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Hyundai Santa Fe Elite 2015 review: long term

2015 Hyundai Santa Fe and jet ski.

I know what you're thinking: not another SUV. But that's exactly the reason I'm driving the recently revised Hyundai Santa Fe.

As I've never owned an SUV — I've had sedans, utes and hatchbacks — it was time to get better acquainted.

SUVs (I hate the term sport utility vehicle) account for one in three passenger car sales now.

I'm beginning to be swayed.

I'm starting to see what the fuss is all about. The tall driving position becomes addictive (it's annoying going back into a regular car), the massive boot can easily swallow a mountain bike (once the second-row seats are flat), the auto-opening tailgate now makes SUVs without them seem abnormal, and the diesel engine's fuel economy is better than I was expecting.

I'm not a fan of diesels, what with the awful smell and greasy fuel pumps, and they're not that economical around town — the real benefit is in open-road driving. But I'm beginning to be swayed. The first tank averaged just 8.7L/100km (mainly on freeways), on the way to discovering another benefit: towing.

The Hyundai's limit is modest by family-sized SUV standards (2000kg; others tow up to 3500kg).

But it's safe to say it made light work of towing a 500kg jet ski and trailer. However, I'm pretty sure I hindered the fuel economy numbers because it took so long for me to reverse it properly.

So that's the first of four seasons of activities I'm keen to try over the coming months. In no particular order: mountain biking, camping and — minus the jet ski — snow driving.

Part 2: 19/06/2015 

Here's a headline for you: Journalist Washes Car. From week to week we drive the latest models, from $12,990 hatchbacks to $1 million Rolls-Royces (if I'm honest, the cheap seats are much more fun and much less hassle). And yet all the test vehicles have one thing in common: they arrive clean, with the tank topped up.

So you can imagine my embarrassment when I spent a solid 15 minutes trying to find the button that opens the fuel flap in our Hyundai Santa Fe diesel long-term test vehicle. (Spoiler alert: it's on the door, near the map pocket. Obvious, really.)
It turns out the Hyundai goes better with fuel in it. The good news is that I'm finding most diesel pumps a lot cleaner than they were only a few years ago, although I still can't stand the smell. With the fuel sorted it was time to do another chore: give the thing a tub. 
This might fall into the #FirstWorldProblem category but I now have an appreciation for why car wash joints charge extra for SUVs: they're a bugger to clean. The roof alone seems big enough for a sports arena. Plus you have to perch yourself on something to do a thorough job. And has anyone figured out the best way to get one side of the car clean without the suds drying on the other? Clearly there's a reason most family SUVs are seven-seaters: you need a small army to clean them! 

2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Elite 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Elite

Part 3: 17/07/2015 

It's the automotive equivalent of being told your zip is undone, because some people don't know whether to say something, while others will tell you how it is. My peers tend to be in the latter group, which is how I came to learn that the Bluetooth in the Hyundai Santa Fe long term loan vehicle is “s---”. And that's the polite version. 

Close colleagues have developed a knack for knowing when I'm in the Santa Fe. I've also done some checking with other Santa Fe owners. Apparently it's a thing, which means there is unlikely to be a fix anytime soon. “It sounds like you're in a toilet on the moon,” said one mate.
Others were even more descriptive. But you know what? It's about the only thing I don't like about the Santa Fe (well, that and a lack of a digital speed display). It's still returning an average of 8L/100km, which I find astounding for a close to two-tonne seven-seater.
I'm cheating a little bit because it's diesel, and most driving is at cruising speeds rather than stop-start city commuting which saps whatever type of fuel you're using. Our time is almost up with the Hyundai. I will be sad to see it go, although I am looking forward to not having to plug in headphones so people can hear me on the other end of the phone.

2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Elite 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Elite