2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

"Recall issues"

"I absolutely love my Santa Cruz, lots of power, fun to drive, but it has a transmission recall, the issue could cause the car to lose power and stop on the road. The manufacturer has no fix at this time. They have no timetable for the repair. I have a $40,000 car I don't want to drive for fear it will die on the freeway. The local dealer washed their hands of the issue, telling me I have to deal directly with Hyundai. Have you ever tried to contact a manufacturer??? Good luck. I am not sure if this falls under the lemon law or not>"

"Some cons, but overall most versatile vehicle."

"I have an SEL Premium, with the 2.5T engine. The exterior is awesome, very quirky, which I love. Sage grey is the best color, btw. I do mostly highway driving and average 27-29mpg overall per tank, so that’s great for this segment. The bed isn’t the biggest, BUT I shoehorned 6 bikes in the back with the tailgate down, some planning and tow straps. Overall, I don’t think there’s a more versatile option. It drives like an SUV, it’s smooth, fairly quiet, and comfortable, and at the end of the day, I can haul most anything I need outside of professional construction equipment. My issues are with the interior. First, coming from a Subaru, the visibility is…merely adequate. The A pillars are way too thick (I have absolutely lost cars behind them from certain angles), and the C pillars are just dumb. I’d accept some bigger mirrors, but it also makes the back seats feel a bit closed off. The interior design is functional, although if I’m being less than generous, I’d say it’s uninspired. It’s a sea of black plastic, really. I’d love something a bit more rugged and fun to look at. Now, why on Earth Hyundai put piano black in a ‘Sport Adventure Vehicle’ is beyond me. It’s downright hateful, in my opinion. Every speck of dust for 3 miles WILL find its way onto the piano black. Value is solid, but you’d think for 37k, I’d get AC vents for the rear seats, and ONLY the Limited gets that, which annoys me to no end. Not the greatest value for the money, and truth be told I sometimes waffle about going back to a Subaru, but the bed is REALLY useful. If Hyundai ruggedized the interior, I’d be all in. I still recommend it, because for all the grief I sometimes get from people who drive ‘real’ trucks, my Santa Cruz hauls air just as well as their Ram or F150, and I get 30 mpg on the highway at 65mph."

"Great trucklet"

"Just acquired a Santa Cruz Limited. Have been driving it in town and on the highway. Really pleased so far -- handles very competently, feels planted and competent in cornering, and has good acceleration and braking. The Limited has amazing tech. The touchscreen is very easy to use. Some people prefer knobs and buttons for A/C and radio, but surprisingly, I am finding that I prefer the all-touchscreen controls. I appreciate that the SC fits in the garage without difficulty. I did not really want a truck as a daily driver. This splits the difference -- it's a very nice SUV on the interior but has a bed that's really useful for all the wet stuff when I go kayaking, as well as for other messy fun outdoor sports stuff. The SC also a top safety pick, which was important to me."