2024 Hyundai Santa Fe: Big, Bulky, Bear Fun
You might not recognize the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe.
Once just a humble, nimble SUV that could get you around town and up a small mountain, it now literally owns a mountain, as evidenced by the photos here.
It’s still considered a midsized SUV but, wow, is it a big hulking cruiser, with plenty of room inside for you and your Bear friends.
Completely redesigned for 2024, it’s boxier and looks a lot more utilitarian than last year – but it still has a ruggedness to it. There is a lot more room inside and the good news is that visibility is much improved – for everyone.
And – it really is quite a handsome date wherever you take it. The interior has a touch of elegance that you have now come to expect when you purchase a new vehicle. While the new Santa Fe is not quite ready for a night at the opera, it is ready to meet your parents. And perhaps all your ex’s who may or may not live in Texas.
Turbo. 277 horses. You will have to go up the food chain to get goodies like All-Wheel Drive but for a starting price of $34K US, this year’s Santa Fe does have a lot to offer, especially for big guys like us.
Because it is boxy by design, leg room and head room are ‘maxx-ed’, which is a good thing for us. You will get just over 40 cubic feet when you put the standard third row of seats down (yes, there is third row of seats) and almost 80 cubic feet of cargo space when you fold down the second row of space. That will allow for a lot of bulk shopping.
12.3-inch touchscreen, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning. There are a lot of standard features to this baby.
I found the touchscreen and other controls fairly-easy to use. Nowadays, everyone has to be entertained by everything (the panoramic dash gives you a show when you start the engine), and Hyundai does not disappoint in this arena. Let’s just say that when you connect your devices with the Santa Fe, the experience should be pleasant-enough.
If you are strictly city boys, I would not recommend this car. While it is a joy to drive and thrill to experience, it may be more man than you can handle, especially when trying to park it. And shelter it.
Yet if you need something even larger (and who doesn’t) you might want to consider the big brother to the Santa Fe, the Hyundai Palisade.
As autumn approaches, it’s important to prepare for chillier times ahead. Make sure you know how to shelter yourself in case things get a little dicey.
Just how does one do that?
Keeping your eyes open is my best advice.
