Thursday, January 08, 2009

By ANN M. JOB
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

last updated: July 03, 2008 10:55:01 PM

The value-priced, practical Hyundai Santa Fe doesn't get a lot of headlines.

But it made news this year when it beat out the Honda Pilot as the top midsize sport utility vehicle chosen by Consumer Reports magazine for 2008.

What put the Santa Fe amid the magazine's overall Top 10 Picks? A long list of standard safety equipment, roomy interior, decent ride, good reliability record, exemplary crash-test results and the fact that buyers get a lot for their money.

One of the noteworthy standard features is a 10-year, 100,000-mile limited warranty on the Santa Fe powertrain. This warranty covers some of the most expensive components in a car, such as the engine, and compares with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty on Honda's Pilot.

Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $21,845 for a base, two-wheel-drive, 2008 Santa Fe GLS with 185-horsepower V-6 and manual transmission. With automatic transmission, the retail price starts at $23,145.

The lowest MSRP, including destination charge, for a 2008 Santa Fe with all-wheel drive is $23,545 with a manual transmission.

These prices undercut many other midsize SUVs, especially so-called crossover SUVs that are built on car-based platforms and provide a more carlike ride than do traditional, truck-based SUVs.

For example, the starting MSRP, including destination charge, for a 2008 Saturn Outlook is $28,995, while a 2008 Honda Pilot has a starting retail price of $28,230. Both the Outlook and Pilot come only with automatic transmissions.

The Santa Fe is built on a modified platform of the front-wheel-drive Hyundai Sonata sedan, and the ride in the test Santa Fe Limited with all-wheel drive was a bit more compliant than I prefer.

The softer-than-expected ride combined with numb steering feel for an isolated-from-the-road sensation. It contrasts with other SUVs that have moved to give drivers a sense they're connected to the road and can feel pavement surfaces. The interior of the Santa Fe was quiet, save for wind noise at highway speeds.

Two V-6s are offered, but the base 2.7-liter engine is used in the smaller and lighter-weight Hyundai Tucson SUV and produces only 185 horsepower and 183 foot-pounds of torque.

The test Santa Fe had the more capable 3.3-liter, double overhead cam V-6 that generates 242 horsepower, which is about the same as the 244 horses in the 2008 Honda Pilot.

The engine's torque of 226 foot-pounds at 4,500 rpm moved the 4,000-pound Limited model of Santa Fe quickly forward from stoplights and gave an acceptably peppy performance, even with four seats occupied and some luggage in the back.

Interestingly, the federal government fuel economy ratings don't indicate much loss in gas mileage for the use of the bigger engine.

Santa Fes with the 3.3-liter V-6 are rated at 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway and are mated to a five-speed automatic.

Santa Fes with the 2.7-liter V-6 and four-speed automatic have the same highway rating and only 1 more mile per gallon -- 18 mpg -- in city driving.

These numbers put the 2008 Santa Fe in the same basic mileage category as the pricier Toyota Highlander and a tad above the 2008 Honda Pilot.

Regular gasoline is fine in the Santa Fe. At today's gas prices, though, it could cost more than $80 to fill the good-sized, 19.8-gallon fuel tank and travel just over 370 city/highway miles at the government's estimated mileage rate.

I enjoyed the high views out of the Santa Fe, though it can be difficult to see what's low and just behind the vehicle as it backs up.

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