We are still enjoying our week with the Hyundai Santa Fe. This is one of the SUVs that we wish we didn’t have to give back. That’s why we’re driving the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe daily to make the most of our time together. See what good and potentially bad things we’ve learned so far. 

Here’s what driving the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe is like 

We are taking the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe all over the place. We have it for a week in Asheville, North Carolina. There are tight downtown city areas to navigate, a crowded interstate, curvy mountain roads, and trails that venture off the pavement. 

We’re doing it all to make the most of our time with the Santa Fe. We headed to events, found parallel parking, did typical errands like getting groceries, and even went into the wild for some light off-roading. Check out what we’ve learned. 

Five 2022 Santa Fe Pros 

1. The Hyundai Santa Fe has a smooth ride 

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe has an incredibly smooth ride. It glides over the pavement like butter. Rough impacts and larger dips are absorbed with ease. The cabin hasn’t rattled once for a peaceful experience. 

Even when you drive over gravel and dirt roads with huge rocks and holes, the ride quality maintains a level performance. The front-strut and multi-link suspension in the rear are excellent for dampening impacts. 

2. The Santa Fe is agile 

The Hyundai Santa Fe is nimble with an excellent turning radius, making it easy to maneuver through tight city areas. You can squeeze into tight parking spots and easily parallel park if needed. 

The Santa Fe doesn’t feel as large as it is. You can back up to turn around in the tiniest city parking lots or while on a trail in the woods. Plus, you can use the remote parking assist to pull forward or backup for you. 

Also, the 360-degree camera display is extremely accurate and helpful. You can see all of the obstacles around the SUV to confidently avoid them. 

3. The interior is excellent 

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe has a well-planned, spacious, and luxurious interior. The leather upholstery is soft and attractive, plus there are soft-touch materials for a premium, upscale feel. 

Everything you need is easily within reach, and the infotainment controls are clearly labeled. The panoramic sunroof is huge and allows plenty of natural light and fresh air to enter the cabin. The customizable ambient lighting is nice too. 

4. The Santa Fe has plenty of space 

Storing larger items in the Hyundai Santa Fe isn’t an issue. There are 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats with up to 72.1 cubes total. Plus, there is a massive underfloor storage cubby that can be split into three bins. 

The Santa Fe has a wide hatch opening with a convenient liftover height, making it easy to load heavier items. Plus, you can opt for power folding seats in the second row, and child seats have plenty of space. 

5. The Santa Fe is surprisingly capable 

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe can go farther than you think. It has all-wheel drive, a center locking differential, and hill-descent control to tackle the trails. It feels confident and stable over slippery conditions. 

With the 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine, the Santa Fe cranks out 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.6 seconds, which is faster than average. Plus, it can tow up to 3,500 lbs. 

Four Hyundai Santa Fe Cons 

1. The Santa Fe has soft brakes 

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe could have stronger, more confident brakes. The brakes feel a bit soft and require a little more stopping time than expected. However, it doesn’t take long to get used to. Changing the driving modes didn’t seem to affect the pedal response.

2. There is noticeable body roll 

When you zip up and down curvy mountain roads, the Hyundai Santa Fe has noticeable body roll-around curves. Perhaps the suspension is a bit soft and floaty. We feel a little more confident with the Mada CX-5 around sharp turns. Edmunds mentions the soft suspension as well.

However, the Santa Fe feels stable, and the seats have side bolstering that holds the driver and front passenger in place. 

3. The Santa Fe has firm seats 

We wouldn’t mind if the seats in the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe had a bit more padding. The leather upholstery is soft yet firm. It can be noticeable around the lower back and rear end during longer drives. 

The driver’s seat has a broad range of adjustment settings to adjust the lumbar and leg support. But we can’t seem to find the perfect position. However, the seats are heated and ventilated, which is an excellent perk. 

4. The fuel economy could be better 

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe is rated to get an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city and up to 28 mpg on the highway. Those numbers are pretty good on paper, but for some reason, we’re getting about 16.8 mpg. 

We’ve been all over. We drove in city traffic, on the interstate, down long country roads, up the mountain, and even into the wild. Perhaps we’re adventuring too much to save fuel, or maybe we should spend more time in Eco Mode. 

Stay tuned for our complete Hyundai Santa Fe review with all the ratings and specs. Until then, we’ll keep driving this sporty and luxurious SUV.