Safety galore

Hyundai also packs the Santa Fe with lots of safety features, such as six air bags, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring and brake assist, which will apply maximum brake force if it detects an emergency.

All in all, the Santa Fe isn't a bad vehicle. But Hyundai has raised the bar on itself, and when you get into this vehicle, there's very little that makes you say, "Wow, I really want one of these."

Hyundai doesn't even feel like the value vehicle in this segment, which is ground the carmaker often holds over the competition. It takes $23,000 to get a base model with an automatic transmission, and the top-of-the-line model cost more than $30,000.

With so much attention being paid to compact crossovers, the expectation has become that every vehicle needs to be the very best in the bunch.

    See also:

    Operating the automatic transaxle
    The highly efficient Hyundai automatic transaxle has four forward speeds and one reverse speed. The individual speeds are selected automatically, depending on the position of the speed selector ...

    Under the Hood
    A 2.7-liter V-6 engine produces 181 horsepower and teams with a four-speed-automatic transmission in the GL V-6, GLS and LX models. The automatic transmission has manual-shifting capability. Used ...

    Full-time 4WD operation
    (If installed) Engine power can be delivered to all wheels. Full-time 4WD is useful when good traction is required, such as, when driving on slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and when moving out ...