Hyundai Santa Fe

Honda Pilot, 2013: Workhorse in tough SUV segment

Nearing the end of its 12th year, the Honda Pilot is the manufacturer’s largest and only three-row sport utility vehicle. As such and after two new generations and various updates, the 2013 Honda Pilot maintains its image as the workhorse in the Honda lineup. The Honda Crosstour, which debuted in 2010, is longer. But the big, boxy and utilitarian Pilot is built with reinforced frame rails, which assist in towing and light off-road driving. It has plenty of head and legroom and a high roofline for mega hauls from the grocery store or to store camping equipment or to carry lumber to build a new backyard fence. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The 2013 Honda Pilot is much the same

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2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (Sport): New design, quiet ride

The Weekly Driver recently had an opportunity for an extended review, a nearly 2,000-mile, two-week trek in the newly designed, six-passenger 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (Limited). This week, it’s back to standard procedure. My weekly driver was the 2013 Santa Fe Sport edition. It’s the smaller (in several ways) five-passenger edition in Hyundai‘s restyled Santa Fe lineup. The larger Santa Fe replaced the poor-selling Veracruz. In addition to one less passenger and a smaller engine, the Sport is eight inches shorter than the Limited. But there are also interior and exterior similarities among the siblings, with the SUVs both offering a smooth ride. Hyundai’s new design is featured throughout its SUV lineup, and it attracts a lot of attention. The

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Driving the Tour of California #4: Divine navigation the way to go in 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

The first few days of the Amgen Tour of California involved only 10-mile round-trip treks from San Diego to Escondido, a welcome respite from the nearly 500-mile pre-race trek from Sacramento. But the multiple-hour treks returned for stages 2 and 3 and they reiterated my appreciate for the navigation system in the 2013 Santa Fe I’m driving for two weeks and for an estimated 2,000 miles. As previously mentioned, the Digital Navigation System in the Santa Fe is arguably the best I’ve used in the 10 years I’ve been reviewing cars. It has an eight-inch screen and offers a clear picture and easy-to-understand icons. Instructions are precise, provided with a professional voice and give not so often that it’s an

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Driving the Tour of California #3: Arriving in Los Angeles madness in a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

The final stretch of my drive from Sacramento to San Diego for the start of the Tour of California took me over the steep, winding Grapevine into the hectic nature of the Los Angeles basin and finally to San Diego. How anyone can maintain their stress level commuting in the Los Angeles area on either Highway 101 or the 405 is beyond me. I’ve driven both highways in recent years at different times of the day, and it’s always madness. Unlike the aggressive driving in Europe in which drivers also have skill, many Southern California drivers appear to be motivated only by anger and attitude. With four breaks along the way, I finally arrived at the Rancho Bernardo Inn parking

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Driving the Tour of California #2: It’s time for The Grapevine in a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

It’s nice to have friends who know cars. One friend who owns a Corvette and has rebuilt vintage Triumphs likes to look at the engine of every car I drive, even when there’s often not much to see since they’re often covered. Another friend always asks about the weight of cars since he’s a pilot and such matters are important. Another friend is keen on sound systems and other friend immediately notices the design and material quality of interiors. This friend, who owns a Subaru Outback and a vintage Volkswagen bug, took one look at the 2013 Santa Fe I’m driving to the Tour of California and commented: “Look at that; the Big Boys should be worried. It looks like

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Driving the Tour of California #1: On the way to San Diego in a Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai‘s expanded lineup in recent years has received vast praise for its value, warranty and workmanship. It all adds up to increased visibility and sales for the South Korean manufacturer in the madness of the ever-complex auto industry. Arguably the most competitive auto segment is the growing SUV and crossover market, where Hyundai‘s Santa Fe is an emerging option. I’ll be reviewing the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (Limited) for the next two weeks during the Tour of California. The professional bike race is now in its eighth year and features Tour de France-caliber riders, Olympians and world titlists from many countries. It begins May 12 in Escondido, California, and will progress north through more than a dozen starting and finishing

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2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: Redesigned Crossover has sleeker styling

The mid-size 2013 Santa Fe Sport crossover has rakish new styling similar to that of Hyundai Sonata and Elantra sedans. It also has carlike road manners and plenty of room. The Santa Fe Sport should do well, even though it’s up against rivals such as the Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge, Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander. The five-passenger, two-row Santa Fe Sport should not be confused with the costlier, longer-wheelbase seven-passenger, three-row Santa Fe, which has replaced Hyundai’s underachieving 7-passenger Veracruz. That Santa Fe lacks the word “Sport” in its name, but comes with a 3.3-liter, 290-horsepower V-6. The solidly built Santa Fe Sport lists from $24,450 to $29,450 and comes with either front- or all-wheel drive (AWD). It

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Hyundai, Kia busted by EPA for faulty mpg averages in 900,000 cars

Hyundai and Kia have inflated gas mileage averages in many vehicles in their respective lineups as much as six miles per gallon, according to an investigation conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The two Korean automakers will be forced to lower their mileage estimates for many models dating to 2010 models and and face millions in federal fines and the probably of collective anger among car owners. The most erroneous mpg average in the investigation in with Kia Soul. It’s advertised with an average 35 mpg in highway driving. In the EPA audit, the Soul averaged 29 mpg in highway driving. The Soul is currently one of Kia’s best-selling cars with an 18.1 percent sales increase this year. The

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If sex sells, 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe commercial works

The Netherlands, as does much of Europe, has a different outlook on sexuality and sensuality. In this instance, it’s a steaming, campy 45-second television commercial for Hyundai. TheWeeklyDriver.com can’t help it. We like it. But overt sensuality in a commercial called UpSkirt? We’ve got stunning models, long legs, a dripping ice cream cone, beads of sweat and a sultry voice moaning sultry lyrics. It doesn’t quite fit the car. But who cares? The commercial is fun. And if that helps Hyundai promote its cars, why not? And guess what? The commercial isn’t broadcast in the United States. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver

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Hyundai claims another honor via J.D. Power's customer loyalty crown

Hyundai has claimed another honor, the time it's been ranked highest among all automotive brands in J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Retention Study. Now in its ninth year, the study measures the rate at which automotive brands retain their existing customers and examines the reasons why customers remain loyal. Hyundai earned the top spot in the study, improving its retention rate by four percentage points from 2010 to 64 percent in 2012. According to J.D. Power and Associates, Hyundai's increased retention rate is shaped by its expanding model lineup, as well as the fact that perceptions of the brand's quality and appeal have continued to improve during the past decade. The 2012 Hyundai Elantra was a top pick among

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Mazda3 2011 awarded IIHS top safety pick rating

The 2011 Mazda 3 sedan/hatchback, after earning the top rating of good for roof strength in rollover crashes, qualifies as a Top Safety Pick among small cars by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). The Mazda3, which previously earned good ratings for front, side, and rear crash protection, is the manufacturer’s first car designated as a Top Safety Pick since the Institute made the criteria more strict by including a requirement for a good rating in the roof strength test. Two tests were conducted in order to rate the 4-door sedan and hatchback versions. The sedan’s roof withstood a force equal to 5.32 times the car’s weight. The hatchback’s roof withstood a force equal to 5.09 times its weight.

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Honda Fit gets Consumer Reports' overall best value honor

In addition to its varied category and overall best and worst category lists, Consumer Reports has a best value list and the 2011 Honda Fit has emerged as a double winner — best small car value and best overall value in 2011 among more than 200 different vehicles analyzed. “A low price doesn’t necessarily make a car a good value,” said Rik Paul, automotive editor at Consumer Reports. “At a time when people need to make every dollar count, our best value list highlights the models that give you a lot for your money.” Consumer Reports uses performance, reliability, and ownership cost data to calculate value scores, with all cars in the same category — the entry level Honda Fit

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Hyundai, VW share top 2011 safety institute honors

Hyundai and Volkswagen combined to earn 18 of 66 Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the independent nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to reducing the incidents on American highways. Hyundai and Volkswagen each had nine winning models, the most of any manufacturer. The IIHS introduced more difficult standards for 2010, adding roof strength to its criteria by testing protection in rollover crashes. “In just a year, automakers have more than doubled the number of vehicles that meet the criteria for Top Safety Pick,” said Adrian Lund, the Institute president. “That gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV — from economy to luxury models — plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms.

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Hyundai surpasses 500,000 yearly U.S. sales for first time

For the first since it debuted in the United States in 1986, Hyundai Motor Co. has sold 500,000 vehicles during a year in the United States. The South Korean automaker previous U.S. sales record was 467,009, in 2007, and, surpassed the half-million sales point in early December. It expects to sell 530,000 vehicles in the country by the end December. Hyundai sold about 160,000 Excel compacts in 1986 when it launched exports to the U.S. The following year, sales improved to more that 260,000. Quality issues prompted a sales decrease and Hyundai sold only cars 91,217 in 1998, its lowest sales year. Hyundai launched a concerted effort to improve its vehicles in 1999. It began offering a quality assurance program

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Hyundai, Kia recall 2011 Santa Fe, Sorento for brake issue

Hyundai, the South Korean manufacturer whose popularity has drastically improved based on value, improved styling and extensive warranty, is recalling some 2011 models of its Santa Fe sport utility vehicle because of potential rear break flaws. The Korean car maker’s Kia unit, which shares the same platform and have many similar parts, is also recalling some 2011 Sorento SUVs. The rear brake calipers in both vehicles may not have been machined properly and could allow brake fluid to leak. If the leak occurred, it would trigger a warning light indicating the fluid level is low. If the driver doesn’t take corrective action, the symptoms could worsen to include spongy-feeling brakes and an eventual loss of braking power. The recalls affect

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Honda, Audi models among most expensive cars to insure

Honda and Audi are among the most respected manufacturers in the automotive industry. But the ZDZ from Acura and the TTS and A5 models from Audi are also the most expensive cars to insure. Conversely, the Kia Sedona, Mazda5 and Ford Escape are cheapest vehicles to insure, according to InsWeb, an online insurance comparison provider. According to InsWeb, the insure price formula called “loss behavior” includes repair costs and the chances the vehicle will be involved in an accident. InsWeb says model loss formulations also include the driving history of a car’s previous owners. High performance and high profile cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac Escalade are more prone to accidents than a the mosre subdued, practical cars like

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