Once in, the interior is friendly to the touch. All controls are big and thick. The shifter knob is big. The stereo controls are large, offering easy adjustment. The climate controls are big and easy to operate, though they look and feel like plastic. Bright trim dresses up the inside door releases and parking-brake handle.

The shift knob and shift quadrant are brightened by chrome trim in the GLS and LX. Illuminated power window switches and a lighted glove box add convenience at night. The driver's cup holder is conveniently located, making this a good vehicle for that morning cappuccino. The digital clock is located in the middle of the dashboard where it's easy to see. Big outside mirrors provide an excellent view rearward.

The front seats are comfortable, though flat, without much side-bolster support. The driver's seat adjusts eight ways to accommodate different body shapes and preferences, though the adjustments are a bit awkward.

The Santa Fe offers roomy rear-seat accommodations, with lots of headroom and legroom. Rear-seat cup holders are molded into the door-mounted map pockets. The rear seatback reclines, and the reclining mechanism was recently improved. But the windows in the rear doors don't roll all the way down, a shortcoming shared with other small SUVs.

ISOFIX child-seat anchors are provided at both outboard rear seating positions. Head restraints and three-point seatbelts are provided for outboard passengers, while the center-rear passenger must make do with a lap belt only. The outboard shoulder-belt anchor loops are fixed, not adjustable (though we sometimes wonder whether anyone actually adjusts the adjustable kind). The restraining loops for rear seat-belt buckles don't appear to be very durable (but that isn't a safety item). Also, we noticed the latches for the flipping the rear seats forward were made of plastic rather than metal.

To fold the rear seats, flip the rear seat bottom forward, remove the headrests from the seat backs, then fold the seat backs down. This provides as much or more cargo space than any other compact SUV. The cargo floor isn't perfectly flat. But nine tie-down loops are available to keep your gear from shifting around. Sub-floor storage bins provide a place to hide valuables or road gear.