Team-BHP - Hyundai Santa Fe : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay1234 (Post 3479678)

It didn't feel like a 30l+ car to be very honest. Though I think I do have a mental block against the badge to some extent.

But even if I did want to buy one, Hyundai and its dealers are making it very difficult for me to.

Have you driven the Fortuner? If yes, how did the Santa Fe fare in comparison to that since I see Fortuner as its only significant competition at the moment. If the ride quality is jumpy in the Santa Fe, I presume it would be even worse on the Fortuner on that particular stretch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drmohitg (Post 3479684)

I've spent enough time in the Fortuner to say the Santa Fe is miles ahead in terms of ride. The Santa Fe isn't jumpy like the Fortuner, much more composed, but at times the Hyundai suspension traits do show.

In terms of real offroading, or being able to take abuse the Fortuner is miles ahead. But the Fortuner feels a whole lot cheaper than the Santa Fe, much more than the price difference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vid6639 (Post 3464696)

Problem is not demand, it's supply. They aren't making too many Santa Fe's resulting in waiting periods.

Secondly, it is almost 5L more than the Fortuner and has a Hyundai badge not a Toyota badge.

July sales figures thread indicates that Santa Fe is selling at a steady 200-250 units per month. This is no where near the Fortuner's 1500 a month figure.

Do we have any inputs on how many Santa Fe's is Hyundai making per month and on how long the waiting period is ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by F150 (Post 3511529)

Waiting periods are between 2-3 months minimum. Maximum waiting is for the AWD AT model.

They aren't making too many of them actually. It won't reach the Fortuner numbers at all. Biggest reasons are:

1. It's a Hyundai. No matter how loaded, or how well it drives it has a Hyundai badge in front vs the "T"
2. It costs nearly 7 lakhs more for the 4WD AT vs Fortuner AT. Even the 2WD AT Santa Fe is 5L more than the Fortuner AT.
3. Because of the price difference it falls into the Q3 and X1 pricing tempting people to go for the German halo brands.

It's a fantastic package and if it had a Toyota logo or Honda Logo in front would have a Q outside the showroom for it.

Finally got my Santa Fe 4WD Automatic after a two and a half month wait. Have driven 1200KM by now - including a 900KM round trip to Valparai from Bangalore.

Initial feedback is that the Santa Fe driving experience is truly superb. The engine is really powerful - effortlessly powered up the 40 hairpin bends with complete ease. The automatic transmission was flawless. The steering, turning radius, suspension - in fact the total drive experience was fantastic. The interior fit and finish, the comfort of the seats, the aircon provided all the comfort you needed on the 8 hour drive.

2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to drive a Fortuner from Chandigarh to Ludhiana and back. Since there is a lot of talk on this thread seeking comparison, here is my perspective.

IMHO - the Fortuner and Santa Fe experience is totally chalk and cheese.

The Fortuner, while a capable vehicle - is really way way behind in terms of drive quality and certainly fit and finish. The engine noise and vibration was noticeable, the seats, both the front and back had poor thigh support, every bump and pothole was felt, and the vehicle finish lacked sophistication and polish. Having driven both vehicles on long drives, the two vehicles are in different categories.

My only real complaint is with the Santa Fe sound system. Quite sad, unless I have missed out some configuration screen. If anyone has cracked the sound system do let me know.

Congratulations Rogercharlie. It would be great if you could post some pictures and your detailed ownership experience. There is hardly any ownership information on the 2014 Santa fe.

During my brief test drive , I was totally impressed by Santa fe. The ride quality, fit and finish and refinement is very impressive. The only hitch is the price. Any idea on the future price reductions because I'm sure it isn't performing how Hyundai would have wanted it to perform at this price point especially when owning Audi has become more affordable after A3 Launch.
I know, it's not a fair comparison but the sheer status associated with the Germans badges can often lead to very irrational buying decisions.

Just booked the 2WD manual (as am an absolute Stick Shift person) and they are promising to deliver to me with 14 days.

Also, my dealership experience was lousy with all the Delhi/gurgaon based dealers. they had no interest in selling this car and were ill-equipped to even tell me convincingly about all its features. However, as i belong to Simla, the Solan Dealer was better informed & interested in making the sale and I was impressed with the depth of knowledge the salesgirl had about the SUV. Placed the order with her as she was the only one who was confident about delivering on time.

Overall, am quite impressed with the drive of the car and as i needed a 7 seater, really had no choice. Yet, am delighted with the test drive of this car and going through many American and UK reviews, this car should be a good performer and should last a while.

Will share my delivery and ownership experience as soon as I can.

Finally got delivery of 4WD yesterday.
My experience with Talwar Hyundai Banjara Hills (Hyderabad) as been good.
One executive, Surender, is dedicated for Santa Fe customers. He brought the test car (2WD Auto) over to my house as requested. He could answer most of my questions and doubts I had after reading the official review. He was courteous at all times and answered my questions with confidence.

Finance was done in a few days and I was promised delivery in one month. He however delivered the car within two weeks!
Went through the TBHP pre-delivery checklist and took delivery of the car after all formalities were complete.

Before going home, stopped at a temple and completed the puja. Once I reached home, it was dark. I tried to rub off the haldi and the entire bonnet turned yellow :Frustrati
Next day, in the morning it was back to TBHP and found that the stains fade away when exposed to the sun. Leaving the car in the sun for a few hours solved the problem clap:

After spending 250 Km in the car, I feel it is unfair to compare this car with the Fortuner. They are completely different types of vehicles. However, this car can be compared with other soft roaders like the Honda CRV or Chevrolet Captiva.
Will share the initial ownership experience after run-in and first service.

I TD'ed the 2WD AT today. I was impressed with Kun Hyundai's commitment to service - I called them at 10 AM and they came promptly at 3:30 PM with the test car.

What I liked - very comfortable seats, lots of power, found the AT to be reasonably responsive, liked the ride quality, didnt feel body roll and could throw it around like my civic, safety features

What I dont like - the price :P, it felt small inside, light steering (both a boon and a curse)

I have TD'ed the fortuner a couple of weeks

What I liked - lots of space, people gave way even though I am not an aggressive driver, great visibility, resale value

What I dont like - Zero premium features, very harsh ride, the seats were too low for my comfort.

I am still in a quandary as to what to buy :-(

Hi All,
Can I request a few new owners to post their initial ownership report(s) on the Santa Fe please?
I am planning to book this vehicle in a couple of months and would like to hear from folks who have purchased it in the recent past.
Any regrets? Unexpected/pleasant surprises, first service experience etc. etc.
Best Regards.

Have had the AT4WD version for 6 months now. Love it. Lots of power, excellent handling, very comfortable seats, great insulation from noise and vibration, can handle Bangalore's potholed roads without breaking into a sweat. Had mentioned a few quibbles about the sound system. Turned off the "surround sound" option and the sound quality has improved dramatically.

Overall quite happy with the car.