2011 Hyundai Santa Fe Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Santa Fe, and includes Hyundai Santa Fe safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

After last year’s mid-cycle updates, the 2011 Hyundai doesn’t change much. Aside from new colors and an available 605-watt Infinity Logic 7 surround sound system for the Limited model, the Santa Fe enters its fifth year in production as a carbon copy of last year’s SUV.

It doesn’t matter which 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe you choose – the base GLS, performance-oriented SE or top-of-the-line Limited – each comes well equipped and offers few options.

The Santa Fe GLS includes everything you need and nothing you don’t. Well, except for an automatic transmission. That’s optional. Standard items include a six-speaker stereo with iPod/USB jacks, a CD/MP3 player and satellite radio; Bluetooth; power windows, heated mirrors, and locks with remote keyless entry; air conditioning; cruise control; a trip computer; and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. Rear privacy glass is also standard on the GLS, along with 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rack rails, and illuminated visor vanity mirrors. Except for an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, the GLS is not available with factory-installed options. Dealer can sell and install accessories if you want them.

The mid-level SE is the sporty one. It has everything the GLS does, adding a 3.5-liter V6 engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, a rear spoiler, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The seats are upholstered in a combination of leather and cloth, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat is standard. Automatic headlights, roof rack cross rails, and windshield wiper de-icers are also standard and always helpful. The SE comes with a towing prep package, too, giving it a 3,500-lb. tow capacity thanks to a transmission cooler, upgraded radiator, and better fan system. An optional Premium Package includes a power sunroof, a premium sound system, a navigation system, and a rearview camera.

The luxurious Santa Fe Limited bumps feature content with leather seats, heated front seats, a power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming mirror with a compass, HomeLink, and a premium Infinity sound system. An optional Navigation Package adds a navigation system, a rearview camera, and a 605-watt Infinity Logic 7 surround sound audio system. Notably, the Limited comes standard with a four-cylinder engine, but a V6 upgrade is optional.

All Santa Fes are available with optional all-wheel drive, and come with Hyundai’s generous five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

A 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 175 horsepower is standard on the Santa Fe GLS and Limited models. A six-speed manual transmission is included on the GLS and a six-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission is optional on the GLS and standard on the Limited. Fuel economy ranges between 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

The Santa Fe SE has a 276-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with the Shiftronic automatic transmission. This powertrain is available on the Limited, and gets between 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

The 2011 Santa Fe boasts the same great Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash-test scores that the SUV has enjoyed for the past several years and still comes with its impressive list of standard safety features. Electronic stability and traction control, ABS with brake-force distribution and brake assist, rollover-sensing side-curtain airbags and side-impact airbags for the front seat occupants are among the ways this Hyundai protects its passengers.

Note that for 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has revised the way that it conducts crash tests, aiming to make 5-Star rating thresholds more difficult to achieve. As this report is written, the NHTSA had not yet released crash-test results for the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe.

J.D. Power and Associates believes that the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe will return average reliability over time. Consumer Reports is more optimistic, predicting that the Santa Fe will provide above average reliability.

For 2011, the Hyundai Santa Fe continues to offer real value in its comprehensive list of standard features, and there’s no denying the power of its price tag combined with Hyundai’s “Best in America” warranty. Plus, we’ve always been fond of the Santa Fe’s safety and reliability ratings. On the whole, the 2011 Santa Fe is a solid choice if you’re in the market for a midsize crossover SUV.

By Courtney Messenbaugh