Hyundai Santa Fe Update

The Santa Fe Elite CRDi has been with us for over four months now, and apart from the suspension issue reported last update, there is nothing to fault. So far, we’ve racked up 6485 kilometres, and I checked the oil again. It hasn’t dropped at all.

Tyre wear is both even and minimal (as you’d expect), with the refill pressures from last time’s off road expedition unchanged. I pulled the wheels off it to have a look at the brake pads, and there’s not very anything used at all. Still lots of meat, and they haven’t experienced any fade, despite repeated hard stops to try to get it hot. It does take a bit of pressure to get the best out of them, but twice you’re used to the slightly wooden feel, you’re fine.

The drivetrain is absolutely faultless. We’ve come to love the easy, relaxed, torquey nature of the 2.2-litre diesel, along with the fuel consumption which canes any of the other four chair oil burning all-wheel-drives out there. , when you think about it, what other four chair diesel SUV offers the same price/ability package?

When Honda handed us its Odyssey, they thought it might be an idea to compare the one. Sure, it’s not an SUV but after all, it’s sitting alongside the Santa Fe in my garage. Both are four seats, and there’s only $2000 difference in price between them (Odyssey $43,990, Santa Fe Elite $45,990). The difference is, of work, that seven can go off road, and seven can’t.

Is the $2000 difference worth the price of admission to be able to explore the wilderness, or is the Odyssey that much better value in all other areas to warrant excluding the Hyundai? And is the extra fuel saved then wasted because the Santa Fe uses diesel?

This is a long term update, by the way, and not a full blown comparison piece. In saying that, there's some telling juxtapositions.

On that note, if you’re going out to buy a four chair automobile, and are planning to use all pews, do yourself a favour and take four other people with you. You’d be surprised how much difference 125Nm makes.

For starters, the Honda uses a 2.4-litre petrol four cylinder, compared with the Santa Fe’s 2.2-litre diesel. The Odyssey’s mill is quiet and smooth, no doubt, but doesn’t create anywhere near the torque that Hyundai’s diesel will. At only 218Nm, the Odyssey pales in comparison with the Santa Fe, which makes 343Nm. As a result, when loaded up with four people, the poor Honda struggles, and revs its lungs out, making for a strained sounding drive experience.

Not only that, but getting in to the last row of the low slung Odyssey is a painful contorsion. Arms and legs flailing, it takes almost a leap to get in to the back, unlike the taller Santa Fe which can be stepped in to from the side, or even the boot, if you’re agile .

Certainly the materials used in the Honda are nicer – the dash plastics in particular, however the fake wood grain does tarnish what could have been a lovely finish. That said, the features in the Santa Fe will leave you wondering why it costs so much more for the same spec in the Odyssey Luxury.

Leather seats, electric manipulation, sunroof, auto headlights, fog lamps, four stack CD with MP3 – it’s all available on the Elite, which is the top of the line Santa Fe. To get these toys, you’d have to pick the top of the line Odyssey, the Luxury, which costs around $5000 more for the same features, but – and this is the kicker – it won’t go off road.

For me and my relatives, this means the Odyssey misses out. With a seven year elderly who’s incessantly begging to “go driving in the sand Daddy”, and trips out bush with friends, they have to have something that’s a small higher and tougher than a tarmac dweller.

Fuel consumption isn’t the deal breaker, either, as the Odyssey uses slightly more fuel, yet diesel is slightly more high priced. Working out the figures, you’re at the same finish result. Which means we’re happy that Hyundai has given us the Santa Fe to stick in our garage for a while.

Yes, the Santa Fe has its issues – the scratches around the window switches (see above) are annoying, and the suspension clunking from the Trek’N'Tow kit, which we’re still waiting to have looked at – but which automobile doesn’t? For the price, I’m slowly beginning to realise that there’s not much that can top it. It’s roomy, the seats are ultra comfortable, it’s got a myriad of storage options, the third row is split so you can stack gear next to a sixth person if require be, it’s economical and it’s a lovely looking chariot, .

We’re also impressed with how quickly the auto-recirculation function works. Switch on the right-hand button, and it immediately senses the fumes coming from surrounding traffic. Brilliant.

After hauling around the city and off the beaten track, the next thing to do is to give it a lovely long run and stretch its legs. Watch this space.