2001 Hyundai Santa Fe Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the first, second and third generation Hyundai Santa Fe between 2000 and 2015 as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 2000-2013 Hyundai Santa Fe.

Larger than average for its class, the Hyundai Santa Fe is a popular SUV that can be used as a family car provided the offshoots haven’t reached their hulking-teen stage.There's good legroom in the rear, but some of that legroom has been gained by stealing space from the front seat occupants. A third-row seat option arrived in the all-new model in 2006. As good luggage space, including side bins and hidden storage space under the floor panel. A retractable blind and luggage net combine to improve safety and security. The rear glass can be opened separately if you don’t want to lift the whole tailgate, a real convenience in cramped carparks.Off-road Santa Fe's better than average for its class and can cope with harsher conditions than those likely to be demanded by the typical owner. It really is a 4WD, not simply an SUV. But don’t mistake if for a full house off-roader or you may get yourself into stuck in awkward areas. The Santa Fe first reached Australia in 2000 and sales were moderately good from the start, though it its somewhat over-the-top styling didn’t appeal to everyone.An all-new, larger, model was launched in May 2006 with a more mainstream look that saw it pick up a lot of buyer interest. The 2006 model was offered with a third row of seats for the first time. As in any vehicle of this size, the extra row of seats steals a lot of the boot area. Ride comfort is generally good and handling is nicely sorted for Australian conditions.The Koreans really seem to have a feel for what Australian drivers like in their vehicles. In the bush the Santa Fe copes well with corrugations, in the suburbs speed-bumps seldom cause any real grief. Santa Fe originally arrived only with the power of Hyundai's 2.7-litre V6 engine, but the range was expanded in 2001 when a four-cylinder 2.4-litre unit arrived. The four-cylinder engine wasn’t all that popular and was taken off the Australian market towards the end of 2003. That’s no reflection on the four-cylinder engine itself and it should make a good used-car buy.Four-cylinder engines in a car of this size can be a bit of a compromise in performance and Hyundai was smart in only importing it with a five-speed manual version as an automatic could have taken away enough grunt to make it unacceptable for some drivers. All V6-powered Santa Fe models have a four-speed automatic transmission. The V6 auto has a sequential function to give the driver a fair degree of manual control and is useful for getting the best from the engine.From late 2006, Hyundai offered its Santa Fe with a turbo-diesel engine for the first time in Australia. The potential fuel savings make it worth hunting down. The Hyundai dealer network is large and generally widespread in Australia. Because most Santa Fe 4WDs are used in the metropolitan areas dealers aren't that common in the bush, so check in our local area to make sure spares and service are on offer close handy. Spare parts prices are about average for this class.Santa Fe is fairly traditional in its mechanical makeup and the good home mechanic will find themselves able to do much of the work. It always pays to have a good workshop manual at hand, and don’t attempt any safety related repairs unless you really know what you are doing.Insurance charges are moderate, though there does seem to be a bigger than average spread of premiums between companies. So it’s worth taking the time to shop around for the best deal for your circumstances.Hyundai Santa Fe works extremely well considering it’s the company’s first attempt at a vehicle in this class. It has since been joined by the slightly softer Tucson SUV and the tough Terracan off-roader, thus making Hyundai very much an integral part of the booming Australian 4WD/SUV scene.WHAT TO LOOK FORLook over the interior for signs of it having had a hard time at the hands of uncaring children. Build quality is generally good, but there can be the occasional rough one.Check for signs of underbody damage caused by harsh off-road use. The body corners and doors sills are often the first to suffer. Also look at the protection plates under the engine for damage.While you are under the vehicle look for white stains that may be the residue of salt water picked up during a trip to the beach. Salt water can create corrosion much faster than fresh.Look for fine scratches in the paint where the body has been squeezed past branches. Deeper scratches are likely to have been caused by trees or rocks.Check that the engine starts easily, that it pulls well and doesn’t hesitate when accelerated suddenly.Make sure the transmission operates smoothly and easily and that there are no funny noises from the driveshafts and universal joints.CAR BUYING TIPBeware the SUV that has been taken to off-road areas by people that don’t know a lot about driving on unsealed surfaces. It may have suffered body, underbody and even suspension damage. 

One of the most surprising cars of 2000 was the Hyundai Accent. It was a cut above the car it replaced: strong, well-built, well-engineered, competent on the road and with few real weaknesses.Now Hyundai has done it again with the surprise car of 2001, the Santa Fe.It's the Korean carmaker's first attempt at a soft-roader four-wheel-drive and it's surprisingly good. It's given me a real surprise. It's never going to threaten a LandCruiser in the bush, or a BMW X5 on the boulevard, but it threatens to really shake things up in the Land Rover Freelander-Jeep Cherokee-Toyota Prado-Mitsubishi Pajero class.The Santa Fe will never win a beauty pageant or even run a place against anything sweeter than a Holden Suburban, but it still gets the job done. It also proves Hyundai's engineers are getting much, much better at their jobs, though a quick spin last week in the latest Elantra showed they still don't know how to do a proper five-speed manual shift.The Santa Fe was developed to put some oomph into Hyundai sales in the US, where every carmaker has at least one four-wheel-drive. The styling was developed to give it a unique look - and it succeeds - while the engineering is a permanent four-wheel-drive but in the on-road Subaru style without a low-range setting.The Santa Fe adds a new edge to the crossover business in Australia with a price that puts it up against baby off-roaders, including the Toyota RAV4, but a body that's more like a Prado. It also comes with either four or six-cylinder engines, in two trim levels with pretty good standard equipment, and both manual and auto gearboxes.The V6 is the new-generation motor that is also fitted to the Trajet people mover and destined soon for a spot in the new Coupe, with 132 kiloWatts and 247 Newton-metres. The four is a 2.4-litre unit with 106/200 numbers.Hyundai did well to sneak the basic Sante Fe in at just below $30,000, while its engineers have taken on the Ford philosophy of "surprise and delight'' features in everything from the touch-change auto to storage compartments below the front seat and rear floor.DRIVINGThe Santa Fe isn't the best-looking four-wheel-drive on or off the road, but it makes a statement. Even from the driver's seat, you can see the flip-up front wings to remind you what you're in.The GLS test car was roomy, comfortable and surprisingly swift. But much more importantly, it felt tough and durable, something I first found with the Accent and which is also in the new Elantra. The cabin still has the overdone and underpriced plastic in all Hyundais, but the seats are comfy, the driving position is good and it has plenty of gear, including CD sound and electric assists.Performance is surprisingly good, like the Trajet, with a meaty surge of torque and plenty of top-end go. The gearbox shifted light and easy but there was no real need for the touch-change manual with only four speeds to vary, apart from in soft off-roading.The Santa Fe has good ground clearance and handles gravel roads and shallow sand without problems. But it couldn't cope with a couple of sharp climbs. Then again, the Land Rover Freelander also failed a similar trial.The ride and handling are good, surprisingly good for a Hyundai, though it takes a lot of wheel work in tight corners and is a relentless push-on style of car. The suspension can get soggy in the nose and do the bunny-hop in the tail if you tackle a lot of corrugations, but it's fine for most jobs. It also doesn't rock and roll like some off-roaders, which is good news for convert customers.The Santa Fe is also easy to park, quiet and reasonable on fuel, though soft-roading will see it dip sharply. But the headlights are ordinary and it could do with a bit more excitement in the cabin.It's easy to find rivals for the new Hyundai, but none is a direct match. It won't lure people who want the Honda badge on a CRV or the Toyota reputation of a RAV4 or Prado. However, it could come up with plenty of other converts from opponents as diverse as the Jeep Cherokee and Suzuki Grand Vitara.The Santa Fe isn't the best off-roader available, but its strengths and value pricing, as well as that grunty V6, should give it some real go in showrooms.HYUNDAI SANTA FEPrice: $36,990 as tested (GLS V6)Engine: 2.7-litre V6 with double overhead camshafts and fuel injection.Power: 132kW at 6000 revsTorque: 247Nm at 4000 revsTransmission: Four-speed automatic, four-wheel driveBody: Five-door station wagonDimensions: Length: 4500mm, width: 1845mm, height: 1730mm, wheelbase: 2620mm, tracks 1540mm/1540mm front/rearWeight: 1778kgFuel tank: 65 litresFuel consumption: Average on test 13.4 litres/100kmSteering: Power-assisted rack and pinionSuspension: Fully independent with front MacPherson struts and multi-link rear with coil springs.Brakes: Four-wheel discs with anti-skid.Wheels: 16x6.5Tyres: 225/70 R16Warranty: Five-year/ 130,000kmRIVALSHyundai Santa Fe from $29,990Land Rover Freelander from $37,950Toyota Prado from $38,660Jeep Cherokee from $39,990