Hyundai Santa Fe (2012 – 2018) Review

Hyundai Santa Fe (2012 – 2018) At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
A great family SUV thanks to seven seats, plenty of room and good kit. There’s only one engine choice, though – a smooth, frugal diesel.

+Sleek looks and good quality interior. Refined and quiet on the move. Seven seats. Well equipped as standard. Excellent 2.2 CRDi diesel.

-Manual gearbox is fine, but the auto is preferable. Middle row of seats is a 60-40 bench, rather than three individual chairs.

Insurance Groups are between 18–29
On average it achieves 76% of the official MPG figure

The launch of this generation of Hyundai Santa Fe saw the South Korean company truly come of age. At a stroke, the firm was a main player in the large family SUV sector, rivalling the Volvo XC90 for space and equipment but at a much keener price. It has the advantage of seven seats, which rivals such as the Honda CR-V, big-selling Ford Kuga and good-to-drive Mazda CX-5 couldn’t match. Few rivals for the same money could offer seven-seaters, and the Hyundai Santa Fe remains a very good used car prospect. Read on for our full Hyundai Santa Fe review.

When this third generation of Hyundai Santa Fe SUV was designed, the firm got feedback from existing owners, but more crucially from people who didn’t buy one. The views of customers who had shown interest, but chosen something else, highlighted areas where Hyundai had fallen short.

This research paid dividends because this Hyundai Santa Fe is mightily impressive. It addresses the shortcomings of the previous model while the good things remain. The Hyundai Santa Fe built up a reputation as a good-value, comfortable, reliable and well built 4x4, making it an ideal family car. This version hasn’t lost touch with these ‘core’ values, but got a much needed boost in the style and quality departments.

In terms of looks, this Hyundai Santa Fe is a huge step forward over the old model. Gone is the boxy and ungainly profile, replaced by a lower and sleeker design.

It’s available with seven seats and comes with a 2.2-litre CRDi diesel engine, producing 197PS and with economy of around 48mpg on the two-wheel-drive version.

The all-wheel-drive set-up is an on-demand system that runs in front-wheel drive the majority of the time, but can send up to 50 per cent drive to the rear wheels if it detects a loss of grip. For particularly slippery conditions, such as snow or ice, permanent four-wheel-drive can be selected, delivering a 50/50 power split at up to 25mph. Maximum towing capability with a braked trailer is a useful 2500kg.

Read our review of the latest Hyundai Santa Fe here.

Ask Honest John

I need a seven seat car I can tow with that is also ULEZ compliant. What are my options?

"I need a Euro 6 compliant car, my current Volvo XC90 does not meet the ULEZ standard. I've seen a Land Rover Discovery Sport for around £17,000. It will do everything we need - seven seats and pull the occasional horse trailer. All the reviews seem terrible - would you recommend this car? It will be used for city driving during the week and used in the countryside at the weekends. I'd love to buy Euro compliant XC90 but it's too expensive. Otherwise I am thinking of an XC60 - it won't have seven seats or pull a trailer but will fit a family of 5."
There are not many options that fit your criteria and come within your budget. The Land Rover Discovery Sport is a good car but it has a patchy reliability record, so it would not be our first choice. However, you can find post-2015 versions of the Hyundai Santa Fe that are Euro 6 compliant and come with seven seats for less than £17,000. It has a good quality interior with plenty of space, can tow and is well-equipped.
Answered by David Ross

Are differential failures common on the Hyundai Santa Fe?

"Just been told by my local garage that the rear diff on my car has failed and needs replacing. The car was last serviced one month ago but not by a Hyundai dealership. Being a 2017 model it is just out of warranty, but surely this shouldn't have gone with such limited mileage? The garage who have looked at it say it looks as though something has failed inside and it has exploded so there is now a hole in the metal casing. Is this likely to be a latent manufacturing defect that Hyundai should pick up (even though it is out of warranty) or have i just been unlucky? Cost to replace has been quoted at over £5k for the part alone so I am at my wits end! "
We've seen a few individual reports of Santa Fes suffering from differential failure but not enough to say for sure that it's a known and common issue. Sadly there could be a number of factors at play here. Are you the first owner? It's possible the previous owner didn't look after the car or towed heavy objects (which can prematurely wear components such as the differential. We would attempt to contact Hyundai's customer service and plead your case, they may offer a goodwill gesture towards the fix, but I'm afraid we can't guarantee anything.
Answered by Lawrence Allan

Can you recommend a large car to replace my Discovery 3?

"I currently drive a Land Rover Discovery 3 (2004), which I'm looking to replace. I need something with a big boot for 2 large dogs and capable of towing a caravan. I love my Discovery not only for its capability but how comfortable and easy it is on a long journey. I'm looking at up to three years old with a max budget of £22,500 and assume a diesel is still the best option. I doubt there is an electric vehicle that can fulfil my needs but would be pleased if you can suggest one! Any suggestions welcome."
If it's a small, lightweight caravan and you regularly cover short journeys, a petrol or hybrid might be a better option. Otherwise, stick with a diesel. We'd recommend a Skoda Kodiaq – your budget will get a 2017 model with a 2.0-litre diesel engine and four-wheel drive. It's got a big boot and will be cheap to run, while its 2000kg towing capacity is enough for a fairly hefty caravan. We'd also recommend a Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe.
Answered by Andrew Brady

What's the best car for a family of five?

"Can you advise on a used family car for us? The car will barely be used Monday to Friday but will be used for short trips into town at weekends. It will also be used to drive to Ireland once or twice a year. There are five of us in the family - three adults and two kids. At the moment we have a Zafira which suits our needs but is a bit boring to be honest. Our budget is around £15k."
How about an SUV like a Hyundai Santa Fe? It's a bit more interesting than a Zafira but represents very good value for money and will still be cheap to run. You'll have to look at one to decide if it's big enough for your needs, though - the rear seats pop up in the boot and aren't the easiest to get in and out of. Otherwise, you'll have to look at another MPV. There are some excellent deals available on Vauxhall Zafira Tourers. Also look at a Ford S-MAX or Galaxy.
Answered by Andrew Brady
More Questions

What does a Hyundai Santa Fe (2012 – 2018) cost?