I drove 9.5 hours from Missouri to Texas today, but I probably only did about an hour of actual steering. The rest of the time, the Santa Fe did the work for me. It kinda felt like telling a buddy, ‘Nah, I’ll take it from here for a bit.’ Plus, bonus points for getting a free car wash while driving .
It’s pretty nice getting somewhere without feeling totally drained.
Rowen said:
It’s pretty nice getting somewhere without feeling totally drained.
I didn’t expect that, but yeah, I noticed it too on my first long drive from Dallas to Houston and back. I felt way less tired compared to doing it without driver assist.
Rowen said:
It’s pretty nice getting somewhere without feeling totally drained.
Exactly. Being in the car for 11 hours is tough enough without having to stay laser-focused on lane markings the whole time. Having some of the work done for you is a game changer.
We usually drive from Seattle to San Francisco every December, and I’m the only driver, so I used to stop for the night halfway. Our older cars only had adaptive cruise, and I still felt wiped out. But this past December, we took the 2025 Hybrid Calligraphy, and it handled the whole trip in one go, even the sharp curves, without me feeling tired. Other rental cars I tried with driver assist just didn’t compare—Hyundai nailed it with HDA/HDA2.
My only complaint is that LFA/LKA doesn’t give an audible chime when it stops working because of bad lane markings. It would make me feel a lot safer if it did.
@Joy
Seriously, they need to add that chime. It goes off for everything else!
I’ve got the 25 Limited, and I’m totally on board with the driver assist. Just took it to Cincinnati, and it made the trip way more enjoyable. One of the best decisions I made with this car.
Lilly said:
I’ve got the 25 Limited, and I’m totally on board with the driver assist. Just took it to Cincinnati, and it made the trip way more enjoyable. One of the best decisions I made with this car.
It really makes you think, ‘What a time to be alive.’ Feels just as mind-blowing as trying a moon pie for the first time.
I’m too nervous to try it with all the road construction around here. Sometimes the lanes change without warning, and I just can’t trust it.
Leeland said:
I’m too nervous to try it with all the road construction around here. Sometimes the lanes change without warning, and I just can’t trust it.
Totally get it. Maybe try easing into it—keep your hands on the wheel but let the system help out. You can always take over without much effort if you don’t like how it’s steering.
Can someone explain how driver assist actually works? I’m looking at getting a Santa Fe, but I’m not sure what to expect.
Callen said:
Can someone explain how driver assist actually works? I’m looking at getting a Santa Fe, but I’m not sure what to expect.
If the road markings are clear, it pretty much keeps you in your lane on its own. Smart cruise will even adjust your speed if the car in front of you slows down. You still need to be paying attention, though, and keep a hand on the wheel every now and then—it’s capacitive, so just resting a finger is usually enough.
It’s not 100% hands-free, but it’s super helpful for long drives. Definitely worth test-driving to see how it feels.
@Washington
Do you still have to change lanes yourself, or does it do that too?
Callen said:
@Washington
Do you still have to change lanes yourself, or does it do that too?
Depends on the model. The Limited makes you change lanes manually, but it turns lane assist off while you do it and turns it back on when you’re in the new lane. The Calligraphy, though, will change lanes automatically if you hit the blinker and it’s safe to move.
@Washington
Got it, thanks.
Callen said:
@Washington
Do you still have to change lanes yourself, or does it do that too?
Yep, in the Calligraphy model, just hit the blinker and it will move over on its own if it’s clear.