The seven-passenger version of the Santa Fe is one of the most pleasant and well-rounded three-row SUVs on the market. It's functional, stylish, and easy to live with.
Spacious and accommodating, the Santa Fe has a limo-like rear seat and generous cargo area yet it doesn't feel too bulky to drive or park. The comfortable ride and quiet interior make it a welcome family road trip companion. Easy access and simple controls add to its user-friendliness. Fuel economy from the standard V6 engine is impressive. We saw 20 mpg overall in our testing which is par for the course.
A tiny, hard to get to third-row seat is the Santa Fe's biggest letdown. It works only for kids. Still, the Santa Fe offers a lot of equipment for the money overall.
Just don't confuse it with the Santa Fe Sport, which shares the front of the Santa Fe's body and its dashboard, but carries only five and comes only with four-cylinder engines. We were less impressed with the Sport than we were with the three-row Santa Fe.