Review: 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe

Over a decade on, auto makers are still sorting out what car buyers are looking for in a crossover. In what ways should a crossover be more like a car, and in what others should it more resemble an SUV? Two rows, or three? Older members of the class are like time capsules, capturing what manufacturers were thinking at that point in time. And so we have the Hyundai Santa Fe, refreshed for 2010 but last totally redesigned for the 2007 model year.

In recent years Hyundai’s designers have become (or at least been allowed to be) much more adventurous. The Santa Fe’s sheetmetal was crafted earlier, so it’s tasteful but conservative, cleaner but less chiseled and less visually intriguing than more recently designed Hyundais like the half-size smaller Tucson crossover. The interior is much the same, with a simple design and, in a conventional ploy to appear upscale, plentiful faux timber. Also no trendy panoramic sunroof; a single conventional roof portal above the first row will have to do.

The conservative design makes for a much better driving position than in the Tucson. From the driver’s seat it’s possible to reach the base on the windshield, much less the center stack. In the Tucson it’s hard to reach the radio tuner. With a high seating position, conservatively raked windshield, and a relatively low, compact instrument panel, the view forward is very much old style SUV. Such outstanding visibility is the primary reason people who will never venture off-road started buying SUVs in the first place. On the other hand, this driving position makes the Santa Fe feel dated.

The Santa Fe was originally designed to have a third-row seat. Consequently, there are a couple inches less second-row legroom than in the smaller Tucson. Adults will fit, but there’s no room to stretch out. For 2010 the third row is no longer offered, perhaps because the Veracruz now exists to better serve that need. Shoulder room is more plentiful than in the Tucson. Cargo room even more so. Fold the second row and the Santa Fe will hold 78 cubic feet of your stuff; the Tucson only 56.

The base engine in the Santa Fe is the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder that powers most Tucsons. If you’re only seeking 175 horsepower, you might as well buy the more up-to-date Tucson (unless you want to be able to easily reach the radio). The best reason to buy a Santa Fe over the Tucson: the larger crossover’s available 276-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. Given the Santa Fe’s very retro curb weight of just over 4,000 pounds, the strong six can move it quite swiftly, and not use too much gas in the process. The EPA ratings are 20/26. I observed about 24 on the highway, so these might be a little optimistic.

The Santa Fe’s center of gravity is high and its suspension tuning is much softer than the Tucson’s, so it’s not going to be the enthusiast’s choice. While the Tucson was designed with the European market in mind, the Santa Fe was designed for Americans. But though the Santa Fe lacks the Tucson’s taut “seat of the pants” feel, it handles intuitively and its steering, though loose on the highway, seems more fluid and natural. The steering might even communicate a bit much—minor impacts make their way through to your fingertips. Though the Santa Fe is truly midsize in width, it’s a few inches less lengthy than the typical midsize crossover, so (especially in combination with the driving position) it feels a little more maneuverable. Ride quality is smoother than in the Tucson, and cushier than the average crossover, but not the most composed. On the highway there’s a moderate amount of wind and road noise. No Lexus, but hardly loud, either.

The Tucson might be much more current, but the “dated” Santa Fe continues to outsell it nearly two-to-one, with 76,680 shifted during calendar year 2010. (Even with the Santa Fe removed from contention in the three-row contest, Hyundai only managed to sell 8,741 people on the Veracruz.) Part of the reason could well be the Santa Fe’s more conventional driving position, its more upscale appearance, and its available V6.

Price also clearly plays a role. The MSRP of the fully loaded tested example (V6, AWD, leather, sunroof, nav) might not seem low at $33,340, but (non-Korean) competitors tend to be thousands higher. A further indication of value: Hyundai has only priced the Santa Fe about $1,500 above the Tucson, and even with the V6 it’s only about $3,000 more. This is before incentives. Hyundai currently has $1,500 of rebates available for the Santa Fe, but none for the Tucson. So with the four-cylinder, the larger, more luxurious SUV is priced about the same as the smaller one. The related Kia Sorento is priced about $1,000 higher, but includes about $2,000 in additional “stuff” (based on comparisons using TrueDelta’s car price comparison tool), most notably the third row and attendant rear HVAC no longer offered in the Hyundai.

The Santa Fe doesn’t have trendy styling, sharp handling, or an especially roomy back seat. Compared to more recently designed competitors it both looks and feels dated. But it provides the upscale styling cues, commanding view from the driver’s seat, and easy to reach and operate controls many buyers in this segment apparently want, all at an attractive price. So maybe the latest crossovers aren’t heading in the right direction?

Hyundai provided an insured, fueled vehicle at a drive event.

Michael Karesh operates TrueDelta, an online source of car reliability and pricing data.