Looking truck drivers in the eye, always seemed to me, to be asking for trouble. So buying a 4x4 has never really appealed. Sitting in high chairs is for children; I am more a butt cheeks just above the floor, feet out in front, kind of a driver. But I am not against 4x4s. I am rather attached to the idea of living in a free democracy and think people that want a 4x4, assuming they pay for it, should have one. I also realise a 4x4 can actually be needed.
There was a time when I lived at the end of an ‘un-made road,’ which is code for a mud track. It wasn’t as uncivilised as it sounds, we had neighbours (four) a telephone number (three digits), running water and LPG gas heating. But it was, in a word, rural. So rural, that you could genuinely get snowed in; no exaggeration required to get a day off.
If I go back to living in a genuinely rural environment I will want a 4x4. Just as farmers do. If I start working on building sites, I will want a 4x4. If I take up any sporting activity, like shooting or adventure racing, that involves driving down muddy lanes or across fields, I will want a 4x4.
If I have more than two children I will want seven seats, but not in a people mover. Apart from the Ford S-Max (which I have yet to drive so won’t judge) I would rather own a mini-bus. So I will want a 4x4.
Forgetting the premium 4x4s from Toyota, BMW, Lexus and even Land Rover from Discovery up, what are you left with that is affordable and capable?
The Hyundai Sante Fe. Now that it has been re-skinned, it looks a little like the much more expensive Volkswagen Touareg. Especially in the metallic black with magnesium alloys and chrome exhausts of our test car. The interior trim on the test car looked a little like a 1980s sofa-bed, but you will be able to chose something more modern if you buy one. It also has seven seats (two folding up from the floor in the boot).
It is comfortable and loaded with all the gadgets adults expect, plus a surprise for the kids; a fold-down plasma so that they can watch a DVD on the journey. My brother and I had to make do with fighting to pass the time. How far we have some as a society.
You will read in almost every non-Land Rover 4x4 review that the 4x4 is not really that practical off-road. There will usually be a derogatory comment along the lines of, “but that won’t matter for mums on the school run or executives commuting into town.”
This car will be fine for mums on the run and men in suits too. It wafts down the motorway like a luxury car. Some of the leather or plastic rattles a bit, but it does on the Lexus too. The engine is not BMW-diesel-quiet, but it is refined and you cannot hear it when on the move. Only as you come down to idle can you hear a slight diesel clatter. Which would be inappropriate in a luxury car, but fine in something a bit rugged.
So this test came down to whether or not the Sante Fe is just an executive car on big wheels or a genuine 4x4.
I took the Sante Fe down some seriously muddy lanes. I drove through puddles half a metre deep and crawled up what felt like steep muddy hills. The pictures actually look pathetic, but it doesn’t matter, because I consider it to have been a farmer’s test. I really can’t see that even a farmer would need to go through anything worse that I have.
The entire time, even when going up a hill that left me with nothing but sky to look at, I was able to listen to Nimrod on the 6 CD changer, whilst tweaking the personalised air-con and heated seats to ensure my comfort was never at risk. The 4WD torque on demand system is not just a light on the dashboard. There was no panic and I enjoyed luxury off-roading.
Back on proper b-roads, the handling was good for this kind of car. The automatic gearbox is not great when you are trying to push-on, so I would go for the manual every time. But take it easy and it is fine.
Summary
This is an excellent family MPV alternative, a capable 4x4 and a motorway mile-cruncher too. It returns a healthy 34.4 mpg and has a massive range per tank of diesel. Plus it has a five-year warranty and is very keenly priced. If you want a Lexus or BMW but can’t afford it, this is the car to go for.
Test car details:
2.2 CRTD CDX+
0-62 mph: 12.6 secs
MPG: 34.4
£27,377 on the road
Words: Matthew Tumbridge