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If you are looking for a family vehicle, the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe makes it the top of my list. I had the privilege to get behind the wheel of their six-passenger Santa Fe this past weekend. Yes, you read that right, six-passengers!
This was an amazing experience. We drove from the beautiful town of Coronado, CA to San Diego, CA through freeways, streets and gorgeous winding roads. The scenes were beautiful and it really allowed me to test out how the car handles different roads, the comfort level, and all the fun gadgets inside the car that make everyday driving easier and much more enjoyable.
The redesigned 2013 Santa Fe has so many features that make it the ultimate family vehicle. I instantly fell in love with the option of having either a six or seven-passanger CUV. At first glance the Santa Fe looks small, but it proves that looks can be deceiving. I am not a fan of large SUV’s but I hate that we normally have to compromise interior space when we opt for a smaller option. Just one look inside the 2013 Santa Fe and I knew that this CUV was in a field of its own.
I am excited to tell you about all the features that made me choose the 2013 Santa Fe as my top choice for a family vehicle. Here are a few:
Large cargo area-
If you’ve ever experienced the cargo area of a CUV, you know how frustrating it can be to try and store items when the third row is in use. The cargo area in the Santa Fe is not only spacious when the third row is being used, but there are many options to provide additional space like a 50/50 fold-flat on the 3rd row and the ability to fold down the 2nd row Captain Chairs. To show how large the cargo area is, myself and three other bloggers decided to pile in the back.
This should give you an idea of how easily you could store your stroller, grocery bags, bikes, or whatever you choose.
Impressive second-row seating-
Not only do you have the option of the six or seven-passenger seating, but the second-row seats are configured such that even adults won’t be disappointed to give up shotgun. Like pure luxury, the second-row is available with heated rear seats, integrated sunshades and the ability to slide and recline. You also don’t have to compromise space. You can easily fit a car seat (or multiple car seats) and still have plenty of room for the driver and passenger up front to recline their seat to their liking.
Panoramic Sunroof-
I have mentioned before how beneficial panoramic sunroofs are and I am so glad they included this as an option in the 2013 Santa Fe. Who needs a TV in the car to entertain your children when you have an incredible sunroof? My kids love to look at the clouds while driving. Their imagination runs wild as they make up shapes and animals with the clouds in the sky. It is definitely a priceless memory for us and one that you can create yourselves.
Cloth seats without the headache-
This is the most impressive feature when it comes to parents. Choosing a vehicle with cloth upholstery can be pretty scary especially with small children. Stains seem to appear out of nowhere. The 2013 Santa Fe comes with YES Essentials Stain Resistant Cloth Seats. This is a parent’s dream come true. YES Essentials is taking a unique approach to automotive interior fabric. Their proven technology provides ease of care for the stains, smells and mishaps of everyday life. That’s right, no stains, smells, or static. I will never buy another car without this feature.
Power Tailgate-
So many times I have wished my tailgate would open automatically for me. Usually it is the days I am grocery shopping with my kids or taking them to sporting practices. I cannot begin to explain how convenient it is to own a vehicle that has the option to open and close its tailgate with the push of a button. Choices that I want from a vehicle are choices that I get from the Santa Fe.
Safety comes first-
Safety really does come first with the 2013 Santa Fe. They’ve loaded the Santa Fe with brilliant safety features inside and out, including a driver’s knee airbag, Hillstart Assist Control (HAC), Downhill Brake Control (DBC), and a rear camera. These are features that go above and beyond. You can’t put a price on safety and knowing your family is safe in a vehicle is the number one priority.
I could honestly go on about all the great features the 2013 Santa Fe is packed with. If you are considering getting a new family car, I highly recommend considering the Santa Fe an option and taking a test drive. They really had family’s in mind while with the redesign of this impressive CUV.
Hyundai flew me out to me out to the beautiful Coronado, CA to test drive the Santa Fe. All expenses were paid but opinions are my own.
Awesome review! I have a Hyundai Tuscon that we just love and I was wondering the difference between that and a Santa Fe. Now I know!
Thanks Merissa! They definitely stepped it up with the ’13 Santa Fe!
I LOVE that you all got in the back!! One of my must haves in a car is a sunroof – so that giant moon roof totally has me sold!
I find that as my kids get older and we are toting around more friends and sports equipment, that a car like this will become essential!
Great Review Jasmine 🙂
Oh, I never knew how much I needed a sunroof until I bought a car that didn’t have one. Never again! 🙂
This sounds great! When we had our 3rd baby it was so difficult to find a car that would fit 3 car seats AND a double stroller in the back. This looks like it would fit all of us & our gear!
It is definitely spacious!!
Great review! I love that it can fit 7 passengers – even though there’s only 5 of us, it seems there’s always a grandparent or extra kid that needs a ride. That roof is GORGEOUS!
I know how that is! I can’t do a 5 passenger car anymore.
I didn’t realize you could fit so many people in a Santa Fe! I’ve got 4 kids and I’ve been keeping my eye our for smallish vehicles that hold 6+ people. We’ve already got a minivan but my husband drives a Tacoma and can’t fit all the kids in it. Thanks for the great review!
You will HAVE to check out the Santa Fe whenever you are ready for a new vehicle!
Heated rear seats, reclining rear seats, sunshades and then the power tailgate- wow, looks and sounds great Jasmine.
Great post…have been looking at SUV’s Didn’t know about this one…although this post is great need to go see it in person!
YES!!! Go check it out in person. Tell me how you enjoyed it when you do.
Holy Smokes! Does this car got features! With baby #4 on the way we are always looking for more vehicle space. We have lots of great bike paths and nature trails here in Ohio we would love to take better advantage of. Does Hyundai need test drivers in Ohio for families with 3 kids plus a baby? I would love to see how carseats and boosters fit in this! I am a CPST afterall! Safety First:)
What a great test drive that would be to pile in your kids.
I know you will enjoy the extra space!
Thanks for an awesome review I didn’t realize how mug room there was in the Santa Fe!! With young kids the stain resistant seats are a bonus. My only question is how does it handle in the snow considering we have 6 months of snow to deal with in BC.
That is a great question. I am sure it handles extremely well in snow conditions. I will have to ask them and get back to you.
Wow a panoramic sun-roof! I have never seen that before. I really need a 6 seater car. With two car seats in the back seat, it is impossible squeeze someone in the middle seat of my SUV. When the granparents visit we need to take 2 cars everywhere we go! Do you know if they do rentals? I am trying to figure out what car to rent for our California holiday this summer. Thanks for the review.
I am sure you could contact them to find out! I know you would enjoy your stay here more with a great vehicle like the Santa Fe!
Umm yes, I see a new Santa Fe in my future! Although, I think I will be sad to see my old Santa Fe go, I love her – even if she doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as the new ones. She’s been a great car! I really love Hyundai – people can say what they will about them, but my Hyundai has been great, and is still doing great at almost 10 years old and 100,000 miles!
I love that Hyundai has made you a devoted customer. It shows the quality that goes into their cars!
With over 300 days of sunshine a sunroof like this one would be awesome!! No kids but, I would love to have more room for picking up bags of mulch and plants, not to mention easy cleanup! Plus, room for when out of town guests are here and we pick them and their bags up from the airport. Nice review Jasmine! This Santa Fe is going on my wish list!
Have 3 preteen/teens, we could definitely use the extra seating. I also love all the extra storage space.
What a great review. I currently drive a honda. I am planning on moving across the country and will need to trade in my honda. This gives me something to think about.
Erica
We Three Crabs
We just bought our very first Hyundai, a Sonata, in October and I love that car! In fact, my father-in-law is looking for a new car and we talked in to checking out Hyundai. The Santa Fe looks great!
You had me at stain resistant seats!! Love it, glad you had a great time!
Haha! That had me too!
Love this! We have 2 small sedans and with baby number 2 on the way, we are definitely needing a bigger car. Every day life might be ok, but it will definitely be next to impossible when traveling. Hubby won’t be caught dead in a minivan so I’m definitely looking into an affordable, smaller SUV…I think I may have just found it!
Thanks for a great review!
Christie
http://www.satisfactionthroughchrist.com
I just know you will love the Santa Fe!
I cannot believe how big this is! At the first glance I thought it was a midsize SUV like the one I drive.
I too really dislike the large SUVs, To me they just look like tanks. This size would be perfect for our next vehicle!
The safety features look great, but I’m wondering what the rollover risk is. It looks like it sits low to the ground, but I cannot tell how wide the wheel base is.
Great question! Let me see what I can find out for you!
I own a Dodge Journey and we are looking to trade our gas guzzling Ford Explorer in for something new. A third row is imperative for our family of 6. Fuel economy is important along with safety. My question would be what is the room like for the third row and is the third row an option/standard feature? Also, is there a hybrid option? Would love to see this in black!
I love the stain resistant cloth seats … Amazing! I also like how much room this vehicle has without looking clunky. Great review 🙂
This car looks perfect for all the camping we do!! Downhill brake control is a great feature up in the mountains.
I LOVE all the amenities in the back seat: heated seats, panoramic sun roof, sun shades?! Yes please! This is a great review because my family is currently looking for a new car. We were leaning SUV, but seeing how spacious this CUV is gets me wondering if we should reconsider! Very informative, thanks!
Holy gorgeousness! I have a VW Jetta and three kids to shuffle around on the weekends and they are getting bigger and my car is staying small. Lol. My 3 year old keeps asking why I got a small car. Ha! I think it’s time to get a larger vehicle soon…
Def have to add this to the list of possibilities!
Wow! This car looks awesome! When it’s time to upgrade I know what I’m looking at first!
My very first car was a Hyundai Sonata (I sooo miss her!) so I’m not surprised at how amazing this car is! I love that even with the 3rd row, you still have tons of room in the cargo space!
So jealous you got this opportunity! Looks like you have a blast!
This car looks great! I wish I had the money to buy a new car! I would def be checking this one out!!
This looks great! With a family of 6 (and TALL kids) smaller SUVs are hard to fit us… and our luggages.
It would be interesting to see if it could pass the FREEMAN travel test, since our Suburban loves it fuel!
Oh, great photos!
What a beautiful car. I can say as the owner of a hyuandi myself they are an amazing car. I have been the owner of the Getz here is Australia and that car just never skips a beat. I love it and plan on getting my soon to be driving boys Hyuandis. Mel @ http://mellywoods5.blogspot.com.au/
Oh my goodness! That panoramic sunroof was amazing! And the cloth seats…priceless!
The whole inside of the vehicle looks superb, and I LOVE all the wonderful features.
At first glance, I thought the vehicle could only fit four comfortably, but then I saw it said six! It caught my attention.
Wonderful review!
My Stroller days are long gone for me. It looks really roomy which is so important for me right now. I have 1 preteen, 2 teenagers, 2 young adults. Leg room is a big must since they are tall.
I like that you all climb into the back. That really shows I could fit lots into the back. I am impressed.
OOh! Nice!!!
We are in need of another vehicle that will fit everyone, so I am loving the seven passenger option! Right now, if we all want to go someplace together, we either have to take 2 cars or make 2 trips… that’s just not going to be good enough when we go on road trips for the family travel posts I am going to do on my blog. 🙂
Oh, and the panoramic sunroof… SWEET!
~Susie- http://earning-my-cape.blogspot.com/
This is a beautiful car! I love the red. Looks like there is a ton of room in the back. I wonder if it would fit 3 kids in car seats well? And what about miles per gallon? We get about 24 in our Toyota Sienna.
LOVE the giant sunroom!!! Plus I love to say the word “Hyundai”. My husband is a big car guy, he builds and races them as a hobby, he was super impressed with how far Hyundai has brought their line of cars!
Very nice review and cool car. I currently drive a full size van. But with my oldest working on getting his drivers license, I am looking for something a little smaller for an everyday driver that can still hold seven passengers. Will be checking this car out. Thanks
I have 2 friends that are excited about test driving the Santa Fe in the near future, guess I must have been talking about it a LOT, LOL