 This is the first suv/crossover I've ever owned.  Always a luxury sedan person,this time I decided to get something different.  I compared Ford and Mazda before settling on the Santa Fe.  All three are solid drives and my decision came down to price, user friendly dash instrumentation and seat comfort.  The back support on the Santa Fe is excellent.  And the 10 yr bumper to bumper warranty (add'l $2200) made it an easy call.  The Santa Fe V6 turbo is quick off the stop and accelerates effectively when summoned.  The turning radius is great.  Handling is just average but I've never felt the need to take corners at 50 mph so it didn't factor heavily in my decision.  The gas mileage is a solid 22 mpg on average and my city/highway ratio is 80/20.