Recently I have purchased a new tow vehicle, so far very pleased. Don't require a 4X4, as we do not go anywhere where 4X4 is required. (wifey would not drive what I wanted, D MAX of Course).
The vehicle is the new Hyundai Sante Fe, 6 speed auto, 2.2L turbo diesel, 145 kw, so far the economy is amazing for a vehicle of that size, with 436 nm torque it should amply pull our Caravan of 17'6".
Only covered 2300 klms so far in 2 months it is returning 7.4 L/100 klms on the highway and around town 11 L/100 klms.
The quality of the finish seems very good a lot of attention to detail has gone into the interior and engine bay, rides very nicely, hopefully we have made the right decision.

Anyone heard any reports?
I read a lot about them before purchasing so heres hoping I have made a good decision, almost $50K on the road.

Have a look, taken as you can see Mt Panorama Bathurst.

You know the world has gone upside down when Hyundais are looking good and Subarus are looking terrible!

That's what the new Outback SHOULD look like; instead the Outback looks like the inside of a dumpster, while the Santa Fe is cutting a fine line if you look through the protective car-bra.

I knew something was up over at Hyundai when they started offering 5 year warranties on new cars. I mean, they obviously have total, total faith in their vehicles now. I imagine part of this was in reaction to their Excel vs dodgy spot-welds fiasco from about 10 years ago, but the reality was that this affected very few cars and got very bad press.

I would love to stroll into an Isuzu dealer and buy a medium-sized, rear wheel drive 2.0 turbo sports sedan, but alas Isuzu don't build one of them. In fact, it would appear that nobody builds one of them. Even the 1-series BMW is available only as a breadvan hatchback OR a slinky coupe.... no sedans.

While I'm not about to dump $50k of my hard-earned folding on a Santa Fe, I can see the appeal for someone who is looking for a mid-sized SUV that doesn't suck juice and has a good factory backup plan!

The only concern I'd have with this, and it's a concern with anything new these days (or ever) is the depreciation. Buying a 1 or 2 year old one would have saved you some dosh, but then the trade off is that it's yours from new, you know the car, the history and every nick and blemish and only have yourself to blame something (non warranty-related) breaks or gets broken!

Salesman will often wax lyrical about 'your investment', but the truth is that there is no 'investment', there's a purchase then there is deprecation. And while people say that nice, high-end cars don't depreciate so hard, they can suck a lemon. If you'd spent $90,000 on a nice BMW X3 with a 3 year warranty... you'd be dropping $20k just leaving the lot, so you've done alright I reckon.

That's my 2c worth!

Cheers,

Dave

Hi Daves!
Firstly Bearded Dave, I think I agree with all your observations! Especially the depreciation thoughts. 8 years ago we thought that we should at least one new car in our lifetimes, so we took the 'safe' option & bought a Forester. About the same time, my brother took the 'riskier' option of buying the first model Santa Fe. Greg still has the Hyundai with around 200,000 km up. It has only ever had services done, no warranty claims, no repairs. Pretty good.
The Sube by contrast has had 6 CD replacements, 2 rear wheel bearings + housings, 2 timing belt tensioners, a front strut, dual mass flywheel and a 10 thou overbore rebuild (to correct the 800ml/1000k oil consumption) all done under warranty in the first 3 years / 120,000 km!
Since then it has had a centre diff ($1500), front sway bar mounts, a front wheel bearing another flywheel ($1810), and is now using oil at 1 litre / 600 km with 295,000 on the clock.
You may think we are hard on cars, but consider that the clutch is fine and we got 200,000 km out of the brake pads. Yes, it has seen a lot of dirt road, with the legacy that it rattles like a Pintara! After 8 years, the value is about $5000, so it's lost about $30,000. Probably not buying new again!
So Dave M, I think you have made a wise choice in brand. I think they are a real nice car.
You sure like those balaclavas, don't you!
Happy ownership!
Cheers, Matt.

Thanks Guys, well we have looked at the Sante Fe as a long term situation, with the 5 year, unlimited klms warranty I hope to have made a "right decision". In a couple of years we plan to go "around the block" towing our caravan over a period of about 24 weeks.
We are hoping to have 2 travel companions, my brother and a friend, both with their wives in their own caravans.
I have to admit the 5 year unlimited klm warranty was a strong infulence, with the performance of the 2.2 litre turbo diesel (145kw and 436 nm torque) as a back up, we are already achieving 7.4. litres/100 klms and it is not run in as yet, I would expect that to improve, I don't drive it easy either.

I remember the issues of years ago and the recall on the first of their cars.
The Sante Fe won the fuel economy run from Darwin to Adelaide last year confortably and the write ups I have read speak very highly of the car rating it very highly against the Territory, Kluger, Sorrento and the BMW X1.
Dave M.

By the way Guys besides the 5 year unlimited klms warranty the other thing that headed me towards the Sante Fe, is the fact the engine has a STEEL timing chain, just like Belletts, NOT A RUBBER BAND that has to be changed every 90,000 k or so!!

Also Dave, yes I like the car bra, they protect the front of my cars from road damage, my cars are usually undamaged up front!

Hyundai has came a very far way and their vehicles are really good and reliable. My person opinion I can say that you haven't made a bad choice.

THANK YOU CTRUCK, WE HOPE SO.
We went to Sydney yesterday to buy a new Caravan, solo of course, on that trip the Sante Fe returned 7.1 L/100 klms, pretty damned good I thought for a car that weighs almost 2 tonnes!!
Over the Mountains once you get to Blackheath, it is down hill all the way to Sydney, the computer at one time went as low as 5.4 L/100 klms, that is travelling on the speed limits as much as possible with all the toad works going on up there!!
It will be interesting when we hook up to the caravan which will happen in about 3 weeks, it will be interesting to see what it returns then!! I would estimate about 12 to 13L/100 klms.

That's all pretty huge re: fuel economy.

Recently I put our VY SS Holden on LPG using a modern gas-injection-style system; I was just over the issue that it cost about $75 to fill the tank; more when the petrol prices are high.

I don't do a HEAP of K's in it, however it's a 2004 and has 90,000k's on it so it hasn't been sitting around; from Adelaide it's been to Alice Springs twice plus a camping detour to Ayres Rock, Melbourne four or five times, Corowa twice, Sydney twice including a trip to Coffs Harbour plus that trip to Gulgong to rescue the Wasp. Many of those K's were done with a car trailer and I really had to make sure I'd set aside some cashola for those journeys, coz they weren't cheap.

The conversion cost $4000 and I got a good deal on it as I've done some work for the guy in the past, but I can't seriously look back. The 5.7 litre V8 returns better torque and better acceleration ON the LPG rather than off!!

The SS usually used about 11L/100k's on a really good run, but as soon as there was a trailer or even a heavy wind, that went out the window. On one of the runs to Alice Springs, it did 16L/100ks as we had a MONSTER headwind the entire way. Around the city, I normally get about 17L/100ks, which is terrible. 2lDOHC Ross got better economy out of it when he drove it, but I couldn't seem to change that whether I drove like a granny or drove it's wheels off.

Anyway, now on the gas it does about 19L/100k's in the city and on a recent trip to Melbourne it hovered around 14L/100ks on the highway. That's damned high compared to the Diesel Santa Fe, but the tank is about $40 to fill up on LPG, so it's all swings and roundabouts.

I have to say, while the Fe might be the machine for you, I'm not keen on a soft-roader and really desired a Holden VE SS Sportswagon as a family truckster. The VY is a 2 seater and while there's no pitter patter at this stage, it's not something we're ruling out and the thought of going SUV was starting to hurt my heart a little.

But the problem was justifying a VE SS with a 6.0 litre V8 when juice is so expensive; and it's theoretically quite cheap at the moment - it's only going to get worse from here. Plus, like Big Dave 1968GT I need a tow machine as well, so a Smartcar wasn't going to cut it. And as much as a D-Max would be tuff, they're massive and I'm sure they're no fun to fang around!

So now I've discovered the world of LPG injection, I can now go and get a VE SS sportswagon, do the gas thing and have my cake and eat it too. At least it's cheap cake!

Now I just need to wait until they get cheap enough; like Farmer, I'm not buying new again!

Sorry I didn't mean to waffle on so much!

Cheers

Dave

Women if only we could do without em!!!!
Now my wife has decided she wants an upgraded Caravan, pick it up this weekend, should be good, however women complain or most do, about the dollars we spend on our hobbies, what about their interests and comfort!!
They don't like roughing it Eh!!!

I just hope we get the use out of the @@#$%^& thing!!!
At least I have the right tow vehicle now!
DM.

...yeah quick to complain but happy to spend the dosh where they see fit!

Ah I guess we all do a bit of that; it's a matter of priorities and I guess if we all had the same priorities things would be boring (if simple...).

Nice van. However, I'm sure she could have done the same thing with this....



...looks a bit serial killer mind you.

That is so cool
Where do I get one ?



Cheers
Rob

Geees Dave, a Bellett would be able to pull that one!!!
Ah well there not too bad I guess, shouldn't complain I guess, they do a lot for us eh!!

I wil let you know how it is to live in when we travel.

Now there IS a serial killer down south, Dave

Yeah Rob, i don't think it'll take you a few seconds to fashion a tow hitch on Bella. Killer van just enough to tame her a bit.

As for comforts, 68', might still be in the dark ages if it were'nt for the feminine species.

B.

Gees David your game, I hope da missus dosent read that post or your Hyundai and Caravan will be gone and you will be living in the little green one, at least the GT should be able to cope with it.
Cheers Geoff

Shhhh, she might read the postings if she catches me!!
Nah, I was bit lucky second time around, I have to admit to getting a good one, only issue M does not like travellling in the GT, M says it is far tooooo close to the ground.
They look good together, I mean the car and the Caravan!! (The wife fits in well also)
DM.

Avan! They had an A-van convention here in Adelaide ecently; some of our Bellett friends from Maryborough went there.

Well, I can't complain; I figure that if you can have a Bellett convention you can have an A-van convention!