Lookin' To Pick Up A '08 Santa Fe GL 3.3L AWD

[Boardman]

I'm looking at trading my curent car in for an 2008 Santa Fe GL 3.3L AWD.  We're looking for a mid-sized SUV type vehicle as while we don't tow we do live in an area that gets a ton of snow and we can utilize the cargo capicity on a regular basis.  When I started looking at the mid sized SUV / crossover segment I didn't even consider Hyundai.  Once I started researching and read the review, the JD Power data, and went to look at them I quickly changed my mind.

Once I get past the "Hyundai" name stigma I see a pretty good vehicle.  I'm a bigger guy and need my space and the Santa Fe gives it to me a what seems to be a VERY fair price.  That, coupled with the fact Hyundai is offering a C$2,000 rebate for non-finance sales until the end of Jan-08 makes this very attractive.

I've done some searching and found the resigned 07/08 Santa Fe commented on - but mostly in response to people asking about other vehicles.  Anyone have any input of this vehicle?  Any owners out there provide any insights, issues, raves etc about the vehicle.  As I said, after I've done my research it seems that this is the best "bang for the buck" out there.  Am I missing something here?  Thanks in advance for any constructive input that may be posted below .

[Leviathan]

I've on/off kept tabs on the Santa Fe by poking around Edmunds forums and consumer reviews and don't recall seen any really negative vibes. Google found a dedicated forum here.

Am I missing something here?

Dunno, did you test drive one yet?

[inco]

Santa Fe appears to be a good vehicle and selling well. What I don't see on the road is the Vera Cruz and so maybe you might be able to get an even better deal on that.
The dealers must have more than a few of them sitting around and might be more open to selling them off. It's not that much bigger than the Santa Fe and the price spread list is about $6 grand IIRC.

[Boardman]

Thanks for the responses.  I have in fact test driven the Santa Fe.  I was impresed with the fit / finish of the vehicle as well as the roominess of it.  Again, it appears to provide excellent value for the money - almost too good to be true versus the competition which is why I posted here.  Thanks for the linkie to the forum - I somehow missed it when I was searching :oops:.

[jcon]

Thanks for the responses.  I have in fact test driven the Santa Fe.  I was impresed with the fit / finish of the vehicle as well as the roominess of it.  Again, it appears to provide excellent value for the money - almost too good to be true versus the competition which is why I posted here.  Thanks for the linkie to the forum - I somehow missed it when I was searching :oops:.

I know what you mean. I have test driven almost everything in this class, and the Santa Fe is one of my favs.

In fact, I believe this will be the vehicle I'm going with. The only vehicle left in the running is the Edge.

CRV - No towing
Rogue - No towing
RAV4 - Not as nice (surprisingly) but probably my 2nd favorite.
Vue - Not as nice


I'm waiting for 0% financing and hopefully a discount. I have time to wait.

The Veracruz? Nice, and you can get $5500 back on '07, but I don't think its really worth the extra cash if you're not into things like power liftgates, improved leather, memory seat, and third row seating.

[Boardman]

Also - when moving to the Veracruz means moving to the 3.8L motor which means lower gas mileage.  While not really a factor in my buying decision in the past, it is in the forefront this time around as "those in the know" say gas prices may hit C$1.50 / Litre this summer.  I realize I'm buying an SUV here so gas mileage won't be stellar, however, I'm definately taking it into consideration.

Also, the need for a the "luxury" finishes on the Veracruz aren't appealing.  I'm actually looking to trade in my luxury sedan for the Santa Fe.  I should be able to walk away deal even- my keys for theirs.  Finally, we don't really need the extra space the Veracruz offers.  While the C$5.5K rebate on '07's is enticing, the current rebate of C$2K on '08 Santa Fe's through the end of Jan-08 in lieu of financing also is appealing.

I looked at the Rogue.  Looked good on the net - although smaller than the Santa Fe.  When I saw one in person I was rather let down by the fit / finish and overall build quality of the vehicle.  Finally, I was out at my local Hyundai store today and they had 32 Santa Fe's on the lot.  Now either they sell a ship load of these things or they have a ton of inventory on hand.  I'm thinkin' maybe THAT is why they are so eager to deal .

[Leviathan]

In fact, I believe this will be the vehicle I'm going with. The only vehicle left in the running is the Edge.

CRV - No towing
Rogue - No towing
RAV4 - Not as nice (surprisingly) but probably my 2nd favorite.
Vue - Not as nice

2009 Escape gets a new powertrain and would be in the CRV/Rogue size.

[carcrazy]

If you like the Santa Fe, and if you got past the badge on the grill, I think Santa Fe is a good mid-size SUV. One other mid-size SUV I would look at is the 08 Subaru Tribeca. Subaru has $7-8000 rebate on it which makes it a pretty good value. It doesn't beat the Santa Fe on price, but it has one of the best 4WD systems you can get.
If you were to shop in the compact SUV class, I would suggest the Toyota RAV4 V6 and the Mitsubishi Outlander. Very versatile compact SUVs.

[Boardman]

In regards to the '09 Escape - I need to pull the trigger on an SUV right now and can't wait for the '09's. Also - an no offense to Ford owners out there - but I have owned a Ford SUV and will never do so again.  I'm sure they're good products but I was unfortunate enough to get a "lemon" and was not satisfied with the way Ford deal with my issues.  As such, I won't be buying from a Ford store ever again. 

As far as the Subaru goes - nice SUV!  That said, at this point in time we just can't go the extra money that would be required to make that deal happen.  While the SUV doe seem like good value for the money we jus don't have the money to get the value lol.  Wish me luck at the dealer today - got my fingers crossed!

[sailor723]

I see you're from Nova Scotia. Have you considered buying in Maine? Quirk Subaru in Bangor has 08 Tribeca's on for $27495 and I'm told they're still selling to Canada (just not making a lot of noise about it) With the dollar  back close to par it seems to me you'd be right around 32K CDN on the road after HST,RIV fee and expenses.

...Just a thought

[Careener]

I second the idea of looking in the US for the Santa Fe. There's a dealer in
Michigan selling them for $20k usd..there's probably someone doing the same thing in Maine.

[Benhaze]

However Hyundai now clearly indicates they will not honor the warranty on any new US import. 

Need to factor that in before making a decision to buy south of the border.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Santa Fe is one of my faves as well (find the seat bottom isn't very supportive, but otherwise the looks, value, power, size, quality, warranty, and price are an unbeatable combo). The GL 3.3L AWD is the model I'd pick as well - just wish they threw in a sunroof.

Good luck!

[sailor723]

Santa Fe is one of my faves as well (find the seat bottom isn't very supportive, but otherwise the looks, value, power, size, quality, warranty, and price are an unbeatable combo). The GL 3.3L AWD is the model I'd pick as well - just wish they threw in a sunroof.

Good luck!

Interestingly,a sunroof appears to be available as an option on all trim levels on the US spec Santa Fe

[GandT]

We bought a 07 Sante Fe GL 3.3L AWD back in November. It has been great and has met all of our expectations so far.  I don't think you are missing anything - unless you are extremely fuel conscious as it does burn more gas then the Rav4 and CRV. Bet on around 13 - 14 L/100km(based on the on board computer). Especially if you warm it up before going to work on those cold mornings!

[Benhaze]

Santa Fe is one of my faves as well (find the seat bottom isn't very supportive, but otherwise the looks, value, power, size, quality, warranty, and price are an unbeatable combo). The GL 3.3L AWD is the model I'd pick as well - just wish they threw in a sunroof.

Good luck!

Interestingly,a sunroof appears to be available as an option on all trim levels on the US spec Santa Fe

The Santa Fe at the Detroit Auto show had also a Nav system... 

[Cord]

Looking forward to hearing how it goes with the trade-in.