With anecdotal evidence claiming that 4x4s are on their way out (although sales figures say otherwise) we’ve timed the arrival of our latest long-termer badly.
In fact, we timed it so badly that our Hyundai Santa Fe was guerrilla-stickered with an anti-4×4 leaflet on only its second night in our hands.
It was parked in a Hackney street outside staff writer John Mahoney’s flat, and when he got to the car in the morning the parking ticket look-a-like was neatly positioned under the wiper blade.
So I should feel compelled to defend the 4×4 and particularly our Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2-litre diesel CDX seven-seater. But the weather did that for me recently when we got an inch of snow.
While others slithered around in their two-wheel drives, our four-wheel drive long-termer felt surefooted and negotiated otherwise impossible inclines.
We picked the Santa Fe because Hyundai has been promising to break into the business car market for almost a year now, and it’s easily the firm’s most credible user-chooser offering.
Interestingly, in its first month it has proved even more popular than we anticipated (although obviously not with the anti-4×4 community). The reason is straightforward and simple: our car has the (£1000) automatic gearbox fitted, which suits it perfectly.
Autos dull the driving experience, making driving less fun, but the Santa Fe isn’t about fun in the ‘cornering prowess’ sense – it’s about helping you enjoy your life on the road, which these days is more about keeping your heart rate low in traffic laden cities and dull motorways.
The auto does exactly this – just put it in drive and go. The engine is also refined and the ride incredibly comfortable, all making for a stress-free life.
We’re only running the car for a short three months so we’ll try and cram in as many reports as possible before it goes back to see if this calming experience continues.
