We just bought a 2024 Santa Cruz Limited sage green yesterday. My wife named it Olive and she absolutely loves it. We are very happy with our purchase.
Congratulations on Kiddo for earning microphone status, no longer will we have to resort to reading subtitles for those witty-beyond-your-age comments! :D
It took a while for us to catch on but the deluge of pro-mic comments convinced us. Plus, it saves Evie time with the edit not having to add all that on-screen text. Win win!
Please, PLEASE have your daughter in these videos til the end of time, even when she's a teen and driving. I love that she's been in the car review videos since the beginning. I love seeing her grow up and become her own person.
I’ve seen this in person and I’m a fan of the looks. The rear seat room is good but I’d like it if pickup trucks allowed for a bit of recline. The storage for the bed cover does eat into some space but I think for people that need a vehicle for occasional pickup truck activities this is definitely worth a look. I like the motor and fuel economy but I’d really like to see memory seating , wireless phone integration, a power passenger seat, dual wireless chargers, NO piano black and a rear seat armrest. Good job on your first go round Hyundai.
I own a 23 Night Edition. I have around 10k on it. It's a great family vehicle. Comfortable, quick, fun to drive. So far no issues. Hopefully it stays that way.
@@Romulan112 There are two different drivetrains available. The one I own has the 2.5 turbo. It does not have start/stop. I believe when I test-drove the one with the naturally aspirated engine it didn't turn off, so I believe the answer is no for both.
@@gradyrogers6707 none whatsoever. I pray to the Hyundai Transmission Gods every day that it will last and so far so good. I've had it since April 2023 and have only done oil changes and tire rotations. It has a good amount of power and it drives very smoothly. Maybe I got lucky and got a good one. I plan to keep it five years total then I will trade for a Ridgeline. There's nothing that's pushing me away from Hyundai to Honda, other than I want a slightly bigger truck next time and the Honda also has "walk away auto lock". I have that on my other vehicle that I use for work and I constantly forget to lock the Santa Cruz because the Honda just does it for me. Now that I've had that feature, I don't ever want to be without it again. I bought the Santa Cruz for looks and because there are tons of Ridgelines on the road where I live in New England, so I wanted something different, but I'll be joining my fellow Ridgeline owners in a few years. I hope my Hyundai doesn't self destruct between now and then, but only time will tell. And the Hyundai gods will hopefully go easy on me....
I’ve had mine for over a year and it’s just a fantastic car very versatile and it’s fuel efficient and yet it’s very quick. Also, it’s a great all-around vehicle. It really is.
The Santa Cruz's bed is a little wider than the Mavericks, but the Mavericks is longer and deeper. Bed volume Santa Cruz = 27 cubic feet. Maverick = 33.3 cubic feet. I test drove a Santa Cruz non-turbo AWD but ended up buying a Maverick ecoboost AWD. More power, better mpg and about $100 less than the SC SEL AWD. The Santa Cruz had a nicer interior and was a more finished vehicle but (to me) the Maverick had a more useful bed and a lot more after market accessories such as bed covers, etc. To each thier own. I like both. Each has thier positives and negatives. Both are good options over a larger truck that you don't need.
Oh and I heard the lack of memory seats and what not was a design choice because of chip shortages when this came out, I bet the new interior for 2025 will fix that.
Probably best to trade it in at 90 thousand miles, so the next owner has a little warranty left. Maybe better to get the lower trim without the dual clutch automatic transmission. Since Hyundai and Kia have a worse reputation for reliability, you will get a better deal to buy them used, and more of a gamble for future parts and labor needed. Look into adding Marvel Mystery Oil to the engine oil.
You guys are the best! I love that you review as a family! We are getting our Santa Cruz tomorrow!!! I actually used to live in Santa Cruz, CA as well!
I love the look of the Santa Cruz. I had a 2012 Tucson that spun a rod bearing at under 80,000 miles. Don't count on them doing anymore for you than they have to. They will avoid any repairs to save money rather than get a return customer. Do your research before buying. They have the 100,000 mile warranty for a reason, if they don't have a hundred hoops and loop holes it will surprise me. Do your homework with KIA also, same thing only different!
One correction: Unless they've changed in the '24, the bed does a leak a little water through the tonneau cover. I have a '23 Limited and I get a small amount of water after a rainstorm or car wash. My only other complaint is that the transmission doesn't engage very well at low RPM especially off the line. Once it gets moving and down the road it's fine. I love my SC and will own it until the warrantee runs out. I do have concerns about the DCT for the long term.
I see lots of these...primarily this color. Its a small 'trucklet' that is attention grabbing. I have only seen 1 with a kayak rack... ...which I would definitely need. I think the interior could be more industrial on some future models....lean in to the truck-ness 🤔 Congrats on getting a mic child....but remember a mic comes with responsibility 🤨
I’m hoping they either update the DCT or swap out the trans in the refresh. The DCT problems seem so common… and they haven’t seemed to slow down as model years progress.
Excellent review and I was happy to hear some limited mention of the Tacoma as these are the 2 vehicles I'm deciding between for my next vehicle. Main reason for choosing a Tacoma is my hope that the lifespan would be as long as my old (2004) Tacoma which as 225K miles and still riding quite well. At 63, I'd like to think that my next vehicle could potentially be my last (due to the vehicle's lifespan, not mine). Also, we're moving to the northeast and it might someday be fortuitous to have a few more inches ground clearance if I end up in some heavy unplowed snow. Still, the Santa Cruz is exciting, I love the aesthetic and the features and apparently, according to your review, it's a smoother, sweeter ride. I will be doing text drives in the next few weeks.
Good job Micah, and your wife I was thinking last time I was like I can't hear her. 🎉🎉🎉 I've been following you for a while even before you made your own channel.
@@Anon_0192 It’s not. When you have your own business and your family members contribute in any way you should always have them on payroll to deduct it from your taxable revenue.
Yay I've found you again after KBB! Subscribed instantly! Happy to see kid's opinions on cars as well! Although, she looked so confused back there 😂 What does she think about your job?
Wish they would get rid of the DCT. I would have bought one but the local Hyundai dealership basically brushed me off when I inquired about one. It was a strange experience. Too bad for them.
@@conniesanford3932 Just don't get the DCT transmission. It is not smooth in stop and go traffic and will wear out way before the warranty replaces it. Stay with the tried and true normally aspirated engine and regular 8 speed transmission.
Nice of Hyundai to reveal the '25 that completely changes the interior and kinda changes the front appearance right when you put out this video. Thanks, Hyundai!
Hey Micah and fam! Would love to see y'all review a Corolla Cross Hybrid. Saw Micah's review awhile back on the gas version awhile back for KBB, but would love the family perspective for the hybrid model. Thanks and amazing video as always!!!
I have had mine since the end of 22 and had to take my dog for surgery and taking out the rear tray under the rear seat made it easy for my dog to lay on his dog bed to take him home.
I would buy this just because it is a Hyundai! Outstanding quality, refinement, and SUPERIOR RELIABILITY and the BEST warranty in the business! I can NOT believe the price thought! ENOUGH with the Taco, POS Mexican built RUST BUCKET!
If kiddo did the Flying Eyes bit…they’d be sold out. Ps: send kiddo on a summer trip to Redline Reviews…she could learn and understand car thunks to bring them to the channel.
That damn piano black needs to go. In less than a year it will be all scratched up and covered in fingerprints. Why do they keep using piano black? It’s a great looking versatile vehicle and I would definitely buy one after they get rid of the piano black
I will respectfully disagree with Micah on the usability of the rear seat for normal size adults in the back. Two members of my family are 6 foot or taller and the other is 5 ft 2. When the two 6 footers sat in the front, the 5-2 person had no leg room at all. We were looking at these two weeks ago when our family SUV suffered a failure that would cost more to repair than the vehicle was worth. The Santa Cruz and Tucson were the vehicles we were considering until we tried sitting in them, at which point we shifted to the Santa Fe and were able to get a new 2023 Santa Fe at such a stupid discount that it was less expensive than the Santa Cruz and Tucson. We chose the 23 because you could get a normal automatic and not those dreadful DCTs. Accountants and Engineers might like DCTs, but in the real world they are problematic and unreliable. You'd think after this long Kia/Hyundai would finally give up on the DCT unless mated to a hybrid-type system where an electric motor can cover the deficiencies.
This will be controversial, but I think of this as a CUV sedan with a really big trunk. It gives me the AWD, vertical seating and a higher ground clearance that I like, but the quietness of a sedan, and with a trunk that’s much larger than any CUV. The back seat in the Santa Cruz is dark and can feel claustrophobic due to a similar design that plagues the Mazda 3 hatchback. It’s not good on fuel in any iteration either. Compared to the Maverick, it’s much more comfortable up front. If I was looking for a FWD, I’d get the Maverick hybrid. The fuel economy and power delivery are great and it’s quiet and bright on the inside. If I needed AWD, I’d get the Santa Cruz because it’s a bit more refined over rough terrain and I prefer the 2.5 and 2.5t over the 2.0 EcoBoost, which is also very thirsty. Plus the Maverick’s interior always feels more “truck” than CUV.
I have a AWD Maverick and normally real world get 24-26 MPG. But that’s a mix of highway/city, and I’m sure I could squeak out better if I played nicer with the gas pedal. Average at 24.8 on this tank currently. Im personally happy with the MPG it gets.
The Tucson this is based on has the same front seat cabin, a MUCH more spacious back seat, a very generous cargo area thst is covered and better gas mileage. Ask yourself this... do you REALLY need a truck? How often do you need an open truck bed and how often do you need it? If you really need a truck bed for daily or weekly hauling, by all means go for it... but if you're like 90% of truck owners who use it to either haul air or groceries, on the off chance that one day a year you might actually need a truck bed... buy an SUV and rent a U-Haul for $30 for that day. Just saying... if you need a truck awesome, but so many people buy trucks just to haul air... get an SUV, your rear passengers will thank you.
@@wolfshanze5980 1. While the Santa Fe looks like it’s based on the Tucson, it’s actually not. It’s wider and longer in every way. It purposefully uses the same design cues though. 2. No one should be telling anyone what they need or should want unless they want to pay for the purchase. If someone doesn’t like a trunk to be “inside the cabin” for various reasons, they would want a sedan or a truck, not a CUV, hatch or a wagon.
@@afcgeo882 Ummm... you understand what a platform and drive train are, right? The Tucson and the Santa Cruz are the same... yes, the Tucson is 73" wide and the Santa Cruz is 75" wide... that's called BODY FLAIR... the sheet metal (ON THE SAME FRAME) is an inch flaired out on either side... AN INCH... you act like these are two completely different vehicles with nothing in common... you couldn't be further from the truth... I could sneeze and bend some metal an inch out... that doesn't make it a completely different vehicle, sorry. As for length, yes, the Santa Cruz is 14" longer... that's basically ONE RULER, all of which (plus a lot more) is dedicated to that truck bed, NOT THE CABIN. I swear, some people weren't in line when they were handing out brains. The Tucson and Santa Cruz are based on the same chassis. Yes, they bent the metal out an inch on either side of the Santa Cruz and that dedication to a Truck Bed makes the overall length of the vehicle ONE RULER LONGER, but it literally comes at the cost of a lot of cabin space. So yes, the cabin of the Santa Cruz (and ergo the usable space of the cabin roof) is much smaller than the cabin of the Tucson, regardless of the truck bed.
@@wolfshanze5980 So that’s not actually just the flares. The vehicle in general, while it has similar styling, has almost nothing in common with the Tucson aside from its drivetrain. The sheet metal is NOT the same. Again, it was made to look similar, but they actually share ZERO sheetmetal pieces. As for length, it’s not only longer overall. The wheelbase is also 10” shorter than the Tucson. What it ACTUALLY shares with the Tucson is just the dashboard. The two vehicles have no frame. They are both unibody. The platform is the N3 and it’s the same as on the Sonata, Santa Fe, Kia Carnival, Kia Sorento, Kia Sportage, Tucson, Kia K5,and many others in other markets. So what you need to do with your time is not swear, but actually do some research before yapping on the internet, so yeah, maybe you should have been in that line.
It's a compact truck. The Tucson it's based off of has a Panoramic sunroof, realize the Tucson has a MUCH longer roof, giving room for a Panoramic roof. The Tucson has a much more spacious back seat and a covered cargo area, the Santa Cruz has neither. There's simply no room for a Panoramic roof on such a short, compact roof.
Space is tight in a small truck and for that reason the Maverick is the better option with overall bigger bed and larger rear seat room. I ended up going with an Maverick Hybrid xlt. I paid 25k out the door in August of 22!
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We just bought a 2024 Santa Cruz Limited sage green yesterday. My wife named it Olive and she absolutely loves it. We are very happy with our purchase.
i just saw exact same color Santa Cruz on highway , catching fire....
Any transmission problems yet?
@gradyrogers6707 No, it's been one of the best vehicles we have ever bought.
Kiddo has a mic! I still remember the rear facing car seat videos that were great for shopping for a family vehicle!
Amen. Kinda hard to hear what she was actually saying
Congratulations on Kiddo for earning microphone status, no longer will we have to resort to reading subtitles for those witty-beyond-your-age comments! :D
It took a while for us to catch on but the deluge of pro-mic comments convinced us. Plus, it saves Evie time with the edit not having to add all that on-screen text. Win win!
Please, PLEASE have your daughter in these videos til the end of time, even when she's a teen and driving. I love that she's been in the car review videos since the beginning. I love seeing her grow up and become her own person.
Now, you're reviewing vehicles as a family.
Officially, and finally!
Thank God that child has A microphone!
He has been for a long time now.
Yeah, @@DeepDishPizza but this is the first time his daughter has been allowed to enter the chat, and by that, it mean we can finally hear her.
@@blairbrown4812 That’s not true at all. She’s been on plenty of other ones. Who cares about his daughter sicko?
I’ve seen this in person and I’m a fan of the looks. The rear seat room is good but I’d like it if pickup trucks allowed for a bit of recline. The storage for the bed cover does eat into some space but I think for people that need a vehicle for occasional pickup truck activities this is definitely worth a look. I like the motor and fuel economy but I’d really like to see memory seating , wireless phone integration, a power passenger seat, dual wireless chargers, NO piano black and a rear seat armrest. Good job on your first go round Hyundai.
Solid encapsulation here. Hi5!!
Y’all. Are. Awesome! Glad that everyone has a mic now!
We comments asking us to give kiddo a mic were getting hard to ignore. 😁
I own a 23 Night Edition. I have around 10k on it. It's a great family vehicle. Comfortable, quick, fun to drive. So far no issues. Hopefully it stays that way.
Does it have Start/Stop technology?
@@Romulan112 There are two different drivetrains available. The one I own has the 2.5 turbo. It does not have start/stop. I believe when I test-drove the one with the naturally aspirated engine it didn't turn off, so I believe the answer is no for both.
@@darylhurlbut3473 Thats good to know. thanks
well, any transmission problems yet?
@@gradyrogers6707 none whatsoever. I pray to the Hyundai Transmission Gods every day that it will last and so far so good. I've had it since April 2023 and have only done oil changes and tire rotations. It has a good amount of power and it drives very smoothly. Maybe I got lucky and got a good one. I plan to keep it five years total then I will trade for a Ridgeline. There's nothing that's pushing me away from Hyundai to Honda, other than I want a slightly bigger truck next time and the Honda also has "walk away auto lock". I have that on my other vehicle that I use for work and I constantly forget to lock the Santa Cruz because the Honda just does it for me. Now that I've had that feature, I don't ever want to be without it again. I bought the Santa Cruz for looks and because there are tons of Ridgelines on the road where I live in New England, so I wanted something different, but I'll be joining my fellow Ridgeline owners in a few years. I hope my Hyundai doesn't self destruct between now and then, but only time will tell. And the Hyundai gods will hopefully go easy on me....
and the interior is so much better than the competition.
I’ve had mine for over a year and it’s just a fantastic car very versatile and it’s fuel efficient and yet it’s very quick. Also, it’s a great all-around vehicle. It really is.
have you had the transmission changed out yet?
This review sold me on the Santa Cruz. Thank you!
be careful of that DCT transmission
Kiddo: “wait, what?”
Hehe I felt that 😅
Own a 23 Cruz Limited living in downtown Chicago and LOVE the lil truck!!
The Santa Cruz's bed is a little wider than the Mavericks, but the Mavericks is longer and deeper. Bed volume Santa Cruz = 27 cubic feet. Maverick = 33.3 cubic feet. I test drove a Santa Cruz non-turbo AWD but ended up buying a Maverick ecoboost AWD. More power, better mpg and about $100 less than the SC SEL AWD. The Santa Cruz had a nicer interior and was a more finished vehicle but (to me) the Maverick had a more useful bed and a lot more after market accessories such as bed covers, etc. To each thier own. I like both. Each has thier positives and negatives. Both are good options over a larger truck that you don't need.
I just bought my second one...a limited model and love it!!!!
In three days at the NY Show they are supposed to show a whole new interior though for 2025.
Oh and I heard the lack of memory seats and what not was a design choice because of chip shortages when this came out, I bet the new interior for 2025 will fix that.
I have been searching info on the Santa Cruz and so far you guys have sold me on the SEL.
Lil kiddo now has a microphone!!! Micah you're doing it like no other!!! Keep the family reviews coming y'all!!!
Probably best to trade it in at 90 thousand miles, so the next owner has a little warranty left. Maybe better to get the lower trim without the dual clutch automatic transmission. Since Hyundai and Kia have a worse reputation for reliability, you will get a better deal to buy them used, and more of a gamble for future parts and labor needed. Look into adding Marvel Mystery Oil to the engine oil.
Yay!!! She got a mic 🎉🎉🎉🎉
You guys are the best! I love that you review as a family! We are getting our Santa Cruz tomorrow!!! I actually used to live in Santa Cruz, CA as well!
Ooh. Early congrats on you new Santa Cruz!
Still scratching my head as to why this doesn’t come with the hybrid option. 🤔
Thx!, Looked very appealing to be honest and practical enough for ordinary people’s day to day use and yes definitely the turbo engine!👌🤞👍🙏🙏
I love the look of the Santa Cruz. I had a 2012 Tucson that spun a rod bearing at under 80,000 miles. Don't count on them doing anymore for you than they have to. They will avoid any repairs to save money rather than get a return customer. Do your research before buying. They have the 100,000 mile warranty for a reason, if they don't have a hundred hoops and loop holes it will surprise me. Do your homework with KIA also, same thing only different!
Seems like a reasonable upgrade for my 12 year old Tuscon and it looks nice to boot! Love that green sage!
One correction: Unless they've changed in the '24, the bed does a leak a little water through the tonneau cover. I have a '23 Limited and I get a small amount of water after a rainstorm or car wash. My only other complaint is that the transmission doesn't engage very well at low RPM especially off the line. Once it gets moving and down the road it's fine. I love my SC and will own it until the warrantee runs out. I do have concerns about the DCT for the long term.
not just the transmission but the engine as well. turbo engines don't last as long as a n/a engine.
I see lots of these...primarily this color.
Its a small 'trucklet' that is attention grabbing.
I have only seen 1 with a kayak rack...
...which I would definitely need.
I think the interior could be more industrial
on some future models....lean in to the truck-ness 🤔
Congrats on getting a mic child....but remember
a mic comes with responsibility 🤨
I really like the Santa Cruz. But until they add the turbo to the regular 8 speed trans I won't buy one. Too many problems with the DCT.
I’m hoping they either update the DCT or swap out the trans in the refresh. The DCT problems seem so common… and they haven’t seemed to slow down as model years progress.
lot of people are going to be saddened when they take off from a red-light or stop sign.
I took one out for a test drive myself. Big mistake. I fell in love with it. It’s everything you say.
Thanks guys! You're awesome! Looking to upgrade my ride, your video is a lot of help!
Channel just got 50% better!
I’m looking to purchase the upgraded 2025 limited
Excellent review and I was happy to hear some limited mention of the Tacoma as these are the 2 vehicles I'm deciding between for my next vehicle. Main reason for choosing a Tacoma is my hope that the lifespan would be as long as my old (2004) Tacoma which as 225K miles and still riding quite well. At 63, I'd like to think that my next vehicle could potentially be my last (due to the vehicle's lifespan, not mine). Also, we're moving to the northeast and it might someday be fortuitous to have a few more inches ground clearance if I end up in some heavy unplowed snow. Still, the Santa Cruz is exciting, I love the aesthetic and the features and apparently, according to your review, it's a smoother, sweeter ride. I will be doing text drives in the next few weeks.
Good job Micah, and your wife I was thinking last time I was like I can't hear her. 🎉🎉🎉 I've been following you for a while even before you made your own channel.
Love that kiddo has her own mic now. She's really growing up! 😃😃
my favourite car review channel.
Fresh look! Thanks!
Ha! The little one is adorable😂
Does kiddo get a paycheque now?! 🤣🤣
If I were to bet, she's getting the $13,850/year like my kiddo.
I hope so… that’s a major tax write-off.
Free room and board isn't enough?
@@Anon_0192 it's, um, a joke. have a snickers.
@@Anon_0192 It’s not. When you have your own business and your family members contribute in any way you should always have them on payroll to deduct it from your taxable revenue.
Small truck = Big family!
Yay I've found you again after KBB! Subscribed instantly! Happy to see kid's opinions on cars as well! Although, she looked so confused back there 😂 What does she think about your job?
love my SC. SEL activity is 🔥
Always enjoy the time, dedication and positive experience(s) from each of your car reviews ❤
It’s about time she gets a mic. lol. Great review guys. Thanks.
Yea! Wait...what! Funny and great review as always:)! Thank you...
Just saw you on Live with Kelly and Mark, great job!
Wish they would get rid of the DCT. I would have bought one but the local Hyundai dealership basically brushed me off when I inquired about one. It was a strange experience. Too bad for them.
Looks very attractive. Bares further investigation. Will be looking at 2025 model.
@@conniesanford3932 Just don't get the DCT transmission. It is not smooth in stop and go traffic and will wear out way before the warranty replaces it. Stay with the tried and true normally aspirated engine and regular 8 speed transmission.
Nice of Hyundai to reveal the '25 that completely changes the interior and kinda changes the front appearance right when you put out this video. Thanks, Hyundai!
over priced
The XRT is slightly more capable as an offroader in that it has smaller diameter rims and a larger profile tire.
Great review!😸
Hey Micah and fam! Would love to see y'all review a Corolla Cross Hybrid. Saw Micah's review awhile back on the gas version awhile back for KBB, but would love the family perspective for the hybrid model. Thanks and amazing video as always!!!
I love it! Question though, is the flatbed waterproof and secure via locking as if it was a trunk
Where's the Kia Soul family review?
Kiddo is a Rock Star!
Finally she has a mic!
I love this truck wish it was a hybrid
the cruz looks AWESOME! it's the DCT transmission that REALLY scares me
grab the select w/ activity trim = nirvana
Was always curious about this mini truck. The lack of physical hvac and volume knobs is a deal breaker though.
The knobs return in the 2025 model year.
I have had mine since the end of 22 and had to take my dog for surgery and taking out the rear tray under the rear seat made it easy for my dog to lay on his dog bed to take him home.
That Micah arm wave in the thumbnail has to be the +10 horsepower of the TH-cam thumbnail world 😄
Welcome to the discussions, kiddo! 👏🏻🕺🏼👏🏻
I would buy this just because it is a Hyundai! Outstanding quality, refinement, and SUPERIOR RELIABILITY and the BEST warranty in the business! I can NOT believe the price thought! ENOUGH with the Taco, POS Mexican built RUST BUCKET!
The Nissan Frontier and the Ford Ranger can also be competitors.
I love my 2024 Santa Cruz
This could be a bigger seller if the company designed a built-in bike rack in the flat bed. HUD would be idea f I r longer distant driving.
That color makes it that much better.
Are you guys up by big bear?
How good is the stereo?
Micah & Co. are rock stars✨🎤
Like for the mic!
Just saw spyshots of the 2025 redesign which is going to be shown at the NY auto show.
If kiddo did the Flying Eyes bit…they’d be sold out. Ps: send kiddo on a summer trip to Redline Reviews…she could learn and understand car thunks to bring them to the channel.
respectfully, one Muzio family video a week is not enough
That damn piano black needs to go. In less than a year it will be all scratched up and covered in fingerprints. Why do they keep using piano black? It’s a great looking versatile vehicle and I would definitely buy one after they get rid of the piano black
thats exactly why I opted for the 24 Sel Act Gray. I have a black SOUL and it drives me nuts how dirty it gets.
I will respectfully disagree with Micah on the usability of the rear seat for normal size adults in the back. Two members of my family are 6 foot or taller and the other is 5 ft 2. When the two 6 footers sat in the front, the 5-2 person had no leg room at all.
We were looking at these two weeks ago when our family SUV suffered a failure that would cost more to repair than the vehicle was worth. The Santa Cruz and Tucson were the vehicles we were considering until we tried sitting in them, at which point we shifted to the Santa Fe and were able to get a new 2023 Santa Fe at such a stupid discount that it was less expensive than the Santa Cruz and Tucson. We chose the 23 because you could get a normal automatic and not those dreadful DCTs. Accountants and Engineers might like DCTs, but in the real world they are problematic and unreliable. You'd think after this long Kia/Hyundai would finally give up on the DCT unless mated to a hybrid-type system where an electric motor can cover the deficiencies.
This will be controversial, but I think of this as a CUV sedan with a really big trunk. It gives me the AWD, vertical seating and a higher ground clearance that I like, but the quietness of a sedan, and with a trunk that’s much larger than any CUV.
The back seat in the Santa Cruz is dark and can feel claustrophobic due to a similar design that plagues the Mazda 3 hatchback. It’s not good on fuel in any iteration either.
Compared to the Maverick, it’s much more comfortable up front. If I was looking for a FWD, I’d get the Maverick hybrid. The fuel economy and power delivery are great and it’s quiet and bright on the inside.
If I needed AWD, I’d get the Santa Cruz because it’s a bit more refined over rough terrain and I prefer the 2.5 and 2.5t over the 2.0 EcoBoost, which is also very thirsty. Plus the Maverick’s interior always feels more “truck” than CUV.
I have a AWD Maverick and normally real world get 24-26 MPG. But that’s a mix of highway/city, and I’m sure I could squeak out better if I played nicer with the gas pedal. Average at 24.8 on this tank currently. Im personally happy with the MPG it gets.
The Tucson this is based on has the same front seat cabin, a MUCH more spacious back seat, a very generous cargo area thst is covered and better gas mileage.
Ask yourself this... do you REALLY need a truck? How often do you need an open truck bed and how often do you need it?
If you really need a truck bed for daily or weekly hauling, by all means go for it... but if you're like 90% of truck owners who use it to either haul air or groceries, on the off chance that one day a year you might actually need a truck bed... buy an SUV and rent a U-Haul for $30 for that day.
Just saying... if you need a truck awesome, but so many people buy trucks just to haul air... get an SUV, your rear passengers will thank you.
@@wolfshanze5980 1. While the Santa Fe looks like it’s based on the Tucson, it’s actually not. It’s wider and longer in every way. It purposefully uses the same design cues though.
2. No one should be telling anyone what they need or should want unless they want to pay for the purchase.
If someone doesn’t like a trunk to be “inside the cabin” for various reasons, they would want a sedan or a truck, not a CUV, hatch or a wagon.
@@afcgeo882 Ummm... you understand what a platform and drive train are, right? The Tucson and the Santa Cruz are the same... yes, the Tucson is 73" wide and the Santa Cruz is 75" wide... that's called BODY FLAIR... the sheet metal (ON THE SAME FRAME) is an inch flaired out on either side... AN INCH... you act like these are two completely different vehicles with nothing in common... you couldn't be further from the truth... I could sneeze and bend some metal an inch out... that doesn't make it a completely different vehicle, sorry.
As for length, yes, the Santa Cruz is 14" longer... that's basically ONE RULER, all of which (plus a lot more) is dedicated to that truck bed, NOT THE CABIN.
I swear, some people weren't in line when they were handing out brains. The Tucson and Santa Cruz are based on the same chassis. Yes, they bent the metal out an inch on either side of the Santa Cruz and that dedication to a Truck Bed makes the overall length of the vehicle ONE RULER LONGER, but it literally comes at the cost of a lot of cabin space. So yes, the cabin of the Santa Cruz (and ergo the usable space of the cabin roof) is much smaller than the cabin of the Tucson, regardless of the truck bed.
@@wolfshanze5980 So that’s not actually just the flares. The vehicle in general, while it has similar styling, has almost nothing in common with the Tucson aside from its drivetrain. The sheet metal is NOT the same. Again, it was made to look similar, but they actually share ZERO sheetmetal pieces. As for length, it’s not only longer overall. The wheelbase is also 10” shorter than the Tucson.
What it ACTUALLY shares with the Tucson is just the dashboard.
The two vehicles have no frame. They are both unibody. The platform is the N3 and it’s the same as on the Sonata, Santa Fe, Kia Carnival, Kia Sorento, Kia Sportage, Tucson, Kia K5,and many others in other markets.
So what you need to do with your time is not swear, but actually do some research before yapping on the internet, so yeah, maybe you should have been in that line.
Someone is about to steal the show from Micah
I always thought it had a panoramic roof. Sort of surprised it doesn’t.
It's a compact truck.
The Tucson it's based off of has a Panoramic sunroof, realize the Tucson has a MUCH longer roof, giving room for a Panoramic roof.
The Tucson has a much more spacious back seat and a covered cargo area, the Santa Cruz has neither.
There's simply no room for a Panoramic roof on such a short, compact roof.
Ambient lights?
Legend ❤
I lost it at "Wait, what?" 🤣
Space is tight in a small truck and for that reason the Maverick is the better option with overall bigger bed and larger rear seat room. I ended up going with an Maverick Hybrid xlt. I paid 25k out the door in August of 22!
Very nice ! 😸
Better than the Ridgeline?
a LOT less but it is much smaller....it's just a cute thing.
Can't wait until kiddo gets her drivers license so that she can be in the rotation for the driving impressions segment.
Thanks!
That is so generous of you. Thanks for your support!!
By the time you review…they have a new version of it ,!!😂
We literally put our 2024 review out one day before they revealed the 2025. 😄
Poor Santa Cruz! We all care about the Kiddo’s mic, 🎉🎉🎉.
Turns out everyone in the comments was right. Kiddo is ready for a mic!
Best synopsis yet 😂
Hey look at kiddo with the mic!!! Has she started demanding royalties yet?! Lol
😂
it's an SUV with the rear storage area exposed. Not a truck at all.
Now she gets ice cream every episode 😂
I think it costs a lot for what it is.
2:28 - Kiddo, it means that you will now get monetary contributions from the income these videos make towards your College fund :)
Put a v6 in it
Kiddo mic!!
What a nightmare... how can I decide if I want to buy this when your review doesn't include if the new car smell is acceptable!
Kiddo is growing up...
Petition to bring back Information Explosion.
wired phone wth deal break
Congrats! You should count your daughter as an employee, pay her!! Good tax benefits!?