Surprisingly enough, the quality of the interior of the two vehicles is very different. The one thing that can be said for both vehicles is that there could have been a lot more comfortable seats in the cars. The most comfortable of the two is probably the Hyundai. In addition, the inside of the Santa Fe is massive, which makes it a perfect option for carrying lots of passengers, whether they are children or adults. Add to that the fact that there is a ton of room to transport luggage or equipment, and it becomes apparent that the Hyundai Santa Fe has a lot of space. At the same time, the Grand Vitara can also carry around its own passengers as well. It may not have an abundance of space like the Santa Fe, but it holds its own and could carry passengers for quite some time without them getting uncomfortable. With that being said, the design of the Grand Vitara is not necessarily bad, it just isn't necessarily good either. As I said above, there was just not much to it, which did not set it apart from others. The Santa Fe's design on both the interior and exterior was stylish and impressive. Though it had a lot of fake wood finishing in it, that still added something that gave a little pizzazz to the inside of the car.

Perhaps one of the only things that is better in the Suzuki are the steering wheel controls. Those are always a favorite of mine because it allows the driver to manipulate controls for the audio system, temperature system, or mileage/speed/gas information without having to distract your attention away from the road. The car is also comfortable and all gadgets are within the user's reach, which is always a plus. One of the most impressive things about the interior of the Santa Fe is the fact that it has the folding back seats, which not only provides more passenger space but provides storage space when the seats are in use. The seat, unlike the one in my own personal vehicle, is easy to pop up and push down, and takes no time at all. It is not something you need to go outside early to do if you have to lower or raise the seats before you go somewhere. It just is not that big of an issue like it can be in other vehicles. In fact, once the seats are pushed down, it is difficult to tell that there are even seats available there. They are meant to be convenient, but not overbearing.

On the outside at first glance, both vehicles are smooth and well designed. On one hand, the Suzuki Grand Vitara has almost a militaristic feel to it. It is not unattractive, but there just is not much that is special and unique about it-it is a little bland. On the other hand, the Hyundai Santa Fe took the modern route and made their designs a little different. This could go either way really. It all depends on the person buying the vehicle. If you are not looking for a whole lot of snazzy features, then the Suzuki Grand Vitara would suffice. On the other hand, if you want something a little different, then you should check out the Hyundai Santa Fe. This is not to say that the Suzuki Grand Vitara does not have modern components, but the Santa Fe obviously goes makes more of an effort to go in that direction than the Grand Vitara. While I personally think that the Santa Fe wins in the exterior styling contest, I do think that the Grand Vitara is attractive looking. I just think back to what I am used to seeing from Suzuki, and I think that this is a much more quality looking car than what I have seen in the past. Add to that the fact that this car can most likely do some off-roading, and you have quite a catch! From a design standpoint, one of the things that Suzuki could have better planned out was the placement of the spare tire on the back of the vehicle, which clearly blocks the line of vision and can be a dangerous blind spot for the driver when reversing or parallel parking. This could easily be prevented by the driver removing the tire, but since many people with SUVs like having the spare tire on the back for the sporty look, and it is also a safety feature, it would have been better if Suzuki would have placed it better in the beginning so that it was not such a problem. In the end, there is really not a distinct winner in the exterior looks department. Both cars look great, and there really is nothing aesthetically wrong with either one of them.

Many would think that finding an adequate off road vehicle for an affordable price is a hard thing to do. However, since this is such a growing market and it is increasingly popular, more and more manufacturers are trying to please this market by coming out with vehicles that fit this criteria. Two of those manufacturers are Hyundai and Suzuki. To see what the big idea is, I am comparing the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Both manufacturers claim that their vehicle is just as effective off-road as it is on a paved road, and I want to find out if that is true.

As soon as you sit down you will notice that you can see all around you, which is very nice. It does require some effort to get into both vehicles, which is expected for how high they both are from the ground. While the Suzuki offers a comfortable enough seat, the Hyundai seat actually leaves much to be desired, actually leaving some riders sore after a trip.

So now that the interior has been discussed, how do these two vehicles really drive? Well, it is obvious that they are meant to be mainly on-road vehicles, but with the outdoorsy, sporty look and a decent ground clearance, they could easily do both. We will discuss the on-road driving first, since it is the primary purpose of the vehicle. For such a big vehicle, it has actually been said that the Santa Fe handles quite well, almost like a sedan! However, if the car is driven on a curvy road, the sedan-like feel around curves is definitely missing! This is the case for both vehicles on curvy roads, though. It is just not easy for a car with a high center of gravity to go barreling around corners without getting a little top-heavy feeling. Both cars drive equally well through around curves.

The cars truly shine in the inner-city, basic driving. Though they may have the off-roading appearance and actually hold their own quite well in off-road settings, they are best meant for driving on paved roads. They have plenty of space on the inside and meet all of the characteristics under the hood of a good driving car for this type of driving. The Suzuki is pretty much like an oversized sedan with many of its city driving characteristics. The steering on this car is fantastic. It is easy to control what you are doing, and the driver can feel more in touch wit with the road since the wheels are so sensitive. In contrast, the Santa Fe does not feel as in touch with the road, especially the front part of the vehicle. The Santa Fe is a hands down perfect ride on a highway. It is a smooth drive with minimal engine noise, while there is a minimal noise from the Suzuki, which really is not a big deal, but is worth mentioning. The vehicles both glide over the little bumps and potholes encountered in every day driving. The Santa Fe is actually a better ride than the Suzuki and can snap into tight parking spaces quite easily. The Suzuki has a little bit of a stiff feel to the ride, but both are adequate and the negatives would not be quite so noticeable if we were not comparing and contrasting the two vehicles so closely.

The Santa Fe glides from an on-road surface to an off-road surface quite easily, while the Suzuki Grand Vitara has a much less smooth ride. The Santa Fe does not have a rough transition, and the huge bumps that are often found in 4WD tracks are easily absorbed by the great suspension that the Santa Fe has-it actually digs down into the holes as it goes through them. While this is a pretty cool feature, it can sometimes make you a little worried if you are going in huge holes that risk the front end hitting the edge! This is where the not so comfortable ride becomes not such a big deal with the Grand Vitara. Who cares if the seats are comfortable as long as it does not go so far into the holes, making it less likely that it is going to bump the front end. In addition to this difference, the Grand Vitara showed up the Santa Fe when it came down to the full potential of the 4WD in the vehicle. So which one is better in this area? That's really a toss up. While the Santa Fe stays in Front Wheel Drive until it loses a little bit of grip in the front tires, the Suzuki has the ability to lock the rear and center differentials at the same time, which is quite helpful and impressive when driving in off-road settings. It tends to be the better option for off-road driving since it is just a little more fearless than the Santa Fe. That is not to say that the Santa Fe should be completely discredited as an off-road vehicle. This is by no means the case. The Suzuki definitely has some things that can go wrong if off-roading, such as the lack of accurate and easy braking in muddy situations due to ABS brakes and outdated brakes, but in the end it has more positives than the Santa Fe-braking in mud just was not one of them. The difference is actually caused by the type of brakes that are offered on each vehicle-the positioning of the brakes makes them much less effective when braking in the mud. While the Santa FeSanta FeSanta Fe. The ESP program actually assists drivers during off-road driving. It still would not be the best idea to go speeding into the harshest of conditions in either one of these vehicles. The Santa Fe and the Grand Vitara just are not meant for that. has more modern brakes that are more efficient, the Suzuki cannot say the same. In addition, the has the electronic stability program that, unlike other times, helps in the off-roading. While sometimes this program can be a little tedious in paved driving situations, this is not the case with the

To start, both are All Wheel Drive vehicles with 2.7 Liter V6 engines. They are almost identical in the power that they can put out and their approximate fuel efficiency-on average, about 11.1L/100KM for the Suzuki and 12L/100KM in the Santa Fe. The reported Santa Fe fuel efficiency was actually lower because of the new and improved Variable Valve and Variable Intake systems. Since the Suzuki not only has a manual transmission, but it definitely has more punch in the lower gears, it would absolutely win in a race from the starting line. However, if it was a longer distance race, the Santa FeSanta Fe does like to rev quite a bit, which can get tedious and might be the cause of its slightly higher fuel efficiency. To get that to go away it is imperative that you get to a certain speed. Though some components of the cars make them seem as if they are better suited for the road, it is very true that both of them can hold their own in an off-road setting, and should not be so easily dismissed by skeptics. Many would think it is an open and shut case, but I think it requires a little more delving to find out which one is the better option. would do its best to catch up and very well could if it was a manual transmission and shifting was up to the driver. Despite the fact that it does not have quite the get up and go as the Suzuki, it could hold its own if it had to. The

You have to also consider the price involved-if you want the Santa Fe you have to be willing to shell out $39,990. If that is too steep of a price for you, then consider looking into the Grand Vitara V6, which can be purchased for $30,990. This is nice because you are buying a car that is affordable and can also drive you in many different types of road conditions.

In conclusion, you can look at this purchasing in a couple of different scenarios. If your primary purpose for purchasing is to buy a vehicle that can take you to and from work every day, then the Santa Fe is your vehicle. It gives the driver and passengers a comfortable, spacious interior with a smooth ride, along with plenty of areas to store things all over the vehicle. if you are looking for a budget vehicle that can take you on more roads than just your typical to and from work route, then both of these vehicles would be of interest to you. Though they can easily serve as transition vehicles, but they can also take you on a weekend voyage that requires a little off-road driving. The Santa Fe takes the prize for being the best in this department, though. On the other hand, mud driving should be saved for the Grand Vitara-this is not to say that the Santa Fe cannot handle it, because it certainly can, but it is surpassed in capability by the Grand Vitara.