Found this very interesting from Consumer Reports, since I have the 2.4: We have also extensively driven a 2.4-liter Santa Fe that we rented from Hyundai. We liked this less-expensive, non-turbo version for its smooth powertrain. The 185 horsepower it creates moves the Santa Fe smartly, and the engine works better with the transmission than the turbocharged engine. Overall, this combination is more refined than the turbo is, and we didn’t miss the 50 hp difference in the real world. As a bonus, the 2.4L engine is EPA-rated at 23 mpg overall, making it more affordable to buy—and drive.
2019 Santa Fe Review
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So far all of the initial reviews I've seen of the 2019 were at altitude, where the turbo will far outperform the NA. At normal altitudes for the last-gen Santa Fe Sport, Motortrend found the base 2.4 FWD managed to be faster than the 2.0t Ultimate AWD. There is a decent weight difference there, but that's still pretty pathetic.
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/hyu...018-hyundai-santa-fe-sport-first-test-review/
I currently have a Sonata Eco with the 1.6t. I drove the 2.0t before I got it but even with 67 more HP and 65 more lb/ft (38% & 33% more!) it was slower and had a horrible lawnmower-esque groan to it. Why does Hyundai/Kia's 2.0 suck so much?
That makes me wonder how much difference there would actually be between the 2019 Ultimate 2.4 AWD vs Ultimate 2.0t AWD. If like before it's marginal or the NA is actually better, it would explain why Hyundai chose to hold the media event a mile up. Has anyone driven both in the 2019? I have a service scheduled this weekend so I'll take the opportunity to drive both and report back.
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/hyu...018-hyundai-santa-fe-sport-first-test-review/
I currently have a Sonata Eco with the 1.6t. I drove the 2.0t before I got it but even with 67 more HP and 65 more lb/ft (38% & 33% more!) it was slower and had a horrible lawnmower-esque groan to it. Why does Hyundai/Kia's 2.0 suck so much?
That makes me wonder how much difference there would actually be between the 2019 Ultimate 2.4 AWD vs Ultimate 2.0t AWD. If like before it's marginal or the NA is actually better, it would explain why Hyundai chose to hold the media event a mile up. Has anyone driven both in the 2019? I have a service scheduled this weekend so I'll take the opportunity to drive both and report back.
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Did you ever get those test drives in? I am curious about the performance difference. Although we do live at altitude, so maybe a turbo is in order.
They were amazingly fast with my service for once so I only had a chance to drive a FWD 2.0t ultimate.
It felt a bit slower than my Sonata Eco, but that makes sense given the numbers everyone has shown. The only legitimate gripe I had besides exterior styling (subjective) was the throttle response felt as terrible as my Sonata. I don't know why Hyundai seems to tune their cars to where the throttle is merely a suggestion of what the engine might want to do at a given moment. When I test drove a 2015 Genesis it was just as bad with the throttle lag, but the fact that the V8 had so much power made it that much more noticeable. I don't think the Santa Fe was that bad.
Humorously when I asked the salesman why there wasn't a single rainforest green in stock anywhere in the country at the time he had no idea what I was talking about, and then went to go show me how it didn't exist by fetching a Santa Fe XL brochure. I see there are a few now but no real pics I can find.
It felt a bit slower than my Sonata Eco, but that makes sense given the numbers everyone has shown. The only legitimate gripe I had besides exterior styling (subjective) was the throttle response felt as terrible as my Sonata. I don't know why Hyundai seems to tune their cars to where the throttle is merely a suggestion of what the engine might want to do at a given moment. When I test drove a 2015 Genesis it was just as bad with the throttle lag, but the fact that the V8 had so much power made it that much more noticeable. I don't think the Santa Fe was that bad.
Humorously when I asked the salesman why there wasn't a single rainforest green in stock anywhere in the country at the time he had no idea what I was talking about, and then went to go show me how it didn't exist by fetching a Santa Fe XL brochure. I see there are a few now but no real pics I can find.
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Our Tucson has a little throttle lag, too. Doesn’t bother me much. That’s probably because the Chevy Malibu it replaces had similar lag, just got used to it.
Also odd the dealer said a color didn’t exist. Dealers seem to just just want to sell what’s on their lot and never seem to get much of the best colors, if any, from my experience.
My wife and I recently test drove a 2019 Santa Fe Limited 2.4L FWD and we loved it! Loads of great new standard electronic safety features which are too numerous to review but are much appreciated. Many nice updates to the exterior as well.
1. Really liked the redesign of the front exterior with the massive grill and new headlight placement. All of the exterior lighting is LED, which is a huge improvement.
2. The redesign of the interior dashboard is awesome. Like the carbon-fiber accents on the dash and door panels. Really liked the new 7-inch driver instrument panel. Much easier to see and lots of new features built-in for customizing. The extra storage bin above the glove box is also a nice touch.
3. The 7-inch color touchscreen display was also very user-friendly and we liked the placement on top of the dashboard rather than built-in.
4. We were curious about the Carplay features, so our salesman plugged in his iPhone and we did some testing. The Infinity surround sound system is amazing with a very rich sound. We tested the iPhone navigation on the touchscreen and it worked flawlessly. No need to upgrade to navigation on this model.
5. The test vehicle had gray leather seats, which we much preferred to the black seats on the showroom model. There is just too much black in the interior and it gives you a very dark and closed-in feeling. The gray leathers seats are much lighter with espresso accents, and the whole interior has a much more pleasant feeling than the all-black. The front seats are very comfortable with the added bolstering on the sides. The power passenger seat is also a very nice feature.
6. My personal favorite feature is the panoramic sunroof. It has a power screen that fully retracts, which gives the whole interior a very open and spacious feeling. It also has a popup wind screen when you open the sunroof.
7. While driving, we turned off the audio so we could test the road noise levels. The interior is very tight and there is virtually no road noise. You almost can't hear the engine running at all until you accelerate quickly.
8. The rear seating area is roomy with plenty of legroom. The window sunshades for the rear passengers is a nice feature. The rear seats are not nearly as comfortable as the front seats, but are adequate for kids or smaller adults. I think Hyundai cheaped out a little on the rear seats, as I would not be comfortable sitting in them for a long trip.
9. The cargo area is very roomy, with additional storage areas hidden under the cargo floor mat. There are also power release buttons to lower the rear seats, which is a well-thought upgrade. The hands-free power liftgate is also a great feature.
All things considered, I think Hyundai did an excellent job with the redesign and the new features. If I have one complaint, it's that Hyundai really needs to upgrade their exterior paint colors. It's not so much that it's bad, but I was hoping for some richer color choices with pearl finishes. They just don't quite have that WOW factor yet!!
1. Really liked the redesign of the front exterior with the massive grill and new headlight placement. All of the exterior lighting is LED, which is a huge improvement.
2. The redesign of the interior dashboard is awesome. Like the carbon-fiber accents on the dash and door panels. Really liked the new 7-inch driver instrument panel. Much easier to see and lots of new features built-in for customizing. The extra storage bin above the glove box is also a nice touch.
3. The 7-inch color touchscreen display was also very user-friendly and we liked the placement on top of the dashboard rather than built-in.
4. We were curious about the Carplay features, so our salesman plugged in his iPhone and we did some testing. The Infinity surround sound system is amazing with a very rich sound. We tested the iPhone navigation on the touchscreen and it worked flawlessly. No need to upgrade to navigation on this model.
5. The test vehicle had gray leather seats, which we much preferred to the black seats on the showroom model. There is just too much black in the interior and it gives you a very dark and closed-in feeling. The gray leathers seats are much lighter with espresso accents, and the whole interior has a much more pleasant feeling than the all-black. The front seats are very comfortable with the added bolstering on the sides. The power passenger seat is also a very nice feature.
6. My personal favorite feature is the panoramic sunroof. It has a power screen that fully retracts, which gives the whole interior a very open and spacious feeling. It also has a popup wind screen when you open the sunroof.
7. While driving, we turned off the audio so we could test the road noise levels. The interior is very tight and there is virtually no road noise. You almost can't hear the engine running at all until you accelerate quickly.
8. The rear seating area is roomy with plenty of legroom. The window sunshades for the rear passengers is a nice feature. The rear seats are not nearly as comfortable as the front seats, but are adequate for kids or smaller adults. I think Hyundai cheaped out a little on the rear seats, as I would not be comfortable sitting in them for a long trip.
9. The cargo area is very roomy, with additional storage areas hidden under the cargo floor mat. There are also power release buttons to lower the rear seats, which is a well-thought upgrade. The hands-free power liftgate is also a great feature.
All things considered, I think Hyundai did an excellent job with the redesign and the new features. If I have one complaint, it's that Hyundai really needs to upgrade their exterior paint colors. It's not so much that it's bad, but I was hoping for some richer color choices with pearl finishes. They just don't quite have that WOW factor yet!!
We are about ready to do a full test drive including night time on a new 2019 2.4L Santa Fe Limited. I am new to Hyundai, have had two Jeep GCs in the past 17 years but don't need the towing or expensive drive train anymore and just sold our Jeep last month but need AWD soon in SE Minnesota winter. We also own a Camry and son owns a RAV4 but the RAV4 closeout Limited were missing some key interior features despite good pricing. Also like Mazda CX-5 but limited stock here, probably with their 2019s coming in Dec & summer factory flooding?
We are about 98% sold on the Santa Fe if wife likes it as a driver and it passes the night drive, if so will get more active in this group soon. ANY REGRETS for those who have purchased a recent model? I don't like turbos and wish it had a small V6, but the 2.4 felt pretty good with 2 of us in the car for a spirited drive last week and as retirees driving in flat country the lb/hp seems close to what we were used to (Jeep 20.8, SF 21.6 , but torque not as close). Interior very nice and warranty great too. THANKS !!!
We are about 98% sold on the Santa Fe if wife likes it as a driver and it passes the night drive, if so will get more active in this group soon. ANY REGRETS for those who have purchased a recent model? I don't like turbos and wish it had a small V6, but the 2.4 felt pretty good with 2 of us in the car for a spirited drive last week and as retirees driving in flat country the lb/hp seems close to what we were used to (Jeep 20.8, SF 21.6 , but torque not as close). Interior very nice and warranty great too. THANKS !!!
‘19 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T FWD (Machine Gray/Espresso Gray)
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I wouldn’t be without the turbo, but you should be fine with the 2.4 if most of your driving is in the flats. If your budget allows, get the Ultimate. The ventilated seats are wonderful. Also, it’s nice to have a stand-alone Nav system IMHO.
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I'm in Minneapolis and got a 2.0T Ultimate - super happy. I also agree on upgrading to the Ultimate, no matter what engine you get. You will kick yourself if you don't get the heads up display/bigger screen (the smaller one looks old school inset and not flush). Im getting about 22.8 MPG avg in the Minneapolis metro, so not that bad.
Thanks to those who replied to my post from a few days back. I did go and drive a 2.0 turbo limited (no Ultimates in SE MN at least to even tempt me, and a bit beyond my price range too). This is all subjective but I did find the turbo "lag" to be bothersome in a 15 mile drive mixed on/off freeway, backroads, hills. Adding the $1500 price hit with less MPGs and 30% more maintenance took me back to the 2.4. It seems a bit low HP for a 3600 lb vehicle but the local sales guys said 90% of SF sales over the years are 2.4s that have been very rock solid for 150k mi or more. Plus the new 8 speed with "sport" mode makes it work in our flat land at least. We'll see but set to pick it up in a few days, really like the features, room & comfort. We got another $1k off with the Costco discount plus a new $500 Hyundai rebate to dealer Oct program helps. I will write a more thorough review in early November after I've had a couple weeks to play with it.
One more question: anybody get an extended warranty / service contract? I know those are debatable but with all the electronics and safety features I am considering it if reasonable. Since the base Hyundai warranty is one attractor to the car, but I'd like a reputable (Hyundai?) backed extension to consider buying a few months out. Ideally a full 10 yr 125k mi bumper to bumper would be great but the dealer says the only option is extending the 5/60k to 10/100k but for $2000, what?!! That's about 2X what I'd pay, essentially $500 per year or per 10k mi of coverage. My gauge is 6 years ago I got a Toyota 8/125k extending their 3/36 base and 5/60 powertrain for $1200, so cannot believe extending the already superior Hyundai warranty is $2k! IDEAS?
One more question: anybody get an extended warranty / service contract? I know those are debatable but with all the electronics and safety features I am considering it if reasonable. Since the base Hyundai warranty is one attractor to the car, but I'd like a reputable (Hyundai?) backed extension to consider buying a few months out. Ideally a full 10 yr 125k mi bumper to bumper would be great but the dealer says the only option is extending the 5/60k to 10/100k but for $2000, what?!! That's about 2X what I'd pay, essentially $500 per year or per 10k mi of coverage. My gauge is 6 years ago I got a Toyota 8/125k extending their 3/36 base and 5/60 powertrain for $1200, so cannot believe extending the already superior Hyundai warranty is $2k! IDEAS?
"Any regrets?" Not so far, but only about 150 miles at this point. I REALLY like this car! Traded a 2018 Acura RDX Advance SH-AWD for a 2019 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T. I had been planning to get the newly redesigned RDX in a year or two, but after researching and driving the Santa Fe, I decided to not even waste the time test driving the new RDX. It would have to be a LOT better than the Santa Fe given an $8,400 higher MSRP. The reviews and my personal experience said that at least for me, the Santa Fe was the better car.
I drove a 2.4 Santa Fe, but at 6,000 feet elevation at the base of the Rockies, there is a very significant difference in performance.
I drove a 2.4 Santa Fe, but at 6,000 feet elevation at the base of the Rockies, there is a very significant difference in performance.
‘19 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T FWD (Machine Gray/Espresso Gray)
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I paid $1,615, tax included, for a 10/120,000 Hyundai Platinum with $50 deductible per claim. I’m in the habit of gifting one of my cars to my Son every 4 or 5 years, so it’s great to transfer this warranty coverage to him. I just gave him my ‘14 Santa Fe that has 6 years/70,000 miles left on the warranty.
‘19 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T FWD (Machine Gray/Espresso Gray)
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I was also eyeing the new RDX, but the new Santa Fe is hard to beat and it’s not just a matter of price. Okay, the SF could get better gas mileage.
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I got my 2.0T Ultimate in mid-August. It replaced my 2014 Sport. I love it. No complaints at all.
If you have time could you check out my thread and let me know your experience. I haven't been able to get any user feedback on this.
https://www.hyundai-forums.com/2019-hyundai-sante-fe-forum-tm/643475-2l-turbo-vibration-50mph.html
Thanks,
Dave
I'm not sure how bright the low beams are since I'm always behind the wheel but already I've had about a dozen cars flash me thinking the high beams are on.
They really get it when I flash the high beams to show them that I don't.
Both low and high are pretty impressive in my opinion.
They really get it when I flash the high beams to show them that I don't.
Both low and high are pretty impressive in my opinion.
Review after buying an AWD Limited 2.4L
Thanks to all who gave me feedback a couple weeks ago. I bought a new silver AWD limited and after a few local trips put together a review which I also may reword/update and post on other sites in the next few weeks. I may edit this if I can after some freeway trips in the next month as well:
I purchased a new Santa Fe in Oct 2018 needing AWD to get through difficult winter roads conditions living on a curvy/hilly road in the SE MN woods plus for other midwest winter family visits. While I owned 2 Jeep Grand Cherokees in the past 18 years I no longer tow much and never took them off roading, so a FWD based SUV with intelligent AWD is better. I wanted the option to have 4WD lock at low speeds on slippery roads. For interior goodies my wife wanted heated (real) leather seats and a power liftgate & power passenger seat, while I wanted Android auto. And as we age the safety features (blind spot, fwd/rear collision, lane assist) were requirements along with excellent headlights. The Santa Fe Limited met & exceeded all our main requirements, this is a very early pre-winter snow review after 200 mi of local driving.
Other drives and competition: I drove both a SF SEL+ and Limited Turbo. No leather or LED headlights in the SEL+; did not care about a sunroof but have to admit this 2x sized sunroof in our Limited really makes it feel spacious. I did not like the lag or jerkiness of the turbo so that along with a $1600 price difference and 30+% more maintenance convinced me quick the standard 2.4L 4 cylinder would do just fine in midwestern flat land with mostly 2 passengers and no towing. I did a some driving of the Mazda CX5 (peppy, nice interior features but a lackluster dealership) and really wanted to like the RAV4 Limited (no leather, no power passenger seat, no rear vents … we own a loaded Camry but for some reason the loaded RAV4 was decontented) The Subaru Outback has best AWD but CVT’s not peppy nor heated seats hot, wife said no. Not needing the towing of a Grand Cherokee I was surprised the equivalent model had gone up $15,000 from our prior 07 SUV. Driving a 3.6L Cherokee in our price range, I liked the engine & interior features but storage space was about half other SUVs in it’s class and safety features in Tech package optional & hard to find. I wanted to try out a Honda CRV but major issues with gas/oil mix in cold climates of the 1.5L turbo scared me away.
Santa Fe Limited PROS
QUIET comfortable roomy interior w/excellent infotainment
Safety features easy to use. Auto stop at lights kinda weird but ok so far, responsive.
Like the easy to switch Smart mode, Comfort (ECO) mode, Sport mode which is sporty on this smooth 8 speed tranny.
4WD lock operational up to 40mph in 2019s
LED auto headlights excellent range, seem to work fine on 2 lane roads
LOTs of hidden storage in rear under carpet (we got the hatch cover unfortunately it costs extra)
Hyundai warranty 5/60 full, 10/100 powertrain is the best
Consumer reports positive review; Hyundai as a brand is 10 of 29 so top ⅓ but not as good as Toyota or Mazda
Remote start & car status free with Hyundai internet control
Familiarity with local dealer close to home
Santa Fe Limited QUESTIONABLES
Jury is out on this 4 cylinder (I’d bet more on the RAV4’s owning a same engine in an older Camry) but it does have 10 more hp than Toyotas and the 8 speed tranny is excellent. Still 185 hp for a 3600 lb SUV, but compare to 235 hp for my 4600 lb Jeeps should be ok?
Never owned a Hyundai despite early Santa Fe or Veracruz being semifinalists during past drives when we bought Jeeps (but SF made in America, 40% Am parts too if it matters)
Hankook tires TBD, would have preferred Michelin
MPG so far 22 around town which is great compared to 14 in our Jeeps, but not stellar
A recall already? Side curtain airbags, not a biggy, but it took a year for those to show on our former Jeep and still owned Camry
Thanks to all who gave me feedback a couple weeks ago. I bought a new silver AWD limited and after a few local trips put together a review which I also may reword/update and post on other sites in the next few weeks. I may edit this if I can after some freeway trips in the next month as well:
I purchased a new Santa Fe in Oct 2018 needing AWD to get through difficult winter roads conditions living on a curvy/hilly road in the SE MN woods plus for other midwest winter family visits. While I owned 2 Jeep Grand Cherokees in the past 18 years I no longer tow much and never took them off roading, so a FWD based SUV with intelligent AWD is better. I wanted the option to have 4WD lock at low speeds on slippery roads. For interior goodies my wife wanted heated (real) leather seats and a power liftgate & power passenger seat, while I wanted Android auto. And as we age the safety features (blind spot, fwd/rear collision, lane assist) were requirements along with excellent headlights. The Santa Fe Limited met & exceeded all our main requirements, this is a very early pre-winter snow review after 200 mi of local driving.
Other drives and competition: I drove both a SF SEL+ and Limited Turbo. No leather or LED headlights in the SEL+; did not care about a sunroof but have to admit this 2x sized sunroof in our Limited really makes it feel spacious. I did not like the lag or jerkiness of the turbo so that along with a $1600 price difference and 30+% more maintenance convinced me quick the standard 2.4L 4 cylinder would do just fine in midwestern flat land with mostly 2 passengers and no towing. I did a some driving of the Mazda CX5 (peppy, nice interior features but a lackluster dealership) and really wanted to like the RAV4 Limited (no leather, no power passenger seat, no rear vents … we own a loaded Camry but for some reason the loaded RAV4 was decontented) The Subaru Outback has best AWD but CVT’s not peppy nor heated seats hot, wife said no. Not needing the towing of a Grand Cherokee I was surprised the equivalent model had gone up $15,000 from our prior 07 SUV. Driving a 3.6L Cherokee in our price range, I liked the engine & interior features but storage space was about half other SUVs in it’s class and safety features in Tech package optional & hard to find. I wanted to try out a Honda CRV but major issues with gas/oil mix in cold climates of the 1.5L turbo scared me away.
Santa Fe Limited PROS
QUIET comfortable roomy interior w/excellent infotainment
Safety features easy to use. Auto stop at lights kinda weird but ok so far, responsive.
Like the easy to switch Smart mode, Comfort (ECO) mode, Sport mode which is sporty on this smooth 8 speed tranny.
4WD lock operational up to 40mph in 2019s
LED auto headlights excellent range, seem to work fine on 2 lane roads
LOTs of hidden storage in rear under carpet (we got the hatch cover unfortunately it costs extra)
Hyundai warranty 5/60 full, 10/100 powertrain is the best
Consumer reports positive review; Hyundai as a brand is 10 of 29 so top ⅓ but not as good as Toyota or Mazda
Remote start & car status free with Hyundai internet control
Familiarity with local dealer close to home
Santa Fe Limited QUESTIONABLES
Jury is out on this 4 cylinder (I’d bet more on the RAV4’s owning a same engine in an older Camry) but it does have 10 more hp than Toyotas and the 8 speed tranny is excellent. Still 185 hp for a 3600 lb SUV, but compare to 235 hp for my 4600 lb Jeeps should be ok?
Never owned a Hyundai despite early Santa Fe or Veracruz being semifinalists during past drives when we bought Jeeps (but SF made in America, 40% Am parts too if it matters)
Hankook tires TBD, would have preferred Michelin
MPG so far 22 around town which is great compared to 14 in our Jeeps, but not stellar
A recall already? Side curtain airbags, not a biggy, but it took a year for those to show on our former Jeep and still owned Camry
‘19 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0T FWD (Machine Gray/Espresso Gray)
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Same here. My ‘19 2.0T replaced a ‘14 SF Sport 2.0T. Great so far!
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