2013 Hyundai Santa Fe User Reviews

Pros

Turbo picks up well, quick, good looking, roomy, diff. lock

Cons

No independent passenger A/C, passenger seat non-electric

Purchased As New

Overall a very good car for the money. Probably should have sprung a few hundred $$ extra for the full electronics package. Bluetooth hands-free integration works well, very clear voice pick up without having to turn from driving position. Vanity lights well positioned not in mirror. Quite a bit of snow driving past few months, AWD performed well, with lock working out to get out of a couple of "plowed-in" situations without digging. Gas mileage as advertised, maybe slightly better in fact (a lot of long highway runs helps...). 3 split rear seats very practical. Rear cup holders only usable if you have 2 in the back (they are in the seat center drop down). Lots of underfloor storage in the back. Remote start is great (and the car texts / emails you if you remote start in case it is not you with the EXACT location). On-line dashboard is a cool feature (i.e. I can see my odo reading, car condition, etc. from the computer I'm using to type this)....read morehide

Pros

Good engine power

Cons

Bad looking interior

Purchased As Not Purchased

Advanced engine;Fashion exterior;Big evolution from last generation;Don't like interior of it,especially the console panel

Pros

Great looks, super road handling, roomy interior for lots of stuff.

Cons

Doesn't have an automatic lift gate in back

Purchased As New

I had a 2011 Hyundai Veracruz which was a terrific car for my needs. Once I test-drove the 2013 Santa Fe Sport 2.0 T, however, I fell in love. The handling is like a true sports car, the turbo kicks in for LOTS of power when wanted, and the 19" wheels really hold the road in cornering. All the luxury goodies are great and work flawlessly. Plus there seems to be the same large amount of storage capacity as in my previous Veracruz. In short, this is the perfect car for me and I am VERY happy with it....read morehide

Pros

Very solid ride, quiet, smooth, and beautiful

Cons

None yet

Purchased As New

We purchased this about 2 months ago and absolutely love it. Just washed it for the first time since we bought it and my oh my, it's even prettier! Ok, really though, the ride is very comfortable and solid, quiet interior, very gorgeous exterior and interior (we have the premium package that adds saddle interior, rear camera, heated front/rear seats, homelink mirror, etc.). The utility is actually very good. Rear seats are easy to fold, and there's also a release lever you can access from the rear to fold the seats. Rear seats actually move back and forth and seat backs recline! Also the heated rear seats are a favorite feature for our family. Turbo is smooth and powerful. It's a small engine so low end is ok, but once turbo kicks in, be sure to keep your eyes on the road and not the tachometer!
I don't understand what the fuss is about MPG? I also own a Prius and learned some useful techniques for achieving high MPG and applied it to the Santa Fe. After about 10 or so fill-ups, the last several MPG's I recall are approximately between 25-26 MPG (70% hwy / 30% city). People, if you don't know how to achieve this kind of MPG, please research techniques instead of complaining that MPG "sucks."
Again, beautiful car to look at in and out. Very comfortable, especially after driving my Prius around all week (wife takes Santa Fe during week). The center arm rest / console is awesome as well, lots of room in there and comfortable for the elbow. Also, the gauges are fantastic. I think that the turbo models come with different gauges than the 2.4L version. If you are able, I recommend the turbo. Yes, I rarely take full advantage of it, but I'm a pushover when it comes to anything that give a bit more oomph! So far, I have no complaints, except that it's a larger SUV (although rated at mid-size, seems larger) which requires a lot of elbow grease when washing (I like to wash my cars to do it right). One more note on the MPG: Accelerate up to desired speed, release gas pedal and depress it just enough to maintain speed or slightly less. You will get better MPG if you are not maintaining constant speed through hills. Go slower uphill, and coast as much as you can downhill. I like to keep my eye on the instant MPG meter in the center of the gauges and do my best to keep it over 25 MPG, easy to do if you glance at it once in a while. Giving just enough gas to maintain speed or less is KEY to achieving good MPG. I've used the same technique on my Prius to get about 63 MPG (it's rated at 50 MPG combined) or better on many occasions.
On a side note, we tested a Mitsubishi SUV / CUV (don't recall model), Pilot (clumsy and not so great on the eyes), Pathfinder (doesn't hold a candle to the Santa Fe's entire package), Highlander was intriguing however, too much money for not much stuff, and besides, it was lacking the technology of the Santa Fe and it was uh, also, not easy on the eyes. I'm normally an "all go" over "all show" guy, but with the Santa Fe, I've realized that it's possible to have both without buying a super car! Best wishes to you....read morehide

Pros

fuel economy is bad on the 2013 santa fe

Purchased As New

its a nice and sexy car from the outside but gas mileage does not comply with the stickers ....went back to the dealer all they did was bullcrap me like always but other then that its a sexy body style...

Pros

Fuel economy, ride, appearance

Cons

Nothing to bother listing

Purchased As New

Bought the 2.0 vs the 2.4 not just because of the gas milage but I could barely see the difference in power.Plus the 2.0 I bought is loaded and cost the same as the basic 2.4.Love the moonroof!!

Pros

Economical, Quiet, Quality

Purchased As New

The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe is the best they have produced. I owned the old generation, 2002, and liked it very much. Solid vehicle that held up well. Next I owned an 07, two 08s, and a 12 of the last generation. The new generation, my 2013, is way ahead of the old ones in engineering, comfort, noise, economy, and overall enjoyment. By cutting significant weight, installing the 190 hp 4 cyl, and making a smooth automatic transmission, driving has improved and economy is very good. I easily average 26.5 mpg for all town and highway miles. The seats are more comfortable than old ones and the radio (standard) is better than even the Affinity in our 2008 and 2012 Santa Fe. Interior materials took a quality jump. Build quality seems better initially. Time will tell how it holds up (the older ones never gave me any trouble at all). The 2.4L engine has ample power for my style driving and cruises effortlessly on the Interstates. Hyundai has made a good move making this Sport as a lower trim level, and smaller than the coming larger Santa Fe (3 rows of seats). That model should compete well in the V6 larger crossover field. I'll still be happy with my great 2.4L Santa Fe Sport....read morehide

Pros

Design,handling,fair economy 2.4 (18/26)

Cons

no daylight running lights

Purchased As New

We love our 2013 model awd replacing a very nice 2010 se same model. The looks ,comfort and reliability are great. The new model is more on comfort and quiet as well. The 190 hp 2.4 is peppy enough. It has shown itself to handle the highway very well.

Purchased As New

Best new vehicle for price and reliability plus great warranty Second Santa Fe that I have owned would recommend you buy one

Pros

room, fuel economy, ride, sound, features

Purchased As Not Purchased

i have been selling Hyundai for 5 years and can say that the vehicles are amazing for quality and value. Other company's cant touch the warranty and people have a hard time understanding that if Hyundai didn't build a quality car it would cost the company too much money to fix and still be profitable. Hyundai has redesigned every car in the last couple of years and no major recalls on anything....read morehide