Been trolling this site for awhile. We are looking at a Touring vs a Santa Fe Limited. Any thoughts on members who have compared the two.
Thank you
Thank you
Forester Touring vs Santa Fe Limited
voj
21 - 40 of 58 Posts
*knocking on the wood, no windshield chip problem for both of my 2015 forester and 2019 forester. so I don't know how accurate that information is. People who got that problem will always complaint about it here, where people who dont have that problem usually just stay quiet like myself.
I agree with you about the Outback's touchscreen. I think Subaru made a big mistake of incorporating the climate system into the Outback's touchscreen. One thing I've always liked about Subarus was the simple, intuitive climate system controls that can be adjusted without taking one's eye off the road. And if you want to defeat Auto Stop/Start on the new Outback the off "button" is buried several menus down in the touchscreen.
Had a 18 Santa Fe sport with 2.4l now have 20 Forester sport and much happier. Seats are much more comfortable in forester and interior doesn’t seem as cheap. As for the 10yr/100000 mike warranty I’ve read a lot about needing to stick to their maintenance schedule pretty religiously or they will deny warranty work plus Hyundai has lousy resale value compared to Subaru
We were a 2-Kia family (2013 Soul base and 2014 Sorento LX AWD V-6), and were very happy with both.
That being said, we decided to replace both last year. The Soul was a no-brainer. We love our new 2020 Soul LX. However, we wanted to downsize slightly from the Sorento because we moved to a house with a small garage. We drove the Kia Sportage LX AWD, one step smaller than the Santa Fe. Then, just for giggles, we test drove a new '19 Forester base (with Alloy/Roof Rack pkg). Here are our comparisons:
VISIBILITY - Subaru Forester is the winner. WOW! The visibility alone was a major selling point You can actually see out of this thing! The Sportage had big blind spots to the rear quarters and it was a guessing game estimating where the rear corners were, even with the backup camera. Night-time visibility is another matter. The Forester has LED headlights that have a VERY sharp upper cutoff. At night, the low beams illuminate only 3 or 4 feet off the ground and less than 100 feet out. Anything above that cutoff line is dark. Non-reflective roadside signs are nearly invisible at night. Same with pedestrians or bicycle riders along the road - you will only see them from their knees down right before you slam on the brakes to miss hitting them. We didn't discover this until after we bought the Subaru - otherwise, it probably would have been a game changer.
COMFORT and RIDE - Kind of a tie here. The Kia's engine and transmission were smoother and quieter than the Subaru. However, it felt like we were sitting in a WWII gun bunker with the tiny windows, making it feel like there was less room to stretch out. The Forester felt slightly more substantial over bumpy roads. Overall, the Subaru pulled a slight lead here.
AWD - The Subaru is legendary for AWD performance in snow and mild off-roading. However, the Kia is a rugged vehicle and has a center differential lock button right next to the shifter. Our '14 Sorento had no problem with steep gravel roads and creek crossings at our farm. Never got stuck, either. I'm calling this one a tie.
INTERIOR - The Subaru wins out on cargo room and ease of loading with the big square hatch. The Kia, however, was more user-friendly for the driver, with places to put your cell phone, larger cup holders, easier-to-use radio, and more logical layout of dashboard controls (although that may have been because we were already familiar with the Kia layout). The Kia won out on "ruggedness" of materials. It seems the Subaru was "fashioned" with appearance of interior materials having a higher priority than long-term durability. The Subaru's interior plastics seem to scratch very easily. (This also carries over to the exterior, where the Subaru paint seems to scratch and chip very easily.) Both of our old Kias still looked pretty new inside after 6 years of use.
COST and WARRANTY - The Kia warranty is almost twice that of the Subaru. To get a comparable Subaru extended warranty will add about $2,000+ to the price. The purchase price of the Kia was already $2,500 less than the Subaru, making it about a $4,500 difference in the 2 cars we were looking at. However, as mentioned in another post, the resale value of Kias is not nearly as good as the Subaru. Since we were planning to keep the Subaru about 5-6 years, the Subaru would actually come out about equal in cost-of-ownership in depreciation. One area the Subaru does lose out on is cost of maintenance. The Kia is basically changing oil and a few filters until you get to 100K miles. The Subaru has 30K mile brake fluid flushes, differential flushes, 60K mile spark plugs$$$, and more. The Kia would be much simpler and cheaper to maintain.
RELIABILITY - Kias generally have a pretty good record, and we had no problems at all with our '13 Soul or '14 Sorento. However, the 2.4 Liter I-4 engines used in the Kia/Hyundai SUVs and the DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission, used with the Turbo 1.6) have a pretty bad track record for R-U-D (Rapid Unintended Disassembly) at around 50K-80K miles. The Kia dealer where I used to work has two mechanic who do only 2.4 engine changes, averaging 4-5 per week. Of course, the warranty covers most of these. Not good, though, if it dies in the middle of Death Valley on a 110-degree day. Past Subarus have had problems with head gaskets and oil usage, but the trend seems to be improving.
FINAL VERDICT - We bought the new '19 Forester Base with Alloy Wheels/Roof Rack pkg. Although initially a few more thousand $$ than the Kia Sportage, there will be less depreciation. The excellent visibility was a game-changer. We have been very happy with the Forester with just minor quibbles. We use the Kia Soul for around-town driving and short trips, and the Subaru for Lowes runs (holds a lot of mulch bags in the back!) and long trips. We've averaged about 28 MPG over 17K miles with lots of city driving, with a high of 2 tanks at 38 MPG on trips.
That being said, we decided to replace both last year. The Soul was a no-brainer. We love our new 2020 Soul LX. However, we wanted to downsize slightly from the Sorento because we moved to a house with a small garage. We drove the Kia Sportage LX AWD, one step smaller than the Santa Fe. Then, just for giggles, we test drove a new '19 Forester base (with Alloy/Roof Rack pkg). Here are our comparisons:
VISIBILITY - Subaru Forester is the winner. WOW! The visibility alone was a major selling point You can actually see out of this thing! The Sportage had big blind spots to the rear quarters and it was a guessing game estimating where the rear corners were, even with the backup camera. Night-time visibility is another matter. The Forester has LED headlights that have a VERY sharp upper cutoff. At night, the low beams illuminate only 3 or 4 feet off the ground and less than 100 feet out. Anything above that cutoff line is dark. Non-reflective roadside signs are nearly invisible at night. Same with pedestrians or bicycle riders along the road - you will only see them from their knees down right before you slam on the brakes to miss hitting them. We didn't discover this until after we bought the Subaru - otherwise, it probably would have been a game changer.
COMFORT and RIDE - Kind of a tie here. The Kia's engine and transmission were smoother and quieter than the Subaru. However, it felt like we were sitting in a WWII gun bunker with the tiny windows, making it feel like there was less room to stretch out. The Forester felt slightly more substantial over bumpy roads. Overall, the Subaru pulled a slight lead here.
AWD - The Subaru is legendary for AWD performance in snow and mild off-roading. However, the Kia is a rugged vehicle and has a center differential lock button right next to the shifter. Our '14 Sorento had no problem with steep gravel roads and creek crossings at our farm. Never got stuck, either. I'm calling this one a tie.
INTERIOR - The Subaru wins out on cargo room and ease of loading with the big square hatch. The Kia, however, was more user-friendly for the driver, with places to put your cell phone, larger cup holders, easier-to-use radio, and more logical layout of dashboard controls (although that may have been because we were already familiar with the Kia layout). The Kia won out on "ruggedness" of materials. It seems the Subaru was "fashioned" with appearance of interior materials having a higher priority than long-term durability. The Subaru's interior plastics seem to scratch very easily. (This also carries over to the exterior, where the Subaru paint seems to scratch and chip very easily.) Both of our old Kias still looked pretty new inside after 6 years of use.
COST and WARRANTY - The Kia warranty is almost twice that of the Subaru. To get a comparable Subaru extended warranty will add about $2,000+ to the price. The purchase price of the Kia was already $2,500 less than the Subaru, making it about a $4,500 difference in the 2 cars we were looking at. However, as mentioned in another post, the resale value of Kias is not nearly as good as the Subaru. Since we were planning to keep the Subaru about 5-6 years, the Subaru would actually come out about equal in cost-of-ownership in depreciation. One area the Subaru does lose out on is cost of maintenance. The Kia is basically changing oil and a few filters until you get to 100K miles. The Subaru has 30K mile brake fluid flushes, differential flushes, 60K mile spark plugs$$$, and more. The Kia would be much simpler and cheaper to maintain.
RELIABILITY - Kias generally have a pretty good record, and we had no problems at all with our '13 Soul or '14 Sorento. However, the 2.4 Liter I-4 engines used in the Kia/Hyundai SUVs and the DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission, used with the Turbo 1.6) have a pretty bad track record for R-U-D (Rapid Unintended Disassembly) at around 50K-80K miles. The Kia dealer where I used to work has two mechanic who do only 2.4 engine changes, averaging 4-5 per week. Of course, the warranty covers most of these. Not good, though, if it dies in the middle of Death Valley on a 110-degree day. Past Subarus have had problems with head gaskets and oil usage, but the trend seems to be improving.
FINAL VERDICT - We bought the new '19 Forester Base with Alloy Wheels/Roof Rack pkg. Although initially a few more thousand $$ than the Kia Sportage, there will be less depreciation. The excellent visibility was a game-changer. We have been very happy with the Forester with just minor quibbles. We use the Kia Soul for around-town driving and short trips, and the Subaru for Lowes runs (holds a lot of mulch bags in the back!) and long trips. We've averaged about 28 MPG over 17K miles with lots of city driving, with a high of 2 tanks at 38 MPG on trips.
We own both Subaru forester 2019 and Hyundai santa fe 2019.
I can tell you Hyundai way better than forester by margin.
From handling Hyundai feels more dynamic and will balanced between sporty ride and comfort.
Steering in Hyundai more srable on highway than Subaru which weird.
Engine performance :
Hyundai comes with 2 engines 2.4L and 2.0T.
Subaru only 2.5L
TRANSMISSION :
Hyundai santa fe comes with 8-speed teptronic transmission that's provide quite shifting between gears up and down with premium feeling like Germany cars, provides good response and acceleration and its quite.
Forester 2019 comes with CVT 7 points simulations gears that's noisy and feels like rubber.
Suspension:
Subaru forester 2019 sufferings from bouncy ride in highway unlike Hyundai that's more stable and absorb alote of vibration.
Road noise:
There's a big difference between Hyundai and Subaru in road/wind noise santa fe comes with better insulation.
Built quality:
Still Subaru far away in material being used for interior and exterior and it's can't stand against santa fe in any point.
Design
Hyundai santa fe 2019 comes with modern style and easy access from outside and inside unlike Subaru forester 2019 comes with old design that's back to 2013 it's outdated.
AC performance:
Hyundai santa fe 2019 comes with very good AC system that's cool the interior very fast.
On Subaru forester 2019 we suffering from normal AC performance we already take to the dealer many times without any solution I don't know what wrong. I already drove another forester 2019 that's comes with same problem an effective AC system.
I advise you to drive both of them before deciding.
For AWD Hyundai make good systems calked htrac that can take you every where.
There is one problem with Subaru forester 2019 engine that's have high compression ratio 12.1:1 which means it's work like turbo engine and there's a complain about knock noise inside the engine due to carbon building up.
I can tell you Hyundai way better than forester by margin.
From handling Hyundai feels more dynamic and will balanced between sporty ride and comfort.
Steering in Hyundai more srable on highway than Subaru which weird.
Engine performance :
Hyundai comes with 2 engines 2.4L and 2.0T.
Subaru only 2.5L
TRANSMISSION :
Hyundai santa fe comes with 8-speed teptronic transmission that's provide quite shifting between gears up and down with premium feeling like Germany cars, provides good response and acceleration and its quite.
Forester 2019 comes with CVT 7 points simulations gears that's noisy and feels like rubber.
Suspension:
Subaru forester 2019 sufferings from bouncy ride in highway unlike Hyundai that's more stable and absorb alote of vibration.
Road noise:
There's a big difference between Hyundai and Subaru in road/wind noise santa fe comes with better insulation.
Built quality:
Still Subaru far away in material being used for interior and exterior and it's can't stand against santa fe in any point.
Design
Hyundai santa fe 2019 comes with modern style and easy access from outside and inside unlike Subaru forester 2019 comes with old design that's back to 2013 it's outdated.
AC performance:
Hyundai santa fe 2019 comes with very good AC system that's cool the interior very fast.
On Subaru forester 2019 we suffering from normal AC performance we already take to the dealer many times without any solution I don't know what wrong. I already drove another forester 2019 that's comes with same problem an effective AC system.
I advise you to drive both of them before deciding.
For AWD Hyundai make good systems calked htrac that can take you every where.
There is one problem with Subaru forester 2019 engine that's have high compression ratio 12.1:1 which means it's work like turbo engine and there's a complain about knock noise inside the engine due to carbon building up.
I doubt Subaru is worried about competition by any brand..nor should they be.
Lancer: I have read all your posts. Why don't you just go back to the Hyundai board. You are not bs'ing anyone here.
All of this is a nice summup of cons and pros.
When I was shopping for new car ,10 years ago, Santa Fe was on top of my list. I liked the looks and specs. 2 things stopped me from actually getting it. #1 Price was about 4500$ outside my budget and #2 the wife hated the ride. It was too stiff and shaky.
Foresters was not even on my list at the time. But when I could not decide what to get, my father, who was on his second suby, said check it out the new design. I havent seen the redesigned fozy yet. I was thinking of the older boxy and small fozy.
Well 2010 model hit all the right buttons. It was bigger, easier to get in and out, more comfortable. And I was able to find a 2010 Premium with 1200miles for 24k , 4 less than Santa Fe. They are a different vehicles all around. But unless something else is amiss iether one is a good choice.
I am planning to upgrade late this year to new one too. But my choices are 2020/2021 RAV4 hybrid or Forester Sport.
Last year I had a chance of test driving 2019 Forester Premium. I liked the new look and feel.
dont cry my friend you can't change the fact. Hyundai better than subaru from every point. I am taalking from my experince we already own both of theme hyundai and subaru 2019. If you don't like the fact it's your problem I am sure you did't test hyundai and may be subaru 2019.
before write anything go to nearest dealer and test hyundai santa fe, palisade, kona awd and come here to share your experince
@lancer3000gt . A fairer comparison to the Forester would be the Hyundai Tucson. The Santa Fe is a midsize SUV unlike the Forester. You are comparing apples to oranges.
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609 Posts
You do realize any LED or HID lighting is going to have a sharp cut off ?
I congratulate you on your fluency in a second language, a skill I have never mastered. However, I would respectfully suggest you double-check the definition of the word "fact" in English. I don't think it means what you think it means.
Wow... what a thread...
Between the Subaru and the Hyundai.... I'd pick the Subaru any day of the week.
Our original poster mentioned living in the midwest and wanting AWD. Subaru (basically) created 4WD and AWD in the modern car platforms. They started the process back in the early 70s with the GL and DL models (later called the Leone and Loyale in some markets), then continued the march of technology through the Legacy, Impreza, WRX, and Foresters, winning multiple rally awards and competitions with their world beating AWD systems. Everybody else tends to have designed FWD vehicles and then changed them to be AWD to meet a market requirement.
Whether you go off-road or not, and even if you have mild weather, AWD is a great safety and driver add - as it keeps grip and changes the way the vehicle handles.
As for the concerns for windshields - there are many times when a windshield can crack or break. Given the way that many manufacturers are trying to eliminate weight, often times glass is thinned and changed to help reduce weight. Additionally, with some of the possible needs of the Eyesight system, this could lead to having glass that is even thinner. As was mentioned by one - just add a glass rider to your insurance. Done.
Subaru is just about the safest vehicle on the road today - across the entire lineup - but especially the Forester. The Forester still ranks at the top of the safety tests conducted by the different groups (IIHS and NHTSA, others?). How does the Hyundai fair in those same tests?
The OP mentions a concern of the smaller engines and turbocharging. What most people do not really seem to understand is that the majority of turbo charged vehicles on the market now are turbo ONLY so that the engine size can be reduced, which will help to reduce emissions (smog) and offer some improvements in MPG - but only when compared to a larger normally aspirated motor. So a 1.6 turbo has the same power ratings (or similar at least) as a larger 2.5 NA motor - all in the chase of better emissions and better MPG.
Having owned a turbo (and driven others over the years) there is an inherent issue that many (on here at least) never seem to want to discuss - turbo LAG. Turbochargers are "powered' by the exhaust from the engine. When at lower RPM, there is little to no boost available. As the RPMs increase, the turbo will start spinning and force more air into the combustion process (which can also require more fuel to be pushed in, as well) providing that boost. But until that turbo is spooled up and pressurized, the power is decidedly lacking. I remember driving a Mercedes S-Class back in the 80s (belonged to a friend) and pulled away from a stoplight and when the transmission went to 2nd, I thought the car stalled because it just felt like it stopped.
Some may have mentioned the visibility out of the Forester vs the Hyundai models. Given the swoopier style of the Santa Fe, you may have better visibility in the Forester - always a strong suit. When comparing the SF Sport to the Forester, it's an even larger difference with the smaller windows on the Santa Fe.
Subaru has always been considered a very long-lived vehicle. What's the advertising tagline - over 90-something percent of all Subarus sold in the last 10 years are still on the road? I had a Subaru that went to 320,000 miles - and it was over 10 years old when the head gasket went and it would have been (at the time) a 1200 repair on a car I bought at an auction (used) for only 900 bucks 2 years prior.
Are there demerits for the Forester? Sure. But many of them are not deal breakers.
A few recaps -
When I was buying my Forester, I cross shopped the Kia and Hyundai models. Locally, they only had models with black and charcoal interiors. I live in the Palm Springs area - where the current temp is 109 degrees and on the path to 114 degrees by 4 PM. The weekend will be even hotter. During the summers, our days are lots of sun and triple-digit temps. A black interior just makes the car become a rolling oven. And the guy at the Kia dealer (he was a finance guy from a bank in for a special sales promotion) suggested I'd be better off with the Subaru.
As mentioned, the Santa Fe is a larger vehicle (it competes more with the Ascent). When comparing the Tucson, the Hyundai fairs even worse.
Buy the Subaru.
Between the Subaru and the Hyundai.... I'd pick the Subaru any day of the week.
Our original poster mentioned living in the midwest and wanting AWD. Subaru (basically) created 4WD and AWD in the modern car platforms. They started the process back in the early 70s with the GL and DL models (later called the Leone and Loyale in some markets), then continued the march of technology through the Legacy, Impreza, WRX, and Foresters, winning multiple rally awards and competitions with their world beating AWD systems. Everybody else tends to have designed FWD vehicles and then changed them to be AWD to meet a market requirement.
Whether you go off-road or not, and even if you have mild weather, AWD is a great safety and driver add - as it keeps grip and changes the way the vehicle handles.
As for the concerns for windshields - there are many times when a windshield can crack or break. Given the way that many manufacturers are trying to eliminate weight, often times glass is thinned and changed to help reduce weight. Additionally, with some of the possible needs of the Eyesight system, this could lead to having glass that is even thinner. As was mentioned by one - just add a glass rider to your insurance. Done.
Subaru is just about the safest vehicle on the road today - across the entire lineup - but especially the Forester. The Forester still ranks at the top of the safety tests conducted by the different groups (IIHS and NHTSA, others?). How does the Hyundai fair in those same tests?
The OP mentions a concern of the smaller engines and turbocharging. What most people do not really seem to understand is that the majority of turbo charged vehicles on the market now are turbo ONLY so that the engine size can be reduced, which will help to reduce emissions (smog) and offer some improvements in MPG - but only when compared to a larger normally aspirated motor. So a 1.6 turbo has the same power ratings (or similar at least) as a larger 2.5 NA motor - all in the chase of better emissions and better MPG.
Having owned a turbo (and driven others over the years) there is an inherent issue that many (on here at least) never seem to want to discuss - turbo LAG. Turbochargers are "powered' by the exhaust from the engine. When at lower RPM, there is little to no boost available. As the RPMs increase, the turbo will start spinning and force more air into the combustion process (which can also require more fuel to be pushed in, as well) providing that boost. But until that turbo is spooled up and pressurized, the power is decidedly lacking. I remember driving a Mercedes S-Class back in the 80s (belonged to a friend) and pulled away from a stoplight and when the transmission went to 2nd, I thought the car stalled because it just felt like it stopped.
Some may have mentioned the visibility out of the Forester vs the Hyundai models. Given the swoopier style of the Santa Fe, you may have better visibility in the Forester - always a strong suit. When comparing the SF Sport to the Forester, it's an even larger difference with the smaller windows on the Santa Fe.
Subaru has always been considered a very long-lived vehicle. What's the advertising tagline - over 90-something percent of all Subarus sold in the last 10 years are still on the road? I had a Subaru that went to 320,000 miles - and it was over 10 years old when the head gasket went and it would have been (at the time) a 1200 repair on a car I bought at an auction (used) for only 900 bucks 2 years prior.
Are there demerits for the Forester? Sure. But many of them are not deal breakers.
A few recaps -
- AWD standard on Subaru - AWD costs more on the Hyundai.
- Subaru has a huge safety rating - how's that Hyundai rate?
- Longevity
- MPG - the 2.0T Santa Fe is much worse than the MPG of the 2.5 Forester, with more power
- MPG (part 2) - the 2.4 Santa Fe is still worse than the MPG of the 2.5 Forester, with about the same power.
When I was buying my Forester, I cross shopped the Kia and Hyundai models. Locally, they only had models with black and charcoal interiors. I live in the Palm Springs area - where the current temp is 109 degrees and on the path to 114 degrees by 4 PM. The weekend will be even hotter. During the summers, our days are lots of sun and triple-digit temps. A black interior just makes the car become a rolling oven. And the guy at the Kia dealer (he was a finance guy from a bank in for a special sales promotion) suggested I'd be better off with the Subaru.
As mentioned, the Santa Fe is a larger vehicle (it competes more with the Ascent). When comparing the Tucson, the Hyundai fairs even worse.
Buy the Subaru.
The reason that Hyundai had to change the chassis so many times since 2012 is because it was junk, then it was garbage and now it's roughly approaching OK. And with each change of chassis, we've seen a change of style.
Oh, but hey - here's a bit of FACT - the Hyundai in 2012 was the same as the 2006 (CM) chassis, then was changed in 2012 for the 2013 model year (DM) and then again in 2018 model year (TM) and then the Santa Fe 3 row was rechristened the Telluride for 2020... So your 'fact" of the chassis for the Santa Fe having been "enhanced 3 times" since 2012 is false. There have been facelifts (minor changes to style) for those generations, but nothing changed in the chassis between those generations.
Yes, now I do. This is the first vehicle I've had with LED headlights and I do not like them. Many people do, and that's OK. Just saying I could see better at night on my motorcycles.
The '20 Soul LX still uses old fashioned Halogens, and they work great for me.
The point I would like to get across is - Test Drive the Forester at night on a dark road if you've never had LEDs before.
see read more and I adivse ypu to drive santa fe 2013 and 2016 to see the difference. enahce chassis is very important for increase safety, absorb vibration and handling. which subaru can't do it at least for bouncing ride in most 2019 models with GP chassis.
we can say same thing bmw have junck chassis becuase they enhance it often like what hyundai did.
Safety rating:
smallest suv in hyundai called VENUE got top safety rank what did you think about santa fe!
mpg:
if you drive forester on city the mpg drop to 20 which is less than santa fe 22 mpg.
in highway subaru manage 42 mpg VS 39 mpg for santa fe
suabu says minimum fuel is 87 RON if you use 87RON fuel the engine start click and grinding so you need to use premuim fuel 95 RON.(due to high engne compression ratio in 2.5L,2.0L direct injection)
while you can use 87 RON in hyundai without porblems.
Longevity:
Subaru made more than 7 recall last years
for 2018+
there was problem in PCV valve, problem in ECU, windshield lawsuit, rear brake light, head unit problem.
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