Topic: Day-by-Day Review: 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe XL; Day 1

[Autos_Editor]

The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe XL, more than just a tailgate?
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[Danno001]

Pricing: 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe XL Limited
Base Price: $43,299

Interesting to see this -
Options: None

My golf bud just bought one and I have been riding in it a fair bit.
Eerily quiet on the highway, good on gas for such a large vehicle and really goes when the gas pedal is pushed hard.

James - Interested in your thoughts on the ride on potholed, heaved pavement. Thanks.

[Noto]

Eerily quiet on the highway,

I was in one about a year ago, and despite the winter tires (clearly a contributor), I strongly disagree with your statement.  It was not loud, but it was not eerily quiet by any stretch of the imagination.

Hyundai advertises this as better than the competitions’ balancing act of kicking under the bumper (cough Ford cough). With this system you simply stand behind the vehicle and the hatch will open automatically after three seconds.

I also disagree with this.  Even though others say that they dislike how long it takes for a liftgate to open, I would rather open it while walking towards the vehicle rather than stand beside it for 3s.  If I'm holding something heavy, the last thing I want to do is stand there for 3 Mississippis.  The Ford kick isn't much better.  I just want something with a fob that has long-enough range.

Also, with this auto thing, you have to make sure that all doors are unlocked (so you have to use the fob any way), and I'd be afraid that if I stop to talk to someone in a parking lot or on my driveway before driving off, my trunk will just magically open without my wanting it to do so.  I don't view either as great options, but I would prefer Ford's to Hyundai's solutions.

I haven't tested in recent years, but historically, Hyundai/Kias have exceptional range on the fobs though, while Toyotas SUCK SOME SERIOUS POPSICLE    Especially Lexus.  "safety" feature, my a$$.

[wing]

What?  The point is you can't reach for your fob because your hands are full.  You can still use the fob if you want.

And actually I believe the doors have to be locked for it to work, so, no if you are standing there talking to your buddy the trunk won't open.  It also beeps at you before it will open, I tested this in the Sonata I had a few months ago.

I'll have to refresh my memory on if the doors need to be locked or not locked though, I forget.

[SaskSpecV]

Wing, how comparable is the size of the SF XL to the MDX you drove last week?  Any significant differences?
I'm interested to read your thoughts on what the extra coin the MDX commands gets you compared to this Hyundai. Features? Ride and handling? Material quality?

Haven't seen too many of these on the road - lots and lots of new Pathfinders though.  I suspect Nissan's "value pricing", combined with Hyundai's slow creep up-market, would be a factor.

[Fobroader]

If its good enough for the Pope.... 

[Ex-airbalancer]

How does it compare with your Lexus 

[Noto]

What?  The point is you can't reach for your fob because your hands are full.  You can still use the fob if you want.

I tried addressing both scenarios.

IMO, both 'solutions' (Ford's kick and Hyundai's "wait just onethree seconds!") are useless in the real-world.  If I'm carrying something as I approach, I don't want to hold it for 3s.  I don't want to lose my balance while trying to 'kick'.  The best thing to do is open it from far away and walk on over.  That's what I do with the RX, but the fob's range is limited.

I understand the "point" but if my hands are full, then I'm likely carrying very, very heavy things.  Waiting 3 seconds is not a good solution for me.

...and if the doors have to be locked, I'm not sure if that's better or not.  So if you lock your car, then stop to talk, your trunk could open?  Sure you'd be alerted that it's happening, but then you have to close it again.  I'm not convinced it'd be useful.

[wing]

Don't talk while standing directly behind the trunk?

[Noto]

Don't talk while standing directly behind the trunk?

Compromise in lifestyle for no benefit in real world usage?

[Danno001]

I call NoTo is just being cranky today. Have a Snickers.

[Noto]

I, indeed, was cranky yesterday.  Apologies all around.

First, let’s cover the automatic opening tailgate.
...
I see no downside to this. ... if you made it across the parking lot with your arms full, that three seconds will go by quickly.

I'll concede.  Thanks for the update

The third row is odd, the seats are really thin in order to save space, but they also sit very low, so you feel like you are sitting on the floor, and leg room is basically non-existent, but for kids in a pinch I suppose it works.

For my 10th year high school reunion, one buddy, whose mom has this exact car (albeit a 2014) drove 5 of us (5'7"-6'1")kiddies to schoolthe reunion.  I sat in the rear, 3rd row, right seat.  I had no issues with respect to space.  Now, I'm no giant, but it worked just fine.  I didn't even think about lack of space.  Getting in wasn't the easiest, though, but I still managed the feat in a suit - so it can't be that difficult.

[Patrick_D1]

For persnickety lawyers (not naming names...  ) the Smart Liftgate system can be deactivated in the user settings. It's fob-only from there on in. See? Best of both worlds!

[Jaeger]

For persnickety lawyers (not naming names...  ) the Smart Liftgate system can be deactivated in the user settings. It's fob-only from there on in. See? Best of both worlds!

The term I would have used would have been more accurate, but less diplomatic.

[carcrazed]

I'm surprised to read that it's so quiet on the road after reading from other reviews that it's relatively noisy. 

I'll have to ask my BIL who has the base model and see what he thinks.

I want that ventilated seat in the summer! 

[Danno001]

Really positive Day 4 summary by James.

Remind me again why the MDX costs $20,000 more than the Santa Fe XL?

[Blueprint]

Really positive Day 4 summary by James.

Remind me again why the MDX costs $20,000 more than the Santa Fe XL?

Goes with my general impression that these days you're often better off with high-end "regular" brands than going entry-level in premium brands. Example in case, from the awful Audi website, I get that one needs to climb up to 42k$ to get a rear-view camera in the A3 (base price: 31k$).

[EV-Light]

this is well priced...! A comparable Explorer would quickly climb into the $50s - which goes to show how overpriced some Fords are without their 'incentives'.

[Noto]

Goes with my general impression that these days you're often better off with high-end "regular" brands than going entry-level in premium brands. Example in case, from the awful Audi website, I get that one needs to climb up to 42k$ to get a rear-view camera in the A3 (base price: 31k$).

What the Santa Fe is missing over the MDX is the prestige nameplate and whatever that comes with or means to you personally.

Is that a comparison between both in the metal, or based on spec sheets?

I find that with the "prestige nameplate", you often get little niceties that are not listed on media pamphlets.  For example, my parents' RX and my girlfriend's Forester both have automatic climate control.  Are they equal?  Objectively, by no means whatsoever.  The Subaru will blow air at you immediately, even if the car is cold.  The Lexus?  It won't blow any air until it's warm (in the winter, at least - AC compressors are pretty quick!).

When you open the glovebox in both the MDX and the Santa Fe, do they 'feel' the same?  Do all buttons have similar feeling?  What of the headlights?  The MDX has LEDs, whereas the Santa Fe has Halogens (or in the loaded case, Bi-Xenons).

Are the AWD systems equivalent?  SH-AWD vs Haldex decoupling?  If I understand correctly, SH-AWD will help with performance on dry pavement, whereas the Santa Fe is a slip n' grip, predominantly FWD (and can, as mentioned, decouple the rear axle under light loads once already at speed to save fuel).

I can go out and buy a Kia Forte with heated rear seats, a feature that was once found only in $$$ Cadillacs.  Does that mean that the Cadillac is now overpriced?

I don't view the build quality, nor the amount of 'little things' (i.e. features) to be equivalent here.  Is it worth $20,000?  That's debatable - I would argue based on resale value alone that it is.  However, I do understand the point being made here...Hyundai has made a very, very good car here that is well-priced, even if it is a lot of money for what appears to be the value-oriented Korean-branded 'lesser' vehicle.  In that respect, I agree...but I do not agree with comments like these:

Remind me again why the MDX costs $20,000 more than the Santa Fe XL?

[mixmanmash]

Goes with my general impression that these days you're often better off with high-end "regular" brands than going entry-level in premium brands. Example in case, from the awful Audi website, I get that one needs to climb up to 42k$ to get a rear-view camera in the A3 (base price: 31k$).

What the Santa Fe is missing over the MDX is the prestige nameplate and whatever that comes with or means to you personally.

Is that a comparison between both in the metal, or based on spec sheets?

I find that with the "prestige nameplate", you often get little niceties that are not listed on media pamphlets.  For example, my parents' RX and my girlfriend's Forester both have automatic climate control.  Are they equal?  Objectively, by no means whatsoever.  The Subaru will blow air at you immediately, even if the car is cold.  The Lexus?  It won't blow any air until it's warm (in the winter, at least - AC compressors are pretty quick!).

When you open the glovebox in both the MDX and the Santa Fe, do they 'feel' the same?  Do all buttons have similar feeling?  What of the headlights?  The MDX has LEDs, whereas the Santa Fe has Halogens (or in the loaded case, Bi-Xenons).

Are the AWD systems equivalent?  SH-AWD vs Haldex decoupling?  If I understand correctly, SH-AWD will help with performance on dry pavement, whereas the Santa Fe is a slip n' grip, predominantly FWD (and can, as mentioned, decouple the rear axle under light loads once already at speed to save fuel).

I can go out and buy a Kia Forte with heated rear seats, a feature that was once found only in $$$ Cadillacs.  Does that mean that the Cadillac is now overpriced?

I don't view the build quality, nor the amount of 'little things' (i.e. features) to be equivalent here.  Is it worth $20,000?  That's debatable - I would argue based on resale value alone that it is.  However, I do understand the point being made here...Hyundai has made a very, very good car here that is well-priced, even if it is a lot of money for what appears to be the value-oriented Korean-branded 'lesser' vehicle.  In that respect, I agree...but I do not agree with comments like these:

Remind me again why the MDX costs $20,000 more than the Santa Fe XL?

What NoTo just said.  I agree with all points.