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Cons and Pros Of The Refreshed 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Published on Aug 19, 2025 by Edmond Hyundai

Built Like A Truck, Drives Like An SUV: Pros and Cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

  • The pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz includes refined and agile handling, a luxury interior, and convenient features.
  • Cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz includes a little higher cost than others in the market, and mediocre gas mileage.
  • Learn more the pros and cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz at Edmond Hyundai in OKC.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz isn’t your average vehicle. Blending the utility of a pickup truck with the comfort and agility of an SUV. It’s a head-turner that’s carved out its own unique space in the auto world. The pros and cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz are seen in the subtle refinements. They make it even more appealing for adventurous drivers. So, what are the new pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz this year? What are considered its strengths and weaknesses? Let’s break it down.

What’s New for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

While the Hyundai Santa Cruz retains its core identity, the 2025 model year brings a few exciting updates. The overall vibe? Sleek, capable, and slightly more upscale than before.

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz updates include:

  • Refreshed front fascia
  • Slight styling tweaks that give it a bolder, more modern look
  • Updated technology, offering larger screens and more intuitive controls
  • Trim Level Adjustments can be expected to be reshuffled features across trim levels

Pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz make it an appealing choice for buyers seeking a compact crossover that delivers real pickup functionality without sacrificing comfort or style. Think SUV luxury with a practical bed. It boasts refreshed, more rugged styling, a high-tech interior with a sweeping dual 12.3-inch display, refined driving dynamics, and strong engine options!

Refined & Agile Handling

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz drives more like a refined crossover SUV than a traditional pickup truck, which is a major advantage for many buyers. Its precise steering and compact dimensions make maneuvering through tight city streets, crowded parking lots, and narrow backroads surprisingly effortless. The responsive handling is one of the major pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz because it helps the driver feel in control at all times. Meanwhile, the well-tuned suspension does an excellent job of absorbing bumps and rough patches, delivering a smooth, comfortable ride that’s more commonly associated with SUVs than pickups. This blend of agility and comfort is one of the standout pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, giving drivers a sense of confidence and composure no matter where the road takes them.

Stylish, Comfortable Interior

Inside, the pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz truly meets the mark. It offers a level of quality and style that feels more upscale than you might expect in a compact pickup. The use of high-quality materials throughout, like soft-touch surfaces, tasteful accents, and well-crafted details, creates a refined atmosphere that elevates the overall experience. The sleek, modern dashboard design centers around a sweeping dual 12.3-inch display that seamlessly integrates the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system, giving the interior a high-tech, futuristic feel. Available premium touches such as leather-trimmed seats, heated and ventilated options, and a panoramic sunroof further enhance the sense of luxury and comfort. These features not only add to the visual appeal but also improve the enjoyment of every drive, whether you’re tackling daily commutes or weekend getaways.

Upgraded Technology Features

Hyundai continues to impress with its technological pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is crisp and easy to read, providing drivers with clear, customizable information right in their line of sight. Complementing this is a user-friendly touchscreen infotainment system that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ensuring seamless smartphone integration for navigation, music, and communication on the go. Beyond convenience, the 2025 Santa Cruz also prioritizes safety with an impressive suite of advanced driver-assistance features. This includes Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which can detect potential front-end collisions and help apply the brakes if necessary, and the Blind-Spot View Monitor, which offers a real-time visual of your blind spots on the digital cluster to enhance situational awareness.

Thoughtful Convenience Features

The pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz stand out by offering a range of thoughtful features designed to enhance convenience. The in-bed trunk storage provides a secure, weatherproof space beneath the truck bed. It’s perfect for keeping valuables safe or storing gear out of sight, which is especially handy for weekend adventures or work tools. The remote tailgate release adds an extra layer of ease. It allows you to open the tailgate from inside the cabin or with the key fob. Inside, wireless phone charging keeps your devices powered up without the hassle of cords, helping maintain a clutter-free and modern cabin environment. These small but smart conveniences combine to make the Hyundai Santa Cruz not just a versatile pickup but also a comfortable, user-friendly vehicle tailored to modern lifestyles.

Cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

As good as this Honda truck is, there are a few cons that go with the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Despite its unique blend of truck utility and crossover comfort, it has a smaller bed and less towing capacity compared to traditional pickups. This limits heavy-duty hauling. Additionally, its compact size might not suit those needing more passenger space or off-road ruggedness. Let’s take a look at some of the cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Higher Trims Are Pricey

While the pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz base model provides solid value with a well-rounded set of features at an affordable price, moving up to higher trims like the Limited can quickly push the cost into near-luxury territory. These top-tier versions come packed with advanced technology, premium materials, and a host of convenience and safety upgrades. They deliver a more refined driving experience. However, all these extras come at a premium. Meaning buyers should be prepared for a higher price tag if they want those upscale features and finishes.

Mediocre Fuel Efficiency

One of the more notable cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is its fuel economy. While it’s far from being a gas guzzler, its mileage ranges from about 21 to 27 MPG depending on drivetrain. This means it doesn’t quite measure up to some of its rivals, like the Ford Maverick, which deliver noticeably better fuel efficiency. For buyers who prioritize saving at the pump, this could be a deciding factor. The Santa Cruz sacrifices some fuel economy in exchange for its unique blend of power and versatility.

Rear Seat Comfort Could Be Better

The back seat, unfortunately, is one of the cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Although it’s designed to accommodate passengers, it’s best suited for children or adults on shorter journeys. Taller passengers might quickly notice that the legroom is somewhat limited, making longer rides less comfortable. Additionally, the seat angle and cushioning, while adequate, don’t offer the same level of support or spaciousness found in some competitors’ rear cabins. While it’s perfectly usable for everyday errands, school runs, or brief trips, those who frequently travel with adult passengers in the back may find the space a bit tight and less accommodating than other trucks in this segment.

Is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Worth It?

If you’re seeking a vehicle that seamlessly blends SUV-like comfort with genuine utility, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz stands out as one of the most unique and compelling choices on the market today. It’s perfectly suited for drivers who want the practicality and versatility of a pickup truck but prefer a more manageable size and the smooth, car-like driving dynamics of a crossover. Unlike traditional full-size trucks that can feel bulky and difficult to maneuver in tight spaces, the 2025 Santa Cruz offers an ideal balance. The 2025 model builds confidently on the strengths of its predecessors by introducing upgraded technology. This includes a modern infotainment system and advanced driver-assistance features, alongside a sharper, more aggressive styling that gives it a fresh, bold presence on the road. Thoughtful touches like in-bed storage compartments, wireless phone charging, and a remote tailgate release further enhance everyday convenience and usability.

While there are a lot of pros, there are also some cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Most notably limited rear-seat space for taller passengers and fuel efficiency that could be better compared to some rivals. However, the pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz allow it to remain an undeniably innovative and fun-to-drive option. For those who value versatility, style, and modern tech in a compact package, the 2025 Santa Cruz offers a compelling package. It’s an alternative to both traditional pickups and standard SUVs.

Experience Pros and Cons of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz at Edmond Hyundai

Ready to experience the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz for yourself? Come visit Edmond Hyundai to decide the pros of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz for yourself. Whether you’re looking for a rugged daily driver, or just something a little different, the 2025 Santa Cruz might just be your perfect match.

If the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz sounds like the right pick for you, come visit us at Edmond Hyundai! Our Hyundai cars for sale include the Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Kona, and the Hyundai Venue.

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