Good mid size SUV
I needed something that I can put all my kids in. We have 5 all under the age of 13. I knew I was going to get something to seat as many people as possible, but wasn't looking for a bus. Our reliable secondary vehicle is a 2001 Suburban that will outlive us all. So, if I could only find something that seats 5, I could make it work because I can always just drive the kids around in the Suburban. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the Santa Fe seats 7. The kids have plenty of room when seated. But unloading them can be chaos. They are quick to climb the seats, rather than wait for someone to lay the mid row forward so they can exit. Then pushing the mid row back into place when everyone is seated can be difficult for a young child without adult assistance. Overall it still comfortably seats 7 and is a pleasant ride.
I opted for the AWD V6 against the 2WD turbo charged 4 cylinder. The turbo's are loads of fun under light load. But lugging around the weight of 7 people seemed to me to just be more punishment for a 4 cylinder thats already being hammered by a turbo.
The Santa Fe has pleasant styling inside and out. The V6 AWD is peppy in sport mode for highway driving, even with all 7 seats occupied. My only complaint would be how quiet the motor/exhaust note is. Its not necessarily a bad thing, fore a quiet motor is a healthy motor. But a little bit of a growl when you accelerate would be nice. Normal mode works good in the snow with the AWD transmission eagerly downshifting on steep grades. Normal mode, however, seems overly fond of high RPMs when accelerating. There is also an Eco mode for higher gas mileage. But from my experience, the Santa Fe still gets 26mpg under Sport Mode use on mostly highway. It feels nice and light when I'm the only occupant driving it to work.
The touch screen is nice for Android auto and navigation. I can listen to my favorite podcasts on long drives and use hands free calling. The driver's seat is very comfortable. After long hours at work driving a very uncomfortable work truck for 6 to 7 hours a day, the Santa Fe is a welcome relief for the drive home. It has been reliable and comfortable. We now opt to use it for long trips with the kids rather than the Suburban. It doesn't have as much room. But it is just as comfortable and gets much better gas mileage.
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