The Santa Fe Sport is a stylish and well-equipped two-row mid-sized SUV. It has much to recommend it, since it strikes a nice balance in price and size between a small and midsized SUV.
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 185-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.
Handling is responsive and secure even though the steering is vague. As a function of the attractive styling, with lines that sweep upward toward the rear, creates obstructions that inhibit the view out.
The Santa Fe Sport is actually the smaller of two Santa Fes. Also available is a larger three-row version, simply called "Santa Fe" 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.