Used 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz for Sale nearDes Moines, IA

How much does the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz cost?

Prices have softened 4.64% compared to this time last year, making it a favorable time to shop this model year.

There are 1,373 listings available, which gives you a solid amount of inventory to compare.

Is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz a good car?

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz earns an 8.17/10 expert rating, and the overall package is strongest if you want a small sport truck for weekend projects, hauling bulky items, and carrying adventure gear on day trips.

The standout strength is Technology at 10/10.

The Santa Cruz’s appeal is that it is more about everyday versatility and easygoing utility than traditional pickup toughness, and the 2025 version adds new tech, styling updates, and off-roading enhancements. The trade-offs are clear: the back seat is cramped, cargo space is limited, and all-terrain tires can hurt on-pavement handling.

35.3% of listings are priced as good or great deals, so there is meaningful room to shop selectively.

Is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz reliable?

The 2025 Santa Cruz leans into a practical, warranty-backed ownership story, and Hyundai adds three years of complimentary scheduled maintenance with a new-vehicle purchase through 2025. The truck also comes with Bluelink+ for the lifetime of the vehicle as long as you’re the original owner, which adds convenience to long-term ownership.

From a durability standpoint, the Santa Cruz is positioned as a light-duty trucklet rather than a heavy hauler, so it makes sense as a daily-use vehicle with occasional utility duties. The turbocharged version is described as fun and zippy, but the dual-clutch transmission and all-terrain tire setup can introduce compromises in smoothness and road behavior.

For used buyers, the main long-term risk is choosing a truck that has been asked to do more than its light-duty design is meant to handle.

What should I look for when buying a used 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

Accident-free inventory is excellent at 93.4% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.

You should still run a history report and prioritize a pre-purchase inspection, especially if the truck has been used for hauling, towing, or rough-road driving. Pay close attention to tire wear, brake condition, and any signs that the truck has spent time on pavement with all-terrain tires or under heavier loads than its mission suggests.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The SE, SEL, and SEL Activity use the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder, while the XRT and Limited get the more satisfying turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The XRT adds an off-road-themed look with an improved approach angle and standard all-terrain tires, but those tires can hurt on-road handling.
• Powertrain: The turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder makes 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, and it runs on regular gas. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic can feel quirky, with some turbo lag and uneven power delivery.
• Safety package: SmartSense includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, and lane-centering assist. Starting with the XRT, you also get an intersection collision-braking system, a surround-view camera system, blind-spot cameras, adaptive cruise control with automatic speed adjustment for curves, and Highway Driving Assist.
• Infotainment: Every trim gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen with navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air software updates, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluelink+ connected services, Hyundai Pay, a digital key system, and fingerprint scanning.
• Fuel efficiency: The SEL Activity with AWD is rated at 24 mpg combined, the Limited AWD at 22 mpg, and the XRT at 21 mpg combined.

Which 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz trim should I buy?

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is offered in 5 trim levels: SE, SEL, SEL Activity, XRT, and Limited.

Here's the short version:

• SE: This is the entry point if you want the Santa Cruz’s core utility and standard tech without paying for the turbo engine or extra trim content.
• SEL: This is the sensible step up if you want a better-equipped daily driver while staying below the turbocharged trims.
• SEL Activity: This is the best-value trim for many shoppers because it adds more equipment while still keeping the lineup’s more affordable side in view.
• XRT: Choose this if you want the turbocharged engine and the off-road-themed upgrades, including the improved approach angle and standard all-terrain tires.
• Limited: This is the trim to buy if you want the turbo engine with the most upscale feel and the better on-pavement driving dynamics noted in the expert data.

Starting with the XRT trim level, the Santa Cruz adds the more advanced driver-assistance and camera features, while Highway Driving Assist is also standard on the XRT and Limited.

Is now a good time to buy a used 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz?

The market looks moderate and selective, so you can shop with some leverage if you’re patient.

• Deal availability: 35.3% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 1,373 listings available.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 4.64% compared with last year.
• Clean inventory: 93.4% of listings are accident-free.

If you find a listing below $29,568, that's toward the low end of the year-round range and worth acting on quickly.

What is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz's resale value?

The current average of $29,568 sits slightly below last year's $31,008.

That softer pricing suggests the Santa Cruz has moved into a more buyer-friendly phase, which can help you if you’re shopping now. For a future seller, it means you should expect a more competitive resale environment than last year.

The good news is that the Santa Cruz still has a distinct niche, strong tech, and a desirable turbocharged version, which can help support demand. If you keep mileage reasonable and the truck in clean condition, you should be in better shape than sellers of less distinctive used vehicles.

Is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz safe?

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz earns a Marginal rating in the latest IIHS moderate overlap frontal-impact assessment, and the SmartSense technologies receive that same rating for their effectiveness in preventing a front crash. The Santa Cruz earns five-star ratings in each NHTSA collision evaluation, coupled with a four-star rollover resistance rating.

It earns a 9/10 safety score from our experts.

SmartSense is the standard driver-assistance suite, and it includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, and lane-centering assist. Starting with the XRT trim level, you also get an intersection collision-braking system, a surround-view camera system, blind-spot cameras, adaptive cruise control with automatic speed adjustment for curves, and Highway Driving Assist.

The main caveat is the IIHS Marginal result, which is worth weighing if safety is a top priority.

Should I buy a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz or consider a different year?

If you're weighing the 2025 against nearby model years, here's how to think about it:

Choose the 2025 if:

• 35.3% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Accident-free inventory is excellent at 93.4% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 4.64% compared with last year.
• The 2025 adds new tech, styling updates, and off-roading enhancements.

Consider the 2024 if:

• At $26,817, the 2024 costs less than the current year's $29,568 average.
• It blends pickup utility with a compact, quirky personality.

The bottom line: If you want the newest tech, updated styling, and the strongest overall feature set, the 2025 is the better target. If your priority is saving money and you’re comfortable with a slightly older version of the same basic formula, the 2024 is the smarter value play.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from October 6, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.