Driving Experience
Includes acceleration and handling
What Owners Say
"The 6 cyl Sante Fe responds quickly to the accelerator with good pep and for routine towing, the car handles well."
Glenn E., GA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Great acceleration, but has loose handling while accelerating."
H N., GA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Handles well in the rain and snow and the acceleration is a lot more than I expected."
Anonymous, CO (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"good pickup speed, handles well, all wheel drive is excellent."
John G., VA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"great acceleration"
Edward L., CA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Most difficult car to drive I have ever owned. Seems to require many steering movements and a lot of attention."
Anonymous, OH (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"It doesn't seem to have a well mannered side, that is when i touch the accelerator it seems to want to run out from under me. That's not the way I drive in a parking lot."
Larry M., GA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"We owned 3 Jeeps and only exceeded 20 mpg on long trips. The Hyundai averages over 20 mpg and has 150,000 miles on it. The 6 speed transmission is excellent."
R G., NY (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Gas pedal is a bit touchy from a dead stop -- you have to be very gentle or you spin the tires."
THOMAS G., NH (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Break peddle is too low. Hyundai insist there is nothing wrong. Peddle can be pumped to raise level. Distance of travel of the peddle to get braking action is an issue."
ART P., AZ (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The V6 has amazing power and accelerates very quickly. This is my first SUV so when I pass another vehicle at full power I really have to hold on to it since it is tall it handles differently than a vehicle closer to the ground, so I have to pass without stomping the accelerator to the floor until I get used to it..although handling is still ultimately secure."
Anonymous, ON (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"I would like it to accelerate a bit faster- but the larger engine does. Also, the turning radius is awesomely tight. I don't really like the ride of all wheel drive vehicles, but the swerve control is really good,"
Anonymous, CA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Handling is generally very good for an SUV, and acceleration is impressive. I routinely pass cars on two lane highways, quickly reaching speeds of over 90 mph."
VARD N., CO (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The V6 engine is very good on fuel compared to my old 4runner. Can't think of any bad."
DAVID J., MA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"It accelerates very well even up steep grades and handles well in the snow."
JUSTIN N., CO (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"drives and handles well. ride is somewhat bumpy on city streets"
Anonymous, GA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"handles quite well but lack a bit on acceleration and the ride is a bit choppy"
GERRY L., AB (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"It has the v6 and gets terrific acceleration. It can be fun to drive, taking corners weigh ease."
Anonymous, SC (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The Santa Fe still has "jack-rabbit acceleration" which I've experienced since i bought this vehicle! Also the gas mileage could be improved on."
RONALD M., PA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The six speed transmission is excellent. It can shift into top (overdrive) gear at 42 mph if one is gentle with the accelerator. If one is in a hurry, the 6 cylinder engine will move you very quickly to any legal speed. This is a great combination of performance features."
R G., NY (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"LIKE THE 3.5 L ENGINE POWER"
G J., BC (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"It gets 23MPG overall and can get 30MPG on highway. It will accelerate thru quarter mile in under 16 seconds. The handling is not great, but is as good or better than most SUVs or Xovers"
DAVE C., MO (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"4 cylinder is snappy but transmission sluggish when changing gears" when accellerating."
Anonymous, TX (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The ride is rough, the acceleration and handling are fine."
EDWARD F., WI (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Being a V6 it has tons of power as the 4 Cyl for this year was lethargic. Our 2015 Sante Fe has a 4 and it is a different being. However, it is a little fuel thirsty compared with the new 4 Cyl but not overly so for a 2011. Handling is excellent but the ride can be a little stiff with only one person aboard. Not uncomfortable but a little more truck like than the 2015."
RANDY H., ON (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Smooth acceleration and handling. Steering is smooth, not touchy."
Daniel D., FL (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The rear suspension isn't as strong as it should be. Visibility when clearing the blind area is somewhat restricted."
Anonymous, TX (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Accelerates well and handles well, even in winter. Good traction on snow. One negative for me (I'm short) are the outside mirrors seem large and block things."
D V., MI (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"AWD handles Canadian snowy winters easily. It also performed well on the highways on the way to Phoenix. And during a month we spent there"
D C., ON (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Drives well (not excellent) on smooth roads. Uneven pavement presents minor challenges. Acceleration is good, not neck-snapping."
Vard N., CO (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The 2011-12 Santa Fe has a 3.3lt v6 engine. The new one, since 2013 only have this engine on the LX version. I am not buying a new Santa FE because the 3.3 is not offer in the 5 passanger version."
Anonymous, ON (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"All around good handling car"
Anonymous, AB (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Good acceleration, OK handling"
Anonymous, MN (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Acceleration is quite good with the stronger engine option in this. Handling is okay for a typical vehicle like this."
Anonymous, NH (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"It is very consistent in handling and acceleration"
Anonymous, OR (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Really gets it done. Picks up speed and brakes well."
Anonymous, FL (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Great for intown parking, turning, comfort, visibility. easy to get in and out of vehicle, loading & unloading!"
Anonymous, CA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"For an SUV this is a speedster and performs well in all conditions from snow to rain to desert heat. I'm always surprised at how well it handles for and SUV."
Pugh D., AZ (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"On hard acceleration traction control pulls the steering wheel"
Anonymous, VA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The v 6 is accelerates very quickly, great passing power. Pulls my 16ft boat easily Handles fine , like An Suv"
Rickey R., OK (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Handles quite well. Accelleration good. AWD sometimes essential in winter getting in and out of sloping driveway."
Anonymous, NY (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Awesome acceleration! Tight responsive handing"
Anonymous, AB (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"acceleration is excellent, handles great on road trips, great gas mileage 28-32 mpg on highway driving."
Martin D., VA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"It’s wonderful to drive and easy to park. Even my son and husband love driving it...it’s fun."
Anonymous, NE (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"The Sante Fe I have only has the 4 cylinder engine in it. Acceleration is very poor because the engine is too small for the size and weight of the SUV. it will stay at 80 mph all day long on level roads but hills will slow it down quickly. Trying to pass on a 2 lane road or up a hill is almost impossible unless you have a very good running start. Next time I will get the bigger engine in no matter what small SUV I will buy."
Mark G., VA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"I never expected an SUV to be this way! It handles very well...almost like a car and it has enough power that you have to, in some situations, take it easy. I couldn't get over how fast it accelerates!"
Anonymous, ON (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"great pep"
Anonymous, NJ (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Great acceleration-very important when entering , merging onto highways and passing. Very sensitive handling which I found to be an unexpected advantage."
Dorothy L., GA (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)"Drives and handles quite well but engine is geared quite low so it revs rather high when under load. Makes it noisy and gas mileage suffers."
William G., NY (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)
"With the V6, it is extremely easy to handle."
Anonymous, SK (2011 Hyundai Santa Fe)