Skip advert
Advertisement

Hyundai Santa Fe (2006-2012) review

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a well equipped large SUV that offers a lot for your money – but is probably best kept on-road

Overall Auto Express rating

2.0

How we review cars
RRP
£59,225 £59,225
Avg. savings
£6,273 off RRP*
Pros
  • Looks and drives well, good value, spacious
Cons
  • A bit wallowy on the road, not a serious off-roader
Find your Hyundai Santa Fe
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The original Hyundai Santa Fe was the car that started the Korean company's rise towards becoming a credible competitor to more established brands. The current car took the basic formula and built on it in almost every way. Although it lacks the desirability of a VW or BMW SUV, it's well equipped, reasonably priced, practical and handles well on the road. Its off-road ability isn't quite up to the standards of some competitors, but the Santa Fe is really intended as a large family vehicle rather than a serious mud-plugger, and fulfills the former function very well indeed.

Engines, performance and drive

There's a choice of gearboxes – six-speed manual or six-speed automatic – but only one engine: a 2.2-litre diesel motor. It produces 194bhp, so the Santa Fe is surprisingly fast for a car of this size - and with the more responsive manual 'box it'll cover 0-60mph in just 9.8 seconds. However, whichever transmission you go for, there's no getting away from the car's weight and high centre of gravity in corners. Together with softly sprung suspension, this leads to excessive body roll, but the trade-off is a very smooth and comfortable ride on all road surfaces. Grip is good thanks to four-wheel drive.

MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

For such a large and powerful car, the Santa Fe is surprisingly affordable to run, The diesel engine will return over 40mpg and its low CO2 emissions keep your annual road tax bill to a reasonable level, too. Residual values are solid yet not class-leading, but you can maximise them by going for a high-spec seven-seater car. All cars come well equipped, though - even the entry-level models get 17-inch alloys and six airbags. An unlimited-mileage five-year warranty keeps unexpected repair bills at bay, and Hyundai routine servicing costs are low. Combine all that with a good-value initial purchase price, and you have a car that makes a lot of sense from a financial perspective.

Interior, design and technology

Hyundai has given the Santa Fe smart and distinctive lines, with angular headlights at the front, a neat grille and an unfussy window line that tapers slightly to the rear of the body. Like any SUV, it's more imposing than a regular family car. All models get alloy wheels and body coloured bumpers, while a compact front grille completes the look. Although it will never match a BMW X3 or Audi Q5 for head-turning ability, the Satnta Fe is a handsome car nonetheless. The interior design is a little lacking in flair or insipiration, but materials used are of good quality and the layout is logical.

Practicality, comfort and boot space

The optional third row of seats offered in the Santa Fe obviously boosts its practicality, but they are quite tricky to get in to, so should be for occasional use only. Boot space is fantastic – 969 litres with seats in place, rising to a cavernous 2,247 litres with them down. Rearranging the seats to make the most of this space is a painless process. Adults have plenty of head and legroom in the first two rows, but the rearmost row a bit of squeeze and better suited to transporting small kids only.

Reliability and Safety

The Santa Fe has been around for some time now, so it misses out on the maximum five-star Euro NCAP result, scoring four stars in the the industry standard crash test. That shouldn't be a major cause for concern, however, as all the latest safety kit is present and correct, including front, side and full-length curtain airbags. There's also the reassurance that four-wheel drive adds in wet or icy conditions. The unlimited-mileage five-year warranty shows Hyundai's confidence in the mechanical robustness of the Santa Fe, and if you sell the car before it has run its course, the next owner can benefit, too.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi PHEV Calligraphy 5dr 4WD Auto [6 Seats]
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £59,225
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi PHEV Calligraphy 5dr 4WD Auto [6 Seats]
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £59,225
Select car

Fastest

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi PHEV Calligraphy 5dr 4WD Auto [6 Seats]
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £59,225
Select car

New & used car deals

Hyundai Santa FE

Hyundai Santa FE

RRP £47,890Avg. savings £6,273 off RRP*Used from £20,499
KIA Sorento

KIA Sorento

RRP £42,675Avg. savings £3,765 off RRP*Used from £24,700
Mazda Cx-80

Mazda Cx-80

RRP £49,780Avg. savings £4,122 off RRP*
Peugeot 5008

Peugeot 5008

RRP £39,490Avg. savings £5,875 off RRP*Used from £16,878
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Peugeot 208 GTi: electric hot hatch gets stunning looks and plenty of power
Peugeot E-208 GTi - reveal front

New Peugeot 208 GTi: electric hot hatch gets stunning looks and plenty of power

Hot Peugeot E-208 gets racier styling, 276bhp and does 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds
News
13 Jun 2025
New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet
BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort - front

New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet

The new BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort is arguably the Chinese brand's most convincing model in its range
Road tests
11 Jun 2025
New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai
Renault Symbioz hybrid - front angled

New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai

The Renault Captur has also been fitted the new full-hybrid powertrain, which gets a bigger battery for more pure-electric driving
News
12 Jun 2025