Performs as advertised. Great fuel economy. Poor center console design
Very comfortable drive. I like the Sport option when on the highway as this significantly improves merging and passing. I also like the awd, differential lock and Snow option. Voice recognition system is very robust and does a very good job interpreting normal speech without the need for memorizing specific commands. Lots of storage in the back with the third seats down. Huge capacity if you also lower second row, which you can do remotely from the back with the push of a button. Full set of cameras, mirrors and host of safety features are state of the art. Hate, hate, hate the touchpad climate controls below the main center console. Because there are no real, palpable buttons, there is no tactile feedback and searching for these frequently used controls (fan speed, AC, seat warmer, vents, etc.) requires taking one’s eyes off the road. This is clearly dangerous and the risk associated with this poorly thought out design can not be overemphasized. Fan speed control is the worst. The graphics are ambiguous and take up a lot of real estate. The LEDs associated with the virtual buttons are faint, making it difficult to tell if the feature has been successfully engaged. Last, the lack of a spare tire was almost a deal breaker for me. Hyundai makes an easily installed spare tire mount for the Santa Fe under the chassis, with built in winch for easy access. But you won’t learn this from Hyundai. I learned about from You Tube and Reddit. How is this not an option offered through the dealerships? Finally, the odd, non traditional shifter on the steering column will give you pause until muscle memory develops.