The Hyundai Santa Fe is a practical-size vehicle for prowling the suburban savanna. It's the larger of Hyundai's two compact SUV's, large enough for three-row seating, which the smaller Tucson is not.
Technically, both vehicles are crossovers, meaning they are built like cars, using unibody construction, instead of the body-on-frame technique of a traditional truck. That could prove to be a disadvantage in, say, the Paris-to-Dakar rally; or while outmaneuvering an unwanted military incursion. But in most ways it's better for everyday driving. Compared to a truck-based SUV, a car-based crossover is generally lighter, smoother riding, and more responsive. Crossovers also tend to use less gas than truck-based SUVs. Still, with the right options, the Santa Fe can tow up to 3500 pounds.
The 2008 Santa Fe looks fresh, shapely and attractive. Completely redesigned for 2007, it shed the quirky lumpiness of the pre-2007 models. It's a little bigger than previously, and comes in five- and seven-passenger versions. Yet it retains Hyundai's value quotient. Underway, the Santa Fe handles well on winding, paved roads.
For 2008, a 605-watt Infinity Logic 7 audio system is now standard on the top-rung Santa Fe Limited. So is a power sunroof. And a new navigation system is optional.
More important, the Santa Fe delivers on safety, with six airbags and standard anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, stability control, and traction control. It has earned the Federal government's top five-star crash test rating for front and side impacts, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Top Safety Pick, an award given to only 21 new vehicles. The Santa Fe is assembled in Montgomery, Alabama, at a plant that has been certified to the International Automotive Task Force's (IATF) most rigid quality management standard. More than half of the Hyundais sold in the U.S. are now manufactured here.
Hyundai is on a roll. Its vehicles are proving to have the reliability and quality people expect from Japanese cars. The Santa Fe could be a true alternative to the Toyota Highlander and other higher-priced crossovers.
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