Hyundai Santa Fe: Buy It or Bag It?

Hyundai's all-new Santa Fe SUV is now getting some of the steam in the auto industry. Said model was previously launched as a compact in the year 2000. However, it was later redesigned by the manufacturer to compete with other makes and models. It comes in 3 distinct trim levels - GLS, SE, and the fancy Limited.

Santa Fe was also given refined feel and comfort that made it big as a hot-selling vehicle. Aside from that, Santa Fe is designed to be spacious to augment the hauling capacity of the vehicle. It measures 184 inches in length, a bit longer than its ancestor. It was also made wider and taller. Its Touring Package also offers extra row of seats to make Santa Fe a 7-passenger SUV.

According to critics, the new version of Santa Fe is given a dash of sophistication to give it a catchier totality. In fact, it features cleaner lines, sharper front ends, power windows, cruise control, mirrors and doors, electronic stability, antilock brakes, front and side airbags and sloped grill. Various enthusiasts who tested the car are giving it an excellent rating. They say that the vehicle is relatively tight, the gaps are uniformed and the fit and finish are superb.

The worthy rivals of Santa Fe include Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. Toyota parts incorporated in Highlander, Pilot and RAV4 are displaying their might in competing with Santa Fe. On one hand, Santa Fe boasts its body structure. Compared to Highlander, Santa Fe has 59% more rigidity.

Other competitors for the segment include Honda CR-V, Jeep Liberty and Compass, Ford Escape and Chevy Equinox. These cars exude excellence yet Santa Fe stacks up soundly against the rivalry. This is especially true to the demographics that prefer fuel-saving vehicles. Moreover, Santa Fe can be prominent as one of the finest alternative.

In the sales report of Hyundai for the month of August, Santa Fe made a 25% increase over the same month in the previous year. September sales report, on the other hand, is not available yet.