Hi All,
sit back have a drink, cause this is going to be long...
I have a 2002.5 (mid year changes) AWD 2.7V6 AWD White Santa Fe
Service:
As for my own personal experience, I have had great service from my service department. I was so happy with them I even sent a letter to corporate thanking them for the professionals that work in the dealership/service dept. The reason why I was so happy is because before the Santa Fe, I had a Mazda Protege (POS) and the dealership I used to take it to was half Hyundai and half Mazda. That was the worst treatment I ever got. Plus the fact that there are some SF owners that are not to happy with their service departments made me weary of taking my Santa Fe in for servicing. But I am glad I did and found one heck of a nice surprise in service. BTW its Valley Stream Hyundai in LI, New York for those who want to know.
In overall, not all dealerships/service depts are the same and not all are as professionally courteous as they should, but alot are. You just have to look around.
Ride:
I like the SF in its handling on the road. Although its really made for the urban jungle and not for rugged outdoors. It is more than adequate. Shoot with the roads all pot-holed here in NYC, its almost like the rugged outdoors and the Santa Fe handles very well in those situations. It is car based so it has a smoother feel to the ride as oppose to the typical truck base feel. But I can only suggest to test drive it. Like the slogan goes Driving is believing and most are surprise of the ride. Of course thats all subjective especially since you currently have a truck based vehicle (Chevy Blazer) and might find the smoother car like feel of the Santa Fe is too smooth for your tastes. Only test driving it will clarify that.
Interior:
Well, I got the top of the line model the LX and so it comes with leather interior, auto climate, wood trim, seat warmers, etc. The seats are great, especially in winter when you need to get warm as fast as possible. The auto climate works great, although some say its get too cold while others say it does not get cold enough. The same goes for the heater. I feel its great. There is plenty of leg room and height. And for those that are really tall there are a few modifications that one can do to increase the leg room one of which is noted on my website modification page. There's plenty of cup holders, and a rear 12volt socket that can be used. Speaking of the back, in the cargo area there are plenty of hidden storage bins for not often used items. And the 5th wheel is undernealth the vehicle as opposed to hanging on the back hatch. (Which is really dangerous in a crash.)
Power:
Well, to me its faster than what I previously owned and is adequate. Plus the fact that the 2.7L V6 I have is the middle ground compared to the 2.4L and the 3.5 L so it gives the best of both worlds, adequate power and good fuel economy. The 2.4 is too underpowered, while the 3.5 is great it takes a bit of more gas and your wallet. especially now a days with the gas going higher and higher. Now compared to the Blazer, you will get better mileage from the Santa Fe, but in acceleration I think the Blazer might do better. Again only a test drive will determine that for you.
Maintenance:
Looking over the extensive and long warranty rules there is nothing in there that says that an owner has to go to a hyundai dealership for service maintenance. So long as you keep your reciepts and show proof that the scheduled maintenance has been performed then there should not be any problem should one arrise. Of course there are always two sides to every coin and for some items I would recommend only to have the service department do the work, such as the spark plugs, ATF etc,
also every dealership has their own schedule for maintenance. If you plan on doing your own work for the lesser stuff then go by your warranty book schedule. When the time comes to do the big stuff then take it to the dealership. I myself just let them do everything since I hate doing it myself. True its a bit more expensive but hey it gives me a piece of mind that I do not mess anything up.
Warranty:
The 10/100,000 warranty is great and I am glad that they are continuing it. It helps to know that if anything goes wrong to the parts that are described in the warranty would be covered without having to shell out the money myself. I even bought an extended warranty just to please my family and since I usually keep my vehicles for a long time I will probably be better off having the extended one. For those that change their cars often the 10/100,000 would be adequate.
AWD:
There are many pros and cons for having AWD. I think I rather have it than not. Do a search on the web and see the difference of the pros and cons.
On the Santy itself, the AWD is made by the guys that did the same for Porsche. So you know its good.
Noisey:
That depends on your definition of noise. With windows close, sunroof close and idle. No noise whatso ever. Driving on smooth pavement, noise comes up a notch but barely. On rough road or driving in highway the noise comes up. Then with any opening opens (windows, sunroof) the noise really goes up. I actually think its quieter than other suvs except the Lexus brands. Those are really quite.
Knowledge:
Of all the automobile websites, the only one that I know of that gives access to both the shop and electrical technical manuals to consumers is Hyundai. Plus the fact that it also lists all Technical Service Bulletins and or recalls on the same website for owners to see is a tremendous asset that the owners have. Owners can now look up a problem they feel they are expierencing and understand whats causing it and or see if there is a solution which they can print out and take with them to the dealerships. That I know of, no other company does that.
http://www.hmaservice.com/webtech/default.asp
Realiability:
As for Hyundai realiability of the past, thats just it, its in the past. It recently got awarded JD powers customer survey award and mags from Consumer Reports to Auto Pacific have given it awards and praise left and right. They are finally realizing what thousands of current Hyundai owners have known for quite some time now, that for combination of value, price, warranty, ride and safety nothing beats the Santa Fe.
Sorry for the long post, but hey you ask questions, we got answers.
TS out