2009 Santa Fe

[jww]

It's been quite awhile since I have been posting on the forum, as my on-line interests had taken me more frequently to other interests/hobbies.

Anyway -- some of you may recall I bought a brand-new 06 Sonata in Jan/06. It has been an incredible vehicle, but the incentives at the moment on the 09 Santa Fe's are too good to ignore, so we are looking at replacing the Sonata with a Santa Fe. I am looking for a source for dealer invoice pricing on the 2009 Santa Fe Limited without sat-nav. Anyone have a query they can use for me and get me this info?

Thanks for your help.

[Guy]

What's the current incentive for the Santa-Fe?

[sirAQUAMAN64]

It has been awhile, hope the world is treating you well!

'09MY Santa Fe 3.3L AWD Limited - INV $32,949 / MSRP $35,445 (freight/PDI suggested at $1,760). Of course, doesn't include the 'Smart Advantage', but gives you an idea of the margin over and above that.

Good luck and report back 

[jww]

It has been awhile, hope the world is treating you well!

'09MY Santa Fe 3.3L AWD Limited - INV $32,949 / MSRP $35,445 (freight/PDI suggested at $1,760). Of course, doesn't include the 'Smart Advantage', but gives you an idea of the margin over and above that.

Good luck and report back 

Thanks -- the smart advantage is $3K off the top, then the dealer is discounting another $1500. It's actually a decent deal then -- there must be a hidden dealer incentive on this -- because with the Smart Advantage and their quoted discount, we are looking at 30,495 plus PDI - but no other "dealer fees" - and since this is our 3rd car from this dealer, that's what I would be expecting. It's not a bad deal, but I am still mulling over it to see where this leads.

We did to a test drive yesterday afternoon, and I must say, it's an outstanding vehicle -- and handles nicely -- not to stodgy at all. The Limited is kitted out quite nicely with good quality, perforated leather, etc.

We may close quickly or may walk away -- I am not necessarily emotionally tied to the deal so it makes it easier to work through this. I think the real question in my mind is whether I want to extend the length of time I am making car payments. I'd ideally like to hold out for the refresh, but that may not come until 2011 and who knows what the future holds.

Anyway - thanks again for the data points -- it's excellent and really helpful.

[jww]

What's the current incentive for the Santa-Fe?

Hyundai calls it Smart Advantage - $3000 off the top, then you negotiate final price from there. It first came out last year when the auto makers were trying to bring CDN and US pricing into alignment as the US dollar fell - and they have held it for the entire year -- and it's working, I see far more new Hyundais on the road these days than any other single brand. The rest of the present deal is outlined above.

[Guy]

Thanks!

[jww]

Surprisingly, things suddenly moved quickly yesterday, and we came to agreement on the 09 Santa Fe Limited. It helps that this is the 3rd vehicle I have bought from the same dealership and rep, not to mention we have all our service done at the dealership.

So - bottom line is that we got the final price down to 30,200 -- and they are throwing in the block heater and replacing my current winter tires as part of the deal (I already have rims) - which means I have 4 tires to sell off (good timing, I should think) 2 of which were new last winter, and the other 2 were new 3 weeks ago. So - all in all, I am pretty pleased with what we have worked through. Essentially, we are >$2K under dealer invoice, and we'll close before the end of the month.

Of course, now I am noticing every other Santa Fe on the road -- isn't that the way? 

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Congrats jww!!! Those Santa Fe's are a great machine 

[jww]

Congrats jww!!! Those Santa Fe's are a great machine 

Indeed -- I no longer have to keep telling people that Hyundai are not only at the right price point -- their cars are as good as their neighbors in Japan. Probably pick it up before Saturday -- when we have a bit of a road trip to Montreal for the day.

[Careener]

Congrats!!

Did you sell the Sonata privately?

[mrthompson]

Congrats on the Santa Fe.  Be sure to share pics when available.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Congrats jww!!! Those Santa Fe's are a great machine 

Indeed -- I no longer have to keep telling people that Hyundai are not only at the right price point -- their cars are as good as their neighbors in Japan. Probably pick it up before Saturday -- when we have a bit of a road trip to Montreal for the day.

True.

Find effective the new Hyundai ads (for Genesis and the full-line corporate one) which state something to the effect of "Smart is driving a car today others will want to drive tomorrow".

They're releasing one great model after another. My parents are ready to pull the trigger on an Elantra Touring before Christmas.

[safristi]

  that pic looks more like TUCSON Az..Mr Tee hee.......


 Congrats on the Tina Fe  JWW...............now don't get mad when the new 2010's  are released on Boxing Day sales...(Just kidding)

[Guy]

Congratulations! $30,200. including transport and PDI?

[jww]

Congratulations! $30,200. including transport and PDI?

Nope -- PDI & transport was the only extra cost.

[tortoise]

Congrats on the new ride.  I must say, the Santa Fe's design as definitely stood the test of time.   

I tried to convince my parents to buy one but my step-dad wouldn't have anything to do with Hyundai.  My mom was all for it though.  They ended up with a new Escape.  Bleh.

So, there's still a lot of work to be done for Hyundai but with all of the great cars they're releasing it shouldn't take long.

[jww]

Congrats on the new ride.  I must say, the Santa Fe's design as definitely stood the test of time.   

I tried to convince my parents to buy one but my step-dad wouldn't have anything to do with Hyundai.  My mom was all for it though.  They ended up with a new Escape.  Bleh.

So, there's still a lot of work to be done for Hyundai but with all of the great cars they're releasing it shouldn't take long.

I was skeptical when I bought the Sonata in 06, but figured, what the heck, if it didn't work out, I'd sell it and cut my losses. As it turns out, this is now our 3rd Hyundai, and frankly, I don't know what it will take to get me to buy something from someone else in the future.

I gotta remember to change my avatar now, though.

[jww]

After 48 hours of ownership, I have the following thoughts on our new Santa Fe:

• Better seats than the 06 Sonata, but still would have liked about one more inch of thigh support.
• Amenities are top-notch - the 10 speaker Infiniti stereo is outstanding -- especially considering that it's stock ICE
• Very drivable, but as any high vehicle, it can be susceptible to winds.
• The engine is now quieter and married to a smoother shifting transmission.
• You need to tie stuff down in the cargo area to prevent it from sliding around and slamming into things.
• The dark-out glass on the rear is too dark to see my Syracuse Orangemen static-cling window sticker -- so I had to find an alternate solution -- I put it in the lower left hand corner of the front window 
• Visibility is excellent -- although changing lanes or turning without shoulder checking is not advisable. 
• Pick up is good, even for such a heavy vehicle - although you won't win many drag races.
• Fit and finish is top-notch.
• Headrests are the closest to the best in the business -- as in very much like Volvo headrests, in that they are positioned perfectly and provide great support.
• iPod interface is great -- no more fiddling with my iPod while driving -- now I can fiddle with the radio head instead ..... 
• Live mileage readout in addition to average mileage readout is a nice touch -- I can watch what the mileage is really like depending on how I drive. I like that alot.
• Hush-hush quiet -- I mean really quiet.
• Reclining rear seat back.
• My cargo net from the Sonata fits fine -- so I didn't have to buy a new one. 

A few of nigglies -- which you have to expect with any new car:

• I miss my auto-up driver side window -- surely Hyundai could have easily used the switching from the Sonata for this?
• XM radio subscription is only for 3 months -- having a 24X7 E Street Band station rocks -- I just don't see myself being able to justify paying for it when it expires, though.
• A really small glove box means that I have to maximize using the centre console and map pockets in the driver's door.
• Under-front seat foot room isn't as generous as the Sonata -- and the knee room is less as well.
• My 23 yr-old son doesn't like the door handles used to open the door -- he says they look like guns -- whatever.
• The 18-inch wheels are HEAVY --- I stack my summer wheels on a shelf in my shed. I can tell you it was a bit of an adventure getting the last tire on the top of the stack. 
• Heated rear seats would be nice -- but then, of course, this would have to be considered a luxury vehicle, and the price would climb.

Generally speaking, this is a very nice handling vehicle. Because it is so high off the ground, it does need to be treated differently than the Sonata -- however, it is so compliant that I have been able to forgive it for not having entirely car-like behavior. The interior is well executed as well, with what has become - dare I say it --  legendary Hyundai quality. My third Hyundai is even more of a winner than the previous two.

[Juke1]

Congrats on the Santa Fe, it and the Elantra are my favorite Hyundais.  The Tucson promises.  As for the word "Legend" it has definitely taken a new turn, for the better that is.  One thing to work on for Hyundai is their seats.

[jww]

So -- after 3 weeks of ownership, I found another annoyance -- the placement of the parking brake can interfere with using the dead pedal depending on the position of your leg.

A hand parking brake would have been a cool touch, but with such a large vehicle, I get that they need a pedal rather than a hand-lever.

Can I live with this? Yup. It's been a super vehicle - and got quite the test during last Wednesday's big snow storm here in Ottawa. While everyone else was sliding around I just kept ploughing through the slush and snow without incident. Love it.

Had my first trip to Home Depot this past Saturday and loaded it up with a new kitchen sink, 10 8-ft lengths of door trim, and some other stuff -- I convinced my wife that it was worth getting the Santa Fe - even if we never make another trip there. Then I smiled -- a brand new Lowe's is opening up this week just up the road from my local HD - huzzah for us!