There are few gas-powered vehicles I’d consider buying and the Hyundai Santa Cruz is one of them. After driving the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T Tri, both of which are EVs, I’ve fallen head over heels for pickup trucks. The problem with them is that they’re ungodly expensive and a bit overkill for what I need, with both easily approaching the six-figure mark.
That’s why I drove the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited for a week, which has a starting cost of $42,650. That’s still too rich for my liking, but this Limited trim does come with several premium perks that make this “sport adventure vehicle” worthwhile for anyone looking at a compact pickup truck.
More importantly, though, I would love to see an all-electric version of the Santa Cruz because the market’s in desperate need of compact electric pickup trucks. In fact, there are none at all.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited: Specifications
Engine | 2.5L Turbocharged GDI-MPI 4-cylinder engine |
Fuel Economy (mpg) | 22 combined / 19 city / 27 highway |
Fuel Tank Capacity | 17.7 gallons |
Horsepower | 281 hp |
Wheels | 20-inches |
MSRP | $42,650 |
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited: Testing summary
I drove a total of 203.7 miles in my week’s worth of testing, accumulating an average fuel economy of 22.5 mpg. That’s terrible, but understandable given how pickup trucks aren’t best known for their efficiency. However, it hits the car maker’s claim of 22 mpg combined fuel economy.
In one of my long-distance driving tests mostly on the highway, it got a better 28.1 mpg economy. That’s a smidge better than the company’s claim of 27 mpg highway, but still much less than what I would ideally like to get in my daily driver.
Despite driving mostly in smart mode and accelerating lightly most of the time, the best short distance fuel economy I got with the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited is 20 mpg. Thankfully it features a large 17.7-gallon fuel tank, which could mitigate frequent fill ups.
Total miles driven | 203.7 miles |
Average fuel economy | 22.5 mpg |
Best long distance fuel economy | 28.1 mpg |
Best short range fuel economy | 20 mpg |
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited: What I Like
Sporty design for a pickup
One look at the Hyundai Santa Cruz is all that you need to get a sense of why it stands out. For a compact pickup truck, it has an attractive, sporty design that looks unconventional at first — which gives it a distinct visual identity.
On the front, it’s pretty aggressive with its sprawling grille and stacked LED headlights. Meanwhile, the sloping rooftop cuts down at a 45-degree angle near the back end of the vehicle to pave way for its flatbed. From a profile view, this creates a sporty silhouette that I love about the Santa Cruz.
Hidden flatbed storage
Pickup trucks are full of surprises and the Santa Cruz is no exception. While it has a much smaller flatbed than your regular sized pickup truck, I do love the locking under-bed storage compartment located towards the back of the flatbed.
It’s like having a small cooler built into the Santa Cruz, where you can store ice to keep things cool. Plus, the cleanup’s easy because there’s a drain plug that you can unscrew to quickly drain the compartment. Even though I didn’t make much use of it during my testing (it was still winter when I tested it), this would be perfect for tailgating before a big game.
As for the flatbed itself, it measures in at 52.1 x 53.9 inches, which is smaller than the comparable sized 2025 Ford Maverick at 54.4 x 53.3 inches.
Powerful engine, accelerates quickly
Don’t let its size fool you because for being a compact sized pickup truck, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited has a powerful 2.5L Turbocharged GDI-MPI 4-cylinder engine that delivers 281 hp. Accelerating is a breeze for this pickup truck, which to me feels almost like I’m driving an EV because of its smoothness.
I’ve driven other hybrid cars and PHEVs that struggle a lot with this on gas power, like the Kia Sportage PHEV and Alfa Romeo Tonale, but the Santa Cruz’s impressive power gets it into cruising speed in no time at all.
Hidden storage under backseats
As much as the flatbed gives the Santa Cruz the utility to carry larger payloads that you can’t normally fit in a sedan or SUV, it’s not always the most practical thing to use for storing smaller packages and items. That’s why I appreciate the hidden storage compartments underneath the back seats.
Once the seats are folded up by pulling on the straps on the side, the small cubbies on both sides can be used to hold small items in place — rather than shuffling around in the back seats. I think they’re more convenient than storing stuff in the flatbed, where they will most likely get jostled.
Neat headlight and tail light design
As much as the design deserves credit for making the Santa Cruz stand out, I can’t help notice the neat designs of its headlights and tail lights. On the front, there’s a substantial amount of intensity with how the headlights look in the dark — mainly due to how the bi-LED projector headlights are stacked on top of one another.
I also love the LED tail lights on the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which, upon close inspection, have a clever arrow pattern.
Dashboard nook cutout
One ingenious design in the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz that I don’t see in other vehicles is the small nook cutout in the dashboard on the passenger side. This cutout is meant to accommodate small items, like a phone, so that it’s quickly accessible while staying firmly in place.
This is extra convenience I don’t see often, made better by how it doesn’t take away from the glove compartment right below it. Plus, I love how this area glows at night thanks to the ambient lighting.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited: What I Don't Like
Terrible fuel economy
Despite reaching the car maker’s fuel economy rating, the Santa Cruz is still a gas guzzler — and in the long run, will end up costing you more out of your pocket. I get that pickup trucks favor power over efficiency, especially when it’s meant to lug around huge payloads without struggling.
However, it wouldn’t hurt to have another trim with a more efficient engine. I would gladly sacrifice the power for fewer fill ups because it adds up. I asked Google Gemini to calculate the total cost of gasoline if it were driven 1,000 miles per month over a span of 10 years, which it ended up calculating to be $19,497.43 with moderate inflation.
In contrast, if this were an all-electric model with perhaps an efficiency of 3.4 mi/kWh (similar to what I tested with the Hyundai Ioniq 5), Google Gemini estimates it would cost $8,132.39 for charging at home. That’s a huge amount of savings and proves exactly why I’d love to see more compact electric pickups.
Tight legroom in the rear
Both the driver and passenger seat are spacious and comfortable, but not so much for your passengers in the rear. Since it’s classified as a compact pickup truck, it’s a bit tight with the legroom in the back. Children and other smaller passengers shouldn’t have much to worry about, but adults will certainly need to stretch out after being seated there for an extended amount of time.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited: Bottom line
A couple weeks have passed since I last drove the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited and I still miss it. Sure, the $43k+ price tag doesn’t make it easy, but it does come with extra perks over the base trim — like a powered sunroof, larger 20-inch wheels, a larger towing capacity, integrated cover for the flatbed, 115V power outlet, surround view monitor, wireless charger for your phone, heated front seats, and smart cruise control.
Unlike the other pickups I’ve tested, the Santa Cruz isn’t as intimidating to drive because of its smaller size. It would be perfect for what I want, if not for its poor fuel economy. This demonstrates the need for more compact electric pickup trucks, which could blend the long-term savings of EVs with more utility.
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