… seems sort of like a small Honda Ridgeline. Nominally, it has room for 4 passengers, but it looks like the legroom in the back is so limited that only kids could sit back there.
We could add 4” to rear cab but it would cost $800 in additional steel. And 12oz of carpet
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Not a very good payload area either. As they say, not a good car and not a good truck. Pick one and go with that.
Exactly!
But, just as the Honda Ridgeline appeals to some folks, this one may also interest some folks. Will it have enough appeal for Hyundai to continue selling it after a couple of years? That remains to be seen…
Payload? This is a family vehicle, not a delivery truck. Groceries and bicycles are not heavy. Anyone interested in hauling freight should buy the appropriate vehicle.
Still waiting for a Ranger replacement, don’t think the new Ranger is it, either. Problem is they won’t sell without 4 doors, that limits the bed size.
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I saw one today, in the parking lot at Lowe’s, and I was impressed by how nicely it was designed. It was a really nice-looking truck. Will most people consider its bed size to be adequate? Only time will tell.
That will prevent me from getting a new truck I will not have one with any kind of backseat or less than a 6ft bed.
To be fair, the back seat in my Corolla isn’t exactly spacious. The same can be said for a lot of cars.
The Santa Cruz seems like a great reason to buy an F150.
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There’s really only one replacement for the 1990s to 2000s Ranger: another working used 1990s to 2000s Ranger. The Ranger had a long bed, and could actually be used as a truck. I guess a 1990s to 2000s Tacoma would be comparable, if equipped with the long bed option, however those are crazy expensive now.
A friend of ours has had a Toyota Tacoma SR Utility Pkg (Black Bumper work truck spec) with a 6ft bed and all his tools behind the rear half doors. Lives out of the truck most days to haul everything he needs to maintain his rental properties. He’d previously owned a ranger but this Tacoma does everything he needs it to and they have a Camry Hybrid for hauling the grandkids
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Different markets. The F150 is for people who want a truck. The Santa Cruz is for people who want the idea of a truck.
There can be a happy medium, though. Something like the older Japanese import trucks. Small is fine, but those rakes on the bedside diminish the bed’s utility. I used to get mulch and dirt in my Mighty Max. The bed was just long enough that the garden center guys could just dump bulk material in with a Bobcat, and it could carry 2,000 pounds easily.
If I’d have been in this thing I’d have had to get it in bags because the rakes would prevent the Bobcat driver from being able to tip the load in. Having to use bagged supplies is a pain in the butt when you’re putting 4 yards of mulch on the gardens.
I’m sure there would be some uses for that small bed, but really I think I could get as many bags of leaves in my trunk. Would you really want to put bags of groceries in the back without a tarp on it? Just can’t think of what the bed would be good for except an occasional ;high item like a chest or something. I’ve always been a fan of form over function but still I just can’t seem to find the function.
I am sure that market research has shown that buyers are not going to pay $20,000 for a regular cab compact truck to haul top soil or leaves once a year. A small work truck of that nature would appeal to a gardener, pool service tech, mobile detail service etc. Those people are on a budget and buy used trucks, there is a good supply of used trucks.
A Might Max is not a $20,000 truck, I have an old truck to carry top soil and rock but if I had a new truck I would have those things delivered. I needed 6 yards of soil once and didn’t want to make that many trips so I had it delivered, total cost $200.
When I visit Costco with my truck I place items in the cargo box, cases of beverages, toilet paper, boxes of detergent, there is limited space in the back seat and these things won’t blow away. If you have a regular cab truck where you put the groceries?
Essentially a miniature version of a Ranchero or El Camino I guess. Just ordered some black dirt. $30 a yard and $75 delivery. Worth it.
In the passenger footwell and on the passenger seat. If two of you have to shop, then get a secure box for the bed. You might want a box that you can anchor in place so that it doesn’t slide around.
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