No need for AWD at all

Author's Rating:

Pros: Ride quality, power, warranty, interior noise level, fit and finish, reclining rear seats, traction control

Cons: folding rear seat, sound quality from radio, driver leg room, no vanity/window/door lock lighting

The Bottom Line: 
Very much recommended for budget minded buyers

Author's Review
The 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe is a very worthy competitor to the much more expensive CRV and Rav-4. This vehicle drives like a much smaller sedan, not an SUV. The suspension is great. Firm, but not overly as you don't get jarred with every bump in the road. I purchased a used 2006 Santa Fe GL Front Wheel Drive. I live in snowy Alberta, Canada and have absolutely no need for any AWD. Hyundai has a great Traction Control System to minimize front wheel slip on ice when accelerating. Four good snow tires on this thing is all you'll ever need.I am 6'2" and 220 lbs and find the driver seat doesn't go back quite far enough for me to get into a comfortable driving position. The reclining rear seats are nice as rear passengers can get comfy on long drives. Interior noise is way less than my other vehicle, a 2004 Ford Freestar minivan. The radio in this vehicle is cheap, cheap, cheap. I'm no audiophile by any means, but the OEM stereo lacks any real power and sounds "tinny" all the time, no matter what adjustments are made to it. I also had to take the vehicle back to the dealer to get them to fix the drivers seatbelt as it won't retract anymore. My wife also pointed out that there are no vanity light mirrors in the visors, something I hadn't noticed. It's difficult to see the door lock buttons when you go to lock it at night as they are not lighted.

Overall, I would recommend this vehicle to anyone considering a midsize SUV. This product is way better than any of the Ford Escapes, Saturn Vue's, Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrents, and Dodge Calliber's I'd driven. It isn't quite as refined a the CRV or Rav-4, but hey, for thousands less, I'm very happy.