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2007 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3 AWD Road Test

Something Unexpected

"Whoa!" was the response mumbled out of my mouth upon seeing the new Hyundai Santa Fe. Like all of Hyundais latest reincarnations, the newly redesigned Santa Fe bares very little resemblance to last years model. Many will know that Hyundai has had a bit of a bad reputation when it came to car manufacturing, particularly when it came to fit and finish, over the last few decades. However, in the past couple years theyve been working extremely hard to dispose of the old Hyundai thinking and create a car brand that rivals Toyota and Honda in terms of quality, desirability and reliability.

When looking at the new Santa Fe, Hyundais dedication to improving

Whoa! Its the new Santa Fe. (Photo: Budd Stanley, American Auto Press)

its brand image is very apparent. The new look is considerably more stylish and sleek, and gives off a refined appearance that Hyundais have been lacking for some time now. Sleekly shaped headlights are molded flat into the single piece front end, flanking two large grilles highlighted with chrome trim. Hyundai has done the right thing, and kept the chrome to a minimum with this crossover. So many other carmakers these days cant seem

Its a Hyundai? Yes, no lie. (Photo: Budd Stanley, American Auto Press)

to help themselves from plastering huge amounts of chrome onto the front of their vehicles, not to mention sides, wheels, rear ends and interiors. With minimal chrome only used as an accent, Hyundai has created a nicely conservative, classy Santa Fe, rather than overkill bling. Wrap-around taillights and dual chrome exhaust tips finish off the rear. Hyundai continues to use an off-setting rear hatch handle, which makes getting the back door open much easier when handling large objects.

Inside the Santa Fe the attention to detail

By far, the most impressive part about the Santa Fe is its interior. (Photo: Budd Stanley, American Auto Press)

is even more apparent with one of the nicest interiors Ive seen in an SUV. Wood and brushed aluminum trim isnt real (Im sure theyd rather me call it environmentally friendly woodgrain or something of the like), but compliments the interior design team for giving it a nice inviting feeling. A two-tone black and beige interior (other color combinations are available) allows the Santa Fe to look like a much more expensive vehicle. Gauge cluster, dash controls and the shifter are all well put together and comfortable to use. The window buttons in the doors and the stereo buttons on the steering wheel, however,

While better than most in this class, the thrid row seats are best for short trips. (Photo: Budd Stanley, American Auto Press)

still give off the old Hyundai feel.

One other old Hyundai trait was the seating. I found the front seats a little uncomfortable, and it was hard to find a good seating position. Passenger space is ample in both the front and rear seats, although foot space in the rear is compromised with the addition of a 3rd row. The Santa Fe has a 50/50 split, fold-flat third row of seats, by the way. Operation is extremely simple and easy to use, and the two extra seats provide enough room to hold two children over a long distance or two adults for a more humane distance.

The Interior has to be the most impressive trait of the new Santa Fe. Its fit and finish give it a quality feel, while

242 hp makes this the most powerful Santa Fe to date. (Photo: Budd Stanley, American Auto Press)

it only lacks some of the gadgets that tend to clutter top-tier SUVs. The convenience of a third row, as well as the ability of both rear benches to fold flat, gives the Hyundai an impressive 78.2 cu-ft of storage space.

Acceleration off the line was quite good with my test vehicle, as it was equipped with the top-line 3.3L V6 that produces 242 horsepower and 226 lb-ft of torque. The lightweight body allows for impressive off-the-line performance as well as good braking. All that power is distributed to the wheels via an AWD drivetrain. Torque is distributed to the front wheels under regular driving conditions to increase fuel economy, but when traction to the front wheels is reduced the center differential will distribute power to the rear. This system has a relatively slow reaction time, and allows when employing the

When its just you and someone else, theres plenty of cargo space. (Photo: Budd Stanley, American Auto Press)

standard electronic stability system requires substantial understeer before the situation can be corrected.

Nevertheless, the Santa Fe also comes with a manual locking feature that will lock the differential, giving maximum 4x4 grip. This feature came in handy when the West Coast received a huge dump of snow. As many know, left coasters dont take to the snow well, and the Santa Fe was called upon on more than one occasion to pull wayward cars back onto the road. Im proud to say that even in icy uphill conditions, I had a 100 percent recovery record. A proper welded tow hook under the bumpers would make things a little easier than the bolt-in hook supplied, but it stood up to all the challenges with no failures.

When not helping out travelers in need, the Santa Fe makes city driving much more enjoyable than most SUVs thanks to a fairly tight turning circle at only 34.4 feet. The benefits to parking and navigating

The new Santa Fe is quite good. In fact, Id say its Lexus Lite. (Photo: Budd Stanley, American Auto Press)

tight streets are obvious, although the biggest problem with any SUV is fuel consumption. While the Santa Fes 3.3L engine is not the largest or most powerful in this segment, filling it up put a dent into my bank account. I should make the point, mind you, that people buying into this segment are probably more used to paying at the pump than I, and the Santa Fe is definitely no worse than any other midsize SUV, and no doubt better than many.

The few minor complaints behind me, the new Santa Fe has got to be the biggest surprise that Ive experienced this year. Buying a Hyundai now means that you dont have to sacrifice style and refinement for an economically priced vehicle. The Santa Fe matches up to its competitors in fit and finish, not to mention style, and reduces the cost by only including the necessary electronic gadgets that are seldom used or easily replaced with manual operation. In my opinion the new Santa Fe has to be the best value in the midsize SUV market, and has totally changed my perceptions about the Hyundai brand.

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