The Santa Fe isn't in the same category as the CX-5. The CX-9 is comparable to the Santa Fe or the Tucson is comparable to the CX-5. Comparing the two isn't really all that fair. The Santa Fe is much bigger, and has a larger engine. The features you'll get from the CX-9 would be more on par with the Santa Fe.
Need help in deciding between a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport or a Mazda CX-5...
- Thread starter ChristInUs
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Its confusing. The Santa Fe is much bigger than the Santa Fe Sport.
The Sport is 8.5" shorter in length and weighs less.
Odd that they would keep the same name, but that is the case.
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Great points!
I have test drove the 2.0T and it did not feel fast to me. It felt to heavy compared to CX5.
When I sat in the CX5 after the SF 2.0T I felt like this is tailored for me.
Most of the aftermarket nav units are 6.1" or 6.95", why is 5.8" is so small? Before, we were using 3.5" Garmins and we did not complain.
Seats, recline completely flat on Touring and GT, not completely on Sport.
You can buy silver/chrome accent air vent/shifter surrounding/cup holder/rear door handle/etc. surroundings very cheap and add them later on.
You can change the nav unit with an aftermarket one, which will be much better then the factory. Last year the base 2.0T did not have back up camera and side warning(not sure if they have these now).
When I sat in the CX5 after the SF 2.0T I felt like this is tailored for me.
Most of the aftermarket nav units are 6.1" or 6.95", why is 5.8" is so small? Before, we were using 3.5" Garmins and we did not complain.
Seats, recline completely flat on Touring and GT, not completely on Sport.
You can buy silver/chrome accent air vent/shifter surrounding/cup holder/rear door handle/etc. surroundings very cheap and add them later on.
You can change the nav unit with an aftermarket one, which will be much better then the factory. Last year the base 2.0T did not have back up camera and side warning(not sure if they have these now).
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wow, my wife and I were in the exact same situation at the end of last year. I really liked the Santa Fe because of the turbo, slightly larger size, and nicer amenities (memory seats and power passenger seat is huge IMO). But at the end of the day, that Santa Fe tech package is like $5k, and it pushed the price of the Hyundai into the mid 30s (FWD version), which we were not comfortable with. Also, I totally agree the 3 steering modes feel basically the same, and they're all very light and disconnected from the road. I'd also heard bad things about Hyundai doing warranty work and always having to fight them.
As someone above pointed out, it's not really a fair comparison between the Santa Fe Sport and the CX-5. What Hyundai has done is bracket their cars around the competition. The Tucson is more directly comparable to the CX-5/CR-V/Rav4 etc, but doesn't offer quite the same features and is slightly cheaper IIRC - basically trying to attract bargain hunters. The Santa Fe Sport is a little bigger and offers nicer amenities and is slightly more expensive than the rest of those cars - basically trying to lure people who are willing to spend a little extra $$.
We ultimately went with the CX-5, and while we're happy with the car, I do sometimes get a slight feeling of regret when I see a Santa Fe Sport out on the road. Only car in this class that's better looking than the CX-5 IMO, and when we load all of our baby crap into the Mazda, we could definitely use a little extra room. Then I remind myself how much more fun the CX-5 is to drive, and I feel better =)
As someone above pointed out, it's not really a fair comparison between the Santa Fe Sport and the CX-5. What Hyundai has done is bracket their cars around the competition. The Tucson is more directly comparable to the CX-5/CR-V/Rav4 etc, but doesn't offer quite the same features and is slightly cheaper IIRC - basically trying to attract bargain hunters. The Santa Fe Sport is a little bigger and offers nicer amenities and is slightly more expensive than the rest of those cars - basically trying to lure people who are willing to spend a little extra $$.
We ultimately went with the CX-5, and while we're happy with the car, I do sometimes get a slight feeling of regret when I see a Santa Fe Sport out on the road. Only car in this class that's better looking than the CX-5 IMO, and when we load all of our baby crap into the Mazda, we could definitely use a little extra room. Then I remind myself how much more fun the CX-5 is to drive, and I feel better =)
SomeGuyFromNYC
Member
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- '14.5 CX5 Grand Touring AWD w/ tech
THIS. THIS. THIS.
I had a 2012 Ford Focus which had this exact issue. Google "santa fe steering problem" and you will find forums/threads/complaints about this. Hyundai's Sonata and Kia's Optima have the same problem. So do the Ford Focus and Ford Escape.
This was the reason I traded my Focus in after exactly 2 years of ownership. It was EXTREMELY EXHAUSTING to drive on the highway for any length of time. It was NON STOP small corrections, left-right-left-right-left...it felt like there was no center at all. I literally could not think about anything else other than trying to keep the car straight constantly. It was very dangerous. Ford was aware of the problem and replaced my steering rack and the problem only got worse. When I brought it back to them, their response was "WE FIXED IT, SO IT IS FIXED." and they said I was just not used to how it drove and because of "road conditions" like road crowning. BULL. It was nonstop correcting all the time. I had it aligned numerous times from different dealers and independent shops AND dropped almost 1k in new tires for it, hoping that would solve the problem. Nope.
I was looking at the Santa Fe before the CX5, until i googled "santa fe steering problem" and found it had the same problem as the focus. I then googled "CX5 steering problem" and came back with no results. This was a major factor in me looking more into the CX5.
Please save yourself a lot of headache and money and stay away from the Santa Fe.
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I feel the same way, when I see a Nissan Pathfinder. I would go with the Pathfinder, rather than the SantaFe any day.
I leased an elantra gor 3 years (new body stule). Driving on the highway was a giant pain. The car wouldn't find center. I had to micro adjust for the entire trip. If you drive short distances, you can't feel it. But once you're on the highway the car drifts left and right, and add significant fatigue. All of my previous cars had a stiff wheel with good center..this was an abomination, combine s*** steering with s*** suspension and you've got an elantra.
deepfriedsushi
Member
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- 95 Miata, 14 CX5 Touring FWD, 18 CX9 GT FWD
I think one of the best qualities of almost all mazda cars is the steering and steering response. They all drive with a good amount of precision. It is very easy to track straight and the cars respond very well when the steering gets turned off center. It is truly effortless in making your way down the highway, whether curvy or straight in a mazda (especially in the cx5).
I haven't driven the santa fe sport, but I've driven the current gen hyundai sonata, kia optima and previous gen hyundai elantra and they all have wonky steering characteristics. The Sonata and Optima both had trouble tracking straight. There was a constant sawing back and forth of the steering wheel just trying to keep the car straight in the lane. It does get very tiresome, and very noticable if you've had the luxury of driving a car that doesn't do that. The previous gen elantra didn't do that as badly, but the steering was so loose and vague that once the freeway curved, it took a bit of sawing back and forth to negotiate the curve. With the CX5, it's so effortless. A curve in the freeway means you just turn the steering wheel a bit, hold it there then straighten out when the curve straightens out. The sawing back and forth of the steering wheel isn't as horrible as it seems to be, but it sure is annoying. Enough for me to not buy a car that did that.
The best way I can summarize the Santa Fe Sport vs the Cx5 is that if you want lots of gizmos and gadgets, a bit of extra space and don't really care too much about driving dynamics, get the Santa Fe Sport. If driving dynamics are more important to you and the more modest interior and gadgets are worth sacrificing for the driving experience, go with the CX5. The CX5 does have plenty of gadgets and features, but they're focused in the driving aspect (swiveling HID's, blind spot monitoring, smart city brake system) vs the infotainment gadgets that the Santa Fe Sport would have.
I haven't driven the santa fe sport, but I've driven the current gen hyundai sonata, kia optima and previous gen hyundai elantra and they all have wonky steering characteristics. The Sonata and Optima both had trouble tracking straight. There was a constant sawing back and forth of the steering wheel just trying to keep the car straight in the lane. It does get very tiresome, and very noticable if you've had the luxury of driving a car that doesn't do that. The previous gen elantra didn't do that as badly, but the steering was so loose and vague that once the freeway curved, it took a bit of sawing back and forth to negotiate the curve. With the CX5, it's so effortless. A curve in the freeway means you just turn the steering wheel a bit, hold it there then straighten out when the curve straightens out. The sawing back and forth of the steering wheel isn't as horrible as it seems to be, but it sure is annoying. Enough for me to not buy a car that did that.
The best way I can summarize the Santa Fe Sport vs the Cx5 is that if you want lots of gizmos and gadgets, a bit of extra space and don't really care too much about driving dynamics, get the Santa Fe Sport. If driving dynamics are more important to you and the more modest interior and gadgets are worth sacrificing for the driving experience, go with the CX5. The CX5 does have plenty of gadgets and features, but they're focused in the driving aspect (swiveling HID's, blind spot monitoring, smart city brake system) vs the infotainment gadgets that the Santa Fe Sport would have.
I had a 2009 Kia Rondo, which was based off the previous generation Hyundai Sonata. It never let me down but there were some quality issues that the dealer couldn't duplicate. The 4 speed automatic transmission used to downshift to second gear on steep highway inclines and when it shifted back to third or forth it would slam into gear and jolt the whole car. The rear suspension was one of the noisiest suspensions I ever had, almost like it had no isolation bushings. Other than these annoyances it was an okay car for 70,000 miles. I traded that car in for the Mazda 5 I have now and have never looked back.
I think Hyundai has come a long way since then but there are still some difference where I think Mazda is better. The Mazda Skyactiv 2.5 liter four cylinder and automatic that operates with the direct feel and efficiency of a manual is a few notches ahead of Hyundai. Although they both have direct injection now I think the engineering behind the Mazda motor is superior in every way. It has a higher compression ratio and can operate in Atkinson cycle mode to save fuel. The Mazda motor has a real equal length long tube header that actually scavenges all of the remaining exhaust gases from the cylinders right from the factory. The direct drive transmission has all the smoothness of a traditional automatic transmission with the direct feel and efficiency of a manual transmission. The automatic transmission can operate like an automatically shifting manual because of Mazda's clever multiple wet clutch pack that takes over after 5 mph. The Skyactiv 2.5 has a lot of low end torque that makes it fun to drive and I can't say enough about how much I love this transmission. I am able to achieve some killer fuel mileage on my mostly highway 45 minute commutes even when I drive it all city over the weekend. Take a look at my fuelly signature if you want to see.
From reading your pros for each though it seams that you would be happier with the Hyundai because of the added tech and perceived better interior. I'm sure you know that you will get more praise for the CX5 on a Mazda forum. For me I was drawn to the CX5 by its fantastic mileage at the time. This is my second CX5 and back in 2012 the CX5 was ahead of the competition in fuel mileage. When I test drove the CX5 for the first time I was rather shocked that an SUV could drive like a well behaved taught sedan like a Honda Accord. I will say though that the CX5 weakest points are it's relatively high wind and road noise and poor sound quality. Many here also complain about the navigation system not being so good. I got around those by upgrading my speakers and adding a little sound insulation in key areas. I have driven over 60,000 miles in a CX5 and still like driving it every day. I would test drive both again on longer drives to make sure you are getting the vehicle that suits your needs. The CX5 is the drivers car of the two but the Santa Fe has more tech and interior creature comforts.
Good luck
I think Hyundai has come a long way since then but there are still some difference where I think Mazda is better. The Mazda Skyactiv 2.5 liter four cylinder and automatic that operates with the direct feel and efficiency of a manual is a few notches ahead of Hyundai. Although they both have direct injection now I think the engineering behind the Mazda motor is superior in every way. It has a higher compression ratio and can operate in Atkinson cycle mode to save fuel. The Mazda motor has a real equal length long tube header that actually scavenges all of the remaining exhaust gases from the cylinders right from the factory. The direct drive transmission has all the smoothness of a traditional automatic transmission with the direct feel and efficiency of a manual transmission. The automatic transmission can operate like an automatically shifting manual because of Mazda's clever multiple wet clutch pack that takes over after 5 mph. The Skyactiv 2.5 has a lot of low end torque that makes it fun to drive and I can't say enough about how much I love this transmission. I am able to achieve some killer fuel mileage on my mostly highway 45 minute commutes even when I drive it all city over the weekend. Take a look at my fuelly signature if you want to see.
From reading your pros for each though it seams that you would be happier with the Hyundai because of the added tech and perceived better interior. I'm sure you know that you will get more praise for the CX5 on a Mazda forum. For me I was drawn to the CX5 by its fantastic mileage at the time. This is my second CX5 and back in 2012 the CX5 was ahead of the competition in fuel mileage. When I test drove the CX5 for the first time I was rather shocked that an SUV could drive like a well behaved taught sedan like a Honda Accord. I will say though that the CX5 weakest points are it's relatively high wind and road noise and poor sound quality. Many here also complain about the navigation system not being so good. I got around those by upgrading my speakers and adding a little sound insulation in key areas. I have driven over 60,000 miles in a CX5 and still like driving it every day. I would test drive both again on longer drives to make sure you are getting the vehicle that suits your needs. The CX5 is the drivers car of the two but the Santa Fe has more tech and interior creature comforts.
Good luck
Driving the CX5, I keep thinking "wow, this thing has some excellent engineering!" I am sure I am not the only one. Smooth motor that gets 28mpg on the freeway (awd model) despite doing 70+. A suspension that handles like a sports car yet is comfortable. No noise, no rattles, we have 8k miles on it, no trips yet to the dealer.
Do you think anyone with Hyundai will say "wow, great engineering!"?
That blah interior in the cx5 will wear well. At 80k miles, it will still be blah, but at least it won't be falling apart. Check out a Hyundai at 80k miles, they usually look like crap, the motors burn oil after a few miles too.
The corners cut in the cx5 are easy to see- no lighted switches, no rear vents, cheap nav, but the pluses are there, like excellent seats, steering so tight that you forget it is electric (other cars feel like video games), oh, and the a/c is excellent! Saw it myself when in traffic in Vegas and it was 108 degrees.
Do you think anyone with Hyundai will say "wow, great engineering!"?
That blah interior in the cx5 will wear well. At 80k miles, it will still be blah, but at least it won't be falling apart. Check out a Hyundai at 80k miles, they usually look like crap, the motors burn oil after a few miles too.
The corners cut in the cx5 are easy to see- no lighted switches, no rear vents, cheap nav, but the pluses are there, like excellent seats, steering so tight that you forget it is electric (other cars feel like video games), oh, and the a/c is excellent! Saw it myself when in traffic in Vegas and it was 108 degrees.
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- 2015 CX-5 Touring 2.5L FWD
<IMHO>Hyundai is making a much better product these days, but, I still don't think their wear well in the long term. If you were doing a 36 month lease, then it doesn't really matter what you get, even a Chrysler product should hold up that long. But, if you're buying it where you want it to last, and/or still have good resale after a few years, than I think Mazda is the safer bet.</IMHO>
I'm not sure why people keep saying "no rear vents". Right on their spec sheet it says "rear heater ducts". http://imgur.com/vK7dLgp
I believe he means rear A/C vents usually at the rear of the center console,which it should have.
dragonteeth
Member
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- '15 CX-5 Touring AWD w/ Bose ★
...am I the only one who doesn't care whether or not a car has rear vents? lol. :x
ChristInUs
Member
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- 2018 Subaru WRX STi Limited
Hey guys,
After looking for a while, we got a really good deal on a 2014 Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Limited AWD with all the bells and whistles. It's got a ton of power and the handling isn't that bad actually. Coming from a Civic Si with tight handling itself, the Santa Fe really does well on tight turns and their steering wheel select modes actually "tighten" up through the process of comfort -> normal -> sport. The gas mileage is pretty good as well, because with mixed driving, it seems we're getting around 510-520kms a tank without using the ECO mode.
Also, the amount of features that this car has for the money is tremendous, plus their standard warranty is pretty good too.
Thanks for all your help and God bless.
After looking for a while, we got a really good deal on a 2014 Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Limited AWD with all the bells and whistles. It's got a ton of power and the handling isn't that bad actually. Coming from a Civic Si with tight handling itself, the Santa Fe really does well on tight turns and their steering wheel select modes actually "tighten" up through the process of comfort -> normal -> sport. The gas mileage is pretty good as well, because with mixed driving, it seems we're getting around 510-520kms a tank without using the ECO mode.
Also, the amount of features that this car has for the money is tremendous, plus their standard warranty is pretty good too.Thanks for all your help and God bless.
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