Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Ford Escape
The Hyundai Santa Fe stacks up against the Ford Escape

 
2006 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3.5L 4WD Sport Utility Vehicle 2006 Ford Escape XLT 4WD Sport Utility Vehicle
Hyundai Santa Fe - Hyundai Hartford
Ford Escape
General Information    
Estimated Market Price $23,292.63 $24,488.05
Invoice $22,414.00 $23,362.00
List Price $23,895.00 $25,140.00
Vehicle Class Utility Utility
Overall Satisfaction Rating 89 out of 100 79 out of 100
Performance    
Engine 3.5L 6 Cylinder 3.0L 6 Cylinder
Drive 4WD-PT 4WD-FT
Transmission 5 speed Automatic OD 4 speed Automatic OD
Compression Ratio 10.00:1 10.00:1
Horsepower 200 hp @5500rpm 200 hp @6000rpm
Torque 219@ 3500 193@ 4850
Bore 3.66 3.50
Stroke 3.38 3.13
Fuel Capacity 19.00 gallons 16.50 gallons
Fuel Type Unleaded Unleaded
Fuel Delivery MPFI SEFI
MPG City 17 19
MPG Highway 23 23
Convenience Features    
Air Conditioning Std Std
Power Windows Std Std
Power Door Locks Std Std
Tilt Steering Wheel - -
Cruise Control Std Std
Leather Seats - N/C
Power Seats - Std
Tachometer Std Std
Rear Defroster Std Std
Full Spare - -
Premium Wheels Std Std
AM/FM Radio Std Std
Cassette Player Std -
CD Player Std Std
Sunroof N/C -
MoonRoof - -
Dimensions    
Wheelbase 103.1" 103.1"
Overall Length 177.2" 174.9"
Vehicle Height 66.0" 69.7"
Vehicle Width 72.7" 70.1"
Seating Capacity 5 5
Cargo Capacity (Cars) 31 Not Applicable
Front Headroom (Cars) 39.6" 40.4"
Front Legroom (Cars) 41.6" 41.6"
Rear Legroom 36.8" 35.6"
Payload Capacity (Trucks) 1292 1148
Gross Weight (Trucks) 5238 lbs. 4640 lbs.
Towing Capacity (Trucks) 1200 2000
Final Assembly Location RK USA

Legend
GRP Not Available for individual purchase RET Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price
STD Standard equipment for this model DLR Dealer installed
PKG Available as part of an option package N/C No Charge
N/R Status not provided by manufacturer N/A Not Available
OPT Optional Equipment PIO Port Installed Option
 - Data Not Available * Note applies to this vehicle

How the Hyundai Santa Fe stacks up against the Ford Escape
by Nigel Cooper, Topanga CA

Utility
The Hyundai Santa Fe is likely a better choice than the Ford Escape with respect to hauling capacity, especially if you frequently need to carry a lot of luggage or animals. Neither the Hyundai nor the Ford Escape has a marked advantage when it comes to seating capacity. Towing is significantly more the Ford Escape's forte than it is the Hyundai Santa Fe's.

Dimensions
The Hyundai Santa Fe is significantly more ponderous than the Ford Escape. Your wallet will hurt more every time you fill up the Santa Fe than the Ford Escape because of its bigger tank. The Ford and the Hyundai Santa Fe compete for the same parking spaces.

Convenience
You definitely won't have to visit your friendly gas station more often with the Escape than with the Hyundai, because both offer comparable mileage ranges.

Cost
The destination charge is a standard charge for transporting the vehicle from its point of origin to the dealer. It costs about the same to get the Hyundai Santa Fe to the dealership as the Ford Escape. The Santa Fe will tax your gas budget significantly more than the Ford will. As far as fuel economy, the Ford Escape is somewhat better than the Hyundai Santa Fe, but not by much. With respect to MSRP, the Ford costs about as much as the Hyundai Santa Fe (though the Hyundai Santa Fe is a tad cheaper).

Handling
The Ford and the Hyundai Santa Fe have roughly similar tires. With their comparable turning circles, the Ford Escape and the Hyundai Santa Fe very likely handle roughly the same into and out of tight spots.

Drivetrain
The Hyundai Santa Fe has a larger engine than the Ford. Remember that smaller engines are often cheaper to fix, but smaller engines can be stressed more.

Comfort
While the front cabin in the Ford Escape offers a bit more head room than the Santa Fe, there honestly isn't much of a difference. The Santa Fe is not particularly more spacious for your passengers than the Ford Escape.

Overview
The basic warranty that comes with the Ford isn't quite as generous as the Hyundai Santa Fe's.


Hartford, CT

Welcome to Hartford! New England’s Rising Star is one of America’s original cities. Founded by Dutch traders in the early 1600’s and established by the Reverend Thomas Hooker in 1636--- what started as a fort called the “House of Hope” is now a land of growth and opportunity for an enormously diverse population.

Hartford is the home of such internationally known treasures as the Wadsworth Atheneum (the nation’s first public museum), as well as attractions like the Mark Twain House, the Hartford Stage, the Bushnell Memorial, and the Artists Collective. But ever since traders used the Connecticut River to conduct business, Hartford has been abuzz with insurance and financial transactions. Companies such as Aetna, The Hartford Insurance Group, Phoenix, and St. Paul-Travelers have their roots here--- as does industrial giants like United Technologies.

Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut, in Hartford County. It is located on the Connecticut River, near the center of the state. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 121,578, but a July 1, 2002 Census estimate put the city's population at 124,558. It is the second largest city in the state, after Bridgeport. Greater Hartford is also the 44th largest metro area in the country (2004 census estimate) with a population of 1,184,564.

Sometimes referred to as "insurance capital of the world," Hartford houses many of the world's insurance company headquarters, and insurance is one of the region's major industries. Hartford and its environs are also known as "the land of steady habits." The region has a relatively low population of adults between the ages of 18 and 25. Hartford's West End is home to Elizabeth Park, the oldest and largest municipal rose garden in the country.

Currently Hartford is experiencing a major revitalization with more than 1 billion dollars worth of private and publicly funded projects recently completed, under construction or in the works throughout the city's 17 neighborhoods.

Some of the major projects include:

Adriaen's Landing: The state and privately funded project is situated on the banks of the Connecticut River along Columbus Boulevard. The project includes the 540,000 square foot Connecticut Convention Center which opened in June, 2005 and is the largest meeting space between New York City and Boston. Attached to the convention center is the 22 story 409 room Marriott Hartford Hotel Downtown which opened in August, 2005. Being constructed next to the convention center and hotel is the 140,000 square foot Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration. The final component of the project is Front Street which sits across from the convention center and is the retail, entertainment and residential component of the entire project. Publicly funded parts of the project such as a new parking garage, new lighting and new streets have recently been completed and work will soon begin on the construction of new residential units which will be housed in tower type buildings plus retail and entertainment space which will include an ESPN Zone. On the back side of Front Street the historic Hartford Times Building is being converted into the home of administrative offices for the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Hartford 21:Currently being constructed on the site of the Hartford Civic Center Mall the project includes the construction of a new 36 story tower which will be the tallest residential tower in New England. The building will house 262 luxury apartments. Being constructed attached to the tower is 90,000 square feet of office space (some of which has been leased already to the YMCA Downtown for a new gym) and 45,000 square feet of retail space all of which will be housed in a large block. The Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Hartford Civic Center is still a part open and is part of the project. The Coliseum is still the home of the AHL Hartford Wolfpack, the UConn Men's and Women's Basketball teams as well as hundreds of big name concerts and trade shows.

Trumbull on the Park: This is a brand new apartment community that recently opened along Bushnell Park and includes 88 luxury apartments that are housed in a new 11 story brick building that also features a parking garage and ground level retail space. There are also 12 other units that are housed in recently renovated historic buildings on the adjacent Lewis Street.

55 on the Park:  Formerly a SNET office building the building has now been turned into luxury apartments that sit along Bushnell Park. The building reopened a few years ago and were among some of the first new residences to open downtown in years.

Sage Allen Building: On Main Street the former Sage Allen Department Store building is being turned into 44 4-Bedroom townhouses some of which will be used as dorms for University of Hartford students while the others will be sold. The projects also includes the renovation of the Richardson Food Court and the reopening of Temple Street which will once again reconnect Main Street and Market Street.

Capital Community College at the G. Fox Department Store: The 913,000 square foot former home of the G. Fox & Company Department Store on Main Street recently underwent a complete renovation and is now the new home of Capital Community College as well as offices for the State of CT and ground level retail space.

The Metropolitan: The former Hartford Telephone Company Building on Pearl Street is being converted into luxury condominiums. When the condos open soon they will be the first condos to open downtown in years.

Connecticut Culinary Institute: The school has recently completed a deal that will relocate part of the school to the former Hastings Hotel and Conference Center in the city's Asylum Hill neighborhood just west of downtown and next to the AETNA Headquarters.