I have been driving Subarus since the 70s. Lost count of how many I have had. My wife and I each had 1995 Impreza models and we each got over 300,000 miles with almost not repairs. One is with a friend and still going. But, our 2007 was a total loser. Our 2011 Forester is better but still not what is should be. It’s time to replace the Forester and I won’t be buying a Subaru with the CVT trans.

So, enter Santa Fe. Was wondering do they have a history of going 200,000 miles? Are the auto trans models 6 speed? For anyone who lives in the mountains of Utah or Colorado, do they do well in deep snow?

 

Are you looking to buy new or used? And which Santa Fe? There's the short wheelbase, 5 passenger "Santa Fe Sport" and the long wheelbase, 7 passenger "Santa Fe". Both have 6-speed "real" automatics and available AWD.

However, they are considered "full-size" SUV's. Since you're coming from a Forester you might not want something that big. Have you looked at the Hyundai Tucson? That's closer to the size of your Forester and cheaper.

The LWB Santa Fe starts at around $31K
The SWB Santa Fe Sport starts around $25K
The Tucson starts around $23K

Also, the base Tucson (SE) has a 6-speed automatic while the upper level models (Eco, Sport and Limited) all have 7-speed dual-clutch "automatics" (basically a manual transmission with an automated clutch).

Personally, I own a 2006 and a 2011 Tucson and love them both. They are both great in the snow. The 2006 is FWD only while my wife's 2011 is AWD.

In my opinion, FWD with winter tires is better than AWD with All-Season tires. And AWD with winter tires is virtually unstoppable.

 

Thanks for the information. I was taking with a fellow in a parking lot who had a turbo version which I assume was the sport version. It seamed to be close to the size of my Forester. The Forester is my wife's primary car. Each day she drives down to Salt Lake. The drive back up is up a 15 mile grade back to the house at about 8000 feet. The 4 cylinder 4 speed auto trans Forester doesn't cut it. It starts shifting up and down hunting for a gear which is not there. If I lock it down into third it's screaming all the time. It's short on gears and power. We might be willing to move to something bigger which has a V6. 4 Runner perhaps? Not sure about a 4 with a Turbo. I don't know if I have seen the Tucson model. I will go to a dealer and check them out.

 

Don't let the "Sport" name fool you, it has nothing to do with the engine. It just designates the smaller of the 2 Santa Fe's. And all SWB SF "Sport" come only with a 4 cyl engine. If you want a V6, you have to step up to the larger and more expensive LWB Santa Fe. Let me see if I can break it down for you:

Tucson:
SE = 2.0L (naturally aspirated) with 6-speed automatic (164-hp / 151-tq)
Eco = 1.6L Turbo with 7-speed dual-clutch "automatic" (175-hp / 195-tq)
Sport = 1.6L Turbo with 7-speed dual-clutch "automatic" (175-hp / 195-tq)
Limited = 1.6L Turbo with 7-speed dual-clutch "automatic" (175-hp / 195-tq)

Santa Fe Sport (short wheelbase, 5-passenger) (approx 300 pounds heavier than Tucson):
Sport = 2.4L (naturally aspirated) with 6-speed automatic (185-hp / 178-tq)
Sport 2.0T = 2.0L Turbo with 6-speed automatic (240-hp / 260-tq)
Sport 2.0T Ultimate = 2.0L Turbo with 6-speed automatic (240-hp / 260-tq)

Santa Fe (long wheelbase, 7-passenger) (approx 200 to as much as 400 pounds heavier than Santa Fe Sport):
SE = 3.3L V6 (naturally aspirated) with 6-speed automatic (290-hp / 252-tq)
Limited = 3.3L V6 (naturally aspirated) with 6-speed automatic (290-hp / 252-tq)
SE Ultimate = 3.3L V6 (naturally aspirated) with 6-speed automatic (290-hp / 252-tq)
Limited Ultimate = 3.3L V6 (naturally aspirated) with 6-speed automatic (290-hp / 252-tq)

 

Like Subaru, it's strange that the turbo motor is a 2.0 when the naturally aspirated motor is 2.4. On the Hyundai, are they totally different engines or just the same with just a minor difference in the piston stroke?

 

Another transmission question. How many of you are running the 7 speed dual clutch transmissions. I like the Audi and VW dual clutch systems.

For those who have the Hyundai version are you Happy, sad, love it, hate it, problems?

 

Subarus hava a "boxer" type engine where there are 2 pistons on either side of the engine moving back and forth parallel to the ground with each bank of 2 pistons facing opposite directions. Hyundai have an "inline" type engine where the 4 pistons are all in a line moving up and down.

Also, if you look, the Tucson has a 1.6L Turbo and the 2.0L motor is N/A, while the Santa Fe has a 2.0L Turbo and the N/A motor is 2.4L. So it's all about the size of the vehicle. The larger/heavier Santa Fe gets larger versions of the N/A and Turbo engines used in the smaller/lighter Tucson.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with the transmission. My 2006 Tucson has a 4-speed auto while my wife's 2011 Tucson has a 5-speed. Both are great with no issues. (108K miles on the 2006, 42K miles on the 2011)