2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is a good choice for anyone looking for a three-row crossover vehicle. The Santa Fe is generous with its standard features and has plenty of options to choose from as well. The Santa Fe can be a serviceable off-road, adventure vehicle, family hauler or whatever else you need it to be. This versatile vehicle also has nice exterior styling for a decent price.

What's New For 2018

2017 saw a much bigger upgrade to the Santa Fe. Not much has changed in 2018. There are only a few minor differences in options available and standard features for the various trim packages.

 

Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe – The Pros

1. Massive Interior Space

The interior of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is spacious. It is easy to enter and exit the vehicle and easy to reach any of the three rows. The cockpit area has plenty of head, elbow and leg room for the driver and front passenger.

The second row likewise offers good head and leg room. The Santa Fe is an excellent vehicle for family transportation and long road trips. The third row seats are slim, but still work, especially for kids.

2. Fantastic Safety Rating

The IIHS gave the 2017 Santa Fe its highest award for safety. The IIHS performs crash tests and awarded the SUV with their Top Safety Pick of the year. The 2018 model has not yet been tested, but since it's essentially the same exact vehicle, you can expect the same level of protection.

3. Nice Safety Features

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe comes loaded with child-seat anchor points and tethers. Front driver and passenger airbags, as well as side airbags for every row come standard. The Santa Fe can help you monitor rear cross-traffic and all of your blind-spots. Higher trim levels also feature automatic braking, radar and adaptive cruise control.

4. Attractive Exterior Design

One of the best selling points for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is the vehicles overall style. The exterior design is sleek and elegant. It still manages to get away with sporty and rugged aspects as well. The Santa Fe certainly stands out on the road.

5. Good Amount of Power

The base engine for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder. This provides for a decent amount of power with 185 hp. The V-6 is highly recommended, as it provides excellent power for carrying a lot of passenger or cargo. The upgraded engine provides for 290 hp under the hood.

6. Good Ride Quality

Ride quality has been a priority for Hyundai when it comes to their Santa Fe SUVs. The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is no different. The suspension soaks up any bumps in the road you may come across. The ride is always smooth and quiet too. Hyundai does a good job of providing sound insulation to keep the road noise out.

7. Excellent Handling

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe controls body roll well. Steering is responsive and accurate. It handles and drives very well for a vehicle of its size. The vehicle corners well and is extremely maneuverable for a crossover vehicle in this class.

8. Comfortable Quality Interior

The interior of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is roomy and comfortable. The seats are well made and cozy. The fit and finish on everything inside of the Santa Fe is excellent. All of the interior materials are of a high, durable quality.

9. Lots of Cargo and Storage Space

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe provides a good amount of cargo space. It also features a ton of small-item storage areas for you and your passengers. The liftover height is short, making it very easy to load or remove large cargo into the vehicle. The seats can be let down and even removes to provide for more space. If you need to move or transport furniture or any other large cargo, the Santa Fe can handle the job.

10. Available AWD

All-wheel drive is an option for the Hyundai Santa Fe. This options expands the versatility of the vehicle. The Santa Fe can handle some moderate off-roading duties with better traction. AWD also makes the Santa Fe a good all-weather and all-terrain vehicle.

 

Reasons Not to Buy a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe – The Cons

1. Poor Rear Visibility

Due to some strange design choices, visibility may be a problem for some drivers. This is especially true of the rear visibility. This is somewhat offset by the addition of rear-view cameras, but still can be annoying.

2. Below Average Fuel Economy

Fuel Economy ratings for the Hyundai Santa Fe are decent, but far from the best in this class of vehicles. The Santa Fe gets 21 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

3. Small Third-Row Seats

While the interior is spacious, that last row of seats is kind of slim. This may not be a big deal if you're transporting a lot of kids back and forth to school and other events. If your kids are older, or if you transport a lot of adults, that third row may get uncomfortable.

How it Stacks up to the Competition

The main competition in the marketplace for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe comes from three vehicles. These are the Kia Sorento, Honda Pilot and the Ford Edge.

The Kia Sorento and Santa fe have very similar base prices. The Sorento has much fewer features and options. It is a basic, no-frills transportation vehicle, but since the Santa Fe is basically the same price, it beats out the Sorento overall.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a bit cheaper than the Honda Pilot if you only compare base models. Once you start adding options or choosing higher-end trims, the Santa Fe may be more expensive. The Pilot has more standard safety features too, but the Hyundai did get better crash-test results. The Hyundai also has a better ride quality, but noth vehicles are close.

The Ford Edge is another good choice for a crossover SUV. It's cost is lower than the Santa Fe's. The Santa Fe wins here again when it comes to overall safety ratings. The Santa Fe also has more interior and cargo space.

Conclusion

The crossover SUV market is becoming a crowded place. The 2018 Santa Fe has a lot going for it. The safety rating, features and interior room make it an excellent vehicle for large families. If you are in the market for a vehicle in this class, be sure to take a look at the new Santa Fe.