A definite improvement to my previous 18 year old Santa Fe
I purchased the vehicle on 9/13/25 and have just under 3k miles on it currently. I can honestly say that although I have run into some minor irritating issues and annoyances, I am otherwise very impressed by the overall quality and hyundai engineering.
That being said, I will list both the irritating things I've come across, as well as the annoyances.
Irritating:
1. The fact that SO many features are tied to the top trim Caligraphy model, when some could easily be offered on the lower trims.
2. The fact that there is clearly a space available for a spare tire, yet it is not offered as part of the package.
Annoyances:
1. The fact that my Samsung Galaxy S24 ultra phone overheats when placed on the charging pad for even 20 minutes.
2. The fact that the wiper blades are not easily accessible *both front & back) without 1st going into accessory mode.
3. The fact that the infotainment screen seems to dim at random without a logical reason. Sometimes dims in full sunlight. Sometimes dims in a tunnel. And the dealership had no answer other than try to turn the auto mode on the headlights off, but that didn't address the issue. I thought it might have something to do with android auto, but it still happened even after leaving my phone at home and using only for radio.
My only other issue is a personal preference thing with regard to the taillights, which i understand are being addressed mid-cyycle for the 2027 model... although, I wouldn't change the headlight design because I do like that. But I understand that the updated taillight design would not work with the current headlight design. However, if I can make a suggestion... I would recommend hyundai continue to offer the XRT version of the vehicle with the same headlight design that gives a more rugged appearance, but incorporate an updated vertical taillight design that works with the current headlights and also give off a more rugged off-road appearance.
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