Comfort and function

The interior is comfortable, and it comes with a slew of features. Hyundai's use of blue backlighting on everything from the instrument panel to the cup holders makes the cabin extremely appealing.

There's also plenty of room inside, which is why so many crossovers are so popular. You can carry five people very comfortably as well as all of their stuff in the easy-to-load cargo area.

There are also all the luxury features so many people want, such as navigation, backup camera and Bluetooth connectivity. For this model year, Hyundai also added an optional 605-watt Infinity Logic 7 Surround Sound stereo system; it's excellent.

This vehicle, however, needs a good stereo because it's incredibly noisy on the road. Road and wind noise fill the cabin. One unscientific test I use on a vehicle is to count how many times I adjust the volume on my commute to work. A perfect score would be zero adjustments, simply playing the stereo from the last time I drove it. The Santa Fe scored an 8.

    See also:

    Cleaning the Carpets
    Use a foam-type carpet cleaner. Cleaners of this type are available in aerosol cans in liquid form or powder. Read the instructions and follow them exactly. Using a vacuum cleaner with the appropr ...

    Checking the washer fluid level
    The reservoir is translucent so that you can check the level with a quick visual inspection. Check the fluid level in the washer fluid reservoir and add fluid if necessary. Plain water may be u ...

    Do Not Lie Down
    To reduce the chance of injuries in the event of an accident and to achieve maximum effectiveness of the restraint system, all passengers should be sitting up and the front seats should be in an u ...