5 Things Wrong with the All-New Hyundai Santa Cruz

I've had my Santa Cruz for a few months now. I like it a lot but a few things of note...
I bought the loaded top of the line model turbo etc.
- no memory driver seat(for a 2 person vehicle that's a pain)
- default for the auto high beams is off- must be set after every start
- the rear bed window is more of an obstruction than I imagined for something I will likely never use
- the video screen can be a pain when you are looking for something when driving
- the garage door function doesn't work when the vehicle is off- Must start it in a closed garage before you can open the garage door.
- remote start has to have lock button pushed before it will work(my other car didn't- Chrysler 300c)
- Apple car play must be plugged in- cannot bluetooth it.
I still love the vehicle, but if they fixed these minor issues I would likely trade it for a new one.

My Top 3 peeves
1. No Manual Transmission option
2. No Bed Shell option (to date)
3. No Manual Transmission option
Not everyone wants an automatic. I hate automatics, every car I have owned has been a manual and I don't see any reason to change that.
Missed opportunity: Fold down rear seat and openable rear panels to allow cargo extension into the the cab. Chevy Avalanche has this feature and its really a good option for small bed pickups.

I like the four door and the box size.. i guess we don't all want the same thing.. it is a cool vehicle much like the Ranchero or El Camino built for people who want something different. the price is kind of high but i would like one..

I think making a pickup truck with a 4 cylinder engine is ridiculous, I was interested in this truck but that turn me away.

As a owner of a Hyundai Santa Cruz, I think you need to drive one. It rides like premium SUV. Also for older folks, it is far easier to get into. The conventional truck is higher and harder to get into. Next how offen do people use the 4 foot bed in back. It's nice to have a small storage bed when needed. For my needs, the Santa Cruz was a smart buy for us

You have no idea what you are talking about. Terrible article. I suggest you go test drive the vehicle, reeducate yourself on the specs and update / retract your article.

So he doesn't like it. Who cares? Why come on here, get fired up and whine? If you want one, buy one. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. The article was labelled "5 reasons not to get". Did anyone force you to read it? Do you think people are screaming in rage on the sites labelled "5 reasons to get"? He was simply stating that he doesn't think it will sell enough to be a hit. Didn't say no one would buy one. Just because you like something doesn't mean it's gonna or gotta be a hit. I liked the Dakota. Probably sold a lot more then this will and it got cut. Don't be so sensitive and read things you don't agree with. Move on and live your life.

WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE SANTA CRUZ INTHE 2019 KONA ORANGE PAINT COLOR.

Been waiting for awhile, drove 100 miles through the hills of Tennessee. The Select Premium model has a lot of nice features. It’s just the wife and I travel vehicle and I can pull the little 19’ sailboat around..had a 1980 Subaru Brat and the SC doesn’t feel or ride anything like it..I loved the concept model but perhaps it was a smart move to include 4 doors..seems to have plenty of power only time will tell…I’m rooting for it..my first Hyundai..

I just bought a 2023 SC Premium a month ago. Drove a Ridgeline for 6 years and loved it. I was looking for something a little smaller and more carlike. ($10,000 savings from a new Ridgeline) So far I love it.
#1 - Agree and almost waited for the 2024’s to come out.
#2 - Don’t know anything about the engine you reference, but plenty happy with the current turbo.
#3 - Agree
#4- Disagree. Wouldn’t have bought it if it was a 2 door.
#5 - Electric vehicles are as wasteful as putting solar panels on your house.
#6 - Poor blind spot view, but that was a sacrifice I made.
#7 - Some of the buttons are frustrating, like the volume . I’d rather have dials.
#8- I can live with the smaller bed.
It’s a smaller Ridgeline with much better gas mileage. Never did better than 20 with the Honda and I’m already getting 23-24 around town. More nimble and quicker than my Ridgeline with a better payload and self leveling shocks.

I drove a friend's Santa Fe, and I kind of liked it. Not loved it, but they really need to make it in some decent colors. I've never seen a vehicle where the best colors are black and white. It's crazy, no red, orange, yellow, even a decent blue, anything that had some punch to it. Until then, no saie, and a non turbo V6 would be a nice choice. Everyone I know who has a turbo engined vehicle has had problems with it, if they kept it past the warranty.

THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE MANUFACTURED WITH JUST 2 DOORS AND A 1 AND HALF TO 2 FOOT LONGER BED.DESIGNED LIKE THIS IT WOULD BE A PERFECT VEHICLE FOR A SINGLE PERSON OR A MARRIED COUPLE WITHOUT CHILDREN,THEY WOULD SELL TONS OF THEM!!!

A Hyundai Santa Cruz PHEV makes more sense. No range anxieties while towing or hauling bikes. 40 miles of electric range for city driving. Am EV would have 250 miles EPA but only 220 miles at 70 mph and 190 miles at 80 mph. Throw im bikes on a rack in bed and range droos to 150.or less. Tow a small trailer and range droos to 100 or less. No thanks. Nwes 500 kWh batteries before EVs are a full replacmemt vehicle. So stick to PHEBs until then.

Absolutely the Santa Cruz needs a PHEV and a full EV line. I prefer the PHEV myself which if it has 40 miles of EV range that's enough for city driving and then i have no range worries towing a biking trailer to the boonies like Moab from 500+ mile off locations. With a full EV the range with a trailer drops so poorly that it's frustrating to say the least with less than 100 miles of Ev range pulling a 5,000 lb load of dual axles trailers (flat bed with bikes). But with a PHEV you don't have that trouble at all. You get zero CO2 in the city charging at home with solar tand then only produce CO2 and hydrocarbons OUTSIDE the city limits which is far less harmful although it produces more for those trips than a BEV when combined with city driving on solar the end result is nearly the same for a BEV that doesn't have home charging with solar.

Haters gonna hate.
I've had my 2022 Sta Cruz SEL AWD for 18 months now. 18k on it. Hauled 4x8 sheets of plywood in it and everything else that fit in the back.
I didn't want a gas hogging truck anymore, and I've had S-10's and a 2005 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0 4x2 V6. I wanted a highway cruiser and a two-tracker when I needed it. Realtruck.com tow hitch and soft tonneau cover, 18" Blizzaks for winter. We get 20-25 feet of Lake Suoerior lake effect snow each winter and Falken Wildpeak A/T's for summer. I average 32mpg w/ the little 191hp engine in the Summer and 21-26mpg in the winter.
I'm very happy with my purchase. I paid $29,995 for it when other dealerships were ripping people off at inflated prices. I drove to St Paul to buy it the day after I saw one online and in stock.

THE SANTA CRUISE WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER VEHICLE AS A TWO DOOR.THIS IS A PERFECT VEHICLE FOR SINGLE PEOPLE AND MARRIED COUPLES WITHOUT CHILDREN. ALSO IT WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER LOOKING VEHICLE WITH ONLY TWO DOORS! YOUNGER GUYS BETWEEN 21 AND 35 PERFER A TWO DOOR VEHICLE,THINK YOUNG!

We bought a Limited model 15 months ago. I only have 3 major gripes. The door handles as so tinny it irritates me every time I open the door. The Passenger seat is manual with limited adjustments. In a vehicle this expensive, the two seats should electric with multiple adjustments. The gas tank is very small, thus a limited range. Overall, we are very satisfied with its utility and drivability.