 | Positives: Excellent upgraded engine, fun to drive, right-sized for most folks, excellent in-car technology, slick interior for a pickup truck. |
 | Negatives: Bed is a tad too short, too much reliance on touch controls, limited off-road capability. |
 | Bottom Line: The Santa Cruz with the bigger engine is a delight. It might not be enough truck for some, but it has widespread appeal thanks to its size, driving characteristics, great cabin, and robust standard feature set. |
Driving Experience
The upgraded engine that comes standard on the Limited trim is the one to get. The 191-hp non-turbo four base engine is noticeably down on power and doesn't do justice to the way the Santa Cruz handles. The Santa Cruz's driving manner benefit from its non-truck-like unibody construction that gives it car-like ride and much better handling and maneuverability that body-on-frame trucks. The big wheels and street tires, however, betray its off-road capability. The Santa Cruz is not meant for even semi-serious dirt trails and steep inclines. It just doesn't have the stuff.
Ride Quality: The Santa Cruz does an excellent job of managing various road surfaces. The ride is comfortable without being too cushy.
Acceleration: The 281-hp engine and excellent dual clutch transmission give the Santa Cruz Limited a 0-60 time of 6.0 seconds, which is pretty quick. It beats the 28-hp V6 in the Honda Ridgeline by 0.3 seconds.
Braking: The brakes have good progression and bite. We had no trouble bringing it to a stop with great predictability.
Steering: The Santa Cruz's steering is better than the vast majority of pickup trucks. It's not as good as the Ridgeline's, but we like its precision and responsiveness more than the Maverick's, which does have a bit more heft to it.
Handling: The Santa Cruz is excellent when it comes to handling. The truck feels balanced, and the body roll is minimal with excellent control. It's a pickup truck that's quite fun to drive.
Technology
There's a lot to love about the in-car technology in the Santa Fe. In Limited trim, there are two big screens for gauges and infotainment, as well wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also standard are Hyundai's Blue Link services where drivers can start the truck, lock and unlock doors, and more remotely. It even responds to Amazon Alexa voice commands. The problem comes when you try to use the touch controls for audio, infotainment, and climate. They're just a distraction, plain and simple.
Infotainment System: The two 10.3" screens on our Limited tester looked great and functioned well. We love the non-hooded gauge cluster screen that's highly visible even in the brightest sunlight. The infotainment touchscreen has excellent graphics and easy menus. It could use a bump in response time, though.
Controls: The traditional PRND shift knob is easy to use, as are the steering wheel buttons and switches, but the touch controls on the center stack are hard to use. There are no buttons or knobs for audio/climate, and that makes for challenging operation while driving.
Styling
Not everyone will like the Santa Cruz mostly because it doesn't look like a traditional pickup truck. There's a lot more car-like style to the exterior, as well as in the cabin. There are so many unique styling elements that it really looks like no other vehicle on the road, and we think that's a good thing. We also love the new California Sand paint color, which replaces the slightly lighter Mojave Sand paint from 2022.
Front: The full-width waterfall grille from the Tucson looks great here with its lighting elements on the outer edges and its black mirrored finish, complemented by big trapezoidal headlights that are vertically oriented.
Rear: It's tough to make great pickup truck bed taillights, but Hyundai pulled it off with shapely and protruding versions that have an arrow signature embedded, and we love that they extend into the tailgate. The bold "Santa Cruz" debossed letters also look nice here.
Profile: The Santa Cruz shows off a lot of character here with a sleek profile that also incorporates body creases and black trim that add some modern ruggedness. The nice uptick in the C-pillar and the wheels add sportiness.
Cabin: The cabin looks like it belongs in a sedan, not a pickup truck. It works here because of the modern linear dash, the clean lines, and the attractive materials.
Comfort
The Santa Cruz is very comfortable thanks to good seats in both rows, an excellent driving position, and good materials quality. The quality also feels top-notch, just about everything inside feels well-executed. Ergonomics are also very good.
Front Seats: The front seats have the right amount of cushioning, as well as good bolstering. The seat back is wide and accommodating.
Rear Seats: The 36.5 inches of rear legroom is a bit less than the Honda Ridgeline (36.7) and the Ford Maverick (36.9). All three positions are very good thanks to good seat cushioning, even in the middle position.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): The Santa Cruz keeps road and wind noise to a minimum, and cabin build quality prevents rattles and squeaks.
Visibility: Thanks to the sloping hood and the good seating position, maneuvering in tight spots is s breeze. The only real obstruction to sightlines is the somewhat thick C-pillar.
Climate: The climate system works well in the Santa Cruz, and the vents are located in good positions for comfort. We also love the excellent heated/ventilated seats in the front row.
Safety
The Santa Cruz tests very high from both testing bodies, and that means owners should have peace of mind when buying. The safety tech suite is also very comprehensive in Limited Trim.
IIHS Rating: It earns the Top Safety Pick "good" in every crash test and only minor demerits in headlights (in some trim levels), as well as seat belt warnings and LATCH ease of use.
NHTSA Rating: The Santa Cruz earned five out of five stars from the feds. Its only demerit was four out of five stars in the rollover risk category.
Standard Tech: The full set includes standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Smart Cruise Control, Rear View Monitor, and Surround View Monitor.
Optional Tech: None.
Storage/Cargo
The Santa Cruz is very practical if you're not using it to haul lumber. The short bed makes the most of space, however, and the convenient retractable tonneau cover adds convenience to keep items protected physically and visually. The interior is excellent when it comes to storage thanks to a well-executed center console and under-seat rear storage. The Santa Cruz with the bigger engine can tow 5,000 pounds or the weight of a fully-loaded small trailer.
Storage Space: The cabin has a big open cubby in front of the shifter, easy-to-use cupholders, and a deep armrest. Lift up the rear seats, and you'll find storage trays for more goods. They're very easy to access, too.
Cargo Room: The bed measures 41 x 42.75 x 18.5 inches tall. It might be short, but the AWD setup prevents the wheels from occupying too much space.
Fuel Economy
The bigger engine nets a so-so level of fuel efficiency. The EPA combined mileage is 22 mpg, which isn't great. The Santa Cruz weighs almost 4,000 pounds, so there's a fair amount of weight to move. We were a bit surprised given the fact that the coefficient of drag is a somewhat slippery 0.37.
Observed: We hit 17.1 mpg in combined driving conditions and a fair amount in Sport mode.
Distance Driven: 181 miles.
Audio
The Santa Cruz Limited includes a great Bose premium audio system. It provides plenty of bass, good clarity, and no distortion. It sounds great. The Santa Cruz is expensive all dressed up in Limited trim, so it's nice to see that it comes standard.
