2013 Hyundai Santa Fe First Drive Review

“Give the people what they want."

That’s the rallying cry for any product planner, and it’s certainly true for automakers as they decide what types of vehicles to focus on and sell. Hyundai is clearly paying attention to the people, because it seems more and more buyers are looking to put a mid-size crossover into their driveways and garages.

We’ve already sampled the redesigned Santa Fe Sport, but some families need a bit more seating space. Enter the long-wheelbase 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, which promises to fulfill the needs of many homes thanks to three rows of seating, a plethora of standard and optional extra goodies, and a V6 engine that blends power and efficiency.

That’s the very quick bullet-point overview, but there’s a bit more going on and it’s time to dive in. We ventured down to San Diego, California to put the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe through its paces, and come up with a verdict of our own. We’re not going to boil this one down to a handful of bullet points.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe: Buff but beautiful

Moving outside, the style switches to a much more fluid feel. It should, after all, since the 2013 Santa Fe is a continuation of the Fluidic Sculpture design language seen throughout the rest of the lineup. The result on this specific vehicle is a one that is clearly Hyundai yet also provides a mature and handsome stance. Stylish 18-inch wheels easily fill the wheel wells with optional 19-inchers filling that gap even further, and the familiar grille helps round out the face. When viewed from the rear, we actually found ourselves comparing the design language to that of the all-new Mercedes-Benz GL-Series. The taillights and exhaust openings of the two vehicles share a similar aesthetic and it works out well for both of them.

Let’s get back to the front, however, because there is a whole lot of style going on with this face. Large fog lights complement the even larger headlamps and their LED daytime running light accents. The aforementioned grille pairs nicely with the lower fascia, and the entire unit really helps to set the tone positively for the rest of the Santa Fe and its looks.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe: Power to back up the visual punch

You need more than just style, however, to capture the attention of the masses. Thankfully, Hyundai has included substance here as well. It arrives by way of the 3.3-liter V6 engine mounted under the hood. This mill produces 290 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque, which helps make the 2013 Santa Fe the first Hyundai vehicle to earn a 5,000 pound tow rating. The smooth and powerful engine is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox and can send energy out to the front wheels or all four wheels depending on which model you prefer.

The tow rating and power numbers are nice, but fuel economy is the order of the day and the Santa Fe doesn’t disappoint here either. Thanks to a few technical tricks, the front-wheel-drive Santa Fe can hit 25 miles per gallon on the highway, and the all-wheel-drive version loses just one mile per gallon to achieve a rating of 24 on the highway. In combined driving both versions are good for at least 20 miles per gallon. This fuel efficiency is also arrived at thanks to the strict diet Hyundai engineers forced upon the Santa Fe. Weighing in at 3,933 pounds means it falls under the two ton mark and that’s something the competition can’t boast.

We do wish, however, that we were as enamored with the steering feel as we were with… well, everything else. There’s really no feel or feedback to speak of, and it’s the one area where we find ourselves a bit let down. Yes, Hyundai does offer up its driver selectable driving mode that dials in steering heft ranging from Comfort to Normal and Sport. Comfort is far too light and Sport seems just too artificial for us to enjoy. Leaving the Santa Fe in Normal is the way to go.