Used 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe comes to play against a very solid field that includes the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder. An extended version of the popular Santa Fe Sport, the 7-passenger Santa Fe offers more interior room, a long list of standard comfort and safety features and the most powerful V6 engine in the segment. The Santa Fe can be ordered with front- or all-wheel drive (FWD, AWD) and, with the exception of the missing DVD entertainment system, can generally match its competitors item for item while still undercutting them by a few hundred dollars. Of course, Hyundai doesn’t skimp to keep the Santa Fe’s price low, as witnessed by the handsome interior and elegant styling.

No one expects a big crossover SUV to excel in the areas of handling and acceleration, but the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe actually might surprise a few diehards. On the open road, the Santa Fe glides along with little effort. The 3-mode steering setup tracks straight and true and the compliant ride walks a fine line between jarringly harsh and marshmallow mush. Inside, wind and road noise are minimal, although we think the Nissan Pathfinder and Ford Explorer are a tad better insulated. Power for the Santa Fe comes from a 3.3-liter V6 offering 290 horsepower, but only 252 lb-ft of real hardworking torque. But, thanks to a significantly lighter body than most of its competition, the 2014 Santa Fe accomplishes swift takeoffs and passing maneuvers with ease. When the all-wheel-drive system is added, however, climbing hills and making mid-range passes (40-60 mph) feel more like work.

There’s plenty of room in the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe, and the driver’s view to the front is panoramic (the rearward view is less broad, but you’re never reduced to driving purely with the mirrors). The base Santa Fe’s stain-resistant cloth fabric feels good, plus the audio and climate-control knobs and buttons are glove-friendly big. All the materials are impressive right down to the rubber that lines the inside of the door pulls. The first two rows are completely livable for adults, while the third row is a decent kid’s row. The Santa Fe does give up some cargo area compared to the competition, however.

Looking for all the world like what it is – an extended-wheelbase Santa Fe Sport without the sporty rear-side-window kick-up – the new Santa Fe has more to say about handsome, contemporary styling than it does about swooping lines that characterize the shapes of Hyundai passenger cars. Nice touch 1: Even in base Santa Fe GLS form, the outside mirrors and bumpers are body color. Integrated fog lights, roof rails and 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels are the exterior differences between the GLS and upscale Limited versions. Nice touch 2: The Santa Fe GLS gets smaller 18-inch wheels, but they, too, are of aluminum alloy.

HYUNDAI BLUE LINK
Beyond the expected concierge services, SOS emergency assistance, news, weather and turn-by-turn navigation help, Blue Link’s 3-level telematics system includes a parent-centric app that sends you a text if your Santa Fe is driven over a preset speed, past a curfew time or beyond a preset "geofence" perimeter.

PANORAMIC SUNROOF
A 1-touch power tilt/slide sunroof is cool, but one with a sky view that spans all three rows is triple cool.

Santa Fe GLS drivers with a long journey ahead will appreciate the multi-adjustable front bucket seats with power-adjustable lumbar support. Passengers farther back will give thanks to the 3rd-row controls for the air conditioning and heating. Stepping up to the Santa Fe Limited includes luxuries like leather seating – power-adjustable and heated for the driver and front passenger – push-button starting and heated captain’s chairs for the second row. The Limited also upgrades the audio system with a 4.3-inch color display and adds a rearview camera. Sweet as ever, Hyundai’s confidence-inspiring 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties cover the new Santa Fe.

Beyond a laundry list of individual options like a heated steering wheel, navigation system, premium audio and all-wheel drive, Hyundai is pushing option packages. For the Santa Fe GLS, the Leather and Navigation Package includes said leather and navigation plus a host of comfort and convenience upgrades. The Limited’s Technology Package scores you navigation and a 12-speaker Infinity Logic 7 audio system, plus that wow-inspiring Panoramic Sunroof, a heated steering wheel, rear backup sensors and manual rear-side-window sunshades. Sadly for mom and dad, no rear-seat-entertainment/DVD pacifier is available on the 2014 Santa Fe (but an iPad or two would be cheaper than most such systems, anyway).

Hyundai makes it simple to shop for a 2014 Santa Fe: one engine, one transmission. In front-drive form, the SUV’s 290-horsepower 3.3-liter V6 is very well matched to the 6-speed automatic transmission, with good throttle response, smooth pickup and clean, easy shifts. The AWD Santa Fe, though, could do with some more low-end grunt to get it moving. All that said, the 2014 Santa Fe is comfortable towing up to 5,000 pounds of trailer, boat or anything else you’d like to haul.

3.3-liter V6
290 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
252 lb-ft of torque @ 5,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/25 mpg (FWD), 18/24 mpg (AWD)