Hyundai Santa Fe (01-05) - Review

Review by Parkers on
If you really need to go off-road then you'l probably be better off with Hyundai's Terracan as the Santa Fe is not designed to deal with serious mud. Its 4x4 system is permanent and doesn't offer high and low ratios or diff locks. However, it will cope with the odd point-to-point car park and you don't have to pay for, or carry, hardware you're never going to use. You get plenty of car for your money, but don't expect a sharp drive. A good family activity workhorse.
3.5 out of 5

Other Hyundai reviews

4 out of 5

Safety

Achieves a decent score in crash tests and gets a reasonable level of safety equipment, too. Security precautions aren't so well catered for.

NCAP Test

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  • Adult Occupant Rating

    4 out of 5
  • Child Protection Rating

    1 out of 5
3.5 out of 5

Reliability

Doesn't feel well put together from the inside, but it's mechanically durable and also benefits from Hyundai's five-year all-encompassing warranty so stop worrying.

Car check problem points

Body

Check for damage to the underside from off-road use.

Engine/Gearbox

Too new to tell, but problems are not expected.

Other

No reports so far.