Once in, the interior is friendly to the touch. Human-hand-sized controls for the stereo and HVAC offer easy adjustment. Climate controls look and feel and plasticky, though.

The seats are quite comfortable. Space-wise, the Santa Fe equals or betters the competition. Only the Ford Escape beats the Santa Fe by more than a half-inch in front-seat headroom or hip room.

Rear-seat headroom equals or beats all but the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Rear legroom in the Santa Fe equals or tops everyone's. But rear-seat passengers get head restraints and three-point seatbelts only at the outboard positions, and the shoulder-belt anchor loops are fixed, not adjustable. The restraining loops for rear-seat belt buckles don't seem very durable. And the rear seatback recline adjusters are awkward, consisting of fabric loops extending from the outer edge of the seatbacks. The easiest way to adjust them is to climb out and yank them until the seatback is where you think you want it. Rear-seat cupholders are molded into the door-mounted map pockets.

The Santa Fe offers as much or more cargo space than any other compact SUV except for the Ford Escape. A Nirvana of tie-down loops, as many as nine, is available for hauling stuff. Optional subfloor storage bins in the cargo area are a thoughtful feature, provided your stored items fit in their pre-configured shapes: In other words, nothing too tall, too wide or too thick.