She's a Baddie and I'm Riding With Her!
After compromising on my last vehicle 5 years ago, my husband told me I could get the car of my choice when I turned 40...well, a lot has happened in life in the last 5 years and the Land Rover Defender 110 SE I dreamt of owning this year was totally impractical and off the table...I then strongly considered Jeep Wagoneer (too many reviewed engine issues, gas guzzler), Kia Telluride (still love, tired of looking at them now), Mazda CX-90 (still like but fam didn't like round body style) as viable options but none of them felt like they were THE ONE and with the prices of gas and parts, going luxury brand just felt excessive and risky with impending tariffs.
*Cue the all new, redesigned Santa Fe*
Oh my word, my sleek LR rectangle dreams have been answered. I have owned a 2012 Sonata when Hyundai first started their comeup in the 2010s and loved it--especially bc it protected my husband and baby daughter in a rear collision and car was totaled ...we then went to Kia when the Sorento EX redesigned in 2016 and that car survived 5 accidents/fenders (my husband worked overnights in a hospital and has since improved since changing jobs). We then went 2017 GMC Acadia SLT which we still own and drive but I wanted more refined luxury and less "mom car" this time around....
Well, whaddya know, the Santa Fe lets me have it ALL!! The Santa Fe has LR inspo but is totally distinctive as its own thing. I'm totally shocked not more of them are on the road, but the midsize market has some competition. I'm happy to stand out from the crowd in my 2025 Rockwell Green SFe Calligraphy Hybrid! The bold styling was an immediate YES from me and I definitely did my research and read the iffy reviews about the ICE/DCT cars so I went hybrid for the first time ever. My family heavily commutes in NorCal and our gas prices are around the 4.60s/ gal for unleaded...when we saw the fairly inexpensive $1200 price jump for the hybrid option in Calligraphy trim it was a no brainer!! For people who want the car but are scared of the very valid engine/transmission horror stories on the gas models, just go hybrid knowing you'll have a little less torque and umph but on the road but I have yet to see any issues with the hybrid engine model! The bonus is...it self charges without having to do anything special!
Also, yes, it's tech heavy but it CAN be tamed in your vehicle settings...if there are differences in preferences with family members, you can set different LOCKED profiles that adjust to each user's liking without having to adjust them every time! My husband HATES tech or anything AI focused and he survived driving my car just fine =). Only owned for a week now so I'm honeymooning but have already put 700 miles in with some longer commutes (1 hr each way ) experiencing traffic, one lane merging, highways, freeways...it does the job well and SPORT mode will be enough juice to get the average commuter the jump needed to maneuver city life. No kinks for me quite yet but many people have expressed not being able to wear shades while using adaptive cruz control so I hope Hyundai addresses this in a future software update. All in all, this vehicle is luxe and streamlined without the fuss of feeling too gadgety or complicated. Butt warmers in the captains chairs and usb-c chargers in the seats easily sold my kids. The balance of ruggedness/streamlining sold my hubs and I like the surplus of cupholders and for my fellow water bottle peeps--THEY FIT 32 AND 40 OZ OWALAS in the front!!
What's more is what you get after the money is spent with complimentary servicing. The day I got my car, I met my bestie at her Benz dealership bc she got her GLC serviced for 50k mileage...$749!! I gasped and told her, this is when you trade yours for a Hyundai and get this service free for 3 years! She's very tempted now and drooling over all the features my car has that hers doesn't! ≈) If you are not deterred by its different packaging and in the market for a midsized SUV, don't sleep on this car...it will pleasantly surprise you!
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