Test drive: Buyers will find way to Santa Fe

This week, we’re driving another all-new vehicle from Hyundai, and it’s built right here in the United States. We’re talking about the 2007 Santa Fe SUV, available in both two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive formats with fresh styling and attractive pricing. The styling reminds us of Infiniti FX with a touch of Volvo up front, and some VW Touareg at the rear. Overall, it’s much nicer than the first generation.

Santa Fe’s 7-inch increase in overall length coupled with a 3-inch wider stance allows, for the first time, an optional third row of seating to better compete against the likes of Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. Granted, these third-row seats are always tight for adults, but kids love them and manufacturer “availability” is sometimes more important than actual function.

Over the years, Hyundai has become a manufacturer that installs ALL airbags as standard equipment. You won’t have to pay extra for dual advanced front airbags, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags and roof-mounted side-curtain airbags. The result is NHTSA five-star ratings for side impact and four-star on rollovers. Take a bow, Hyundai.

Standard fare are tire pressure monitors and electronic stability control, the latter an active safety system that applies braking to individual wheels and adjusts throttle as needed to help keep the vehicle on its intended path. As for the brakes, full four-wheel disc ABS technology is built into each and every Santa Fe, as is traction control.

As expected, Santa Fe’s interior is more sophisticated than last year, offering additional room in all areas. All gauges are clearly visible and controls easy to reach. We had no problem entering or exiting both front and rear seating areas during our weeklong test.

Under the hood sits an all-aluminum and fuel-efficient 3.3-liter Double Overhead Cam V-6 engine that pumps out 242 horsepower and 226 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed electronic automatic transmission transfers power to the front wheels, and fuel mileage numbers of 19 city and 24 highway are good for a vehicle that weighs 3,864-lbs. (Our tester came in 2WD dress.)

Santa Fe’s base price includes its famous 100,000 mile, 10-year powertrain warranty, roof rack with adjustable rails, automatic air conditioning, all the powers, tilt-and-telescopic steering, cruise, keyless entry, windshield wiper de-icer, privacy glass, heated outside mirrors, and a fine sounding AM/FM/XM/CD (MP3-compatible) audio system with 6 speakers.

The Limited model upgrades to leather seating, 18-inch six-spoke alloy wheels with P235/60R18 tires, dual exhaust outlets, rear spoiler, power driver seat with power lumbar and heated front seats.

Options on our tester included power tilt-and-slide glass sunroof with sliding sunshade for $950, floor mats for $95 and a rear cargo screen for $100.

For more adventurous consumers or simply added traction when you need it, Santa Fe offers an available Borg Warner All Wheel Drive system that gives the driver traction at all fours.

Driving Santa Fe is impressive, as the V-6 offers up good acceleration and excellent passing ability. In cornering, new 4-wheel independent suspension platform mechanicals surface to provide an overall carlike ride, providing comfort and quietness.

Overall, I’d rate our 2WD Santa Fe more on the softer side, suspension-wise, than some of the competing models and expect the AWD to be stiffer.

Important numbers include a wheelbase of 106.3-inches, 3,846-pound curb weight, 19.8-gallon fuel tank, and up to 78.2 cubic feet of cargo space with seats down. An entry level Santa Fe 2WD starts at just $21,045 with a smaller V-6, so there’s a lot of room for those shopping on a budget.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hyundai selling cars in America. Hyundai moved construction of the new Santa Fe to its new assembly plant in Montgomery, Ala., where the popular Sonata is built.

Thus, based on the Hyundais we’ve already driven this year (Santa Fe and Elantra), the company is here to stay and the birthday party should be a cheerful one.

We rate Santa Fe a 9.5 on a scale of one to 10. Yes, it’s that good a value.

Likes: Style, price, comfort, power, warranty, safety.

Dislikes: Steering just a bit light.