2005 Santa Fe: Why or Why Not?

Hello All,

I am new here, so don?t spin me hard into the wall yet. I?m considering getting a 2005 Santa Fe as my next vehicle. My current lease, a 2002 Chrysler Sebring LXi Sedan comes due at the end of the year. I am weighing all my options before making a decision regarding buying the lease out or getting another vehicle. The good news, is if I choose to get another vehicle, the Sebring will stay in the family, as my Pop will most likely buy it at some point. Anyway, I digress.

Essentially, what I want to know is whether the Santa Fe (GL 2.7L AWD) is worth checking out. If so, what about it makes it worthy of attention. If not, why not? Please let me know. Thanks.

Reply to
Cardude
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Well, it's less ridiculous than most other SUV's, but it's still a pretty pointless purchase for most people. That is, unless all you really care about is being trendy.

As you may have guessed, I'm not a fan of large, gas hogging vehicles.

Reply to
Brian Nystrom

I have an 03 GLS 4wd and just love it. Gas milage is about 20mpg mixed driving. ( not quite as good as the sticker leads you to believe) If you bump up to the 3.5liter engine it is quite powerfull but wiht the added cost of weaker fuel economy. It should be noted that this year 05 is the last year for this body style. 06 is supposed to bring us a larger redesigned Santa Fe with perhaps 3 rows of seating.

If you are seriously considering a Santa Fe come on over and check out the

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It is a very large online owners group that has an extensive combined knowledge of this vehicle.

Another option in the Hyundai Family is the new Tucson. It is a bit smaller than the Santa Fe ( think crv, or rav4) but comes with even more safety features than the Santa Fe and is available with the same

2.7 liter engine. There is another growing online community of enthusiasts at
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Reply to
afob3

The powertrain you mention is reliable. Older models have had some problems with transfer case leakage, but I think there have been some redesigns to help correct that. All in all, I think it's a rather reliable vehicle. Beyond that, you need to find out whether the vehicle fits you -- size, shape, seating, function, etc.

Reply to
hyundaitech

"afob3" wrote: > I have an 03 GLS 4wd and just love it. Gas milage is about > 20mpg > mixed driving. ( not quite as good as the sticker leads you > to > believe) If you bump up to the 3.5liter engine it is quite > powerfull > but wiht the added cost of weaker fuel economy. It should be > noted > that this year 05 is the last year for this body style. 06 is > supposed > to bring us a larger redesigned Santa Fe with perhaps 3 rows > of > seating. > > If you are seriously considering a Santa Fe come on over and > check out > the

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It is a very large online owners > group that > has an extensive combined knowledge of this vehicle. > > Another option in the Hyundai Family is the new Tucson. It is > a bit > smaller than the Santa Fe ( think crv, or rav4) but comes > with even > more safety features than the Santa Fe and is available with > the same > 2.7 liter engine. There is another growing online community > of > enthusiasts at
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Wow, I didn?t realize there was an entire forum dedicated to the Santa Fe, LET ALONE the Tucson. I?ll check them out. I?m still in the early stages of my search. With the fuel economy issue, it all depends on driving style and location. For example, someone who?s hard on the throttle would burn more fuel than someone who employs a lot of coasting when behind the wheel. Off-roading also burns more because the driver has to be heavier on the gas to go places. The Canadian mileage is pretty similar to my Sebring, which is a big bonus. I can calculate when I need to fill up and how far a tank of gas will go.

I like the Hyundai SUV?s because they look good. I know that?s a bit vain, however if it looks like a box with wheel wells are you going to want to drive it?! Thought not. I hope to go on a couple of test drives in the next couple of months. That will be the swing vote.

Thanks for the reply and links.

Reply to
Cardude

"Cardude" wrote: > Wow, I didn't realize there was an entire forum dedicated to > the Santa Fe, LET ALONE the Tucson. I'll check them out. I'm > still in the early stages of my search. With the fuel economy > issue, it all depends on driving style and location. For > example, someone who's hard on the throttle would burn more > fuel than someone who employs a lot of coasting when behind > the wheel. Off-roading also burns more because the driver has > to be heavier on the gas to go places. The Canadian mileage > is pretty similar to my Sebring, which is a big bonus. I can > calculate when I need to fill up and how far a tank of gas > will go. > > I like the Hyundai SUV's because they look good. I know > that's a bit vain, however if it looks like a box with wheel > wells are you going to want to drive it?! Thought not. I > hope to go on a couple of test drives in the next couple of > months. That will be the swing vote. > > Thanks for the reply and links.

Just got my Santa Fe

Previously had a Mitsubishi Pajero (similar to Montero), with the diesel motor

It was a great car, but the 2.7 Santa Fe returns 27 mpg(English Gallon), which was better than the significantly heavier Pajero

The Santa Fe is very car-like to drive, and I am so far very impressed

The Pajero Owners Club website is brilliant

It all adds to the ownership experience.

Reply to
H11LGX

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