I realize it’s not quite winter yet and personally I’m not hauling kids to soccer practice or anything, but having an SUV for the evening was certainly a welcomed change. Something about jumping up into this SUV rather than fall down to the ground into my old car, gives you a feeling of comfort and security. I was able to borrow a 2013 Santa Fe Sport 2.0T AWD (with the Leather & Premium Package) for the evening and I soon realized just how great it was. There were a couple things I noticed that I really enjoyed right away that I haven’t really given much thought to until I was actually using some of these features.
The available back-up camera that comes in the Leather & Premium Package is a 4.3” touchscreen color display and really makes life a whole lot easier. I feel like that, paired with the standard Bluetooth system is something once you have it, it would be tough to give up. Low and behold, I took the Santa Fe on Friday the 13th and was just waiting for something bad to arise and it never happened. Like I mentioned, it has the hidden sense of security until you actually realize how safe this Santa Fe Sport is. Vehicle Stability Management, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control all on top of Anti-lock brakes, these things are the platform from what safety is built on. I just felt like the more and more I drove around, the more I didn’t want to bring it back.
Not to mention Hyundai’s reliability factor and America’s best warranty a 10-year, 100,000 miles power train warranty (trumped by our Morrie’s Lifetime Power Train Warranty) and a 5-year, 60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper warranty.
So you’re probably saying, “What about space and room for all of my stuff?” Yes, I actually do need to haul my kids to hockey and soccer practice. Just behind the front seats alone there is 71.5 cubic feet of cargo space, which in real life terms means, in fact, you will be able to haul the kids around and all their junk no problem (I meant gear and bags…). The rear seats which are heated also with the leather package, conveniently fold almost flat on either side or just the middle can fold flat if you need room for the hockey sticks and still put all the bags in the back. I was starting to think that the more time I spent in the Santa Fe Sport, the more I could really get used to all this space behind me. I ended up at the grocery store and it was almost embarrassing how much more I could have gotten away with buying and fitting in the back.
So, on a final note, if you haven’t checked out the Santa Fe Sport (or the larger 7-passenger Santa Fe) for your next vehicle, I think you owe it to yourself to stop by Morrie’s and give it a test drive. Between the streaming bluetooth music, the perfectly placed buttons on the steering wheel or the quiet and comfort interior, this vehicle really showed it’s a strong competitor for any SUV buyer.
Adam Karon is a Marketing Manager in the Twin Cities and constantly on the move. We were happy to be able to provide him with a Hyundai Santa Fe for the night so he could get a feel for the convenience, safety and comfort this crossover has to offer.
