Starts at $28,750
Rank
Pros
Cons
What's New for 2025?
The Santa Cruz gets a refresh this year that includes tweaked front-end styling on all models and a more focused off-road feature set on the XRT. Inside, a revamped dashboard debuts with a curved display that houses a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and optionally a matching 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is now standard across the board, as are USB-C ports and OTA updates. The EPA has also raised its fuel economy estimates considerably for the non-turbocharged engine.
FAST FACTS
"The Santa Cruz has cool styling, a high-tech interior that's easily the classier of the two options here, and an available turbo engine that delivers quick acceleration. We also like its relatively adult-friendly backseat. All good stuff. Our main gripe is that the turbo starts at $40k, whereas the rival Maverick turbo can be had for well less than $30k. If Hyundai offered that zestier engine at a more accessible price point, the Santa Cruz could conceivably dethrone the Maverick. As things stand, you have to compromise in the engine room if you want a Santa Cruz at a more Maverick-like price."—Ranked #2 out of 2 Compact Trucks
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008, personally driving most new cars on the market every year since. He also served as the project manager for Edmunds' expert vehicle rankings from their inception in 2018, building the product out from the back end to the front end. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has tested, compared and critiqued a ridiculous number of cars in his career.
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