I consider myself to be a “winter driving aficionado.” When other drivers avoid the road due to accumulations, I plot my route to avoid them and cruise through snowstorms while Corollas all over the place pull to the shoulder with their four-wheel-drives engaged.
Last week, I was operating a brand-new Hyundai Santa Fe equipped with an all-wheel-drive system, a 2.0L turbo engine, and some respectable winter tires. It was a Friday, and my hometown was experiencing the second major snowfall of the season that lasted all night. Mother Nature quickly dropped the temperature faster than a Lance Armstrong endorsement agreement after that.
When there is a snowfall that lasts all night, I did what I always do. I spent approximately four hours driving around every unplowed backroad I could locate with a group of friends and some enormous double-doubles.
During my drive, I noticed a few remarkable features of the tested Santa Fe’s crucial ESC and AWD systems.
Deep snow calls for plenty of wheel spin, which the Santa Fe’s Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system normally permits. When you give the Santa Fe the boots to pull onto a busy roadway, the wheels are spun a little quicker than they can grip to help you begin moving quickly. Wheel spin allows snow to be thrown from the tire treads for improved contact with the road.
At greater speeds, the system tightens its tolerances for slipping and sliding, although it still permits a brief skid before engaging.
This is much preferable to overly aggressive ESC systems that cross their arms, kill the throttle at the first hint of slippage, report your antics to the fun police, and render you helpless in the path of oncoming traffic.
You’ll feel more in control of the Santa Fe than the car is, which is a good thing.
The Magna-developed AWD system is intelligent and well-suited for driving in unfavorable winter conditions. It may make a “judgement call” to engage all four wheels from a stop using data from a network of sensors, essentially preemptively increasing traction rather than letting the front wheels slip before engaging the back ones. Even though I never needed to use it, there is a “lock” feature that will automatically put the system to a 50/50 power split.
Within two or three wheel revolutions of the front wheels, the system immediately engages the rear wheels for propulsion, giving them a large portion of the engine’s power.
The rear coupler’s quick-acting “electro-hydraulic” clutch is at blame, according to Hyundai. It is “primed” when the engine begins and is constantly prepared to call the rear wheels into play on a few milliseconds’ notice, making it faster than the magnetic clutches generally employed in systems like these.
I didn’t observe any problems with superfluous tire spinning or roughness during power transfer between the axles. This setup feels like it understands what it’s doing and is smooth and flawless in almost any circumstance.
All things considered, buyers who choose a Santa Fe with winter tires and AWD may anticipate a secure, steady, and well-supported driving experience when the roads are coated in snow and ice.
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(in) Ground Clearance: 8.2
This is one of those crucial elements that determines whether or not you will have traction on snow. At 8 inches and higher, ground clearance reaches its ideal value. However, if you reside in a region that receives less than 3–4 inches of snow annually, then these 5 inches are actually not that bad.
With the Santa Fe, the ground clearance is a remarkable 8.2 inches. On a powder day, only when the snow is at least 10 inches deep, will you run into problems. But you can get through the snow if you have good winter tires.
Make sure to avoid the piles that the plows have left on the sides because vehicles can become stuck there. You can safely drive over the tire prints left after the plow by other vehicles.
Best Winter Mid-Sized SUV in Class Awarded to Hyundai Santa Fe
The Hyundai Santa Fe is chosen by the New England Motor Press Association’s testers as the best winter car in its category.
The New England Motor Press Association’s (NEMPA) testers are a finicky group. If your crossover isn’t prepared for some serious driving in slush and ice, don’t expect much love in evaluations. We all have our favorite fair-weather performance vehicles and sports vehicles. The votes for the 2020 Winter Driving Awards have been tallied, and Hyundai’s Santa Fe won this year’s best-in-class two-row crossover title, besting some rather strong competitors.
John Paul, the head of NEMPA, also known as AAA “This year, “Car Doctor,” took the opportunity to specifically mention the Hyundai Santa Fe, noting that “The Hyundai Santa Fe was once renowned as the model to buy due to its low price and unusual warranty. The most recent Santa Fe is the best option today in a highly competitive segment thanks to its features, fit, and finish. The Santa Fe is still regarded by NEMPA testers as a fantastic deal with an excellent warranty, but this crossover now competes and triumphs on features and design.”
Scott Margason, director of product planning for Hyundai Motor North America, said, “At Hyundai, we are tremendously proud of the Santa Fe and humbled it was awarded the best-in-class mid-sized SUV by the New England Motor Press Association.” “To better fulfill the needs of our customers, particularly in winter situations, Santa Fe contains more safety measures and repackaging equipment for the 2020 model year.”
The Santa Fe is a good value for family buyers, with prices starting at slightly over $29K with all-wheel drive. In the sub-$40,000 price bracket, the Limited trim includes a heated steering wheel. Buyers of crossovers in this size range who require winter capability are aware that the Santa Fe offers exceptional value.
Talbryn
On my travel from Chapel Hill to DC yesterday and last night, I encountered the I-95 snow disaster. I’m willing to accept the consequences because I made the trip in order to learn a lesson. My GPS, however, forced me onto surface roads to avoid the I-95 closure. Many of them were four-lane roads that had been reduced to one lane and were obstructed by trees and trapped cars. It was awful. Some of the roads were nothing more than mountain cross-country tracks as I observed numerous automobiles spinning out and plunging into ditches. In snow mode and with the rare diff-lock, I must say that my Hybrid Santa Fe never faltered. A wonderful performance was given. I was overjoyed that I decided against doing the drive in my Tacoma. One thing to note about the cruise control/radar is that it is mounted so low that it was rendered useless by ice on the road early in my trip. Before things became really nasty and while traffic was moving on the freeway, I was utilizing cruise control. I had to stop at rest areas to scrape off the ice, but it kept accumulating. Additionally, there is absolutely no cruise control after that tiny plate is covered. Throughout, the lane and steering assist were functional. Anyway, fantastic vehicle amid the filth.
Are there snow tires for the Hyundai Santa Fe?
The electrically controlled traction control is quite helpful in keeping the car on the road.
However, Santa Fe doesn’t have seasonal tires. However, the SUV supports the installation of outside winter tires.
You can significantly increase your road safety by just going to a tire dealer shop and asking for a winter tire fix.
Winter tires are essential in the nation’s snowiest regions since they have an entirely different rubber composition than summer tires. In fact, if the weather forecast calls for them, you must have winter tires or snow chains on your automobile in the northern states.
Consult your dealership for advice on the appropriate winter tires for your automobile so that you may avoid installing the tires incorrectly and endangering both you and other drivers on the road.
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Get a pair of winter tires, find some OE rims on eBay or in a salvage yard, and you should be okay in most circumstances, particularly if the city or state is only marginally proficient at plow-ing.
The only problem I ever had with FWD and snows was the occasional snowfall that left everyone stranded, even with 4WD. Midway through the 2000s, I upgraded to AWD for greater security. Prior to the arrival of the plows, it enabled movement.
The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe handles snow well, right?
Your next choice as a reliable car for snow is the Hyundai Santa Fe, which has your back this winter. The Hyundai Santa Fe is capable of pulling your next big adventure off the line.
Do Hyundais perform well in the snow?
Snow is no problem for the Hyundai Elantra to drive through. The Elantra is a secure alternative for winter driving because it comes equipped with ABS, Stability Control, and Traction Control. Although the Elantra’s front-wheel drivetrain offers plenty of traction, snow tires will significantly improve its winter performance.
Does Santa Fe have a pleasant winter?
Santa Fe is a wonderful place to visit during the winter. The main attractions, shopping, and dining are still available even if it is the off-season for travelers. The ski hills near Santa Fe are some of the most thrilling around, despite the fact that most people don’t think of New Mexico when they think of winter sports! Particularly Ski Santa Fe features excellent skiing terrain and is completely kid-friendly. Consider Ski Santa Fe if you’re seeking for family-friendly activities in Santa Fe. We have what you desire right here in Santa Fe, whether you’re ready to spend the day outside or want to visit a luxurious, romantic spa.
What does the Hyundai Santa Fe’s snow mode do?
Landscape modes: Snow: To improve relevant control while driving on slick, snow-covered roads, minimize wheel slip.
Does the 2021 Hyundai Tucson handle snow well?
The Hyundai Tucson performs superbly for winter driving, to put it succinctly. In order to provide you peace of mind when driving in the snow this winter, the lengthier answer is that the Tucson is outfitted with top performance and safety features.
For instance, the Tucson gives you more control over your car on ice and snow thanks to its HTRAC AWD system and powerful 226 horsepower engine from Hyundai. With its lane keep assist, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, hill start assist, and hill descent control safety features, the Tucson makes it safer to drive in the snow. Due to its weight of about 3500 lbs. and 6.4 inch ground clearance, the Hyundai Tucson performs very well in snow. Both of these indicate that it can easily go on snow-covered roads.
Does Santa Fe see snowfall in December?
We evaluate the snowfall collected over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day, similar to how we analyze rainfall.
The average sliding 31-day snowfall in Santa Fe is steadily rising from 2.7 inches at the beginning of the month to 3.0 inches at the conclusion, with only very infrequently exceeding 7.4 inches or falling below 0.2 inches in between.
In Santa Fe, how often does it snow?
Santa Fe experiences at least nine days with at least an inch of snow on the ground per year.
Most snowfall occurs in January. Santa Fe usually has ten or more inches of snow covering it on one or two days in January.
Average number of days per month and year when there is at least one inch of snow on the ground in Santa Fe
Bryant Korzeniewski, Scott Applequist, Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, and Matthew Menne. Version 1.0 of the global summary for the month and year. National Centers for Environmental Information under NOAA