My California Experience: Test Driving the New 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to test drive the new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. Not only was I test driving this new car, but Hyundai sent me to San Diego to do it. I was excited to do this New Santa Fe 2013 review for two reasons: 1) I own a Hyundai Sonata and we are looking to get an additional car for our soon to be expanding family and 2) this east coast girl has never been to California!

I arrived in San Diego on Friday afternoon at Coronado Island. If you have never been to Coronado and you are in the San Diego area, I highly recommend you visit this beachside town. There are amazing restaurants, great shopping and a beautiful beach.

I stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado and was amazed by its beauty and history. Hotel Del Coronado is located on the Pacific Ocean and is just a bit north of where the Navy Seals train. In fact, many mornings you can see the navy seals working out and training on the beach from your hotel room. Hotel Del Coronado was built in 1888 and the legend is that it is haunted by the ghost of  Kate Morgan. I don’t believe in ghosts but I will admit that I was a bit disconcerted Friday when the bathroom light in my hotel room turned itself on at 2 am and then again at 5 am!

Saturday morning I woke up excited to get to see and learn about the new Santa Fe. Hyundai had a jam packed day planned for us and it started an info session on the new Santa Fe along with a Q&A session. During this session, we learned about some of the awesome features of the Santa Fe.

If you are familiar with the Santa Fe Sport, you need to check out the new Santa Fe. It is larger than the sport (the sport is a 5 passenger vehicle) and depending on the model you choose, it seats 6 or 7 people. As many of you know, my husband and I are in the midst of adopting two kiddos with two separate adoption agencies. (With one of our agencies we are actually approved to adopt a sibling set.) So, we could technically bring home three children within the next two years. Because of this, we are looking for a larger vehicle to replace my hubby’s car (he has an old car that seats 4). The new Santa Fe has the seating that we need along with some awesome features that are perfect for families with children.

Hyundai really wanted us to experience the new Santa Fe so after the informational session, they sent us off on our way. We left Coronado and then left San Diego and headed for the mountains. I didn’t realize that Southern California has mountains! The scenery we saw was jaw droppingly beautiful. The Santa Fe handled the twists and turns of the mountain like a pro. I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous to test drive the Santa Fe in unfamiliar terrain – especially terrain that had sharp turns and dips. But when I got behind the wheel, I immediately felt at ease. I adjusted the driver’s seat and rearview mirror and set off. Looking at the two back rows in my rearview mirror, I could picture my future kiddos comfortably sitting in their car seats.

Below are some of the features that really stood out to me:

Two Seating Options

You can choose between two rows of standard bench seats (gives you a total of 8 seats) or the Santa Fe Limited has a 2nd row of Captain Chairs and a 3rd row of bench seats (gives you a total of 7 seats).

Trunk Space & Storage

The amount of trunk space you have is versatile depending on whether you fold your rear 3rd row seats. You can leave your 3rd row up and use the trunk space provided, or you can put down just one of your rear seats or both. I loved the flexibility of the rear seats. If I had two children in car seats in the 2nd row, I would have more than enough room for a double stroller, golf clubs, groceries and more in the trunk.

I also loved that there was extra storage under the panel in the trunk. I can picture placing emergency must-haves like extra diapers, umbrellas, extra toys and maybe even some beach blankets in case we took a last minute road trip to the beach!

Stain Resistant Seats

My hubby and I were always under the impression that when it comes to clean-up, leather seats were the way to go when you have kids. I was thrilled to learn that Santa Fe’s seats feature YES Essentials Stain Resistant cloth seats. These cloth seats are designed with repel-and-release technology so spills that would ordinarily stain most car interiors, bead up on the surface to be easily wiped away. And, dried ground-in stains can be removed easily with just soap and water. They also control odors and reduce static.

Manual Rear Window Side Window Sunshades

I LOVE this feature. I always notice cars driving by that have sunshades haphazardly stuck to their rear windows. With the Santa Fe, the manual rear side window sunshades are part of the car. And they fit the window! Just pull it down and the side window’s sunshade perfectly protects your child from the sun!

Standard Safety Equipment

The new Santa Fe has 7 airbags. If you drive in hilly terrain, it has Hillstart Assist (this prevents your car from rolling backward when you go from braking to pushing the gas pedal). It also has Downhill Brake control, Brake Assist and Traction Control.

 

Navigation System with Rearview Camera

I love both of these upgrades. The navigational system truly rocked. While I was driving on unfamiliar streets, the navigational system not only showed me where I was, when to turn, etc but it also showed me the speed limit! So, if I missed seeing or forgot the speed limit, all I had to do was look at the screen and it told me how fast I should be going.

The rearview camera is also an amazing feature. I loved that I can look at the screen and see if anyone or anything is behind me. This is perfect if you have children playing in your driveway or dogs running around (both of which happens to us on a daily basis even though neither the children or dogs are ours!).

Panoramic sunroof

The panoramic sunroof is a luxury that I could get used to! You can tell from the picture above just how far back the sunroof goes! Truly awesome.

Warranty

I love Hyundai’s Warranty. The new Hyundai Santa Fe starts at $28,350 so it is great to know that there are so many warranties covering my purchase. In fact, I can’t tell you how much peace of mind I have knowing that my Hyundai Sonata still has a few years left under its 10 year warranty.
10 Year/100,000 Mile Powertrain Protection: Covers repair or replacement of powertrain components (i.e., selected engine and transmission/transaxle components), originally manufactured or installed by Hyundai that are defective in material or factory workmanship, under normal use and maintenance.
5 Year/60,000 Mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty: Covers repair or replacement of any component manufactured or originally installed by Hyundai that is defective in material or factory workmanship, under normal use and maintenance.

5 Year Unlimited Miles: Effective from the date the vehicle is delivered to the first retail buyer, or otherwise put into service (in-service date), whichever is earlier.

7 Year/Unlimited Miles Anti-Perforation Warranty: Covers perforation (rust hole through the body panel from inside to outside) corrosion of original Hyundai body sheet metal due to defects in material or factory workmanship, under normal use and maintenance.

Power Outlets & iPod^®/USB and auxiliary input jack

The blogger in me LOVED these perks.  The front dashboard has iPod/USB input jacks as well as power outlets.  I am not going to lie, most Sundays on our way to church, while hubby drives, I am hyped up on Dramamine and blogging.  So I love that power outlets come standard in the new Santa Fe.  And – if you have kiddos, don’t worry!  The back seat has power outlets as well!  So, their electronics will stay charged too!

What can I say? I had an awesome time driving the new Hyundai Santa Fe and doing my New Santa Fe 2013 review for Hyundai. I highly recommend you take it out for a test drive. In fact, my husband and I are going to go test drive it at our local Hyundai because my husband wants to see first-hand what I’ve been raving about since I returned home from my trip! To learn more about the Santa Fe, go HERE  To find a dealer near you, go HERE 

**Hyundai sent me to California to test drive the Hyundai Santa Fe.  The trip was paid for by Hyundai.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own