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| Hyundai's Santa Fe SUV can fit seven and comes with a boatload of features. |
Both its Santa Fe
and Accent lines aim to please for singles, students and families.
Cheers Everyone!
Being a lifestyle writer, I happen to review cars for a few magazines as well. Well there are a few standouts that may answer the inquiries of my many friends, family and overall readers of this site. They ask me what cars
really impress me, are the most luxurious, the best on gas, and overall have
the best value for what they’re intending to spend.
I enjoy those conversations and during many of them, will
do my best to recommend whatever will ease
their search. Well over the past few months, Hyundai's automobiles have been very consistent in terms of quality, solid design, and overall offering the most bang for the buck. Thinking about school about to let out, kids heading to college, and anyone looking for a new car they can afford, the all-new 2018 Accent Limited sedan and the 2018 Santa Fe Limited SUV successfully deliver. Of course,
Hyundai can go upscale as well and you will see what I mean with my review of the
mind-blowing 2018 Genesis G90 Ultimate
luxury sedan in my upcoming June edition of Driver’s Notebook for Lifestyle
Publications. But for now, let’s focus on the aforementioned Hyundai duo that presents the most value in a practical world.
Photos courtesy of Hyundai.
The all-new 2018 Hyundai
Accent Limited
The all-new Hyundai Accent is one of the best bangs for
the buck I have yet to review. The plethora of amenities graciously packed in
this subcompact sedan really wowed me. I was very surprised to see the three
trims—the SE listed at $14,995 MSRP;
SEL ($17,295); and my review model,
the top-of-the-line Limited ($18,895)—having
so many standard features. The latter comes with everything including the
17-inch alloy wheels; a 7-inch touchscreen equipped with Apple CarPlay; leather-wrapped
steering wheel; power sunroof; fog lights; heated front seats; and the feature
everyone should demand—the proximity key with push-button start—to name a few.
Regarding power,
all three have the same 130-hp, 1.6L 4-cylinder engine. The combined city and
highway gas mileage for the SEL and Limited is a very reasonable 32 miles per gallon, while the SE
is (oddly) one combined mile lower. With all of these perks, along with Hyundai
providing arguably the best warranty programs in the automotive industry, the
Accent in any trim becomes a serious consideration.
(Note there used to be a hatchback version, but this
upgraded sedan’s roomy trunk works just fine.)
Fuel Economy: 28 city/ 38 highway/ 32 combined
Base Price: $19,905 fully equipped as reviewed.
2018 Santa Fe Limited Ultimate
If you have a large family or plan on toting folks around
regularly, Hyundai comes correct with the 2018 Santa Fe in three trims capable of accommodating
up to seven passengers with a third-row option. They remain consistent with their reputation of providing a healthy dose of features seen here
that come standard in the SE (starting at $30,850; SE Ultimate ($38,850); and
my review model which is the most lavish of the bunch, the Santa Fe Limited
Ultimate ($39,550). Prices differentiate in each trim with the addition of the
all-wheel-drive option, and I strongly recommend the $2,100 Tech Package to
build driving confidence in the safety department. It includes Smart Cruise
Control with stop/start;
Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection; Lane
Departure Warning; Electronic Parking Brake with Automatic Vehicle Holder; and various lighting settings.
I
also appreciate the balance of a smooth ride, yet a powerful 290-hp 3.3L GDI
DOHC 24-valve V6 engine complemented with impressively nimble handling to spike
the excitement of the driving experience. There is also a smaller, five-passenger Sport version in three trims as
well. Go here for more info.
All in all, after considering the high safety accolades,
handsome design, strong engine, its seemingly endless list of amenities that come standard, and
reasonable tag, I recommended this Santa Fe Limited Ultimate to my cousin who
just added a baby boy to his family. The verdict? He says if he is
going to be a family man, he might as well have fun doing it. Hey, works for me!
Visit www.hyundaiusa.com
for all the information on both models and the rest of their fleet.
Happy driving! Do it responsibly.
Cheers!
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