We headed to Ratoath Motor Centre in Meath to have a look at a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. Ratoath Motor Centre is an AA Approved Garage, so this Santa Fe comes with 12 months free AA Breakdown Rescue and a 101-point check. We think that this could be a great option for a young family that needs 7 seats and loads of space!
What is the Hyundai Santa Fe?
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a large and spacious family SUV, that offers good value for money and a high level of spec for what you pay. It is consistently one of the best-selling large SUVs in Ireland. It is comfortable to drive and has plenty of power to cart around a full load of people and luggage.
How much does it cost to run a Hyundai Santa Fe?
Fuel economy
The Santa Fe we had on test was the 2.2 litre Diesel engine. The Santa Fe is a big and heavy SUV so you can’t expect fantastic fuel efficiency. It is rated for 47.1mpg, but that’s a little bit optimistic and you probably won’t get that unless you’re ticking along at a reasonable speed on the motorway. In town, and especially in bad traffic, you will get a lot less than that.
Don’t forget that if you want to reduce your fuel costs, you can download the AA App here. You don’t even have to be a member. Just use the App at the counter in a participating Circle K garages and you will get a 3c per litre discount!
Tax & Insurance
Motor Tax will also be quite decent at €400 for this Santa Fe. Although that’s a hefty sum of money, it’s probably not too bad considering you get a 7-seater for that. You will find cheaper options, but they’ll probably be much smaller.
The Santa Fe’s size and 200hp offering will nudge it up the insurance ladder a little bit compared to smaller SUVs, but this one should still be reasonable as it’s far from a high-performance car. If you are interested in finding out how much it would cost to insure yourself on it then you can get a quote from us here!
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe spacious?
It most certainly is! This is a great option for people who really need lots of space for children and luggage. You can run the Santa Fe as a 7-seater with a reasonably sized boot, or fold down the third row of seats to give you a 5-seater with a gigantic boot.
The seats are easy to fold up and down, making it very functional. You can also move the middle row of seats back and forth depending on what combination of people and luggage you are carrying. Head space is good for all passengers, although that 3rd row is a little tighter and is more suited to children.
Spec and finish inside
The Hyundai Santa Fe is quite good at providing at decent level of spec as standard. So if you’re in the market for one then you should be well looked after. But if you’re considering a used option, then we think it’s a good idea to hunt out a higher spec as you’re not paying new prices for those creature comforts.
You get cruise control, one-touch electric windows all around, heated seats, dual-zone climate control, electrically adjustable seats and a whole lot more.
What is the Hyundai Santa Fe like to drive?
Hyundai have done a fantastic job at boosting their brand reputation over the last few years. They’ve done this by selling well-built, reliable cars and SUVs that drive well and are comfortable. The Santa Fe is no exception to that.
The Santa Fe’s 2.2 litre Diesel engine has plenty of power and torque to get the job done. It develops 200hp which is plenty to get the SUV up to speed on the motorway. It’s also plenty to get you up steep hills and even tow plenty when needed.
Although there’s plenty of torque and power there, it is delivered in a more sedate way. The acceleration is smooth, and unless you really plant your foot, unlikely to wheel-spin.
We really like how the suspension is set up. It’s soft and a little bit boaty, but this is a good thing for us. It takes ramps really well, and the bigger squishy tyres even out all the little bumps in the road. It will roll a little in the corners, but we’d say that you won’t be cornering too fast in this thing anyway!
The version we were testing had the manual, which felt fine, but we’d be searching for the automatic version if the budget could stretch that far.
Why buy an AA Approved Car?
AA Approved garages such as Ratoath Motor Centre where we tested this Hyundai are inspected before being allowed onto our programme. They have to meet a certain quality to be accepted. If they don’t continue to meet our standards, they will be removed from the AA Approved programme.
Each AA Approved car that is sold comes with a 101-point check. For added peace of mind, you get 12 months free Breakdown Rescue when you buy an AA Approved car. You can learn more about the programme here.
If you’re looking for an AA Approved car that has is coming in a little cheaper, then check out our review of the 7-seater 2014 Citroen C4 Picasso.
