AMD is a well-respected Master Toyota mechanic on YouTube. I mostly agree with his review except for his comment about the car being underpowered (it’s actually the turbo). Otherwise, he covers almost everything you’d want to know from a mechanic’s perspective.
He’s not a fan of DCT transmissions. Given some of the issues buyers are already facing, he might be right.
That said, the interior of this car is impressive and rivals Land Rover’s designs. Hyundai clearly has some talented designers.
Matt said:
He’s not a fan of DCT transmissions. Given some of the issues buyers are already facing, he might be right.
That said, the interior of this car is impressive and rivals Land Rover’s designs. Hyundai clearly has some talented designers.
(DCT) Yeah, he’s not wrong if you’re using it for routine trips. I have the Sorrento, which is similar to this. I like the DCT most of the time; I appreciate the quick shifts and the mechanical feel, since I’ve driven manual before.
But most people buying this car might not even notice the difference. My partner has no clue and doesn’t see any difference with an automatic. So it seems to be that good.
Matt said:
He’s not a fan of DCT transmissions. Given some of the issues buyers are already facing, he might be right.
That said, the interior of this car is impressive and rivals Land Rover’s designs. Hyundai clearly has some talented designers.
(DCT) Yeah, he’s not wrong if you’re using it for routine trips. I have the Sorrento, which is similar to this. I like the DCT most of the time; I appreciate the quick shifts and the mechanical feel, since I’ve driven manual before.
But most people buying this car might not even notice the difference. My partner has no clue and doesn’t see any difference with an automatic. So it seems to be that good.
It doesn’t make much sense to me. Why not just use a standard torque converter transmission for a car like this? I’d even consider a hybrid version with the regular auto.
I think they look pretty bad. The design is too different from the previous generation. We really like our 2021 model.
Unclewaffl3s said:
I think they look pretty bad. The design is too different from the previous generation. We really like our 2021 model.
I can see where you’re coming from, but have you seen some recent BMW models?
Unclewaffl3s said:
I think they look pretty bad. The design is too different from the previous generation. We really like our 2021 model.
I can see where you’re coming from, but have you seen some recent BMW models?
Yeah, those front grilles are quite ugly too.
I’ve had mine for over 10,000 km in the past 4 months and absolutely love it - versatile, well-designed, and a pleasure to drive.
It seems like reviewers often need to say something about everything to keep their content engaging. I’d buy the 2024 Santa Fe again and might try a hybrid model next time.
Questionable engine, bad transmission (which is having issues), and some poor design choices. I find his comments like ‘it’s not terrible BUT’ quite amusing.
It’s up to you if you want to support a company like this.
Megan said:
Questionable engine, bad transmission (which is having issues), and some poor design choices. I find his comments like ‘it’s not terrible BUT’ quite amusing.
It’s up to you if you want to support a company like this.
Actually, I think the Smartstream 2.5 is pretty good. It has dual fuel injection like Toyota, is easy to service with accessible hoses, has chains instead of wet belts like Ford, belt-driven accessories, and hydraulic roller rockers. It checks a lot of boxes.
AMD mentioned two downsides. One is the air vs. coolant turbo intercooler. Coolant is more efficient, but if you have a leak, it’s bad news. Air might just throw a boost code and need a hose replacement, which is easier to handle.
The turbo wastegate controller not being vacuum-based? That’s a Toyota issue Toyota problem. I haven’t seen any issues reported with K&H. So that’s not a big deal.
I do agree with the DCT criticism though. A naturally aspirated 2.5L engine with a standard 8-speed auto would be a more reliable choice. V6 engines are becoming rare, and if you need V6 power, turbo is the way to go.
Lucypiper said:
Megan said:
Questionable engine, bad transmission (which is having issues), and some poor design choices. I find his comments like ‘it’s not terrible BUT’ quite amusing.
It’s up to you if you want to support a company like this.
Actually, I think the Smartstream 2.5 is pretty good. It has dual fuel injection like Toyota, is easy to service with accessible hoses, has chains instead of wet belts like Ford, belt-driven accessories, and hydraulic roller rockers. It checks a lot of boxes.
AMD mentioned two downsides. One is the air vs. coolant turbo intercooler. Coolant is more efficient, but if you have a leak, it’s bad news. Air might just throw a boost code and need a hose replacement, which is easier to handle.
The turbo wastegate controller not being vacuum-based? That’s a Toyota issue Toyota problem. I haven’t seen any issues reported with K&H. So that’s not a big deal.
I do agree with the DCT criticism though. A naturally aspirated 2.5L engine with a standard 8-speed auto would be a more reliable choice. V6 engines are becoming rare, and if you need V6 power, turbo is the way to go.
You missed one downside. He also mentioned that the engine doesn’t perform like a 277 HP engine should. It’s too high-revving, noisy at highway speeds, and doesn’t fit the vehicle’s dynamics.
I wouldn’t say it’s high-revving or loud on the highway. Ours stays around 1800 rpm at almost any speed due to the 8-speed transmission, and I find it quite quiet. I previously owned an Ioniq 5.
The DCT is a bit laggy off the start, but that might be turbo lag. Other than that, it seems fine.
Lucypiper said:
Megan said:
Questionable engine, bad transmission (which is having issues), and some poor design choices. I find his comments like ‘it’s not terrible BUT’ quite amusing.
It’s up to you if you want to support a company like this.
Actually, I think the Smartstream 2.5 is pretty good. It has dual fuel injection like Toyota, is easy to service with accessible hoses, has chains instead of wet belts like Ford, belt-driven accessories, and hydraulic roller rockers. It checks a lot of boxes.
AMD mentioned two downsides. One is the air vs. coolant turbo intercooler. Coolant is more efficient, but if you have a leak, it’s bad news. Air might just throw a boost code and need a hose replacement, which is easier to handle.
The turbo wastegate controller not being vacuum-based? That’s a Toyota issue Toyota problem. I haven’t seen any issues reported with K&H. So that’s not a big deal.
I do agree with the DCT criticism though. A naturally aspirated 2.5L engine with a standard 8-speed auto would be a more reliable choice. V6 engines are becoming rare, and if you need V6 power, turbo is the way to go.
You missed one downside. He also mentioned that the engine doesn’t perform like a 277 HP engine should. It’s too high-revving, noisy at highway speeds, and doesn’t fit the vehicle’s dynamics.
I agree that the engine feels high-revving. I know someone with a 2022 naturally aspirated 2.5 and it feels gutless and needs to rev a lot to get moving.
Ignore him.
He’s a Toyota mechanic.
Not a general car mechanic.
Calvine said:
Ignore him.
He’s a Toyota mechanic.
Not a general car mechanic.
Ignore him.
I like hearing from different perspectives. Toyotas are still cars.
Calvine said:
Ignore him.
He’s a Toyota mechanic.
Not a general car mechanic.
Ignore him.
I like hearing from different perspectives. Toyotas are still cars.
He’s simply biased. If you can spot and filter out his biases, you might find some useful info, but if you already have that knowledge, you probably don’t need to watch him.
Calvine said:
Ignore him.
He’s a Toyota mechanic.
Not a general car mechanic.
Yeah, he’s pretty biased and doesn’t do enough research, often making more false claims than a reliable reviewer should.
Calvine said:
Ignore him.
He’s a Toyota mechanic.
Not a general car mechanic.
Yeah, he’s pretty biased and doesn’t do enough research, often making more false claims than a reliable reviewer should.
I stopped watching him because he’s very biased. Everything Toyota/Lexus is great, and all other brands are bad.