but replacing them with smaller wheels (and meatier tires) on a whim is expensive. Either way, this isn't as smooth as I would've expected. I did my test drive almost exclusively on well maintained 45mph roads so that's my bad, but you live and you learn. Large rims and lower profile tires is a bad idea in the Great Lakes region. 7. The door side and center console arm rests are too low for me. Also, the steering wheel could stand to come out a bit further. 8. This car does not have auto comfort even though it has the capability. In prior Santa Fe years, Blue Link let you engage the heated/ventilated seats from the app. It removed the feature last year. You can find a ton of complaints about it via Google. You can still engage the steering wheel warmer for some reason, though. 9. Some of the other tech is a bit inconsistent. For example, the doors are supposed to unlock when you put your hand in the door handle to unlock it. Sometimes, mine won't. 10. Some of the safety tech is annoying to use. For example, the adaptive cruise control is the only cruise control you can use. A way to override it and use normal cruise was present in the 2021 model but apparently was removed in 22. When on the highway, if I'm going 75mph and someone doing 80mph cuts in front of me, the adaptive cruise will drop me down to 60mph until the car in front of me exits the car's radar range. I'm functionally brake checking everyone behind me and it's going to cause an accident. I just don't use adaptive cruise anymore. One step forward, two steps backward. Overall, it's a decent car. Hyundai got a lot right with this one, but inconsistent tech, unanswered questions about the engine and wet DCT, and oddly missing options other cars in this price range have prevent it from being a slam dunk home run. If I could do it all over, I probably would've gone with a different car.
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