Perfect vehicle for niche needs. Calligraphy trim isn't worth it to me
I did a lot of research before buying my Hybrid Santa Fe. I was replacing a Ford F-150 King Ranch and needed something with cargo space and the ability to drive well on gravel and snow. And after years of abysmal 15mpg mileage I was desperate for a hybrid option. The hybrid Santa Fe was a perfect fit. The only other option that fit the bill was the Toyota Highlander, but at the time they couldn't be found anywhere, even for a test drive; no matter though, the Toyota was more expensive than I preferred.
After test driving I knew it was a great option. I really liked the camera rear view mirror and splurged on the Calligraphy trim-level just for that. Although I've since discovered that camera is usually too dirty to be effective, so I find myself in classic mirror-mode most of the time. I drive several miles on gravel every day, so the dust is a constant factor. My husband's Ioniq also has this feature and he doesn't experience the same issues because he's rarely on gravel.
I also really liked the Calligraphy level trim because of the pilot-seat style second row. However, in reality, they are less useful or convenient that I imagined. I have an only child, so I don't have to deal with the "he's on my side!" arguments that these separate seats help address. In daily use a bench-style seat would be more useful for cargo and for the fact that you can enter on one side and slide over to the other much more easily. I also frequently put the 2nd row seats down to carry large loads and not having a gap between the two would be handy.
I have my 3rd row seats down nearly 100% of the time to take advantage of the cargo space. With the 3rd row seats up the cargo space is quite small-- a family of 6 plus groceries or luggage for a family of 6 will require all your Tetris skills. This is where that rearview mirror camera comes in handy, you can totally block your back window and still be able to use the mirror in camera mode. There's no place to stow your jumper cables. The storage in the front row is also quite meager. Granted I'm going from the massive center console of an F-150 to a smaller and narrower vehicle, but the Hyundai's center console is tiny, and uselessly deep. I thought that the open space on the floor between the front row footwells would be perfect for my purse. However, when both seats are occupied it's difficult to get my purse into and out of that space.
There are two other Calligraphy features worth mentioning. The fingerprint ID and the UV sanitizing compartment. The fingerprint ID rarely ever worked for me on the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc. try. It annoyed me mightily so I ditched the driver profile option and just drive as a guest all the time. The buttons for seat positions 1 vs 2 work just fine to save my preferences vs my husbands. The UV sanitizing compartment is clever, but, as center console storage is so small, this has become the place where fast food napkins and extra ketchup packets end up.
One of the most handy features of my Santa Fe are the ridiculous number of charging options for tech. We can charge EVERYTHING all at once. It's awesome.
As for mileage, I find that I regularly get about 30+ miles to the gallon; which is impressive for a 3-row SUV.
Final verdict, would I buy it again? Given that it fits my niche needs so well, yes I probably would. I would think long an hard about the Calligraphy option though, and probably opt for the next trim level down.
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