For the first time in 9 years the Discovery has been knocked off of the No.1 spot in the Auto Express "best large SUV". The Sante Fe now holds this top spot, how things have changed for Hyundai over the past few years.

as I have said before we were amazed at how many caravan/motorhome salesmen both drive and recommend the Santa Fe to us during our last few years visiting their premises.

very few of them would entertain a Landrover.

Iain

I had one some years back for a couple of years, never had a single fault with it. Looking at the latest pictures and stats, it has really come on now. Think I may just pop along to my local dealer for a proper look.

The only problem with buying these foreign things from the east is they do an update every couple of weeks it seems, so yours soon looks old hat.

It's when you go back to LR after owning one you realise what a heap of cr*p they really are, the leather is poor quality and discolours quickly, they do have a few niggles, the door locking is poor, front suspension is weak (drop links) and the 4x4 clutch is slow acting leaving you with torque steer and front wheel spin when taking off in a hurry. There has now been a price rise of about £6K which brings them into FL territory with very much poorer electronics. The five year warranty is limited and is no better than LR with Sale of Goods act. Customer service is almost non existent from Hyundai UK, so depends on dealer customer service. I had about the same amount of niggles as a 97 Disco I had from new for nine years as the SF had in 4 years from new. Oh and it doesn't handle due to the ESP system being reactive rather than pro-active. Best stay with a proper SUV, quality does cost, but it is worth it. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

Thanks Dartman, always good to have an honest summary.

Dartman the one wrote:

It's when you go back to LR after owning one you realise what a heap of cr*p they really are, the leather is poor quality and discolours quickly, they do have a few niggles, the door locking is poor, front suspension is weak (drop links) and the 4x4 clutch is slow acting leaving you with torque steer and front wheel spin when taking off in a hurry. There has now been a price rise of about £6K which brings them into FL territory with very much poorer electronics. The five year warranty is limited and is no better than LR with Sale of Goods act. Customer service is almost non existent from Hyundai UK, so depends on dealer customer service. I had about the same amount of niggles as a 97 Disco I had from new for nine years as the SF had in 4 years from new. Oh and it doesn't handle due to the ESP system being reactive rather than pro-active. Best stay with a proper SUV, quality does cost, but it is worth it.

KIA have also come on leaps and bounds, The Sportage and Sorrento are great vehicles. Saying that a friend of mine who emigrated to Australia owned a Discovery 3 here in the UK he left it behind and ordered a brand new top of the range Toyota Landcruiser when he got to Aus as Jap cars are much cheaper out there.
He owned it for 4 months and absolutely hated everything about it, He ended up Importing a New Disco 4 out there and is now in love again

Kia Sorento is now an SF with a different blouse and the Kia Sportage is an ix35 with a different dress, though I quite liked the old Sportage (06 on) problem was it was built to rival the FL1 which was discontinued as the FL2 came out.in the same year my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

On another forum they is a number of posters who are having replacement wheels due to problems with the rims, a lot of them being recalled for badly rusted suspension so they need to do a bit more yet, they are still a long way from perfect. What upsets them most is when they come to sell it in four or five years time and they can't get much on a trade in. p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

ad210358 wrote:

On a caravan forum there is a number of posters who are having replacement wheels due to problems with the towing weights, a lot of them being recalled for badly worn suspension so they need to do a bit more yet, they are still a long way from perfect. What upsets them most is when they come to sell it in four or five years time and they can't get much on a trade in once the salesman sees the towbar.

you took the words out of my mouth  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Don't encourage him! p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

T Terran



'The' Car For The Modern Day UK Roads ( ie all the pot holes )

'A Freelander that leaks oil is just marking its territory' - Wise words

Now a member of the FL2 'Silly Bill' Club