Hyundai Santa Fe review

The Santa Fe is Hyundai’s largest SUV. It offers the rugged go-anywhere ability and high driving position that SUV buyers want, along with a healthy dose of space and practicality.

In fact, it’s one of the few SUVs available with seven seats, making it a genuine alternative to a large MPV, although its natural rivals are the Land Rover Discovery Sport and the Nissan X-Trail. High-end five-seat versions are also priced against the likes of the BMW X3.

Apart from the sheer amount of space it offers, it majors on comfort and a generous equipment list. Every version also comes with four-wheel drive, which will help when towing or when the roads are slippery. It’s not particularly refined, though, and that comfortable ride comes at the expense of sloppy body control; many rivals are better at combining comfort and control.

Also, if you won’t use all seven seats, be absolutely sure you need an SUV this big; slightly smaller alternatives such as the Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Qashqai are still spacious and practical, yet are better to drive and cheaper to buy.