2022 Honda Ridgeline vs 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
$24,440MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2022 Honda Ridgeline
2022 Honda Ridgeline
$38,140MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
$24,440MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2022 Honda Ridgeline
$38,140MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
Overview

MSRP

$24,440

MSRP

$38,140

Average price

$36,508

Average price

$45,330

Listings

58

Listings

33
Ratings & Reviews
User Reviews
User Reviews

Expert reviews

8.0 out of 10

Expert reviews

7.7 out of 10
Pros
  • Great ride quality
  • Comfortable
  • Quiet cabin
Cons
  • Irritating transmission
  • Outdated technology

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Reviews Summary

Being a newbie in a given field means having to catch up to established leaders, but it can also bring a different perspective. Hyundai has never sold a pickup truck in the United States, and its first effort is unlike anything else on the market.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the first truly compact pickup to be sold in the U.S. in over a decade, and unlike conventional body-on-frame pickups, it features car-like unibody construction. This packaging sacrifices some capability, but that’s beside the point. Hyundai didn’t design the Santa Cruz to compete directly with conventional trucks. It doesn’t even call the Santa Cruz a pickup; it prefers the term “sport adventure vehicle.”

While it may win over some truck buyers who want a pickup that’s easier to park, the new Santa Cruz will appeal mainly to new-car buyers who want to replace a sedan or crossover SUV with something a bit more rugged.

To figure out where the Santa Cruz fits into the current automotive landscape, we spent a day driving it around on roads in and around its namesake California city. The test units were in U.S. specification. In Canada, Hyundai also offers Preferred, Preferred with the Trend Package, and Ultimate trim levels. We sampled the U.S. equivalent of the range-topping Santa Cruz Ultimate model for this test drive.

2022 Honda Ridgeline Reviews Summary

Honda isn’t known for pickup trucks, but that means it brings a different perspective to the genre. The 2022 Honda Ridgeline is like no other pickup on the market.

The Ridgeline isn’t just being different for the sake of being different, either. It uses the same unibody construction that gives crossover SUVs greater refinement than traditional models to offer increased comfort and better on-road handling than most pickups.

Since the Ridgeline’s debut, the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick have applied the unibody concept to smaller compact pickups, creating a new niche, but the Honda is a larger vehicle that competes with existing midsize pickups like the Ford Ranger, Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins.

The Ridgeline debuted for the 2006 model year and the current second-generation version dates back to the 2017 model year. It got a facelift for 2021, so it carries over to 2022 essentially unchanged. In Canada, trim levels include the base Ridgeline Sport, midlevel EX-L and Touring, and the range-topping Black Edition, which is what we sampled for this review.

No video found
No video found
Popular Features & Specs

Engine

2.5L 191 hp I4

Engine

3.5L 280 hp V6

Drive Train

FWD

Drive Train

AWD

Seating Capacity

5

Seating Capacity

5

Horsepower

191 hp @ 6100 rpm

Horsepower

280 hp @ 6000 rpm

MPG City

21

MPG City

18

MPG Highway

26

MPG Highway

24
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
$24,440MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2022 Honda Ridgeline
2022 Honda Ridgeline
$38,140MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
$24,440MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2022 Honda Ridgeline
$38,140MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
Overview
MSRP
$24,440
$38,140
Average price
$36,508
$45,330
Listings
Ratings & Reviews
User reviews
4.6
4.6
Expert reviews

8.0 out of 10

Read full review

7.7 out of 10

Read full review
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Great ride quality
  • Comfortable
  • Quiet cabin
Cons
  • Irritating transmission
  • Outdated technology
Summary

Being a newbie in a given field means having to catch up to established leaders, but it can also bring a different perspective. Hyundai has never sold a pickup truck in the United States, and its first effort is unlike anything else on the market.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the first truly compact pickup to be sold in the U.S. in over a decade, and unlike conventional body-on-frame pickups, it features car-like unibody construction. This packaging sacrifices some capability, but that’s beside the point. Hyundai didn’t design the Santa Cruz to compete directly with conventional trucks. It doesn’t even call the Santa Cruz a pickup; it prefers the term “sport adventure vehicle.”

While it may win over some truck buyers who want a pickup that’s easier to park, the new Santa Cruz will appeal mainly to new-car buyers who want to replace a sedan or crossover SUV with something a bit more rugged.

To figure out where the Santa Cruz fits into the current automotive landscape, we spent a day driving it around on roads in and around its namesake California city. The test units were in U.S. specification. In Canada, Hyundai also offers Preferred, Preferred with the Trend Package, and Ultimate trim levels. We sampled the U.S. equivalent of the range-topping Santa Cruz Ultimate model for this test drive.

Honda isn’t known for pickup trucks, but that means it brings a different perspective to the genre. The 2022 Honda Ridgeline is like no other pickup on the market.

The Ridgeline isn’t just being different for the sake of being different, either. It uses the same unibody construction that gives crossover SUVs greater refinement than traditional models to offer increased comfort and better on-road handling than most pickups.

Since the Ridgeline’s debut, the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick have applied the unibody concept to smaller compact pickups, creating a new niche, but the Honda is a larger vehicle that competes with existing midsize pickups like the Ford Ranger, Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins.

The Ridgeline debuted for the 2006 model year and the current second-generation version dates back to the 2017 model year. It got a facelift for 2021, so it carries over to 2022 essentially unchanged. In Canada, trim levels include the base Ridgeline Sport, midlevel EX-L and Touring, and the range-topping Black Edition, which is what we sampled for this review.

Video
No video found
No video found
Popular Features & Specs
Engine
2.5L 191 hp I4
3.5L 280 hp V6
Drive Train
FWD
AWD
Seating Capacity
5
5
Horsepower
191 hp @ 6100 rpm
280 hp @ 6000 rpm
MPG City
21
18
MPG Highway
26
24
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