Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

You've singled out two of the best in the class. Others to consider are the Mazda CX-9 and the Toyota Kluger, but it's hard to go past the Sorento and Santa Fe. Comparison information is available if you click on car reviews and go to the models you are interested in.

There's little between the Sorento and Santa Fe, both are very good cars, the CX-9 is also a good choice. I couldn't choose between the Sorento and the Santa Fe, either one would be a good option, but the CX-9 could be the best for your needs as it's a little roomier inside.

All of the models you list would do the job you want well, so it comes down to personal choice. Add in the Kia Sorento and you have the field pretty much covered. The Sorento generally gets the most ticks from CarsGuide reviewers.

All of the vehicles are worthy choices, but you need to be careful about the towing ratings of them. The Kia Sorento, which would be my choice, is rated at 2000kg, which is right on your towing requirement. Others, such as the 2WD Everest, are rated to tow much more. Others, like the Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Prado, are full-on 4WDs, and would seem beyond your needs.

Our trade contacts don't report any significant issues on the Santa Fe auto at this time; they've only done low kays to this point. Hopefully Hyundai replaced the transmission under warranty, so you're not out of pocket. Maybe if other Santa Fe owners have had this problem they might contact us and tell us about their experience.

Sludge build-up is a turbocharger killer, but sludge won't build up if the car is regularly serviced and the oil is changed so it's always fresh. The problem is usually only with cars that haven't been serviced. Other seven-seaters you could look at are the Kia Sorrento, Hyundai Santa Fe, or Toyota Kluger.

Rattles of all sorts are commonly reported in the Santa Fe. For the dealer to dismiss it as common is laziness. Call Hyundai's customer service on 1800 186 306 and report it to them.

Your mechanic is living in the past, perhaps because he could be out of a job on servicing your car. The Hyundai has a five-year warranty with capped-price servicing, so you know the service costs before you start, and it's still inside the original warranty period so has factory backing.