2025 Honda Ridgeline vs 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz was available in five trim levels: SE, SEL, SEL Activity, XRT, and Limited. The first three models featured a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which was considered underpowered, while the XRT and Limited models offered a more robust turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Prices ranged from $30,245 to $44,245, including the destination charge. The XRT model, which we tested, had a price of $41,925 with optional carpeted floor mats. The Santa Cruz's styling was distinctive, with revised front styling, wheel designs, and paint colors for 2025. The XRT variant featured an improved approach angle and standard all-terrain tires, enhancing its pickup truck appearance. Inside, the Santa Cruz boasted a new high-tech dashboard with a panoramic curved display, featuring two 12.3-inch digital screens for instrumentation and infotainment. The interior also included revised switchgear, a redesigned steering wheel, and practical storage solutions.

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline maintained its unique position among pickups with a unibody platform, unlike its body-on-frame rivals. Its exterior styling, with a snub nose and curvaceous design, set it apart from other midsize trucks. Despite updates like a blockier grille and stamped tailgate lettering, the Ridgeline's styling appeared somewhat dated. For 2025, Honda offered the Ridgeline in Sport, RTL, TrailSport, and Black Edition trims. Our test vehicle was the TrailSport, featuring off-road enhancements like all-terrain tires and unique suspension tuning. The interior, while predominantly black and plastic, exhibited excellent fit and finish, with standard features like tri-zone automatic climate control. The Ridgeline's cabin was designed for practicality, with a focus on durability and functionality.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, particularly in its turbocharged form, delivered an engaging driving experience with 281 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 311 pound-feet of torque between 1,700 rpm and 4,000 rpm. This represented a significant increase over the standard engine. However, the turbocharged engine was only available in the more expensive XRT and Limited models, which had slightly lower fuel efficiency. The XRT model, for instance, achieved 21 mpg in combined driving. The Santa Cruz's eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission exhibited quirks, such as turbo lag and uneven power delivery, which were partially mitigated by switching to Sport mode. The XRT's all-terrain tires provided a comfortable ride but compromised handling on paved roads. While the Santa Cruz excelled in light off-roading, its brakes showed signs of heating during mountain descents, raising concerns about its towing capacity.

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline continued with a single powertrain option: a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The V6 engine was smooth and responsive, and the transmission efficiently utilized its nine forward ratios. The Ridgeline's unibody construction contributed to its solid ride quality, handling, and overall refinement. The fully independent suspension and torque-vectoring AWD system provided precise handling, even with all-terrain tires. However, the Ridgeline's off-road capability was limited compared to rivals, and its towing and payload capacities were not class-leading.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz's cabin resembled a crossover SUV, offering style and higher-quality materials. It featured practical storage solutions, including a new shelf in front of the passenger, a sizable center console, and a deep tray beneath the back-seat cushions. The 4-foot cargo bed included a locking in-floor trunk and a retractable tonneau cover. The Santa Cruz's front seats were comfortable, with standard heated seats and an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat in the XRT trim. However, rear-seat room was snug for taller adults.

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline was available in a four-door crew cab configuration with a 5-foot, 4-inch bed. The cargo box featured a dual-action tailgate and a 7.3-cubic-foot lockable in-bed trunk with a drain plug. The Ridgeline's interior offered reasonable headroom and legroom, with a high-and-wide center console for front-seat occupants. Rear-seat passengers had adequate space, but the seats could be more comfortable due to their upright angles.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluelink+ connected services, Hyundai Pay technology, and more. The user interface was intuitive, and the system included physical controls for ease of use. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, and Hyundai Bluelink+ was free for the original owner. The Santa Cruz also featured a leading vehicle departure alert system.

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline featured a 9-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Ridgeline Black Edition had an upgraded eight-speaker audio system. Wireless phone charging was standard, but the USB ports were limited to USB-A for data. The Ridgeline's infotainment system had a functional, low-tech interface with physical buttons for key functions, making it easy to use.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz included standard SmartSense driver-assistance features, such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and more. The XRT trim added features like intersection collision-braking and a surround-view camera system. The Santa Cruz received a "Marginal" rating from the IIHS in certain tests but earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA.

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline was the only midsize pickup with a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. It also received high scores in frontal and side crash tests. The Ridgeline's standard safety features included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and more. The Honda Sensing driver aids performed unobtrusively, but the adaptive cruise control system was slow to accelerate.