Overview & Reviews
Since the Santa Fe was redesigned recently, Hyundai's midsize crossover includes only minor changes for the 2009 model year. All Santa Fes now get standard iPod and USB inputs, plus upgraded stereos. Also, SE and Limited versions now get a towing prep package and roof rack cross rails as standard.
- Well-designed cabin, impressive standard safety features and crash-test scores, competitive price, great warranty, optional third-row seat.
- Excessively firm ride on SE and Limited models, lackluster automatic transmission, disappointing driving dynamics.
User Reviews:
Showing 21 through 30 of 88.00-
My friends thought it was a Lexus! - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Ed - April 4 - 11:06 pmDid the Cash For Clunkers program; $27945 sticker, $3500 CFC, $2000 Hyundai rebate, $1100 additional dealer discount = $21345 total paid plus fees. First day driving it, my friend sees it and says "Dude, you got a Lexus?" True story. I love the way it drives. Good visibility from the drivers seat. AC works great. Smooth acceleration and shifting. More than ample cargo space. Have never had a vehicle with this many great features including AM/FM/XM/CD radio w/steering wheel mounted controls, powered drivers seat, powered moonroof, and Bluetooth equipped.
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New SUV/Santa Fe Owner - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By sanantonio,tx - April 3 - 7:00 amDrives well. I used to be a Nissan owner, previously owned Maximas. Loved Nissan and looked at Murano but decided on Santa Fe based on the great look, amenities and price. So far I like the way it drives. Price of gas is about the same as the Maxima, as I used to buy premium gas w/the maxima.
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Gotta Love it !! - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Relli - March 13 - 6:46 amNice SUV. Test drove Toyotas and Hondas. Bought Hyundai Limited Santa Fe. Make your best deal and also 2k cash back. Just about a 5 year bumper to bumper warranty. Some small items not covered bumper to bumper, they would be covered for 1 year or 36 mos section of the warranty. Car drives great and quality is very impressive. I never thought I would buy a Hyundai but now I love it and my wife wants one also .... Really nice car for the money, - much more car for your money than Toyota or Honda, - they have just about priced themselves out of the affordable marketplace. Car is a real pleasure to drive, I will have to keep it longer before I can write anything about reliability.
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Good Transportation - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Spike - January 12 - 2:36 pmThis is a nice ride. It is fairly quiet, and feels sounds solid. It has a good quality feel to it. The cloth seats are comfortable, supportive and heated. Sun roof opens with one touch. Nice storage in the back. Rear passengers are comfortable. The get up and go is a little slow with the 2.7 L, but I didnt get it as a sports car. Living in Alaska I needed something that could give me good traction and keep me moving in a lot of snow and ice. The stock tires seem good and I dont need dedicated winter tires. The mpg is about what I would expect with a awd small v-6. I get about 20 in town in the summer and 17 in the winter with little highway driving. It fills my need wonderfully!
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Its New and Fun! - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Jerry P. - December 10 - 3:06 amAfter 6 months of research on SUVs, I chose the Santa Fe for its style, performance, price, warranty program, leg and head room (Im 6-4"). No sunroof addition which allows 5 extra inches of head space. The AWD is very responsive and the 3.3L, 6cyl is well worth the upgrade.
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Another Santa Fe - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Mike - December 3 - 7:16 pmAfter test drive i realized how better it was than my 06 other than engine it was completely redesigned. I loved the 06 never any problems in almost 4 years so i traded it for the 09 leftover and have not been disappointed. Fun to drive and it looks like the more expensive SUVs in its class.
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Not Happy with the 2009 Santa Fe. - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By Keeley - October 6 - 3:11 pmI have been the owner of my 2009 Santa Fe all wheel drive 6 cylinder for approx. 3yrs and I bought it with 38,000 miles. I drive at least 85 miles per day. First: the 09 Santa Fe drives terrible on the highway. It vibrates terribly and upon bring to dealer they said it was possibly tires or rotation was needed. (I put brand new tires on the vehicle at 45K and at 53k & rotate every year) this never fixed the vibration or the poor handling. Dealership told me I guess thats how it drives and there is nothing they can do. Second: my 09 Santa Fe has a horrible sound system that you cant put up over 14 decibels without blowing a speaker. The volume goes well up to 50. All of the speakers have either blown or went out which I have replaced three times with factory speakers and again they are blown. I have a three year old in the car constant so its not like Im blaring rap music with the bass at 10+. Horribly annoying and expensive to fix and not covered. Third & most disturbing: my 09 Santa Fea gas gauge malfunctioned at 61,000 miles. After filling my gas tank to a range full line I noticed I drove the car to just above a half tank. After turning car back on the gas gauge needle was buried at empty and gas light on. Very nervous immieditely went to get gas. Only took 18$ to fill. Strange which means its not empty. Thought was a fluke. Drove to work used 1/4 of tank. Turns car back on after work. Read empty again. After filling the car yet again now using only 8$ I knew there was a issue. I brought to dealer they told me it is electrical. Fully serviced the vehicle through Hyundai. At the tune of $184.00. Two days later. Started again. After reading on forums this is a severe issue and souls have a recall. Its the tank sensor. Brought back to dealer. They told me to remove old sensors and put new ones it will cost roughly between 500-1000 dollars. It is not covered under warranty and there is no recall. So much for 100K bumper to bumper warranty. This is a severe issue that can cause death or harm. If you dont make sure to reset your miles and keep an eye on your mileage you can run out of gas. The car may even just shut down at high speeds. I would not advise anyone to buy this suv Im a former Jeep owner and as soon as I get the money to fix the gauge issue I will be selling ASAP and buying either a new jeep or Subaru. The gas mileage is terrible the car vibrates and you dont know if you have gas. Sounds like a death trap to me. Hyundai is putting people at risk with the above issue and should recall the vehicle to fix for free. DO NOT BUY!! Any Sante fa prior to 2011. They all have the same issue
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very happy - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By caper - September 7 - 4:20 pmOriginally we wanted an X3, but found dollars for value way out of whack. We then test drove a Rav4, Escape, Murano, Compass, Equinox and finally on a why not premise the Hyundai. It was miles ahead in quality look/feel, and features. I seriously dont see how pro reviewers can favor a Toyota which felt like a tin can, and bounced all over the place to this. Warranty/Finance rates and simply pleasure of driving sets this apart. If you havent drove one try it out youll be pleasantly surprised. We were so much we bought is 7 days later. Keep up the good work Hyundai...you may have made a customer for life.
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Bang for Your Buck - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By cj8drummer - August 18 - 11:53 pmVery happy with vehicle overall. I think Hyundai is offering a lot of upscale features for a reasonable price. I have three kids that are hard on a car. The leather is definitely a winner and the interior feels nice. I opted to pass on the third row which at times Im sure Ill miss but I really didnt want to give up the storage space that you lose when adding the third row.
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I LOVE THIS CAR - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
By roadturtle - July 28 - 10:33 amI have owned a lot of SUVs. This Santa Fe is a pleasure to drive. Easy to get in and out of. Being a senior citizen this is very important. With the v-6 I have plenty of power to pass, or pull my trailer. Awesome quality with a warranty that assures you that Hyundai believes in their product too. I would highly recommend this car to anyone.
