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SureCritic / Makes / Hyundai / Santa Cruz / 2026

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Average Score

Overall Rating 4.6/5Overall Rating 4.6/5Overall Rating 4.6/5Overall Rating 4.6/5Overall Rating 4.6/5
4.6
(435 Reviews)
46%
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Category Summary
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  • Features
  • Build Quality
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  • Reliability
  • Performance
  • Exterior
  • Comfort
  • Interior
  • Styling

Reviews

Overall Rating 4.6/5Overall Rating 4.6/5Overall Rating 4.6/5Overall Rating 4.6/5Overall Rating 4.6/5
4.6
(435 Reviews)
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Reviews

JG
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Jonathan G.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 4.0/5Overall Rating 4.0/5Overall Rating 4.0/5Overall Rating 4.0/5Overall Rating 4.0/5
07/20/2026
Verified Review

9,000 Miles Later: The 2026 Santa Cruz SEL Activity Delivers

I purchased my 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Activity with only 18 miles on the odometer and have driven it over 8,900 miles since May 9, 2026. After daily driving it in city conditions and taking it on longer highway trips, I can confidently say this vehicle delivers the perfect blend of SUV comfort and truck utility. The Santa Cruz provides excellent passenger space, a practical bed with the factory Tonneau cover, plenty of power, and features that make everyday driving enjoyable. The SEL Activity trim gives you a great combination of technology and convenience, including heated seats, lane assistance, a sunroof, and a comfortable second row. The highway performance is outstanding, with excellent stability, minimal cabin noise, and impressive fuel economy that can reach 36–38 MPG on long highway trips while averaging around 24–26 MPG during daily city driving. The truck handles very well, especially with the 18-inch tires, and the transmission provides plenty of torque for the terrain I encounter. While there are some minor issues, such as a passenger-side headliner rattle and a few software-related quirks, they do not take away from how useful and enjoyable this vehicle has been. If you need a vehicle with truck capability but want the comfort and features of a crossover, the Santa Cruz is an excellent choice.
Recommended
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SB
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SYLVIA B.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/20/2026
Verified Review

Is all it is said to be…

Overall pleased you have it all in one vehicle comfort, sport, appearance, quality, rest assurance and so far reliability…
Recommended
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GO
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George O.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/20/2026
Verified Review

Awesome Gay Little Truck

I have never felt less masculine than when I am driving my 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz!
Recommended
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JD
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JOHN D.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/18/2026
Verified Review

Great Vehicle

Great riding vehicle hopefully will haul feed for the cows. Will know more this winter. Nice ride for shopping and doctor visits.
Recommended
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JS
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Jim S.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/18/2026
Verified Review

So far so good

So far so good
Recommended
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KK
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Keith K.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 4.0/5Overall Rating 4.0/5Overall Rating 4.0/5Overall Rating 4.0/5Overall Rating 4.0/5
07/18/2026
Verified Review

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Hyundai should have incorporated a few more Tucson extra's into the Santa Cruz
Recommended
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DL
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David L.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/17/2026
Verified Review

My Santa Cruz

I like it.
Recommended
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DL
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Douglas L.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/17/2026
Verified Review

Very pleased with the Santa Cruz! The ride and enough power to get th

So far we are very please with comfort and performance!
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DT
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DOUGLAS T.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/17/2026
Verified Review

Love it

Fun to drive very comfortable looks great
Recommended
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EB
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Elizabeth B.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/17/2026
Verified Review

From Nissan to Hyundai!! I’m hooked on Hyundai!

I have been a Nissan driver since I bought my first Pulsar, back in 1984! After that it’s been YEARS of Nissan. X-Terra’s (3), Sentra, Altama…. We wanted a truck. A comfortable pickup. I tried the Frontier… I wanted more. Something different, sporty but comfortable… never had a pickup my husband suggested the Hyundai Santa Cruz- I actually laughed and said- but I’m a Nissan girl! So I went myself -silently rolling my eyes, and asked to drive the Santa Cruz. I wanted a sunroof and a cover for the back. Here comes this beautiful white… I sat in it and said to myself- I hope this thing drives well-the test drive led to an incredible experience, performance, comfort, handling—I cannot say or write enough great things about this vehicle!!!The test drive led to an immediate purchase-this was my new vehicle!!I LOVE it and LOVE everything about it!!! Hooked on Hyundai!!
Recommended
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CW
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Caroline W.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/16/2026
Verified Review

Carols Cruz

My dream vehicle. Have wanted this truck since prototype. Now it's mine. Love the style. Very cool.
Recommended
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MD
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Mark D.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/16/2026
Verified Review

Santa Cruz review

Nice quiet ride, safety assist is nice, great customer service
Recommended
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PP
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PATTI P.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/16/2026
Verified Review

Got what I wanted

I knew exactly what kind of vehicle I wanted, and the color I wanted. This Santa Cruz is awesome.
Recommended
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DM
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David M.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/15/2026
Verified Review

McEwan Cruz

Comfortable and mighty hauler.
Recommended
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AC
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Alexander C.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/14/2026
Verified Review

I love this truck

Rides like a car with truck versatility
Recommended
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DH
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Dustin H.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 3.0/5Overall Rating 3.0/5Overall Rating 3.0/5Overall Rating 3.0/5Overall Rating 3.0/5
07/14/2026
Verified Review

Disappointed with my new Santa Cruz.

This was the only brand-new car that I've purchased in my 64-year lifetime. I was on my way to Cody Wyoming for a funeral and had to drive through a chip seal job between Casper and Shoshoni. Somewhere through the construction a vehicle I was following or one that I met kicked up some of the chips on the highway and the lower portion of my radiator suffered multiple small impacts. Unfortunately, one of these impacts perforated the radiator and the vehicle lost coolant and overheated. Further inspection revealed large open holes in the grill of the Santa Cruz that makes the radiator extremely vulnerable to road debris. I really wanted to love this car but I'm disappointed in the engineering/design, Hyundai has the best warranty in the automotive business but was told this incident was not covered under the vehicle warranty. Long story short the vehicle had to be towed to Billings Montana from Cody Wyoming, which is 100 miles away, diagnostics and radiator replacement was $1,825.06, rental car to travel home one direction was another $242.54. My brand-new Santa Cruz had 2476 miles on it when this happened, very disappointed and quite frankly a little nervous about its reliability. I hope Hyundai puts a little more design effort into the grills from now on.
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Hyundai Motor America responded on 07/15/2026 09:16 AM

Hey Dustin, thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz and experience thus far.  We apologize that vehicle has not met your expectations. We continuously monitor the feedback of our owners as we develop new models and trims to best match our consumer preferences. If you have any questions or concerns about Hyundai vehicles, please contact our Connect Center at (800) 633-5151. Thank you ^cc.    
MR
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Marco R.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/14/2026
Verified Review

Marco Rupert

My 2026 Santa Cruz is fun to drive and I love the technology in the vehicle.
Recommended
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JC
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Jeffery C.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/14/2026
Verified Review

Satisfied Senior

Overall love the vehicle.
Recommended
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CS
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Christopher S.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/13/2026
Verified Review

None

Vehicle is very good
Recommended
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MA
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Michael A.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
verified customerVerified Owner
Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5Overall Rating 5.0/5
07/13/2026
Verified Review

Super truck

Great ride.
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