2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by steelydan0613
Member1375
Exterior styling
Clean, fluid lines that lack the quirkiness of the previous , funky looking , Santa Fe generation. A nice looking package that manages to be a little interesting without danger of looking "dated" down the road....
Powertrain performance
Very quiet engine, no timing belt, uses a lifetime timing chain but sooo quiet.....Shifts ( 5 spd auto with the 3.3L)are very smooth. This is the better engine/tranny combo than the base GLS model.
Handling
very nimble handling, very quick steering, yet secure at speed. very short turning radius, a breeze to park.
Quietness
very quiet engine/tranny, no squeaks or rattles, very little wind noise. A little tire hum at speed, but a quiet vehicle for sure........
Fuel economy
It is a 3.3L 6 cylinder ( 242HP) engine, driven in mostly city driving....17.7 city MPG is realistic, but not amazing. In general, I would say the Santa Fe is average in fuel economy for a 6 cylinder SUV, but it is not outstanding in this area.
Ride smoothness
The Santa Fe has a quiet ride, but not the smoothest over bumpy roads. It does a little "jiggling" over uneven pavement, I would characterize it as a "busy" ride over unsettled pavement. The driver control is always good, so that carries the day for me.
Color choices
I like the exterior colors, but the interior carpet/seat colors tend to be too light no matter the color...translated, this means they all will show dirt over time too easily. The cloth in our SE trim is good, but the base GLS cloth is a little cheesy...
Return to top
Sign in or
join TrueDelta to post your own thoughts.
Return to top
See TrueDelta's information for all
SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all
Hyundai models.