The three-row crossover is a staple of American family life, and there are a lot of them to choose from. Hyundai’s Santa Fe is one of the rare elegantly styled choices, but it comes with compromises to cargo and third-row passenger space. Its V-6 powertrain offers towing muscle but lags behind most rivals in both acceleration and fuel efficiency. This largest Hyundai SUV comes well-equipped even in base SE trim, though, and quickly gets luxurious with a short walk up the option list.
The Santa Fe’s 3.3-liter V-6 makes 290 horsepower and bolts to a six-speed automatic transmission. Despite lackluster acceleration in testing, it’s not slow in real-world situations. The V-6 is a well-balanced unit that exhibits no discernible coarseness throughout the rev range. Shifts from the six-speed are similarly gentle, but the transmission is often slow to react to driver inputs. The Santa Fe offers a stout 5000-pound maximum towing capacity.
The Santa Fe’s tight third row and aging interior design mar an otherwise pleasant and comfortable cabin. The interior materials are a mixed bag. Cheap plastics mingle with highly textured soft-touch panels and, on higher models, rich-looking wood-grain trim. The mishmash of textures gives the Santa Fe’s dashboard a busy look that is made worse by a button-heavy control layout.
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