V6, shiftronic transmission, head/leg room. Plus the dealer bumper to bumper free ride down't hurt. All I am responsible for over the next 4 years is gas and wiper wash. This vehicle has some shape to it, unlike the Tribute or Sportage

no air conditioning in GL model.

Really nver knew this vehicle existed until went to look at Suburu products. Salesmn old us that the Santa Fe would cost the same per month as a Suburu Outback. None were in stock at the time and no brochures were availble. We came back a few days later and there was a GLS model in stock, we test drove this one and thougt it was great (out of our price range though). Here we are now almost 3 months later and driving a Silver/Black GL. It is the nicest vehicle I have driven to date. We researched all vehicles in it's class and the Santa Fe came out on top everytime.

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Rav 4, Grand Vitara, CRV, Sportage, Tribute. Neither of these vehicles came close.

Space , brakes, fuel economy, 4WD/AWD, seating comfort, handling

NONE!!

Overall i would have to say that this is the best SUV, or vehicle for that matter, that i have ever used. I got the Top Of The Line Santa Fe with potion package 13. the heated seats are great ecspecially in the winter. The 4WD/AWD system is great. I have gotten through everything that I have attempted without and feeling that i wasn't going to make it. In the back there is plenty of space for cargo as well as for people in the rear seat. All of the seats,...as i hear from passengers,...are exceptionally comfortable and supportive. The brakes are good-great ecspecially with the four wheel disk with four wheel anti-lock. Overall i would recommend this vehicle to ANYONE who is looking for a new car, truck, SUV, anything.

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Ford Escape - UGLY
Mazda Tribute - Sister to the Ford. 5 Recalls??
Honda CR-V - Underpowered horrible styling
Toyota RAV4 - Way to small

Stylish looks. Roomy interior. Smooth ride.

Wish it had a moonroof.Even with the lx model it is a lttle slow off the line.

I've only had my suv for a short time,but it really seems like a winner. It's a great small family car that is easy to get in and out of. Handles extremely well anywhere you take it.My wife and I did tons of research and there is no suv that comes close.

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rav 4 (too small) escape (did not like styling)

We recently took a trip that was 98% highway, but our Sante Fe V6 AWD,
logged 26 MPG. We were very happy with the fuel consumption. Our around town MPG is AVG. 22MPG.

Vehicle meets all my expectations.

I submitted an initial review the first couple days of April, 01.
We have 11,000 miles on our Sante Fe now and are still very pleased with
our choice. We have not had to return it to the dealer for any problems.
It runs and sounds as good as day one. I have been reading some negative
comments submitted on this web site about this product. Read through them all and make your own judgement on this product. We ensured we bought a vehicle that fit our needs and are not asking to do things it
was not designed too.

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We test drove and researched all the other mid size SUV's. We still feel "WE" made the best choice for our needs. I can't wait for the snow to start falling so we can get some real use out of the AWD.

VALUE! There is no other SUV on the market that offers so many features for the price. Fuel economy for it's size is great, V6 AWD, Warranty (4 years bumper to bumper), 4 years roadside assistance. The Sante FE also looks great (Black). Lastly, the SHIFTRONIC TRANSMISSION (LOVE IT!).

None so far!

Our family was looking for a mid sized/small SUV with AWD capability. Out of all the cars we tested (Sante FE, Tribute, RAV4, and CRV), we felt that the Sante FE was well above the rest. It has a LOT of backseat/trunk space, adequate power (V6 181hp), and the features that come with the Sante Fe are unbeatable. At first, I was weary about the Hyundai brand name, but after test driving the Sante Fe, I realized that Hyundai has done something right with the Sante Fe.

If you just take a day, and test drive some SUV's, you'll fall in love with the Sante FE because others just don't compare.

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Tribute - powerful engine, but didn't quite feel right. Also, it's basically the same car as the FORD escape.
RAV4 - Way too small. Not much power, and costs way too much for what you get. Warranty doesn't compare.
CRV - Not enough power, exterior design not appealing, warranty doesn't compare.

Spacious for a small SUV
Good gas milage
Looks great
Comfortable and roomy interior

Haven't found any yet

Great little suv. Spacious enough for my small family and gets me where I need to go in comfort. Looks great and I love the way it turns heads. My family and I drove to San Fransico and I was surprised on how well we climed hills and also the acceleration

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None

The V6 181bhp engine, the heated leather seats, the excellent sound system, the nice stylish look, and the price is just right for the average paying family.

A little bit of a hummmmmmm when just idling.

The Sante Fe has a sporty and intruging look. It is a perfect size for the family and has a nice interior with the leather and CD player. The V6 is strong yet gives a smooth ride. The sound system is a definate plus for Hyundai and i think the Sante Fe gives buyers a new outlook on Hyundai and this vehicle shows that Hyundai are not just your typical throw-away foreign car but a car which will give you the safety and comfort a family should expect when buying a vehicle. The best of luck to Hyundai and to the Sante Fe.

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Toyota Forerunner- Sante Fe just does more when it comes to looks and performance.

Ford Escape- Plain styling

Honda CRV- nothing too special, weak feel when driving it

Toyota Rav4- too SMALL

Suzuki Grande Viarta- too long, style isnt much and plus...it is a SUZUKI (what can you expect)

lacks any significant weaknesses

have not found any yet (relative to price)

I have had my Santa Fe a month and 1/2 with a little more than 3000 miles traveled. This vehicle has been a joy. I put off buying a small/mid SUV for a long time because I did not think the CRV, Forrester, or several others represented a good value for my needs. I wanted a reasonably quiet car-like ride with a taller than average seating position with good seat adjustments (I am 5'4"). Safety was also a concern, and the Santa Fe does well according to the IIHS.

The Santa Fe not only delivers what I want, but has far exceeded my expectations for a vehicle of this type in the price range. Many friends who have driven or inspected the vehicle guess its cost to be much higher.
The ride is smoooth, steering feels good, acceleration fine (its not a sports car), the controls are WONDERFULLY laid out with excellent big knobs for the HVAC, and very good storage areas/cup holders. Also, I like the styling both interior and exterior. Honestly, when compared to other vaehicles of its type, I cannot think of ANYTHING I would change about the Santa Fe.

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Better value for my needs than Honda CRV, Subaru Forrester, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape- although all of these had many good qualities.

V6, storage room, car-like ride.

With AC blasting (it's hot here in SC) car is a little sluggish off the line.

My goodness, out of all these wonderful reviews, there of course had to be some vehicles that didn't meet someone's expectations. First model years are always risky, but if you read your warranty information and stick to including the "breaking in" period, Hyundai will not give you a problem with honoring your warranty. Attitude has a lot to do with it. Now, lecture over, let's get to the fun stuff: Excellent vehicle for the money spent. Not one rattle or squeak, ample storage room for 2 Labradors, 1 eager toddler, and 2 weary parents (one of whom is a Marine Corps Drill Instructor, talk about picky for details!) Can't wait to take this vehicle on a cross country move. We did a lot of homework on this and the Toyota Highlander, and while the Highlander was an excellent vehicle, I can't fork over an extra $12,000.00 for basically the same vehicle (ok, so it came with a moonroof, I have to admit that hurt) built on the same type chassis, I felt the Santa Fe was the far better value. We don't plan on taking this off-road (at least not intentionally!) so I can't foresee us using our warranty to take care of irresponsibility with a drive train or anything like that (hint to the naysayers our there, "sport utility" label does not give you free rein to beat the crap out of your vehicle and then whine about "non-performance". So, Hyundai, you did it. A good vehicle, a good price and a good warranty. I felt the risk of a first year model was worth it here.

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Toyota Highlander (wonderful vehicle, too expensive for what you get), Toyota 4Runner (too "trucky"), Ford Explorer (gas hog), Honda Passport (just need a change)