Overview & Reviews
The 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe receives minor changes. The Limited trim pads its standard equipment roster with the high-power Infinity Logic 7 CD changer audio system and a sunroof, while SE models now include standard premium seat cloth.
- Well-designed cabin, impressive standard safety features and crash test scores, competitive price, lengthy warranty, optional third-row seat.
- Excessively firm ride on SE and Limited models, lackluster automatic transmission, disappointing driving dynamics.
User Reviews:
Showing 11 through 20 of 157.00-
Best SUV in lower price range - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Tom - June 5 - 12:23 amThis is definitely the best SUV that I can find for under 20K. The build quality is superb. I got 26 Mpg on high way. I really do not understand why some reviewers are complaining about fuel efficiency. At least I am very satisfied with 26 MPG. City MPG measure is not reliable. The control and handling is excellent, and the suspension is just right, stiffer than my Camry, which has a really soft suspension, but softer than CRV and Mazda. Cruise is comfortable.
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Great Value - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By DM126 - May 4 - 1:16 pmMy wife and I spent 2-3 months researching the purchase of a new vehicle to replace our worn-out Mazda MPV minivan. Final decision came down to the Santa Fe and Toyota Rav4.The Santa Fe won primarily on the greater "bang for our buck". The Santa Fe has more than adequate power. The ride is smooth and quiet. The interior is well thought out and comfortable. The exterior styling is attractive, but not "over-done". This vehicle is a pleasure to drive. I will have to see how reliability will be over time, but Hyundais great warranty helps with piece of mind in that area.
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Not Perfect but Very Good - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By SantaFe Fan - April 14 - 9:13 pmI was hesitant about buying a Hyundai vehicle because of their past reputation. Liked the look of the redesigned Santa Fe and read positive reviews so decided to purchase and very glad I did. The Santa Fe has been a reliable and enjoyable vehicle for over 15 months. The ride is a little firm but not overly jarring and there is a rattle somewhere in the back that comes and goes. The local Hyundai dealer has been very pleasant to deal with for scheduled services. So far Im very pleased with the vehicle.
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OK car, bad choice for me - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Ricardo Ho - January 25 - 4:46 pmI bought an AWD Limited Santa Fe a year ago.It is an okay car. Some squeak and rattles, but I never had any mechanical failure. The sound is relatively good. Initially, it drives ok. I later found the the front seats were too high and very uncomfortable. It takes me a month to find that out and I develop a serious lower back pain that affects my sleep. The leather used in Santa Fe does not last. I decide to change car to ease my lower back pain. Most dealer were only willing to trade it for 1/3 of the price I paid. I end up give Hyundai another try since they gave highest trade in value. I still lost half of my investment.
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Junk - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By kat - December 25 - 6:10 pmNever buy a Santa Fe again. It was brand new had it 1 week the AC tore up had to return it to dealership 1 year later the Throttle Sensor went out after taking it to the dealership 2 times and saying they couldnt find the problem. When it is in Idle in jumps and feels like its gonna quit all the time. Never again will I buy a Hyundai my first and last. I only get 17 miles to the gallon of gas.
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Great Choice For A Family Vehicle - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Tom - December 17 - 9:30 amWe traded in a Dodge Grand Caravan for the Santa Fe and so far its been a great family vehicle. The kids really appreciate the pillar mounted air vents in the back. I had the dealer change the computer options to automatically lock all the doors at the lowest speed setting (this option is not enabled by default and is a free service). Mostly in-town driving at about 18 MPG and 1 highway trip at about 26MPG. Our tires we also over- inflated by about 10 pounds. Lowering to the recommended pressure helped improve the ride. Interior is well crafted and quite with the blue lights adding a cool accent for night driving. Very happy with this purchase so far!
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Not Impressed so far - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By JR_Colorado - November 29 - 9:26 pmWith only 600 miles I am starting to feel like this was a bad decision. Transmission is already acting strange. It cant seem to find the right gear going up a hill. Very frustrating. Dealer says this may be a "break in" issue, but I have never had a transmission have a "break in" period, so I am skeptical. installing the roof rack rails was VERY frustrating. Broke one of the rail covers putting the rails on. Poorly designed rail system. Whats up with the rear blinkers. I do not feel safe with blinkers mostly on the side and not in the rear!!!!! What were their engineers thinking. I fell for the $3000 REBATE. I just hope I am wrong about this vehicle.
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Early impression is very good - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By deo89 - October 28 - 2:13 amI did quite a bit of online research and a few test drives before purchasing. Ive only had the Santa Fe for a week, but I am happy so far. It fits my needs. Auto transmission is quick to 2nd gear and smooth. Combined city and hwy driving is netting 21.5 MPG. Plenty of seat/shoulder room which was an issue in some other mid/compact SUVs. Interior looks sharp with the black leather and I love the blue accent lighting. The hidden storage area in the rear will be very useful for sports gear and more. The tweeters on the Infinity speakers have a high-pitched whine at low volumes. Wife and dealership cant hear it. I sat in another Limited w/Infinity speakers and whine is there too.
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Rear seat rattle - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Nighthawk50 - October 21 - 12:53 pmMy Sante Fe is now 14 month old. Four time, I have asked the dealer to fix a rattle in the right rear seat back. They have never accomplished a fix. They even replaced the latching mechanism. The fourth request to fix, after driving 70 miles round trip and waiting 2 hours again, including an oil change, I was told that the seatback rattle is NORMAL in an SUV. I contacted Hyundai customer service and was told, in broken English, the same cock-and-bill story that it is normal for an adjustable seat back to rattle. I told them thats bull, that family and friends have other make SUVs that dont have seatback rattles and Ill never buy or recommend a Hyundai to anyone if thats their response.
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Out of round tires - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Nighthawk50 - September 12 - 3:36 amUpon delivery in Sept 2008, my 2008 Sante Fe had a very obvious shimmy on the highway. After failed attempts to remedy the defect by the dealer, I was sent to a Nissan sister dealer, where they determined that the Bridgestone tires were out of round. The selling dealer then exchanged all tires with tires from another new Sante Fe and the problem was solved after much time wasted by me. In my judgment, the car should not have been delivered to me with a shimmy which was noticeable. Dont they test drive cars before delivery to the customer? I cannot address an unresolved rattle here due to restricted space for this comment. Will submit another review for that.
