8 Things you didn't know about the 2006-2012 Hyundai Santa Fe *this list be legit, yo*

"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit) 03/07/2016 at 17:27 • Filed to: hyundai, hyundai santa fe, santa fe

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1. It came with a third row seat

Believe it or not it came with a tiny fold-flat third-row seat in the cargo area. When in use even tween-aged passengers can be expected to fully bump their heads against the rear glass, which is always a sign of a great ride. Sans the third-row the area had a flat cargo floor with a hidden storage cubby underneath instead, a much more useful feature.The third row was dropped in 2009 and the storage cubby became standard, and the next-generation Santa Fe Sport introduced in 2012 did away with any pretense of a third row completely, with a true long-wheelbase third-row Santa Fe introduced the next model year (essentially the next-generation Hyundai Veracruz with Santa Fe nameplates glued on instead).

2. You could’ve had it with up to three different V6s

When first introduced the Santa Fe had a base 2.7 V6 with a 3.3 V6 as an option. The base V6 threw out a predictably anemic sub-200 horses and was pretty much identical to the “performance” engine in the then-Tiburon and Tucson. The 3.3 put up a much more respectable 250 ponies - or the same as how many early-generation muscle cars topped out. Of course, the pedestrian and very Asiatic-mannered 3.3 was nothing like a Chevy small-block and didn’t exactly turn the portly Santa Fe into a quarter-mile burner - drag times could’ve been measured as accurately with an egg timer as a stopwatch. In 2009, at the same time when they ditched the third row, the base engine was ditched entirely and the 3.3 grew to a 3.5 as the base and only engine option with an additional 20 ponies. That’s 275 or so ponies for a mid-size CUV. Again, not an instant drag racer but still pretty spritely for what it is. Hyundai even went so far as to compare it to the vaunted and CarMax-friendly Range Rover in advertisements.

3. Speaking of that 2.7 V6

It could be had with a manual. Yes, that’s right, you could’ve gotten a Korean midsize CUV that let you row through all of five forward gears. Not that the wallowing suspension that had more capsizing tendency than a post-collision Andrea Doria (too soon?) would’ve let you take much advantage of it.

4. And speaking of that 3.3 V6

If you look up Hyundai’s website right now you’ll see that both the three-row Santa Fe and sedan stablemate Azera have “shrunk” and returned to a 3.3 liter, this time punching out just shy of a whopping 300 horses and cranking up the torque while they’re at it. Don’t think your 2008 Santa Fe is just a few easy OEM performance mods away from achieving the same numbers, though - it’s a completely different and brand-new block (Hyundai just loves even-three’s for some reason) so you’d be looking at a complete engine swap. Hey, why not just dump in an LS1 then?

5. More horsepower and a bigger engine equals...greater MPGs?

The 3.5 actually squeezed out a few more miles per gallon both city and highway due to the auto being upgraded to a six speed.

The auto tranny still sucked though.

6. The Santa Fe was “refreshed” in 2009, in one of the laziest refreshes in all of recorded history

The most significant update being the 3.5 and an extra speed for the tranny, but many changes were implimented as well - and not for the better, either. For starters, the hood release was relocated from a convienient button just below the steering wheel to a lever on the floor besides the seat, where it can now convieniently collect dirt and fast food grime. The front facia recieved an extra crease or two and silver-molded plastic inserts glued onto the grill slats. The fog lights were molded in black surround instead of being just stuck straight onto the bumper, the headlight reflectors were changed from orange to silver to mimick LED day-runners and some red and amber on the taillights was swapped for clear plastic (JDM YO!)

Those are the sole distinguishing external characteristics of the “update.”

7. Hyundai had a Santa Fe painted by kids. With fingerpaint.

Hyundai’s Hope on Wheels program raises awareness for children with cancer in the classic American fashion - by driving around to tell you that there are kids with cancer. But fingerpainting is always a plus.

8. Hyundai put this damn thing out for a long-ass time.

The second-generation “NC” Santa Fe lasted from the 2006-2012 model years. During that time:

- the Wall Street Financial Crisis happened (and Occupy Wall Street)

- the collapse of Al Qaeda and the rise of ISIS/ISIL in its place

- Chrysler changed hands from Mercedes-Benz to holding/fnancial firm Cerberus - and then again to Fiat

- Virgin Galactic announced it was taking deposits on space flights, naming William Shatner as one of the celebrity early adopters

- the iPad was first launched

- along with the iPad 2

- and so on

- along with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (the massive Airbus A380 entering service just before the second-gen Santa Fe)

- Ford divested itself of its Premium Automotive Group, in the process killing Mercury and selling Volvo, Jaguar, and Aston-Martin - and nearly every GM brand that died in the 21st century (save for Olds, which had already died years earlier) died during the production run of the second-gen Santa Fe

- Tesla emerged as a legitimate car manufacturer

- Marshawn Lynch was just starting his NFL career

- Bret Favre was still in the NFL

- Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl - with the Colts

- Tiki Barber announced his retirement in favor of a new career as a professional douchebag

- ...shortly before the Giants defeated the Patriots in the Super Bowl

- and then did it again

- Hyundai itself retired the Tiburon, introduced the Veloster, both the Genesis sedan and coupe, the Equus, and the Santa Fe’s intended three-row stablemate, the Veracruz, which was simultaneously retired with the second-gen Santa Fe in favor of rebranding the three-row as simply another Santa Fe

- and Hyundai faced !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in all of recorded human history concerning a single individual with the equivalent of hundreds of millions in USD at stake, though was soon overtaken by Bernie Madoff.

Production of the second-gen Santa Fe is, so far, longer/has outlasted/is older than:

- the first Volvo produced under Geely

- claims of Saab being resurrected as a Chinese “green”/EV brand

- US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings

- the entire career of TCF Bank Stadium as home of the aforementioned Vikings

- the entire career of Rogers Stadium as home of the Buffalo Bills

- !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

- !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (with the sole exceptions of Phineas and Ferb, Fairly OddParents and Spongebob Squarepatns )

- most of Obama’s presidency (and his !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

- for that matter, the entire phenomenon of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

- the entire time the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

- the entirety of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

- the entirety of Doug DeMuro on Jalopnik

- the entirety of Foxtrot Alpha’s existence

- !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

- the entire existence of Velocity as a cable network

- the average lifespan of a Kinja update, several times over

RyanFrew > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 17:33

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“8 things you didn’t know”. Well, I didn’t know 8 things about the Hyundai Santa Fe in total before opening this post.

10/10 Accurate Title.

Matt Nichelson > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 17:39

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Your number 8 is so sad, yet so funny. That research!

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 18:04

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And yet they still couldn't make the transmission not implode.

E92M3 > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 18:07

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My last boss had a manual one. He bought it extremely cheap because it was manual, and because a large sign fell on it at the dealership.

Jack Does Cars > E92M3 03/07/2016 at 18:55

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Well that makes sense.

Jack Does Cars > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 18:55

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This is good.

coelacanthist > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 19:14

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My friends sister had one she named Attila... Best car name ever.

tacogx > coelacanthist 03/07/2016 at 19:16

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attila the Hyun(dai) lol

Somethin' 'bout a truck > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 19:44

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This is good in depth oppo!

mazda616 > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 19:52

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Bonus points for mentioning the Andrea Doria. My childhood self was oddly obsessed with shipwrecks and I had a book with several pages on the loss of that ship.

Delusion77 > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 20:07

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Parents own one, can confirm auto.transmission is garbage. They had theirs replaced while under warranty and it might have to be overhauled soon as there is some strange noise coming from that side of the engine bay. Other than that its peppy, drives nice on road and on dirt, pretty small turning circle and nothing is breaking or falling apart

thebigbossyboss > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 20:42

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Thanks for this. This was enjoyable. gr8 m8 r8 8/8.

pintowgn73 > No, I don't thank you for the fish at all 03/07/2016 at 22:24

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“In 2009, at the same time when they ditched the third row, the base engine was ditched entirely and the 3.3 grew to a 3.5 as the base and only engine option”

^ This is incorrect. Direct from the Hyundai shop manual.

Also, the hood release is in the same spot on every year of the CM Santa Fe. It’s in the drivers side kick panel next to your foot. The fuel door release button is in the door panel, there isn’t anything down next to the seat.

The NC Santa Fe is the longer version of the current SF and it comes with the V6.
The DMA Santa Fe is the “Santa Fe Sport” and comes with either the NA 2.4 or the Turbo 2.0.

Hyundai typically changes the models every 5 or so years. the SM Santa Fe was built from 01-06, the CM 07-12, DMA/NC from 13-current.

EF Sonata was 99-05, NF 06-10, YF 11-14, LFA 15-current

and so on. 5-6 years isn’t a terribly long time for any particular model, Hyundai or not. The Fox body mustang was built from 79-93.

This is for the US versions, Canadian, Mexican or other versions may be different but I can’t say for sure since I’ve only dealt with them.

pintowgn73 > pintowgn73 03/07/2016 at 22:43

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Also, of the 3 models, the CM is my favorite. The SM is too small and the NC/DMA just seems like a giant Sonata.