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2009 Hyundai Santa Fe Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by steelydan0613

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Reviewed: 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe

4dr SUV 242-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Why the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe?

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........

Why Not the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe?

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...

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