The Santa Fe Sport is a stylish and well-equipped two-row mid-sized SUV comparable in size to the Chevrolet Equinox and Ford Edge. It has much to recommend it, as well as a couple of annoying shortcomings that prevent it from scoring higher than it does in our SUV Ratings.
The Sport comes with lots of features for the money. It's also roomy, comfortable, fuel-efficient, and stylish. The ride is composed, and the cabin is relatively quiet. The base 190-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine provides ample motivation. Combining this with the very smooth and responsive six-speed automatic transmission returned a very good 23 mpg overall. The interior has a high-quality look and feel; it's not exactly luxurious but well made and nicely finished.
Our major gripes center on the steering feel and the obstructed view out toward the back. They may not be deal-killers but could give a buyer pause. While handling is ultimately secure, the steering feels vague and provides just about zero road feel. Meanwhile, the dramatic body styling, with lines that sweep upward toward the rear, creates obstructions that seriously inhibit the view out. At least a backup camera finally became standard on 2017 models.
The Santa Fe Sport, tested here, is actually the smaller of two Santa Fes. Also available is a larger three-row version, simply called "Santa Fe" without the Sport surname, which has a four-inch-longer wheelbase and eight inches more overall length. That Santa Fe has three-row seating and a standard 290-hp V6, making it a different animal from the Sport.