Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

Is the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a Good SUV?

Before exploring used Hyundai Santa Fe Sports for sale, it’s helpful to know some details about this stylish crossover. Hyundai spun off the two-row Santa Fe Sport from its larger three-row Sante Fe stablemate in 2013. With a crisp, sculpted exterior and more refined cabin, the Santa Fe Sport brought an upscale element to Hyundai’s lineup, casting aside the more bulbous previous generations. An available turbocharged engine helped this SUV live up to its Hyundai “sport” name. Hyundai dropped the model after 2018, but the Hyundai Santa Fe is for sale in the used car market.

Note: equipment, features, and trims can vary by model year. Always confirm these details when looking for used Hyundai Santa Fe Sport cars for sale.

Find a used Hyundai Sante Fe Sport for sale.

Key Features

The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport features:

• Front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive
• Four-cylinder engines (including a turbocharged version with up to 264 horsepower)
• Five-seat capacity
• Hyundai Blue Link Telematics

Trims

Initially, Hyundai offered two versions, the Santa Fe Sport (with the non-turbo engine) and the Santa Fe Sport 2.0T (with the turbocharged engine). In later years, the Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate joined the available trims. Numerous option packages included upgrades like leather-trimmed seating and a panoramic sunroof.

Comfort, Technology & Cargo

In designing the Santa Fe Sport, Hyundai created a driver-focused cockpit with numerous controls accessed from the steering wheel. In addition, the prominent center-stack unit provides ready access to the infotainment and climate systems.

Over the six years of the Santa Fe Sport, Hyundai introduced more and more technology. A touchscreen infotainment display was initially optional but became standard in later years. The final editions of the Sante Fe Sport also saw the availability of advanced driver aids like automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring.

The Santa Fe Sport offers 71.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row or 35.4 cubic feet when the back seat is used.

How It Drives

For those only familiar with older Hyundais, the Sante Fe Sport will be a pleasant surprise. It’s a good example of how the automaker has dialed up refinement. This Hyundai has a selectable steering system that can be set according to driving needs, including a sport mode for a more engaging behind-the-wheel experience.

Models equipped with the base 2.4-liter engine offer reasonable acceleration for most driving situations, but the turbocharged 2.0-liter powerplant can deliver smiles. It’s the engine to look for if you want an SUV with performance.

Safety

All Hyundai Santa Fe Sports have been awarded a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Select model years have received a Top Safety Pick or a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Reviews

Owners of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport love their vehicles. This crossover is rated 4.6 (out of 5.0) by consumers on Kelley Blue Book. Comments by owners on Reddit are equally positive, especially about the driving experience. However, there is concern about engine reliability, particularly with high-mileage examples.

RELATED: How Long Do Hyundai Santa Fes Last? The Scoop on Vehicle Lifespan

FAQs

Is the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a reliable car?

The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport gets conflicting reliability ratings. Consumer Reports considers this crossover’s dependability subpar, while J.D. Power gives the Santa Fe Sport average to great rankings (depending on the year). There is a class action settlement regarding the poor quality of engines used in the Santa Fe Sport. You’ll want to proceed with caution when looking for used Hyundai Santa Fe Sports for sale.

Is a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a small SUV?

The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is a compact SUV that sits between the smaller Hyundai Tucson and three-row Hyundai Santa Fe.

What happened to the Santa Fe Sport?

Hyundai discontinued the Santa Fe Sport after the 2018 model year, in part to minimize confusion with the larger Santa Fe. Used Hyundai Sante Fe Sports are readily available as pre-owned vehicles.

Locate a used Hyundai Santa Fe Sport near me.