2020 Hyundai Santa Fe: One of the Best of the Year

And finally, to close out the year (and what a year it has been)… 

Still, one of the best midsized SUVs of the year is the Hyundai Santa Fe, an all-around good performer that hits the sweet spot for whatever your needs or family may be, even if your family is just you and your purchases from Game Stop and The Kum ‘N Go (those really are quickie marts here in the colonies). 

The Santa Fe consistently scores at the top of most lists when it comes the Best SUV or Best Car or… Gosh, you really need to check this out. There are many worthy competitors in this midsize SUV arena, so always do your homework.

… But should you still be one of those cool beans bears who, even in adult life, would rather find a TV special and just write your term paper based on that (and then, hopefully, magically dazzle the teacher with your brilliance and wish for an ‘A’). Well then, if you read this review, watch a few commercials and see a few YouTube reviews about the 2020 Santa Fe and then decide ‘Yeah, that’s the car I want’, Congrats: You got an A+!

My only real kinda, sorta complaint about the Santa Fe is that cargo space does seem a little pinched – and that still is not going to magically get you a Play Station 5. Okay, now that we’ve got that outta the way…

Prices start at $26,275 US.  Mileage is 22 city / 29 highway. There are basically three trims with a lot of variants and packages: SE, SEL and Limited.  With the Limited, which I tested, you can pop up all the way to $40K but, admittedly, can really make a splash with that top-tier entrée:  leather seats, remote start, “Quantum Logic Surround Sound & Clari-Fi Music Restoration Tech.”  Yes, that made all my versions of All I Want For Christmas Is You sound dreamy. 

(Here’s a really gay version of Miss Carey’s holiday hit by drag mistress La Voix and The London Gay Big Band  for all you English Breakfast types who are stuck on the Big Islands of The Crown this holiday season due to Boris Johnson’s ‘competence’ (unsolicited writer opinion here that does not necessarily reflect management).)

For about two-grand more, most internet experts (and isn’t everyone on the internet an expert?) suggest you spend the cash and get the SEL. Blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts are added with the SEL, as is push-button start, heated front seats and heated mirrors (so important in the icy cold of winter of the coming Ice Age, which will no longer be denied under the Joe Biden administration). 

Should you want a turbocharged engine, that can be ordered.  Otherwise, you will get a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, which should be more than sufficient for your everyday needs.  Many of those internet experts (indeed) feel that is not sufficient.  Yeah, well, perhaps………..

When shopping, also keep in mind that Kia is Hyundai’s sister manufacturer, and so there are many good cars to be had in that product lineup as well.  Anymore, I really am hard-pressed to tell you the exact difference between a smallish SUV and midsize SUV, which is why I not a fan of buying a car online. 

If you can, hop in and test drive a car first.  If you think it will work for you (after you have done ALL of your homework), take it for a drive and see how it fits. Grab your friends. Hey, it’s not like you have a fairy godmother at the ready who can make adjustments as you go: make sure it works before you agree to payments for the rest of your tenure at the company where you are ‘sure’ you will make vice-president before the Feds find out who the founder really is and why he suddenly left the island over the weekend. 

And in the meantime:

Happy Holiday however you celebrate from all of us here at Bear World!

Big Bear Hugz!