Bought car new in July 2010 to meet my needs – versatile 4wd, 5 seats, large load bay, decent refinement and driving manners and researched with help from the motoring web sites and press.

Considered Tiguan, Kuga, Yeti, Qashqai etc – all too small for my needs.

Test drove Freelander (boot too small, all nice kit extra money, dealer not willing to deal sensibly) CRV (VTEC and Auto together not good, diesel never available for test drive), iX35 surprisingly good but Santa Fe better).

So why did I go for the Santa Fe? In a nut shell, the Hyundai impressed with its ability, kit list and quality considering the price you pay and I got a fair amount off the list price and a good price for my trade-in. The premium spec offers a comprehensive equipment list (check it out), surprisingly good drive especially with the auto box, refinement, 5yr warranty.

A few points to note which may be helpful to both existing and prospective owners.

Official fuel economy 39.2mpg. Actual 34.0 mpg in mixed driving. 40.0mpg motorway. Around town and short cold journeys give much less than this and I find myself using less right foot which spoils the driving enjoyment a tad. 7200 mls so hope this will improve somewhat. Would gladly trade the power for economy at this stage of ownership.

6-speed auto gearbox (also with manual shift) is excellent in most situations. However, considering the amount of torque available, I think it is too quick to change down from 6th to 5th at about 50mph, just the sort of speed on A-roads where you want to maximise economy in top gear.

4WD this last winter marked improvement over previous 2WD cars. Very competent and sure footed.

Foot operated parking brake – no problem – operated from pedal to left of brake pedal, push to set, push to unset – easy. In fact would not have it any other way now. This is not like the Mercedes-
Benz offering of pedal to set and dashboard lever to unset. (My car is automatic, manuals have conventional handbrake set too high and heavy clutch).

Steering wheel adjusts for both rake and reach and suits me just fine.

Electrically operated drivers seat is quite comfortable but does not allow the seat to go low enough for my preference. I’m 5’8” so this may be a problem for taller drivers.

Dashboard very logical and easy to use all controls. Radio/CD decent quality sound with power bass enabled.

Indicator stalk on RHS of steering column OK once you get used to it. Only problem is driving most other cars now.

On my 5st version there is a lot of storage under the boot floor where the rear seats stow on the 7st version – 2 rucksacks and 2 pair boots easy – very useful. The boot is huge and with the seats folded massive. Great for the camping gear. 60/40 Split rear seats recline and fold individually and very useful. Plenty of in-cabin storage including big door pockets and two compartment centre armrest.

Spare wheel is full sized alloy deployed from under rear deck by manual cable winch which takes away a lot of the effort in handling the weight of 18” wheels.

Privacy glass standard on premium spec and would not have been my choice. Too dark.

Faults: None whatsoever.

Niggles: Fuel consumption, jiggly ride on some surfaces, rear seat backs “shudder” noisily when traversing bumps.

First service next month so hope the Hyundai dealer experience is up to scratch.

My verdict: Pleased with my choice, refined and good to drive with plenty of power, just a bit more thirsty than I expected. Would recommend the Santa Fe to anyone. Have a drive and you will be surprised at how good it is.