2019 Hyundai Santa Fe - Review & Road Test

The compact SUV conversation is a boisterous one. The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe looks to make some loud chatter amongst a sea of very loud talkers in the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. Does the Santa Fe have enough volume to rise above the cacophony? Kelley Blue Book's Lyn Woodward checks out the Santa Fe to find out.

For the latest Hyundai Santa Fe pricing and information:

[TheBMurda]

I agree, I saw those cloth seats in person, they are the nicest cloth design outside of the GTI or Volvo V60.

[canadabear]

I don't know why there's so many people on here complaining about the "compact" size of the Santa Fe. That's what Hyundai calls it and that's what the EPA calls it. Who cares?! You can call it a small mid size or a large compact. The point is it's a very comfortable and practical vehicle that is priced appropriately. It's a great competitor and I think people are going to love it.

[NileshR]

The Santa Fe isn't a compact crossover. It's a midsize crossover. The Hyundai Tucson is their compact crossover

[Arpege]

Just dumped my Jeep and bought a 2019 Santa love love it!

[NileshR]

You forgot to mention the options in higher trims for heated & cooled front seats, heater rear seats, leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, a Head-Up Display, a Surround View (360°) camera system, a heated steering which are all in the higher trim levels. Along with the upgraded Infinity 12-speaker audio system

[MrTwarner]

The reason she’s calling it a compact is because Hyundai is marketing it as such (as seen on their website). However, if you look at the interior volume and length, this vehicle is firmly in the midsize category. I’m guessing Hyundai is avoiding the midsize name because it only has two rows. Still, it’s more comparable size-wise to the Murano, Edge, or upcoming Blazer is size than a CRV, RAV 4, or CX5.

[asian]

Thanks for the reviews, Lyn and the KBB peeps. I got the SEL+ last month it certainly made my decision less painful and I have fun driving it.

[devonnewest]

Lyn we LOVE ur reviews! and enjoyed this one very much too :)

[gengstar]

I thought:
Kona= subcompact
Tuscan = Compact
Santa Fe = Midsized
Palisades = Full 3rd Row crossover
I’m confused now.

[alexandergoldman]

Love it or hate it...no question Hyundai and Kia are raising the bar in their respective segments...and that is a very good thing for consumers. color me impressed with this Santa Fe. Great review

[AbhishekZambre]

Those are not sunshades, those are peasant blockers.

[wolflarson]

Huge improvement especially the interior.

[tracie]

I test drove a CRV today and did not like it at all. Then I stopped in at Hyundai and test drove the Santa Fe ... loved it. The interior is gorg. Pays to test drive. 🚘

[Accrd]

Hyundai just keeps getting better, Honda and Toyota better seriously be paying attention!

[beamboy]

Perfect review, the only channel which got the competition for this vehicle right. For its price range it attracts more of CRV, RAV 4 segment shoppers .. I almost got the crv 2018 but decided to try to Santa Fe 2018. There was not match, got the ultimate 2018 with a loooong warranty. I love the vehicle so far. It’s amazing how Korean vehicles are good. I don’t think murano even stands a chance against this one because I test drove it too. Only thing I didn’t drive is the edge but it was priced really high and I am not a big fan of American reliability either.

This vehicle is giving Honda an after thought and that’s why the new Honda passport was born. To tap in to this segment where you don’t have to settle with smaller space and slower engine that typical compact suv segment offers

[stephenhendricks]

Though reviewers seem to ignore it, the new Santa Fe is is in effect a two row version of its corporate cousin, the "midsize" three row Kia Sorento. Same platform, same transmission, same AWD system including a center differential lock, many other shared components, and an almost identical interior including passenger room in the first and second rows. The Santa Fe is only one inch shorter than the Sorento and (surprisingly) a few pounds heavier. The differences lie in the 2.0L turbo 4 in the Santa Fe versus the naturally aspirated V6 in the Sorento and the availability of under floor storage in the Santa Fe where the Sorento stows the third row seat.

None of that is meant as a criticism of the Santa Fe. But it does suggest that classifying the Santa Fe as a "compact" crossover when the leading vehicles in that category (CR-V, Rav4) are more than eight inches shorter and about 700 lbs lighter (!) than the Hyundai is stretch (no pun intended.) Or perhaps it means that there's still more categories of the ever growing number of crossovers--the "super compact", the "mini-midsize" or just the Goldilocks class.

[antonioduenas]

This Hyundai Santa Fe is a world class SUV. Congratulations! Goes to law!

[Cathandroo]

Your review style and personality is refreshing. Earned a sub :)

[allendavid]

Reminds me of a BMW X3 at the rear which is no bad thing, I appreciate how they have stayed with clear old school dials which are easy to read and full marks for fitting a proper auto gearbox rather than the lazy option CVT and no need to spend extra money on paint as it looks good in white

[druppiit]

New generation hyundai santafe looks pretty good.