Honda Ridgeline vs. Hyundai Santa Cruz: Which Is More Popular
Two of the most popular unibody styles right now are the Honda Ridgeline and the Hyundai Santa Cruz. In addition to their sleek and compact looks, both the Honda Ridgeline and the popular Hyundai Santa Cruz have premium options and plenty of off-pavement capability. But which model is technically more popular? Dive into the official sales numbers for 2023 and see which of these adventure sport pickups should be at the top of your list.
Year-to-date sales for both of these pickups
To really gauge which truck is more popular, it’s best to start with the sales numbers for the Honda Ridgeline and the Hyundai Santa Cruz. GoodCarBadCar did all the heavy lifting, compiling monthly, quarterly, and YTD units sold for both pickups. The monthly units sold show the Ridgeline and Santa Cruz as neck-and-neck with 3,910 vehicles sold and 3,079 vehicles sold, respectively.
Looking at this year’s sales numbers over last year’s sales numbers tells a different story. The Honda Ridgeline has sold a total of 35,515 vehicles this year, which is an increase of more than 25% from last year’s total of 28,198. The Hyundai Santa Cruz is growing in popularity, just not as aggressively, with 26,032 units sold this year and an 8.9% bump from last year’s total of 23,903 models.
The Ridgeline and Santa Cruz have a lot in common
Parking these two trucks next to each other, you’ll immediately draw the distinctions and similarities. Both, as previously mentioned, feature the unibody design that separates them from the traditional pickup framework. They’re both contenders in the “truck lite” concept, prioritizing car-like driving experiences with practical truck functionality. The Santa Cruz and Ridgeline both offer comfortable rides and have intuitive cabins, too.
The newest 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers several trims and two engines, as Edmunds describes. Choose from the SE, the SEL, the Night, the XRT, the SEL Premium, or the Limited. The standard engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, capable of 191 hp. Higher trims come with the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder, capable of 281 hp.
The Honda Ridgeline only offers one engine, a more powerful 3.5-liter V6, capable of 280 hp. You can choose from four trims: the Sport, the RTL, the RTL-E, and the Black Edition.
Emerging sales trends for the Ridgeline and Santa Cruz
Buying a Honda Ridgeline will cost you anywhere from $40,175 to $47,605. The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz will cost between $26,650 and $41,070. Across most of the critic reviews and first drives, the overall sentiment is that both trucks are worthy contenders. But the Santa Cruz brings more comfort extras and premium aesthetics, whereas the Ridgeline brings more truck-like capabilities and performance.
Looking at the sales numbers, you can spot the emerging popularity of both the Ridgeline and the Santa Cruz. However, it looks like the Ridgeline is selling more. And in the truck world, where the biggest truck bed and off-road chops win, the Ridgeline is the undisputed champion on this face-off.
Based on sales trajectories, the Honda Ridgeline is more popular among midsized truck-buying consumers. But what’s more popular among consumers may be different from what’s more appealing to you. If you value high-quality materials, futuristic tech, and smooth driving dynamics, the Santa Cruz is a perfect fit. If you value engine performance, truck capabilities, and off-road chops, the Ridgeline is ideal.
