Hyundai Santa Fe CM (2006-2012)

DODGY SEAT BELTS IN HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2010 – NOV 2021 had my teenage kids in the car, was parked at the shops when we heard a loud bang. Thought someone hit the car, but it was the seat belt tensioner, just broke, out of the blue. Right mid row seat belt went totally slack, and this is supposed to protect us in case of an accident??? Took it in and was told this was very unusual but not… Read more

covered as the car is out of warranty, I paid $700 for a new belt. March of 2022 my teen daughter was seated in the back, we are on the way home, and the exact same thing happens to the left mid row seat belt. Take it in again, same story, not covered, paid $700 2 SEAT BELT FAILURES WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER????????? I was told by Hyundai service manager to contact Hyundai Australia, which I did. Told by Hyundai Australia, they have not inspected the car personally ???? Repeated that it went to Hyundai Dealership. They responded that it might have failed, DUE TO THE BABY SEATS????? Never had baby seats in this car

VERY CONCERNED THAT OTHER CARS MIGHT BE AFFECTED

Death trap – Engine has cut out on my daughter's 2007 Santa Fe with 180K on the odometer twice now, leaving her stranded across a couple of busy intersections. Local Ford dealer workshop replaced the fuel filter but this hasn't fixed it. Foreman has driven the car and tested it but can't find the problem.  Show details

A really good drive! – I've had my 2009 Santa Fe 2.2L diesel admittedly only 4 mths so far so not a long term test, but in that time, I traveled from Bathurst to Flinders Ranges SA and return with no fuss what-so-ever. The car sits well on the road with surprisingly good handling for a SUV. (it is constant 4wd) I towed a camper trailer on the trip and achieved an… Read more ·  1

average of 10.2 l/100 with a fully laden car, really good after my previous petrol 3.3L Nissan Pathfinder (2003) which did average 13.2 l/100 on a similar trip NOT towing anything!

It's very comfortable and easy to drive with light but responsive steering and light accelerator.

There is however, a problem to look out for in this series which I discovered I had on mine, the car sometimes simply would not start but just kept cranking!

To cut a long story short, I discovered after some investigation that there is a wiring loom under the dash going up to the key module that is so tight that it connects and then disconnects at will, so sometimes the car starts and sometimes not!

I went to Hyundai to price rectifying it and they said that both the loom and starter module needed to be replaced at a cost of $650.00. (approx)

I then had a bright idea and crawled under the dash, fitted a cable tie to the loom and around the steering column, holding the loom firmly in place and have had NO problem since! Savings: $650 woo hoo!

But all that said, I would recommend and seriously consider buying another Hyundai....very nice car!

Diesel Santa Fe 7 seated 2008 – Excellent to drive on all roads gravel through to freeway. No low range gear which isn't a problem as its not a major off-road car. Good auto. Comfortable. Very economical. Handles very well. Wife loves it as do I. No mechanical or upholstery issues. Has 7 seats on mine used on many occasions. Great vehicle in all departments. Since purchase and… Read more

to the present day of April 2019 it has been very reliable. All warranty issues were dealt with well by the dealership. These mostly were to do with the rear passenger door locks which sometimes locked shut without warning and could not be opened. The locks have been replaced on a number of occasions with new and a redesigned unit as this fault appeared on a small number of vehicles (about 7 Australia wide according to the dealership ). They have continued to do the replacement even well after the normal warranty expired without complaint which I find very commendable. NRMA replaced the alternator last year in a road service stoppage, and the original battery the year before so it's been pretty reliable electrically. Mechanically it has been excellent.

Fabulous family car with room for everything – We have a 7 seater Highlander Santa Fe and by far and away it is the best car we have owned. The engine (diesel) is quiet, the steering smooth, brakes responsive even in the wet, the sound with speakers in the rear is great as well as the 6 stacker CD player allowing the endless 'replay' of wiggles a little more bearable. The airconditioning… Read more

vents in the far back allows even our extra play date kids and dog comfort in the heat! It fits 3 car seats comfortably, a must have for us with 3 young children, in the middle row and the 2 seats in the rear can be half or fully up allowing space beside one extra passenger for the dog! The leather seats have been a life saver with our small children for easy cleaning and all the mod cons you'd expect from a great car including the all important reversing camera - great to have around children. We'd recommend this car for anyone with children, with the versatility of 7 seats when needed, and have gone camping multiple times with the extra space of roof racks and a roof cage.

Review! – With 5 kids in tow, we find our Hyundai Santa Fe extremely reliable, amazing on fuel and extremely comfy!!! Easy to drive and look after, we love piling in and going for a drive! It could do with better AC though, with my kids who sit in the rear seats, finding it very stuffy and hot or cold, as there are no air ducts that go back that way. It’s a… Read more

fairly basic model therefore not much can go wrong or play up! For a 7 seater SUV for the price of purchase, seriously its worth the money

This car has been great for ten years and 160 k on clock – Our only family car, took us around Australia towing a camper, towed our caravan over Mt Hotham, small enough to take to supermarket, big enough to take on holiday, even 4WD in NT, good fuel efficiency, upgrading reluctantly due to needing more towing capacity. Showing its age now with some quirky issue, but superb value for money. Lots of legroom, flexible 7 seats, and for $48,000 new in 2009.  Show details

Very sturdy and secure car – I had purchased santa fe in 2008 and still is functioning outstandingly. Very powerful and sturdy car which had lasted me 10 years till now and I probably can use it for at least another 5 years. Overall I am very happy with Hyundai products as they are cheaper than some competitive brands but much better quality.  Show details

Nice....while it lasted – Had a Sante Fe Highlander that was faultless engine wise for 7 years. 150,000ks. Serviced for everything at Hyundai dealer including door seals which came off every few years. Then driving it to work one night and it started losing power and noticed engine starting to overheat. Took it to dealership next day and found head had cracked. $4500 to… Read more

fix. As soon as it was put back together i sold it. Was it the car, was it the servicing?? Hard to say. Not sure i would take the risk again.

Door actuator – Door actuator should be separated to the door lock assembly so that it's cheaper to replace you only to replace either one. The model that we have is the Hyundai Santa Fe Trail pack 2002 just recently we have a problem on the passenger door that cannot open both inside and out. It's automatic lock and I believe that is the wear and tear it. it cost a lot just to replace it, I believe Hyundai should fix this problem.  Show details

Cuts out while driving – I am terrified now to drive my Hyundai Santa Fe. i travel to the Darling Downs from Bris.My Santa Fe just stopped while driving.I had no Steering. I put it in to get checked and they say no problem could be found. If i am doing 100kph I am going to end up a Statistic.Hitting a tree. Will Hyundai take Notice as there are THOUSANDS OF BLOGS ABOUT THIS CUT PROBLEM i loved my Santa Fe but now am SCARED to drive it.  Show details

Power and Economy – I've had my 2010 CM 2.2 turbo diesel for four years now. It had nearly 200,000km on it when I purchased it and now has nearly 317,000km. Needless to say I do a lot of driving. The power is excellent although perhaps excessive as I have wheelspin issues at times. It tows beautifully (perhaps what all that torque is designed for) and does everything… Read more

it should. Replaced the timing chain just before 300,000km but otherwise had nothing other than regular servicing. Extremely happy with this vehicle, but I would say to people who are looking at buying these, I service mine every 7,500km and I drive it a lot and hard, that's what diesels like. I also regularly have the fuel system serviced/cleaned. If you like to drive hard and do lots of Km's I highly recommend!

Excellent – THE GOOD: The deisel CM is amzing Great ground clearance, good ergonomics in the cab Comfy seats Seven seat option is good because the seats are fully conceald under the florr when not in use' THE BAD: Sunroof reduces headroom by 60mm, I am only 6'2" and i bump my head on rogh roads Very harsh ride in bumpy roads  Show details

Economical & reliable car – The car rides well although on the soft side. Brakes are good but the standard front brake pads create a lot of dust . I have taken the Santa Fe on some hilly slippery trails & it has performed well....for a soft roader. The 5 speed tranny is a bit agricultural at times but does the job. The car now has 145000 km and has been totally reliable… Read more

other than a

R/H rear wheel bearing failure at 100000. Get a easy 800+ km out of the 74 litre tank. The interior is tidy and looks flash when compared to the competition. Looking forward to buying another Santa Fe when done with this one.

Great car – Driving is great a little bit more leg room would be nice on drivers side but the car on the highway has plenty of power plus economical around 6.8 L/H is pretty average no road noise and very comfortable car drives great on the road and SUV's usually are a bit heavy on tyre wear but if pressures are kept up weekly the life of tyres have last over… Read more

a third longer . Reliability is awesome not a problem with the car the seven seater is great this is our second and will probably buy another

Still can't believe how good this car is – Replaced my V8 Commodore with a used Santy over a year ago, and still amazed at how well the Koreans build a car these days. 100,000 km on the clock now and a few niggling faults (reversing sensors stopped working, Aux input to radio not working) which were all fixed under warranty without any hassle by the dealer. Unbelievably economical for a… Read more

larger vehicle - I have driven several times from Taree to Sydney Airport and return (a 700 km round trip) on one tank with an average of 6.4 L/100 km! Certainly not sports car performance, but the torque is terrific when towing and long distance cruising is effortless and quiet. And driven sensibly it can take on some pretty rough tracks without getting stuck. My two criticisms are that the seating for this pretty average Aussie bloke (183 cm/85 kg) is nowhere near as comfortable as my old Holden, and the 2nd row seats don't fold flat which reduces the usefulness of the (fairly large) cargo space.

April 13th 2018 Update: Two on a row now

Bought a used CM a few years ago and loved it. So much that I traded it for a new one six months ago. The new model is fantastic, all the good things from 6 years ago plus every bit of tech magic available. Absolutely amazing car for the price.

Not built to last, worst customer service known to man – From a car driving stand point this car offers excellent fuel economy, performance and space. But it all ends there. Just like the review from "San". I too upgraded to this car from a Toyota RAV4. The biggest difference I found was build quality. Purchased and leased from new, I found door seals hanging off, cruise control appears to fail and… Read more

require the car to be restarted, unusual knocking noises coming from the transmission and a very stiff clutch action (Manual Version) after about 70,000Kms. An incident involving a rodent chewing an ignition cable resulted in a quote from Hyundai for over $6000. Luckily the item was fixed by an electrical specialist for $220. After the slave cylinder failed I was told the clutch would require replacement at a cost of over $5800 (Apparent a wearable and not warranted part). What followed in comparison to Toyota has to be the worst customer service I have ever experienced. Hyundai iCare haven't written back a response to my letters, and took a "couldn't care less" attitude on the phone. They have lost a customer for life and their "Get In" campaign can Get you know what.

Great SUV for the family – We bought our 2012 Santa Fe SUV with 38,000km on the clock as a family car/runabout. Now up to 63,000km with no major issues at all. Powerful 2.2Lt diesel motor with automatic transmission delivers good acceleration and great fuel economy. Also plenty of torque for towing if needed. Our SUV has 7 seats and plenty of room for the family.… Read more ·  2

Comfortable vehicle for bitumen driving with selectable 4WD and diff lock for offroad if needed. The All Wheel Drive system and air bags everywhere provides good safety features.

Good quality seat trim with the second row able to recline quite a bit if passengers in the back what to have a snooze. Extra seats in the back fold flat for great storage. Drivers door actuator and electric window switch replaced under warranty by Hyundai.

I have a newer work vehicle however I really enjoy driving the Santa Fe.

This vehicle is a really good option as a second hand family vehicle or second car.

Highly recommended.

Love car but hate the issues – I love the way the car drives however, since buying it in 2009, I have had constant niggling issues, that I never experienced in my Toyota Rav4. Starting problems, where the immobilizer kicks in and it can take up to 10+ turns of the key to start. Cruise control stops working on long drives and them suddenly starts up again. Doors don't all unlock… Read more

at the same time or button stops working for a period of time. In 2014 the slave cylinder on the car gave way and I had to get towed. As this is situated under the gearbox, everything had to come out. Dealership was not helpful and wouldn't supply me with a courtesy vehicle, though eventually they did. They had my car for 4 weeks. When I got it back, gears felt so stiff that at times I had to use 2 hands to change gears. They took the car back again and couldn't find fault. I continued to complain and finally they agreed that gearing was stiff. More time without a car. Luckily the car was under warranty but customer service was extremely poor. Exactly 2 yrs later, the slave cylinder went again. Another tow truck and no warranty. I was stuck in country NSW with no car. Thank goodness for the very kind mechanic who rescheduled his work to fit my car in, but it cost me $5300 without using genuine Hyundai parts, as this time the clutch needed changing as well because it had been taking out of the car a couple of times before. I love driving this car but think I'll need to change to a more reliable car before something else goes horribly wrong.

Plenty of space for all the kids' stuff! – I find this car quite good to drive, especially after owning Commodore's all my life. Around town it doesn't feel like a truck and out on the open road it's almost as enjoyable as driving the Commodore. Plenty of legroom in first and second row seats, not so much in 3rd row but ample for children, or if adults, short trips not a problem. … Read more

2nd and 3rd row seats fold down really easily and open up the cargo space to fit plenty in.

It seems to have very good economy, although I don't have specifics on litres per km.

Overall, a good vehicle to drive, plenty of space for the kids and all their things!

Perfect Third Car – Bought a Hyundai Management unit 2.2CRDi 5 speed automatic version with 110k on it and other than some easily changed and cheap front suspension link bushes and some worn out badges, the car drives like a dream. The paint work in particular is hardy and can withstand the daily car park bashes and bangs. Fuel consumption is approx 9.8km/l in the city environment. That's great.  Show details

A Great car that is built for travel – I purchased the R-Series first model that was built Nov 2009. Power + fuel = very economy car to run, Drove from Sydney to Mel with my wife and traveled 831 km with the fuel gauge just under quarter. Average going to 5.8 liters one stage which surprised me also. its on 105000 km now . A bit disappointed with the rear right brake light taking… Read more

water & getting quoted a ridiculous $ 420 to replace.

Cant get down the average from 11 liters in town.

outside noise can be better insulated.

Just worked out why the average not coming down from 11 litres.

My wife likes the power take offs :)

Excellent - almost – We bought the car new in early 2011 and it has met all our expectations. The 7 seats, great option and very functional. The ability to engage AWD at will has seen us go places where a normal car wouldn't. Fuel economy - great. Admittedly on a country run, but have achieved 6.4 l/100km. Around town, doing the school run, varies between 7.7 and… Read more

8.5. :)

The lease period is about to end and we had decided to replace the Santa Fe with another Santa Fe.

Until we realised that while it has a towing capacity of 2000kg, it has a towball limit of only 100kg. :( While you can find a decent caravan/pop-top under 2000kg, about the only van with a tow ball weight of less than 100kg is a very small one.

So if you want the option of hauling a moderately sized van, sadly the Santa Fe is hampered.

Bloody good vehicle otherwise.

In two words - a winner – Recently puchased a 2009 CRD SX 5 seater - got it for $18k with mod kms of 106k - but still has 2.5 yrs factory warranty So far it has been an absolute pleasure to drive , tight, smooth gear box, very economical and seems ok in light beach work - yet to be fully tested. My friend is a badge snob and suggested to me to be wary as the Korean cars… Read more

were "not up to scratch" - well hello mate - this is 2011 not 1988 !! ,...Hyundai have come a very long way and I am 100% happy with this offering and I am sure most would - if they tried it !

UPDATE.....just clicked over 220,000 and the Santy is still going like a legend !!!!! Economy, size, functionality , off road ability (v regular softies) , warranty & looks. Not much - dash lights are bright / stereo too loud - (or perhaps I am getting too old 44 lol?)

great car – Well, we started by looking for the ford territory, or toyota kluger, wanted a 7 seater but not a van, wasn't to worried about awd. Started to have a look about, didn't even consider the santa fa to start with, boy were we wrong. Did a fair bit of reading, and could not believe all the complaints with the territory,how do they sell so many? Took… Read more

one for a drive first, fuel usaged was terrible, they should be banned! had alot of body roll, the first coner when went round we both looked at each other and though gee. Even though i though it was rubbish, we still though of buying one. Looked at the kluger, back seat it just wrong, its a six seater not 7. Fuel usage is bad and its front wheel drive the one we took. Toyota have alot of problems with their vechicals at the minute, hence a recall on klugers,the hilux has had 2 this year, and prius. I have a hilux which has had 2 recalls and had 2 clutches and has not done 80,000 klms yet. Toyota are to arogant to recall them again for the clutch problems they all experiance and dont get me started on the towing problems with them. Well we decided to look at the santa fa. Hoped into a 2009 turbo diesel slx, as soon as we drove off i knew we would buy it, it was just they simple, it was a mile ahead of the territory and klugger, fuel economy is fantastic for a 7 seater, i drove it home from swan hill in victoria to hobart in tasmania on three qtrs of a tank!you would not get to melboune from swan hill on 1 tank in a territory! The seats are great, the rear seats are far and away the best of the lot, gear box is great, not much body roll at all for a awd. The diesel motor is a brilliant motor, god knows why toyota and ford dont put one in the klugger and territory. Everything in the santa fa just works, no rattles, no bumps, no noises, no rear door nosies like the ford, no gas smells like the toyota, and you can tow with it, and actually get some distance unlike the others. Really the biggest decieion you have to get over is you are buying a hyundai,or that was my problem, was a holden fan all my life, oh and yea tried the craptiva, just dont even think about it! If you are looking around for a car make sure you drive the diesel santa fa. The fuel usage on long trips gets down to 7.8 ltrs per 100 klms, the ford we tested was 17.9 ltrs! yep it was a city cycle, the santa fa was 9.1. like i said before just drive one to see for yourself. Read the hyundai reviews from all over the world, they are now rated no 1 in germany for customer satisfaction. They are like samsung, 15 years ago they were cheap and nasty, now everyone wants them, they are now the leaders in technology. Hyundai are the same, the santa fa is way way in front of the territory and klugger build qualityfuel usagesizeeverything works!no rattles, noisesjust a great car nothingnot enough people buy them!

Proof is in the driving ... (and the price) – If you are after a 7 seater diesel AWD then look no further. We now have 1500kms on our new SLX auto and cant be happier. Forget the old wives tails about turbo lag and gutless diesels this is different and very different at that. 145KW and 436 NM you cant go wrong. If you want a car that can pull out in traffic without having to worry… Read more

about ... am i going to make it in time .... (yes we had a Tucson) then this car is for you.

We are currently averaging 8.5 L/100kms around town. Our old Tucson returned 12l/100km same driving and it was 600kg lighter.

The diesel and the 6 speed auto are a marriage made in heaven.

The ride is a little firm which wont be to everyone's liking, but it makes it handle better on nice roads.

I looked into the Territory Diesel and couldnt justify the $8k extra over the Santafe. I also looked at Captiva, Sorento, Dualis, Dodge Journey etc. None of the others have the power, some have similar features, some similar price. But overall this car wins hands down in my opinion.

This is a great car and would change it for any other similar model. Fuel economy, size, price, features, POWER, handling, AWD, warranty, 7 seater, chold seat mounting location, Bad airflow in the rear seats (SLX model). No bluetooth ($500). Smelly when you cold start it in your garage. Colour Range is limited. 3rd row you need to be 5'9" or less (if that a con at all), no split rear tailgate

2010/11 Hyundai Santa Fe – We are six weeks with our new Santa Fe and already we are extremely satisfied. We chose the manual model over the automatic. The car has a huge amount of grunt. It tows without effort. Very powerful and responsive. The seven seat configuration is very easy to use and the kids tell me that the rear seats are very comfortable. The car has a… Read more

huge amount of boot space when the extra seats aren't in use. The 2.2 Turbo Diesel engine is very economical and we seem to be getting great mileage from the car. The cars interior looks impressive (especially at night). Great sound system with Ipod connectivity and Aux. You get a lot of value for a very reasonable price, Five year warranty. Very powerful vehicle with the ability to tow easily. Door handles (interior) feel a little bit cheap. Immobiliser/Alarm button on keys is a bit old fashioned. The tailgate has started to squeak slightly when opening and closing. I am certain this will be easily fixed come service time.

E10 petrol – I am not picking on any one company or fuel outlet it is my observation from experience and information from people who know modern vehicles we have a 2006-7 model car which from from various people "in the know" would easily take the E10 petrol - we found that yes it would but performance was less and fuel consumption was greater. so we… Read more

opted for 1 in 3 tanks of petrol 1 being non E10 as the dealer recommended on our one of our 1st visits.

we found that after around 12 - 18 months of this use we had our engine light come on and the engine "seemed rough when running first thing in the moring, the mechanics at the dealer could not find the reason other than an error code "lean on idle" and were at a loss to explain what this was or what caused it, they zeroed out the error and said it would be ok "come back if it comes on again".

Side note went to another mechanic for second opinion when asked about fault light " no fault found put a post-it note over it so you cant see the light" this is the comment (not going there again - old saying once bitten, twice shy, no third time.)

my nephew who is a plant mechanic in the mines diagnosed it as a failed intake manifold gasket issue (probably caused by the E10 mix) - went to dealer with this info (their initial voiced reaction was not possible)

Well they found there was indeed a failed gasket in the intake manifold ( its a V6) and the way the Sante `Fe motor is put together this gasket could not be replaced the whole intake manifold had to be replaced - pain of thing - none in Australia need to order from Korea - told 4 -6 weeks wait -

Total cost of replacement Approx $1500,+ 1 day off the road for replacement - 3 -4 days at dealer for fault finding including allowing one of the mechanics to take the car home to test the poor engine issue on a cold morning start,

Summary

E10 may be gentler on the pocket at the bowser and may gentler on the environment but I (for one) am convinced that the long term effects on the vehicle components are not worth it,the tank on the Sante Fe normally takes 70 liters of fuel and we fuel once a week on average our consumption was rated at around the 520kms per tank when we used E10 now its around the 600. You can do the math .

We now use "95" for normal everyday use and "98" for towing or long hauls. Softer on t he pocket at the bowser Possible long term negative effects on the vehicle

I'm Converted – I am a Holden man through and through, owned a vz acclaim wagon 7 seater. Loved my car " except for the fuel consumption". My wife planted a seed," would love a SUV one day, Manual." So I started to research, of course starting with the Holden Captiva. Was that disappointing, no great reviews, asked a trusted mechanic, he said steer clear, but… Read more

gave us some good advise, check out the Hyundai Santa Fe, as well as others, but don't touch anything with a CVT Transmission.(check it out for yourself).

So my research came down to a Hyundai Santa Fe 2012 2.2 crdi intercooled turbo diesel, manual. What a "beast" I could not believe for the size of this car the power this car could have for a 4 cylinder.Wow. And then on the other end the fuel economy, the specs say highway driving 5.7L/100km. Went to Bendigo and back on the weekend. trip back home got down to 5.3L/100km. Dont believe? took a happy snap of the odometer at the time to prove it.

I'm in the good books with the Mrs at the moment. She loves the SUV. Kids love it as well. The car has great room inside, 7 seats, handles well, beautiful to drive, has power and darn great on fuel economy. Hyundai are a car company that have been in Australia for a few years, but like myself have not taken much notice off. My research found out that Hyundai have been around for years making massive earth moving machinery, that has to say something for there expertise in engineering vehicles. Well done Hyundai. I'm converted. The Power and excellent fuel economy, comfort, space, 7 seats

Beautiful car! Diesel Auto Elite – First time I have bought a Hyundai (2011), was very impressed with it. No faults or problems and it felt very solid. Towing was great, economy super and the diesel auto made the world of difference as I do a lot of city driving. After this car, I will never buy manual car again. When I sold it, it felt like the day I bought it new... I sold it… Read more ·  2

only because I bought the new 2013 Sante Fe Elite. I must say, not taking anything away from the older model, but the 2013 has blown me away. Has all the mod cons, Bluetooth, seats are more comfortable, steering is superb... But they updated the ECU software and now the gears change correctly on hills etc. where as there was a bit of a lag on the 2006-2012 model. Bluetooth should have been standard, why they left it out was crazy! I had wires all over the dash to use it, but the latest model is sorted. Powerful, smooth ride, no niggly issues. No Bluetooth, had a rattling driver door speaker, which was not riveted properly to the bracket. But fixed quickly at one of the services :)

Great family car – Great family car for the price you pay. We bought ours last year and have been happy with it. With 2 kids and 2 dogs, the interior space is very generous. The local dealership was lovely enough to throw in tinted windows which were absolutely amazing. The towing capacity is awesome as well, we love going to bike rides and often hook up the trailer… Read more ·  7

to the car. So far so good, have not had any issues with the car. Interior space, boot space, fits 2 child seats no problem Has a loose window switch which was fixed at service

Fuel efficient and comfortable – Bought this car (2012 Santa Fe Trail Diesel Manual) mainly for an efficient 7 seater that is big enough for longer family trips. After about 25000 km the only issue we have had is a rattle in the ceiling-mounted DVD player, which was fixed on warrantee. It is an enjoyable, relaxing car to drive and there is nothing really about it so far that we… Read more ·  1

have found to be irritating or inconvenient.

We went for the 6 speed manual for fuel economy reasons. It does pretty much exactly in fuel economy what it should - 6.7-7 l per 100km for mixed driving and as low as about 6 litres/100km when driving gently at the speed limit on open roads. If you drive it hard it will of course use more but for its size and versatility it is about the best on fuel you could find. Plenty of go when you need it but really a car for cruising rather than driving hard.

Have used it on a reasonably rough AWD track and found it to behave well - low first gear and enough torque to grind up and down steep hills and the AWD kicks in when needed. Of course it doesn't have the ground clearance for really serious 4wding (e.g. deep sand or high river crossings etc) but good for forest tracks etc. Fuel economy, comfort, relaxing car to drive Being a 6 speed manual and a turbo diesel, it needs a bit of changing up and down in traffic, especially when climbing hills etc. In rural and semi-urban roads, at 80+ speeds it is pretty much happy in top gear unless overtaking etc.

Love it !!! – I have a 2007 petrol and love it...after coming from a toyota 100 series this car is a breeze to park and just all round great to drive. Smooth quiet ride and the interior is finished off nicely. I also was a brands snob and am abit partial to toyotas......but I would probably consider buying the new santa fe when it comes time for a trade in… Read more

only I would buy a diesel. Highly recommend had my car over two years no problems ! Reliable quiet ride Bit thirsty but can live with that

Love the torque – We purchased a 2012 build elite ex demo in april 2012 and have done approx 8,000km in the 6 months we have owned it. I researched this purchase heavily, including this site 6 months prior to purchase. Hyundai has a strange way of negotiating the handover and had to walk from 4 dealers due to this. Firstly, i would have rathered a Prado or… Read more

Pathfinder as i love to get off road, however, my perspective and priorities changed and decided that the santa fe is more well suited the the real world requirements. main priority was safety, this car ticks all of the boxes so that was a no brainer. price, we got ours for 41k with towbar. I had 2 dealers print their standard service manifest to see the costs of future servicing and a few services made my eyes bulge, but weighed up against the savings in purchase price, was a non-event.

the fuel consumption is as expected, pleasing. country roads wil some hills will see you getting 6L/100km and around town will have you returning mid 8's to low 9's depending on the mood of the traffic lights.

we have a 1 ton camper and it gets pulled with ease, returning about 8L/100 doing the speed limit on the highway.

I must say, I love the torque band in this thing, no hyperbole, it is like a V8 at some points, not off the lights though. For a diesel, it does to my surprise enjoy revving to some extent.

the auto box is lovely and well spaced. the foot brake takes a bit of getting used to.

one of the biggest selling features of this car for QLD is that in the elite and above, there are air vents for every row, and they work really well too.

all in all, this is a great car, and if you want a genuine 7 seater, this will do most jobs with ease without having to pull the trigger on a $70-$80k and up outlay economy, bootspace, nothing wrong with it so far,

Love Love Love it!!! – We bought an MY12 turbo D auto Highlander in March/April this year and it is brilliant - we really can't fault it and we have now done 20,000 Klm. We researched and bought it due to kw and torque for towing. We have a heavy duty tow bar fitted and electric brakes and tow a 700kg horse float and one horse about 600kg + gear and it still has plenty… Read more

of power and stability and passes plenty of the 'big name' 4wd's fully loaded up hill with plenty of shocked looks :) If you are not towing it is very zippy and easy to drive and park. The fuel consumption is great towing or otherwise with freeway runs getting 850klms per tank with the air on and loaded up...towing the float around 700klms so still great! The only gripe we do have is no bluetooth...in this day with the mobile laws it's so silly. We were previous brand snobs and had the 'big name' 4wd's but we have seen sense....would we get another - absolutely!

No Bluetooth