2006 Hyundai Santa Fe SX review from Australia and New Zealand
"This SUV with turbo diesel power will blow the opposition away!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing as yet. I bought the car brand new and have only done 1200k.
General comments?
I can't understand why I haven't seen more Santa Fe's on the road. Toyota Rav's seem to rule, but I have put these two cars head to head (back to back test drives of 1 hour each) and I can't believe how much more value appears to be in the Hyundai.
My Santa Fe is a 2.2 turbo diesel and blows the petrol only Rav off the road. Torque from the diesel engine kicks in from about 1500 rpm and screams through to 4000 rpm, pulling hard all the way. You must alter your normal driving instincts from putting your foot flat to the floor as the diesel seems to respond better with half to three quarter throttle. Anything else is a waste.
In contrast the RAV requires your foot flat to the floor and then responds well as the revs increase up to near redline.
The interior styling in the Santa Fe is what really caught my eye. It has superior space and styling to the RAV and easily accommodates my 6ft 3inch son and 5ft 10inch daughter in the back seats.
It was disappointing not to be able to option up the base manual version that I bought (SX). I would dearly loved to have had the SLX version with its curtain and thorax airbags, electronic stability control, and traction control, however I did not want an automatic and I did not want 7 seats, being the only option in the SLX.
The 5 seater Santa Fe has a great wet storage box where the extra 2 seats are located in the SLX. I can live without the stability controls etc, but would have been happy to pay a couple of grand more to obtain the extra airbags, but nothing is an option in either the SX, SLX or Elite.
The claimed fuel economy (7.3l/100km) of the diesel looks close to the mark and it’s been great to go for a couple of weeks without having to refuel or watch the fuel prices!
I intend going to Fraser Island to test its 4WD credentials in late March so I will add a further review after a bit more driving, on and off road.
So far so good, but it's early days yet.
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| I am pleased to date with my investment |
|
| 2005 - Santa Fe V6 GL AWD 2.7L V6 Good so far |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2006 |
| Year of manufacture | 2006 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | turbo diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 25 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 1200 kilometres |
| Previous car | Nissan Narvara |
| Date of Entry | 25th February, 2007 |