By Andre Palma
Philippine Daily Inquirer
IT is easy to fall prey to preconceived notions, biases if you will. Even the world of cars and motoring is not free of arbitrary, foregone conclusions. Rain always brings horrendous traffic. Station wagon owners have large, hairy dogs. Traffic cops like doughnuts.
Ask yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, what comes to mind when you think of the Hyundai brand? Honestly, in our subconscious’ hierarchy of automotive brands, cars with the italicized H aren’t vehicles that we are completely comfortable with. More often than not, a little sense of hesitation always creeps in when thinking of this marque.
Chalk up this line of thinking to a less than stellar complement of vehicles that initially introduced Hyundai cars to the local market around a decade ago. To say that the current generation of automobiles from this Korean manufacturer is now radically different would just state the obvious. Inevitably, everything changes over time. What really has to be said is that change has been kind to the Hyundai brand and the second generation Santa Fe is confirmation of the good news.
If only cars were solely judged by their engines. The 2.2-liter common-rail turbo diesel unit makes the strongest argument for Santa Fe. Few diesel engines across the entire local market can claim to deliver the same amount of bang for buck value. At around 150 horses and 330 Nm of twist, pull is more than sufficient from about 2,000 rpm.
This engine allows the almost two-ton mass of the Santa Fe to reach the century speed mark with surprising ease. Beyond that, it takes quite a while for the Santa Fe to lose steam. Just how far will the needle go on the speedometer? Let’s just say this is the kind of SUV that is good for low 20-minute times on empty highways headed for old naval bases nestled in the hills, a whispering turbo making a compelling argument to push just a little bit more.
Styling is another strong point of the Santa Fe. Proper dimensions and proportions are the solid foundation that allows the details of this SUV’s sheet metal to come through. A chiseled front fascia, highlighted by a gaping front intake hints at an aerospace influence. Tasteful treatment of the headlamps allows people to notice slightly muscular fender treatments. The slanted rake of the front windscreen meets a roofline that tapers agreeably, guiding along the rest of the sheet metal, toward the rear of the vehicle. While not drop dead gorgeous, the Santa Fe is quite the looker.
The rest of the Santa Fe package is a little more down to earth. Interiors are on the verge of tasteful. Ergonomics can sometimes be a few millimeters off here and there. The brakes could use a little more modulation. Road holding is a little too comfort-oriented. Rear quarter visibility could be a little less obstructed. Better tires could be mounted straight from the factory. You get the picture. The balance of what makes up the Santa Fe is not quite there yet.
All this nitpicking has a point though. For a company that has gone to great lengths to close the gap with bigger manufacturers, the Santa Fe is tantalizingly close to completing this task. Where Hyundai used to be a couple of generations back from the competition, this current crop of cars is already nipping at the heels of the rest of the manufacturing powers. It is foreseeable that continued improvement by Hyundai will eventually result in products that will be difficult to discern from more mainstream products. At this exceptional rate of evolution, the next Santa Fe should be impeccable.
22 Feedbacks on "The Hyundai Santa Fe, are we there yet?"
doubtful
if id buy a hyundai, it would be the tucson, its cheaper and can already pass as an suv. i dont see the point of owning a santa fe, it creates confusion… does it say “i have arrived coz im driving an suv?” or does it say “im practical coz im driving a hyundai?” and what does this confusion mean? it means that the santa fe has no personality. look at other suvs from other car manufacturers here in the philippines, when you see a land cruiser or a patrol safari you’d say “now there’s a vip!” when you see a fortuner you’d say “there’s a rugged self-made man!”. at least the hyundai tucson has the “practical” personality. i wouldnt want people to say “now, there’s a confused man” when they see me driving a santa fe.
HappySUVOwner
I, for one, own a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, and I am not a confused person. The Tuscon is defiantely a nice vehicle but lacks that extra ‘wow’ factor that the Santa Fe brings out. For only a little more money, you’re left with more space and a better feeling of what you have. Since I use the vehicle everyday, I would much prefer to drive a Santa Fe over a Tuscon.
boy_s
You forgot to mention that Hyundai tops the list in three categories according to the independent Consumer Reports in the United States.
For the SUV category, I am not sure if it was Santa Fe or Vera Cruz.
boy_s
Hi doubtful,
Why are you so concerned on how people will judge you while driving your car/SUV?
Aren’t you confident enough or are you still doubtful?
BONGSKI
WTH??? are we there yet??? you aint there yet mr. palma..sorry to say but your article just made me re-think of owning a sta.fe….bad article….hyundai should sue you
litenshadow
The difference between Sta Fe and Tucson is that the former is a 7-seater while the latter is a 5-seater. They have different markets. I for one would love to have a 7-seater SUV with the smooth handling of a car and with an efficiency and fuel economy of a diesel engine (not to mention the smoothness and power of the common rail turbo) which is lacking in most competitors. The Sta Fe satisfies my requirements. Also before my purchase I would go into great length to find out which one gives me the better value for my hard earned money. Whatever decision I make that would not make me a confused man.
REX MALBACIAS
I am noW currently living in Australia and my first SUV is a Santa Fe and I clocked 326 thousand kilometres on it and I don’t have issues with it. My second car is a celica which i traded with Hyundai Tiburon and to date I don’t have problems whatsoever.
Sometimes we need more grunt, that a Tiburon can not provide that is the reason why I bought a V8 6.0 litre HSV GTO, problem is its too thirsty and expensive to maintain. TIBURON is my daily use car and I LOVE IT.
instyle
…or they’ll say that “there’s a confused man driving in style”….
joy
Well, I drive a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe here in the States..and I love it. For it’s reasonable price, it’s roomy and very confortable to drive. I test drove a Tucson and yes, it is cheaper than the Santa Fe, but if I have to pay for a brand new car and pay for it for the next five years, might as well drive something that I really like and I could afford. If you have asked me 5 years ago, Hyundai brand cars would be the last on my list of cars I want to buy. Hyundai have developed better cars in the last three years.
We filipinos have tendencies to be so materialistic. A lot of us go for the BRAND named stuff kahit na libing na sa utang! Some filipinos would joke that they would rather kill themselves than being seen driving a crappy cars…It’s all about STATUS SYMBOL!..that’s why there’s so much corruption in the Phils…PITY!..
litenshadow
The difference between Sta Fe and Tucson is that the former is a 7-seater while the latter is a 5-seater. They have different markets. I for one would love to have a 7-seater SUV with the smooth handling of a car and with an efficiency and fuel economy of a diesel engine (not to mention the smoothness and power of the common rail turbo) which is lacking in most competitors. The Sta Fe satisfies my requirements. Also before my purchase I would go into great length to find out which one gives me the better value for my hard earned money. Whatever decision I make, for sure that would not make me a confused man.
Jim
The Tucson is a cheap, and ugly sedan posing as an SUV. It’s miles off the Santa Fe which uses a 3rd generation diesel engine - much more efficient and quiet than the Tucson which uses an older diesel engine.
SUV’s are never practical. If you want practical, buy an AUV.
BTW, unless you want diesel, go for the Outlander
Kevin
With competitors constantly pushing the level of features, technology and refinement with each redesign, I can see how a product planner for midsize SUVs could have a lot of sleepless nights. After driving the Santa Fe, it’s clear that Hyundai cares about getting the small things right in a vehicle, and it got enough things right in this SUV that those planners should be sleeping just fine these days . . . at least for a few months
Rebutt
It will say I have made it but i will not let it go to my head because i am still practical. Image is just an ego. Character is what made you.
robert
You must be only referring to Hyundai in the Philippines where the safety standards are never really a ‘Standard’ or I don’t even know if Philippines has that standard.
I am driving only a 2008 Hyundai Elantra, but believe me you guys, it has 8 airbags,
TMS tire monitoring system, ESC electronic stability control, ABS, 4-wheel disc brake system and the engine is a 2.0 liter, which an ACURA, BMW or LEXUS has for its class.
The best thing about this the power train guarranty, a 10-yr or 100,000 miles bumper to bumper warranty.
Well, I guess Elantra in the Philippines has only the 1.3 liter engine, no airbags… because people will sacrifice safety for another hundred thousand pesos more…? and the warranty you get from their product here is worth every penny. Hyundai is adjudged as the “best value for your money” car.
And by the way, the 08 Elantra maybe in the Philippine market in 2010.
Jose
Hyundai Santa Fe is a far better car than the third-world model Fortuner (it’s just an AUV come on). Santa Fe has passed European and American stringent standards. EuroNCAP and IIHS 5-star crash rating too which means it’s very safe.
Gone are the days when people would rely only on the brand name alone. There’s internet now. Due to the vast information available, people can now make intelligent decisions quite easily.
After so many test drives, We bought one and we’re very happy with it. Very fast (can do 210kmh stock), sleek and doesn’t stall and choke unlike the D-4D of Fortuner. Nothing in its segment can beat it at this time.
Its ride is very comfortable due to the nice suspension and stock all-leather interior. Very stable even at high speed cornering. Ideal for those impromptu stop light and expressway races.
all that, while having the ability to do 22km/L on Hwy drives.
maria
Doubtful, you can say that because you have not driven a Hyundai. I have. In fact, I have owned 3 Hyundai’s starting from their Elantra, moving up to the Santa Fe and then their Entourage as our space requirement increased. All 3 have performed wonderfully never giving me a problem. Their warranty coverage is great although I’ve never used it, and their customer service is exemplary. There is nothing confused about the Santa Fe, but then, maybe it’s really you and not the car that we’re talking about.
Keith K
i drive a Santa Fe Mk 1 Diesel, purchased in 2003, I find it to be extremely reliable, comfortable and fuel efficient (44 mpg on the highway and 38 round town). Do your research and buy the car NOT the badge. I shall purchase another Santa Fe most definatly.
Keith K
doubtful
im not saying that the sta. fe is a bad vehicle, all im saying is that it has no personality thats all. you can put all the bell and whistles in the sta. fe but for me, its still confusing. id drive it, but it better have very dark tinted windows (just kidding) lol.
Dagz
Hyundai is a good multi-purpose vehicle.
We are using hyundai variants in the province to haul our farm implements, aside from the usual trips to the market.
I say its a good multi-purpose vehicle because it is very cheap; it is very easy to maintain because of the super cheap and readily available parts. You can practically change parts every month and no worries because it is really super cheap. For example, a complete disk brake set cost around P3,000. Hey that could not even buy you a Nissin-Honda, much more a Brembo-Acura[Honda] brake pads!
Just don’t ask that much or expect of it or you’ll be really changing every conceivable parts every month ehehehe.
Take it this way: If you are using a power drill, treat the Hyundai as a P500 worth of generic MADE IN CHINA, not a P15,000 MAKITA - MADE IN JAPAN. And you’ll never go wrong with a hyundai.
On the brighter side, based on experience, no low end diesel could beat the hyundai; your isuzu, nissan, and mitsubishi, could easily succumb to the rigors of farming odd jobs; but the hyundai won’t. Expect the cheaply built isuzu, e.g, trooper, to give way in maybe 3 months.
So start using your starex and veracruz to haul fertilizers, feeds, seeds, and hogs.
If you want reliability, power, and performance, on top of prestige wherein you could park alongside a Panamera, then you better have a HONDA, not a HYUNDAI.
2net
I have a sta. fe. pinagyayabang ko pa nga sa POEA, pero wlang pumapansin kasi hyundai at jeep lang daw ito waahh ang sama sama nila pinaghirapan kung punas punasan ito kasi ang alam ko porsche ito waahhh ang sama nyu. expensive ito level ng porsche waaahhhh
arthur
bumili kami ng sta fe kasi dami nagsasabi maganda daw ito.
eto, nadaya ako ang pangit pangit pala ng takbo, mainit, kalampag at nag hina hina ng makina. putris sila kya pala nila ako pinabili para may kasama sila sa pangit na nakbili na sta. fe. sayang tuloy 1.3 million ku ngayon binebenta ku 1 million after 4 months wala takers tinawaran ba naman ako 500,000 kasi hyundai lang daw ito at auv waaahhhhh
lugi kayo sa hyundai bili nalang kayo ng honda or toyota take it from me
pinggoy
wag na kayo bumili ng hyundai sta fe pangit ito sim pangit ng bibili
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