2014 Hyundai Santa Fe – Ideal For Glamping, Tailgating, and Civilized Road Tripping

Another crossover SUV that my husband has had his eye on is the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited. Well, after some serious legwork, we finally got the opportunity to test it out. The Santa Fe has a sleek, modern look. The angled edges, which appeared both inside and out, gave the car some attitude and a modern feel.

2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Performance

The ride was smooth and it was nice being able to change the handling to comfort (very light) to normal to sport (tight). It was very easy to get accustomed to driving and the seat were very comfortable. Turning radius was good but, due to the longer nose, it was a bit harder to judge the dimensions for parking.

On the back of the seats, there were some mystery panels. Speakers? Vents? Decoration? Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to check the manual to find out for sure. The faux grain was very shiny and seemed a bit old-fashioned compared to the rest of the interior.

The instrument panel was easy to reference and the digital screen was just the right size in displaying key information. In the middle area, the touchscreen offered crystal clear visuals and was sensitive to the touch.

Details That Matter

What stood out to me were the small details in catering to a driver’s many needs. The middle section has a lowered cubby that’s just the right size for a phone or wallet. Just above that are two lighter sockets, an aux input, and a usb port for all your electronic needs. If your family enjoys tailgate parties and/or camping, they’ll really like the three-pronged outlet in the cargo area.

Panoramic sunroofs are not uncommon these days and this SUV had one as well. This was the first time that I’ve seen the cover as one long piece. It makes for a beautiful viewing experience but it also takes a super long time to open and close.

The passenger seat and the seats in the second row are set very low, as if they’re sinking into floor. In the second row it makes the passengers feel all warm and cozy and it’s tough fighting the urge to nap. In the third row, the seats are only elevated a few inches. That makes sitting there extremely awkward.

However, in the front seat, I felt like a midget (is that politically correct?) sitting by my husband when he drove. This seemed odd especially since the driver seat could be adjusted to such a differing height. We didn’t let our 13-year-old drive the car but she happily got behind the wheel (while parked) for comparison sake. See how our 5’ teen looks taller than my 5’11” husband?

Conclusion

We were very happy with how the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited drove. It’s great for long trips, with nice seating for four and oodles of head room. However, the third row doesn’t make sense with the lack of floor space. I only imagine this being for emergency/backup use. Or, you could go for the Santa Fe Sport which omits that third row and instead focuses on Functionality and style were both present, making for a great SUV for small families that need extra cargo space.

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