This car has been a pleasant surprise! It’s packed with features I didn’t expect, even coming from a high-tech car. There are some quirks I’m adjusting to, but most of them are manageable. For example, I’m getting used to keeping the car on while dealing with the garage door. Since it’s usually running on battery, sitting in the garage isn’t as big of a deal as it was in my previous car.
Here are my thoughts:
LIKES:
ACC/Lane Keep/Auto Lane Change feels almost like self-driving.
Built-in ambient music and the option to play media from a memory stick.
Adjustable one-pedal driving.
Passenger Talk feature.
Passenger Quiet mode.
Great luxury for the price.
Excellent battery usage, even at high speeds.
One-button close and lock for the hatch.
3 free years of over-the-air updates.
Two customizable buttons for frequent features and voice control that works well.
DISLIKES:
Limited storage space for things like glasses and coins.
ACC disengages if you touch the gas, which is inconvenient.
Garage Door Opener (GDO) doesn’t work when the car is off.
Exterior design traps dirt, especially on my black car.
I’m planning to buy a Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid soon. Can you explain more about the ACC? And is the GDO a built-in feature, or are you using a remote?
Ali said:
I’m planning to buy a Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid soon. Can you explain more about the ACC? And is the GDO a built-in feature, or are you using a remote?
The Automatic Cruise Control (ACC) is very smooth. It’s not perfect but better than some cars I’ve owned. It only varies by about 1 MPH on hills. The Garage Door Opener (GDO) is built into the car. In my older cars, I could use the GDO even when the car was off, but that’s not the case here.
Ali said:
I’m planning to buy a Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid soon. Can you explain more about the ACC? And is the GDO a built-in feature, or are you using a remote?
I’d like to know more about the ACC too. I’m waiting to see if the car gets support for Comma before buying. Or maybe I’ll go for the new Tesla Model Y. Tough choice.
@Mal
The HDA2 system is really good. I thought I’d want to add Comma, but after driving the Calligraphy, I don’t think it’s necessary. It does a great job staying centered in the lane as long as the markings are clear.
@Brenner
I agree. The main benefit of Comma seems to be not needing to touch the wheel at all, but the Calligraphy already lets you go about 90 seconds without a warning. I’m happy with its performance.
@Mal
The Santa Fe does a great job with lane-keeping already. It handles corners smoothly without that back-and-forth wobble some cars have. My only gripe is that it stays dead center in the lane, while I prefer to hug the right side a bit more.
Sky said: @Mal
I’ve looked into Comma.ai, but it’s not compatible with the 2024-2025 Santa Fe yet. Maybe they’re having issues with the sensors or protocols.
It’s a problem with the communication protocols in the car’s system. Hopefully, they’ll sort it out soon.
Marin said:
This car actually has decent storage compared to others, but I do miss having a spot for sunglasses. Can you clarify what you mean by ACC and GDO?
ACC is Automatic Cruise Control, and GDO is Garage Door Opener. The issue with the GDO is that it doesn’t work unless the car is on. For hybrids, it’s less of a problem since they’re often on battery, but for gas models, it can be annoying.
Jensen said:
We just got a 2025 Calligraphy Hybrid too and love it! What’s the memory stick option you mentioned?
The car has built-in ambient sounds like forest and ocean. You can also plug a memory stick with MP3 or FLAC files into the USB-C slot and play your own music through the media option.
Bailey said:
How much are you paying monthly for it? Did you make a big down payment?
I paid cash and traded in my old car. However, I initially signed up for financing because Hyundai offered a $1,000 discount for that. The monthly payment would’ve been $650.28 for 60 months at 6.69% interest.