Compare the 2022 Honda Ridgeline and Hyundai Santa Cruz in Scranton, PA

While a truck is a great way to immediately enhance the utility of your daily driver, the often larger space requirements and hindered maneuverability can be imposing for some drivers. With its roomy and refined interior, versatile features, midsize physical footprint, and superior ride quality from an independent rear suspension, the Honda Ridgeline delivers all the advantages of a pickup with a more agreeable driving experience. While it's not the only comfortable unibody design in the segment, the Honda Ridgeline delivers a complete, well-rounded package that's tough to top. Here's a quick look at how it compares to Hyundai's relative newcome, the Santa Cruz.

Performance

The Honda Ridgeline comes standard with a 3.5-liter V-6 making 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, and paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission-giving it a max tow rating of 5,000 pounds. Honda's Intelligent Variable Torque Management™ (i-VTM4®) AWD System comes standard, providing improved handling and off-road control. All models also include an Intelligent Traction Management system with settings for Snow, Sand, and Mud.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz's base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder (191 hp, 181 lb-ft) with an eight-speed transmission and front-wheel drive-AWD is available for the first two trims and standard on the top two levels, but it's not as capable as the Ridgeline's system. Its standard tow limit is 3,500 pounds. You can get the Santa Cruz with a more powerful turbocharged engine, but it's only offered on two tiers. And to unlock a 5,000-pound tow rating, you need the more powerful engine and a trailer brake controller, which the vehicle lacks-you have to go aftermarket for that. It's also not as capable away from the asphalt.

Truck Bed

The Honda Ridgeline's bed is 64 inches long and 60 inches wide, with 50 inches between the wheelhousings and a cargo volume (to the top of the side walls) of 33.9 cubic feet. With the tailgate open, the bed length extends to 83 inches. The Ridgeline boasts the industry's first dual-action tailgate that opens down like a conventional tailgate, as well as to the side, giving you convenient access to the standard lockable, drainable, 7.3 cubic-foot In-Bed Trunk®. It also comes standard with eight heavy-duty tie-down 350-pound-capacity cleats.

As a compact truck, the Santa Cruz has a comparatively small bed, measuring 48.4 inches long and 53.9 inches wide, with just 42.7 inches between the wheel wells and a 27 cubic-foot cargo capacity. It also has a lockable under-bed storage compartment but with less than three cubic feet of space. Additionally, its tailgate isn't as functional, and cleats aren't standard.

Accommodations and Features

The Ridgeline and Santa Cruz both offer impressively roomy interiors. However, the Ridgeline gives you more personal space with 4.4 inches more front shoulder room and 4.6 inches more front hip room. In the second row, Ridgeline provides 5.4 and 3.1 inches more shoulder room and hip room, respectively.

Both models come standard with desirable features like a composite cargo bed, an 8-inch touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, the Ridgeline's base trim includes features that are only standard on the Santa Cruz's top tiers, including automatic climate control, proximity keyless entry (with Walk Away Auto Lock®), LED headlamps, and truck-bed lighting.

While both models included advanced safety features like collision mitigation and lane-keep assist on their base trims, the Ridgeline also comes standard with Road Departure Mitigation System (not offered on Santa Cruz) and Adaptive Cruise Control (only on Santa Cruz's highest trim level).

Test-Drive a new Honda Ridgeline in Scranton

If you'd like more information about Honda's versatile, accommodating, and well-equipped pickup, please feel free to get in touch with Matt Burne Honda at your convenience. And if you'd like to get behind the wheel to experience a new Honda Ridgeline for yourself, we welcome you to visit our Scranton Honda dealership for a test drive. We'd love to give you a tour.