Style and room

Transmission problem.

Happy with style of vehicle. Have had problems since purchase with the transmission slipping upon accelorating. Have been told it is a software problem. My mother purchased the 3.5L at the same time and has had her car in for repair at the dealership for the past 4 days due to major engine problem that Hyundai is refusing to fix due to an aftermarker oil filter being put on by her mechanic when she had her oil changed. She has 3100 miles on the vehicle. I have had mine in the shop twice for the transmissiona and I am still having a problem. Brad Benson Hyundai/Mitsubishi where both vehicles were purchased was the WORST car buying experience of our lives. Between that and the problems with the vehicles, it has been a very sad Hyundai buying/owning experience.

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Minivan, sedan

Price, standard features, ride, stereo, warranty.

Drivers seat should slide back further.

Great vehicle. Had the car for over one year and not a problem. Had a harsh winter with lots of snow. Never had a problem getting stuck. Purposely tried to spin the wheels in the snow and couldn't. Actually I felt myself getting pushed back in the seat from the fast accelaration. Glad that I made the purchase.

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1st SUV, always drove sedans

Cost it out on line. If this was a GM, Ford, Dodge, domestic or foreign - you would be paying more, have fewer options with a less reliable warranty.

Edwards Archer blew my battery when driving my trade-in. Watch out for specific dealerships (go on the TD with them!). Watch out for the "VIP oil change deals", they require 6 mth maintenance that run over $200; and the service dept just tops the fluids. ITs not worth the cost of the oil changes. They do not void the warranty!

Researched this vehicle for over a month. Took it for a Testdrive (TD) in Milwaukee, and had a great time. A terrific vehicle! Drove almost as well as the Toyota Highlander; but drives more like a car. Planned on purchasing the vehicle yesterday at Edwards Archer but found out quickly that they don't care about their customers. Watch out for them if you live in the Omaha-CB area! After 2 more TD with different models, you'll want to spend the extra $$ and get the LX 4WD with the sunroof. You won't be disappointed. Would have bought the honda element if the exterior wasn't so ugly. If the Santa Fe isn't for you - the element will surprise you too!!!

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all 2004s: honda element, toyota highlander, nissan xterra, i'm loyal to the website - will check back again after a few 000' miles.

style

seats are stiff, mpg could be better

The Santa Fe is very nice to look at. The seats are a little stiff for a long trip. The 22mpg could be better on the open road. It has a lot of room for my stuff. It also has great take off speed. ALL and all its a pretty cool little Suv.

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Powerful sporty 3.5L V6 nice exterior and interior design nice stereoj system high safety features lots of room fun to drive!! nice alarm system (it's not just a horn honking over and over) great warranty

needs electric seats

I bought my Sante Fe 6 months ago and it hasnt failed me once. The 3.5L V6 engine is just awesome; for a 5000lb midsize SUV the acceleration is amazing! Plus you can turn the TCS (traction control system) with the push of a button so when that light turns green you can make your wheels scream! The exterior style is impressive - nothing else looks nearly like it. The six speaker stereo system is loud and of high quality. It has high safety ratings: 4-wheel ABS, front and side airbags, high crash test ratings. It's great. There is lots of room and the interior is of good quality. It's just a great inexspensive SUV with lots of standard features that anyone (excluding those foreign car haters) should love. Take a test drive you'll be impressed. just watch out for the gremlins! j/k

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just about every other midsize SUV out there

Handles corners, wet roads, & hazardous drivers well. Good gas mileage Roomy SUNROOF Remote rear-view mirror Storage space(s) in very back Great factory stereo system Easy access/use spare tire system Fantasic warranty and road side service (I've used it)

Wind noise Hot leather seats but that my fault vib is being repaired so not really a problem Little head room for average/tall people in the driver seat I think LX should have compass Date monitor on roof is useless 12-volt outlets don't charge when car is off Vents allowing air to blow through when system is off (hate that)

I have had the car for 18 months and I really do love it. The only issues I have had with the car is I have had vibration in steering wheel since first day and finally (hopefully) figured out it is a warped hub someone over torqued and when I exceed 65mph, the wind blows through a spot near by side mirror and I can hear a whistle-typy sound. I dislike when I have the AC off, I can feel hot air blowing through vents when I am in 110 degree temp (not pleasant). I have the V-6,with 3.5L engine and no problems there. Car handles fantastic around corners & I do push those limits as much as possible. Happy buying....

-Powerful 3.5L V6 -Stylish exterior and interior -great stereo -lots of room

-needs electric seats -you can't even here the alarm from a block away it's so quiet

Hyundai sure has improved the sante fe since it first came out. The older models werent very reliable but the new 2004 is awesome. The 3.5L V6 is outstanding with acceleration. The 6 speaker stereo system is great. The ride is very comfortable and quiet. The front and side impact airbags are reasurring. The plastic bumpers are a downside but with the high crash test ratings it doesnt really matter. The exterior and interior design are very stylish. This is a great buy for any family.

Pick up Fit and finish Ride Quality

Gas mileage. 20 MPG thus far around town. Average for class. Cruise control buttons don't light up at night

This is my first suv, 3rd Hyundai. Last 2 cars were camry's. This car is awesome. It rides better than and picks up faster than my Camrys. Cost same to insure as my 5 year old Solara. Ride is smooth, Plenty of room, great warranty.Fit and finish are superb. I have cloth interior and it looks good. For 20K it beat out the Highlander I was considering. Even if it had cost the same I would have bought the Santa Fe. Brakes take a bit of pressure but all the SUV's I tried did too. Gas pedal is a bit touchy and takes getting used too. Headlights are great.Visibility great. Stereo is ok with the built in equalizer functions. read reviews in consumers, edmunds etc.. and all reccomended this vehicle highly. Got the dark blue which actually almost looks black, should be a tic lighter in color to show off the metalic highlights.

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tested highlander, lexus 330, jeep

Great style. I have seen some admiring looks at the car. My wife found the heated seats a strong plus. Ride is generally smooth on long trips.

Refer to the summary section for details. This section does not allow enough room to describe the weaknesses of the Santa Fe.

Good looking vehicle, with an often comfortable ride but bad gas mileage, cheap interior, questionable manufacturing quality. This vehicle is not worth the headaches you will experience. Customer service sometimes happens but don’t expect to make a habit of it. I am reporting weaknesses in the summary because there is not enough room in the weakness section. Alarm system has no dashboard flashing light. I prefer that potential thieves at least have a clue that the car has an alarm. There is a lack of attention to detail in manufacturing. The first thing I noticed after buying was a rat’s nest of wiring under the driver’s seat. No clips, compartments or other devices to keep things organized like a professional manufacturer would do. This is a vehicle designed to create electrical problems. I have also had a recurring problem with a rattling noise from the passenger door. In three visits to the dealer, no one can figure out why. It sounds like a loose screw or lost tool rattling around the inside of the door. If it wasn’t for the constant rattling noise while driving, I would give the vehicle a much better review. I don’t give Hyundai mechanics high marks for knowing their job. Now at 18,000 miles, I have a check engine warning light on. This is several months after the last recall where they “fixed” the problem. Of course no dealer service people work weekends so nothing to be done until Monday. Usually, this light means a problem with oxygen sensors and it is a sad statement about quality when they break down at 18,000 miles. The dealer offered an incentive of free oil changes for the life of the car. He probably knew the life would not be very long. Anyway, during these “free” oil changes the dealer always manages to add on a tire rotation or some other maintenance task which costs much more than the price of an oil change. Something else that bothered me after buying was that I noted that the vehicle was made completely in South Korea. I fully expect components of cars to be made in other countries but usually something will be made in the US. If that bothers you, then you should not buy this car. I had a little problem with the insurance company on identifying the model of the car. My insurance company could not get information from Hyundai Corporation to determine if the vehicle was an LX or GLS model. It took me a week of phone calls to get things straight. It did not affect my insurance rates but it is not a vote of confidence in Hyundai that they tell insurance companies one thing and other people something else. Paint finish is starting to chip. Lots of road noise and vibration at highway speeds. I got a lousy deal on the price of my Santa Fe but that is my problem. If you decide to buy for some reason, any price you pay will probably be too much. Just another word about Hyundai customer service. I completed a customer survey several months after owning the Santa Fe. Hyundai sent me a mini tool kit ratchet set as a thank you for filling out the survey. The set was missing several pieces. That kind of sums up what you get with Hyundai. They sometimes make efforts to improve your experience but they can’t seem to get it right.

SPACE,

3 TIMES TRANSMISSION REPLACED,TOTALLY UNRELIABLE,NEVER KNOW WERE WILL BREAK DOWN

VERY COMFORTABLE,HOLDS ROAD WELL,A LOT OF SPACE

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