2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Road Test and Review

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe is fully redesigned this year with improvements across the board. It’s also undergone a slight name change that requires some explanation to avoid confusion. The 2018 Santa Fe Sport, with two rows and room for five passengers, has been replaced by the 2019 Santa Fe. The 2018 Santa Fe — a three-row, seven-passenger version of the Santa Fe Sport — has become the 2019 Santa Fe XL. In other words, the new Santa Fe is the smaller model, whereas last year it had been the larger one. 

Along with the name change, the 2019 Santa Fe shows off updated styling, along with increased cargo capacity and more room for passengers than the 2018 Santa Fe Sport. There are also new advanced safety features and powertrain improvements to make the Santa Fe more fun to drive. Let’s take a closer look at the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe to see if it’s the right crossover for your needs.

There are five available trims, each with a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Base models are the most modestly equipped, despite a generous helping of safety technology, while higher trims pack on more features. Front-wheel drive models with the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine range from $25,500 for the base SE up to $35,450 for the top Ultimate.

Those looking for a more spirited driving experience can opt for a more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine priced available only in the top Limited and Ultimate trims. The Limited with the turbocharged engine comes in at $34,200 while the Ultimate is priced from $37,100. Add all-wheel drive to any version of the Santa Fe and the price increases by $1,700. The Santa Fe is priced to be affordable with a broad enough trim range to fit most budgets. Even the addition of all-wheel drive doesn’t cause a huge price jump, making it great for budget-minded buyers.

The base powertrain in the Santa Fe is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. The available 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine takes a jump to 235 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. That’s a significant difference and provides two very different drive experiences. Both engines use an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

The 2.4-liter engine has enough power for the Santa Fe in most situations — but loaded up with people and cargo, it's less impressive. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine offers a noticeable performance increase. It’s quicker off the line and makes merging into highway traffic easier. Unfortunately, it’s only available on the top two trims, so if your budget is tight, the more powerful engine may be out of reach.

Front-wheel drive versions of the Santa Fe get an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined with the 2.4-liter engine, or 20 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, 22 mpg combined with the turbocharged engine. Opt for all-wheel drive and the numbers take a slight drop. The 2.4-liter engine gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined, while turbocharged models get 19 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined.

No matter which version of the Santa Fe you choose, its fuel economy makes it an easy SUV to use for family road trips or the weekly commute. All-wheel drive requires the typical fuel economy sacrifice, as does the more powerful engine, but neither is enough to make those choices risky if fuel prices rise.

The Santa Fe isn’t a large crossover, but it’s still a good-sized vehicle. Despite its bulk, there’s very little body roll or lean when you take sharp corners, even at highway speeds. Steering is tight and responsive without tiring the driver over longer road trips. It’s an easy vehicle to pilot down the road and feels less SUV-like than some competitors. The smooth-shifting eight-speed transmission adds to the drive experience, making good use of the engine’s power.

It also offers a smooth, compliant ride. Rough pavement isn’t an issue and even most potholes aren’t enough to upset the ride for passengers or control for the driver. Road and wind noise are kept to a minimum, creating a quiet cabin where conversation is easy between front and rear passengers. And once again, that eight-speed transmission with its well-timed shifts keeps undue noise from intruding into the cabin.

Although the Santa Fe isn’t a premium crossover, it does a good job of providing enough features combined with quality trims that even the base model doesn’t feel too basic. The SE features cloth seating surfaces with a 7-inch infotainment display, but only one step up to the SEL brings a power driver’s seat and heated front seats. The features increase as you move up the trim range until you get to the Ultimate, which truly feels like more than it costs. Heated and ventilated front seats, leather seating, and an 8-inch color touchscreen give the Ultimate an upscale vibe.

Regardless of the trim you choose, materials are of good quality without any cheap plastics to detract from the Santa Fe’s appeal. Front seats are comfortable and supportive, and rear seat passengers will also enjoy the ride, though three adults will find it narrow for longer trips.

The Santa Fe is as ready to carry your cargo as it is passengers. This might not be a large crossover, but it has a surprisingly large cargo area. There’s 35.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats or 71.3 cubic feet behind the front seats. Even with a full load of passengers, that’s more than enough room for strollers and a day’s necessities. It also offers good flexibility, with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat that lets you carry longer items while still fitting passengers in the backseat.

The rear cargo area is wide enough to accommodate golf clubs across the width of the vehicle and has a wide opening that makes loading bulky items easier. The load floor is also lower than in some competitors so that heavy cargo is less of a chore to lift into place.

The base infotainment system in the Santa Fe features a 7-inch display screen with AM/FM/MP3, Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio connectivity, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. One step up adds Sirius XM/HD radio and Blue Link connected car services. A 630-watt Infinity premium audio system with Clari-Fi sound restoration becomes standard on the SEL Plus.

Only the top Ultimate trim gets a screen upgrade with an 8-inch color touchscreen that includes navigation and traffic information, as well as a surround-view monitor and a wireless charging pad for compatible devices. The inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto even on base models is a plus, as is the large screen size that makes the display usable for navigation. The only drawback is that a touchscreen is reserved for only the top trim.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe has not yet been crash-tested by either the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Although we don’t have those ratings, the Santa Fe comes with a wide range of standard and available safety features to keep you and your family safe, even on the base trim. Every Santa Fe features forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, a driver attention warning, cruise control, a blind-spot monitor, lane-keep assist, and a rear cross-traffic alert.

Safe exit assist, which detects vehicles coming from the rear and warns the driver while also locking the passenger door, is also standard. On the SEL Plus and higher trims, there’s rear occupant alert to warn the driver when there may be a child still in the vehicle, along with a park distance warning. Offering so much, especially in the base trim, is commendable.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe is an attractive, comfortable, and fully-featured crossover with pricing that makes it affordable even if you’re on a budget. Even the base model comes with a large suite of safety features, and it doesn’t take much of a move up the trim range to add in numerous comfort and convenience features, too.

Two available engines with a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive add further to its appeal, although availability of the more powerful engine is limited to only the top two trims. This could put the most fun-to-drive Santa Fe out of reach for those on a tight budget. Overall, however, the all-new 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe hold lots of appeal for those in need of a five-passenger crossover.