2023 Jeep Gladiator vs 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with its smaller footprint compared to current midsize pickups, initially appeared reminiscent of the mini trucks from the 1970s to 1990s. However, its unibody construction and unique styling made it more akin to the Subaru Baja or a smaller Honda Ridgeline. Measuring 195.7 inches in length, 75.0 inches in width, and 66.7 inches in height, the Santa Cruz was over a foot shorter than a Toyota Tacoma but nearly as wide. Its 118.3-inch wheelbase was 9.1 inches shorter than the Tacoma’s. Despite being larger than the 2022 Hyundai Tucson compact crossover SUV, the Santa Cruz was not exactly tiny.

The Santa Cruz’s design leaned more towards an SUV with a bed rather than a traditional small pickup. Its toothy grille and blended headlights, similar to the Tucson, ensured it stood out on the road. The only nods to traditional truck styling were the “Santa Cruz” name stamped into the tailgate, some plastic body cladding, and a bit of chrome. Available with 20-inch wheels or 18-inch wheels for off-roading, the Santa Cruz’s interior was more conventional, with an honest design that avoided faux ruggedness. The materials, while not fancy, were appropriate for its price range and its mission as a rugged “adventure vehicle.”

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator saw few changes, with the introduction of the Gladiator Freedom Edition to honor American servicemen and servicewomen. This edition, based on the Sport S trim, included gloss black wheels, body-color fender flares, a winch-capable steel front bumper, steel rock rails, LED headlights, cloth seats with leather trim, and special decals. Jeep donated $250 to military charities for each one sold, and both active and recently retired service people received a $500 discount. Other modifications included a new High Velocity Yellow paint color, added standard equipment for the Willys model, and a new Capability Package for the High Altitude model.

The 2023 Gladiator lineup featured nine trim levels, starting with the basic Sport trim at $38,305 and rising to $54,475 for the High Altitude trim, excluding a $1,595 destination charge. The Gladiator Mojave, our test truck, was equipped for high-speed desert driving with Fox 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks, a 1-inch front suspension lift, 33-inch all-terrain tires, a locking rear differential, high-clearance front fender flares, and steel rock rails. Despite its off-road prowess, the Mojave’s suspension modifications made it practical for any kind of driving. The test vehicle’s upgrades brought the MSRP to $62,160, including the destination charge.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz came with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The base, naturally aspirated engine produced 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, while an optional turbocharged engine delivered 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The naturally aspirated version offered standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD), whereas the turbocharged 2.5-liter was AWD only. The Santa Cruz’s standard multi-link suspension made it fun to drive in corners, and it included a self-leveling feature for a loaded bed. The turbo engine provided ample thrust when driving unloaded, though towing and testing the base engine were not evaluated.

The Santa Cruz had a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds with the naturally aspirated engine and 5,000 pounds with the turbo engine, along with a maximum payload capacity of 1,906 pounds. While its off-road capability was respectable with 8.6 inches of ground clearance and AWD, it lacked low range and locking differentials, making it less suitable for serious off-roading. The tow ratings were more in line with midsize SUVs than current pickup trucks, but they were adequate for a vehicle designed more for recreation than work.

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator offered two engine choices: a 285-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic, and a 260-hp, 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 with an eight-speed automatic transmission and 442 lb-ft of torque. The turbodiesel, while improving fuel economy, couldn’t tow as much weight. The Gladiator featured Command-Trac part-time four-wheel-drive (4WD) with a two-speed transfer case as standard, with upgrades available to Selec-Trac full-time 4WD and Rock-Trac 4WD systems for Rubicon models.

Our Mojave test truck had the gas V6 and Command-Trac with a locking rear differential, averaging 17.3 mpg in combined driving. The Gladiator’s powertrain delivered strong off-the-line acceleration and good low-speed throttle response, though passing power was only adequate. The Mojave’s Fox shocks excelled on rutted and rumpled terrain, making it enjoyable to drive both off-road and in urban settings. However, the Gladiator’s length made navigating tight spaces challenging, and its highway noise and steering slop were tiring. Despite these drawbacks, the Mojave’s suspension provided a comfortable ride on imperfect pavement.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz’s small truck bed limited its utility despite its impressive maximum payload capacity. At 52.1 inches long, the bed was much shorter than the short bed available on the Toyota Tacoma, making it difficult to fit typical cargo like bicycles or a 4x8 sheet of plywood. Hyundai suggested strapping bikes with a wheel hanging over the edge or carrying plywood with the tailgate down, but these solutions were suboptimal. However, Hyundai included features to maximize the available space, such as a standard lockable tonneau cover, a height-adjustable tailgate, tie-down points, in-bed LED lighting, and a 115-volt power outlet.

The Santa Cruz was available only in a four-door crew-cab configuration with seating for five. Rear-seat passengers had limited legroom, but front-seat space was more generous, and outward visibility was good for a pickup. The center console offered decent storage space, and the controls for optional heated and ventilated seats were conveniently placed. However, the touch pads for audio volume and climate control were harder to use while driving.

Climbing into and out of the 2023 Jeep Gladiator required practice, especially through the crew cab’s narrow rear doors. Optional side steps, mounted just below the door openings, often got in the way more than they helped. The manually height-adjustable driver’s seat was comfortable but required regular re-adjustment due to the lever’s location. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel were available, extending the top-off, windows-down driving season.

The rear seats were roomy enough for adults, with a supportive bottom cushion, good legroom, and rear air conditioning vents. However, the plastic front seatback panels with grocery bag hooks and storage netting could cause knee and shin pain for taller passengers. The Gladiator offered various storage locations, including netting on the door panels, four cupholders, a dashboard tray, and a deep but narrow bin under the center armrest. The five-foot long, 35.5 cubic-foot steel cargo box lacked depth, but available features like a spray-in bedliner, tonneau cover, three-position tailgate, LED lighting, and Trail Rail Management System enhanced its utility.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trim levels offered a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless phone charging, and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The digital cluster could display images of blind spots from the optional surround-view camera system. Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics service included smartwatch and Google Assistant connectivity. The 10.25-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster in the Limited test vehicle looked great and worked well, with quick boot-up and response times. Wireless device charging and Hyundai’s digital-key feature, which worked only with Android phones, were also available.

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator, despite its low-tech appearance, offered several advanced features. The Mojave test truck had an Off-Road+ driving mode for high-speed performance on sandy surfaces and an optional TrailCam forward-facing camera for tricky trails. The Off-Road Pages program allowed drivers to assess various data points related to their adventures on the Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system. A 7-inch touchscreen was standard, including Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a USB data and charging port, and an eight-speaker stereo. An 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, connected services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Alexa integration, and SiriusXM satellite radio was available.

Our test vehicle had all these features, including a portable Bluetooth speaker and a nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system. However, the voice recognition system was less effective, accurately responding to only a few standard commands. Additional tech included a passive keyless entry system and a dual-zone automatic climate control system with an air filter that could eliminate 95% of particulates in the cabin.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, being a new model, did not have safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, Hyundai offered standard forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-follow assist, rear-seat reminder, and a driver-attention monitor. Higher trim levels included blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit assist, a surround-view camera system, and Highway Driving Assist, which combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering. Hyundai’s system performed comparably to others in its price range, handling acceleration and deceleration well but struggling with highway curves.

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator came with minimal standard safety features, and the list of available technologies was short. Our test vehicle had SiriusXM Guardian Services, offering SOS emergency calling, automatic collision notification, Family Drive Alerts, and notifications related to vehicle speed, driver curfew, and geographic boundaries. The optional Safety Group added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors, which were recommended due to the Gladiator’s small exterior mirrors and three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA.

The Advanced Safety Group built on the Safety Group with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high-beam headlights. However, Jeep did not offer lane-departure warning or lane-keeping assistance for the Gladiator. Our test truck had both option packages, with effective adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert systems. The NHTSA gave the Gladiator a four-star rating for frontal-impact protection, while the IIHS rated its headlights as Marginal at best.