Hyundai Santa Fe Named Best In Class Winter Mid-Sized SUV

We testers at the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) are a fickle bunch. We have our favorite fair-weather performance cars and sports car, but if your crossover isn't down for some serious slush and ice driving don't expect much love in reviews. The votes are now in and counted for the 2020 Winter Driving awards, and Hyundai's Santa Fe beat out some pretty serious contenders for the best-in-class two-row crossover award this year.

NEMPA President, John Paul, aka AAA's "Car Doctor," took time to single out the Santa Fe for recognition this year, saying, "The Hyundai Santa Fe was once known as the model to buy because of its low price and unusual warranty. Today, the latest Santa Fe has the features, fit, and finish that puts it on the top of the list in a very competitive segment. NEMPA testers still view the Santa Fe as a great value with an outstanding warranty, but now this crossover competes and wins on features and design."

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“At Hyundai, we are incredibly proud of the Santa Fe and humbled it was named the best-in-class mid-sized SUV by the New England Motor Press Association,” said Scott Margason, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor North America. “For the 2020 model year, Santa Fe includes additional safety features and repackaged equipment to better meet the needs of our buyers, especially in winter conditions.”

Starting at just over $29K with all-wheel drive, the Santa Fe is a value for family shoppers. The Limited trim adds a heated steering wheel in the under $40K price range. Shoppers of crossovers in this size category with a need for winter capability know the Santa Fe delivers good bang for the buck.

What features do you value for winter driving? Tell us in the comments below.

John Goreham is a life-long car nut and recovering engineer. In addition to being a long-standing NEMPA vehicle tester, John's winter vehicle test credentials include being a graduate of the Team O'Neil Rally School's Winter Safe Driving School. John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin

Hyundai Santa Fe Image by Hyundai.