We first drove a four-wheel-drive LX model, which came with a 2.7-liter V6 that produces 185 horsepower and 187 pound-feet of torque. That's good power when compared against the V6-powered Ford Escape and Suzuki Grand Vitara. Indeed, only the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute, which come with a 200-horsepower 3.0-liter V6, offer more power in this class. The Santa Fe offers much better acceleration than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 with their four-cylinder engines. Still, we were a bit disappointed. Responsiveness was a bit sluggish. Downshifts were prompt and smooth, but somewhat less than fulfilling. Acceleration from a stoplight was, well, OK. We don't doubt the rated towing capacity, but we suspect it will be less than exhilarating.Handling, though, was excellent with minimal top-heaviness in corners. As expected, the Santa Fe understeers in hard cornering (meaning it wants to go straight while you want it to turn), but nothing beyond what everyday drivers will expect. The brakes are refreshingly responsive, even before the ABS steps in. We also drove a GLS without the optional full-time four-wheel drive. The GLS proved to be much, much more fun and more responsive, no doubt the benefit of subtracting the 331 pounds the 4WD system adds. EPA estimated fuel economy is 19/26 mpg city/highway for a front-wheel-drive GLS and 19/23 for a four-wheel-drive LX. Then it came time to navigating Hyundai's selected, off-road venue, a sometime-motorcycle circuit in Southern California. A couple of sections were challenging, but the Santa Fe's full-time 4WD system was more than up to the test, even without the traction control system. Though details from Hyundai about its full-time four-wheel-drive system are lacking, the system worked fine on the off-road course Hyundai offered us. It's a dynamic, viscous system. Though the torque split wasn't available, we jacked up the back tires and stood on the accelerator and it raced across the room. So the system appears to do a good job of sending the torque where it's needed: to the tires with the most grip.
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