I traded a Chevy 1500 for a Ridgeline over a year ago. Still use it as i did my full size chevy and it has been great. Tows everything i need (all under 5000lbs) and have hauled everything i needed including a 4 wheeler in the bed numerous times. Averages around 22mpg too.

Having come from a Nissan Frontier and driven a Ford F150 off and on and owning a truck for 15 years - I decided to purchase the Ridgeline 6 months ago. It has got to be the most comfortable truck and maybe ranked as one of the most comfortable vehicles out there in the $40,000 range. Gonna be tough to knock the Ridgeline off the top spot.

I'm definitely biased towards Honda don't get me wrong, but I've been looking forward to the Santa Cruz. After seeing them perform though I would still choose the Ridgeline.

And not only is the Ridgeline's trunk bigger but easier to access because the tailgate can also swing to the side.

I bought the Hyundai Santa Cruz limited in that beautiful blue color and I absolutely love it

I have owned a 2007 ridgeline since February 2008. Daily driver the whole time and currently has 487,000km on it with original drivetrain. The most expensive repair it has ever needed was the AC system and that was only in the last 2 years after more than a decade of problem free use. I pick up my new 2022 black edition on Monday. The list of vehicles (let alone trucks) that can do this could be counted on one hand and I'd be shocked if the hyundia was one of them.

I sat in both the Ridgeline and the Santa Cruz at the LA Auto show this year. The Ridgeline was clearly more comfortable to me and I didn't hit my head on the roofline when getting in. I also liked how it felt more roomy inside. I bought a 2021 Ridgeline a couple weeks ago with 3" lift kit installed and it's been great!

I’ll get the Ridgeline because their Honda motors gonna last longer than the turbo Both look like great trucks

You guys do the best truck reviews! I own a 2021 Ridgeline Black Edition and it is the best truck I have ever owned and I have had 4 before this from other brands. Honda has the absolute best AWD system.

Life expectancy of Honda far exceeds that of any thing turbocharged. Hyundai, Ford etc.🙏

Just picked up a 23 RTL. Love this thing. Roomy inside, super quiet, tows enough for me, AWD system is great, doesn't drive like a truck, run forever NA V6... it just feels right. Although I'm sure the Santa Cruz is a fine vehicle, it just seems a little too small... for me anyway. And the stressed out 4 cyl Turbo -while it may have more pep than the Ridgeline, there's no way it lasts as long as the tried and true Honda V6. Different strokes for different folks I guess....Honda all the way for me.

People that diss these options do so because deep down this is the truck they actually want and need. They all go lease or finance a 65k f150 for 80 months just to drive around down.

Just bought a Santa Cruz a few weeks ago. It's a great ride. Don't need it for towing, but has come in handy at DIY stores for large home project hauling. And is as easy to park in downtown lots as my old Sonata.

Love the reviews! Only thing I'll say is I think these vehicles are for different markets. The ridgeline, although small, is more of a true mid size truck and the santa cruz is really more of a crossover with the utility of having a small bed.

Until recently the Ridgeline looked a tweener / in a different league, but thanks to the Santa Cruz and Maverick it suddenly looks big and more the real deal :-)

"Come back to the bed with me, cause this is really where I want to show off.... " STEVE! let's stop you right there ;)

Good comparison, I think I would choose the Ridgeline. My current 2009 Ridgeline does everything our family needs in a truck. It's a comfy and trouble-free daily driver. At 314,000 kms it still runs like new, great job Honda!

I lean more towards the Honda Ridgeline because it’s infotainment and climate control is much more user friendly. While the Honda V6 might not have the power of Hyundai’s I4 Turbo, the Honda V6 should be much more reliable long term and is a supercharger away from beauty.

I work at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, building the engines for the 4 vehicles we build, Santa Cruz included. I'm proud of the product that Hyundai sells

Can’t argue with your choice on which one you prefer. 😉 But in all seriousness, I agree with you both that it’s nice to have some variety in the truck world! Great job guys!

Recently got a 2021 ridgline, absolutely no complaints! Great truck

Ridgeline all the way, more room, bigger trunk, and the best AWD system in the market place right now.

Tried the 2021 Ridgeline last week and I’m impressed with the ride quality. Now I’m waiting for the dealer to receive a black one. The only thing is that in Puerto Rico the sport cost $48k 😳. I managed to get that price down and the dealer included the roof racks, all weather mats and running boards.

Like Howard said around the 15:00 minute mark, in a couple years I’ll be cross-shopping the F-150, Ridgeline, Santa Cruz, Ranger, Frontier, etc. I know I want a truck, but I also know I don’t need a lot of truck. I’m a weekend warrior type. Fuel efficiency and comfort on-road is important for commuting, as is affordability, but I also want some capability. I’m not sure which truck is for me yet, but these videos help! Thanks for these videos and all you do.

"Compact market" -- Isn't Ridgeline more of a midsize? At least to my 6'3" it felt that way.

Honda Ridgeline ! In my opinion has been around with no issues !!!

i have a 2nd gen Ridgeline...i got it after I traded in my Baja....when i saw the Santa Cruz, I thought , oh crap, the Baja is back.....but after driving the Honda for a year and seeing the trunk/box of the Cruz, I am happy with my P/U choice...if I had an extra 30 K to play with, and a 3 car garage, I would probably pick up a Cruz as a drive around town vehicle and get that Baja feeling back again...i love the look of the Hyundai but for truck purposes and usefulness, the Honda is a better pick for me

great review gents.... 8 grand difference between the two will play a big part of any decision too

The Santa Cruz and Maverick are the best things to happen to the Ridgeline.

Bought my first Ridgeline yesterday-beauty to drive!

After owning a 2009 Ridgeline for 12 years i decided to check out the Santa Cruise but had to get the new 2021 Ridgeline Touring as i know they are dependable and well made ,Wow really loving it!

Thanks Steve and Howard. Always good, honest reviews. Howard, your ending summary was damn good!

Here's a pro tip LOL, by backing you quad into the truck bed you won't accidentally smash the rear window with the front of the quad bumper/rack (either by loading or bouncing on rough roads). The front guard is slightly in front of the tires and above the lip of the bed where as the rear tires are the furthest part of the rear end and rest against the bed wall, with the rear rack on most all quads high and forward enough not to go through the rear window when loaded. Unfortunately it was a tough lesson learned when I was working oilfield survey in western Canada with a Ford Ranger extended cab and a quad living in the bed. just an FYI!

Great job with this video, I was hoping to see these two together. One of thing I actually liked about the Ridgeline when it first came out was that it looked different from everything else on the road. Over the years that uniqueness has been whittled away to where it just looks like every other truck out there. We test drove the Santa Cruz and couldn't believe how much fun it was to drive.

Howard hit the nail on the head. The market is there, and these are great contenders in that market. I’m a Santa Cruz fan in this market. I just wish it had a 4wd system instead of the awd system because I think it would make a great overland vehicle. Just my two cents.

I just bought the 2022 Cruz a few months ago for a work car. I've loved it in many ways and then I've not liked some things around it. It drives great!! It handles very well and has some great options. I put on a lot of miles with it a day and very comfortable to drive no problems! I bought the SEL to get more out of it so was $40k plus, I also looked at the Ridgeline before buying this and because of price and thinking the MPG would be better with all the miles I put on. I chose the Cruz. So far 10K later MPG hasn't been super great and the size of bed doesn't hold as much as I thought. The cover that comes on it I think is crap, it leaks and sticks a lot. You lose a good amount of space with it on, so only getting like 3' of room back there for all my stuff for work. Then I've had a lot of mechanical issues with warranty, so it's been in the shop 3 times now for updates which I've not liked at all. I'm in the process of trading it in for Ridgeline. To get about the same MPG and more space and I can put a topper on to get more space and security which the cruz I've been told will not have a topper option if at all or not for a while. So as much as I've loved the Cruz for the good stuff I've also had enough bad that I'm going to switch to the Honda in the long run.

Great review. I currently own a 2007 Honda Ridgeline and am totally impressed with it! My favourite features are the 2” lift kit and larger tires, absolutely love the massive trunk under the truck bed - carries all of my winter emergency kit, towing supplies, tools and toys; in summer, all of my camping stuff (sleeping bags, tent, fishing tackle box, inflatable kayak, fishing rods (folded), life jackets, shovel, ax, stove, etc..) - yes - all in that massive trunk! I also love the interior cab space where we can comfortably seat 5 good sized adults with everyone having leg room and some good storage under the rear 60/40 seat. It drives like a car, handles fantastic and it’s nice and quiet/smooth. Hands down the most enjoyable vehicle I’ve personally ever owned in my life and highly recommended. It’s got 337,000km on it and still running like a top! The downfall is that the back rear end rusts out on them (so I’m told) so I’m looking at about a $2,000 CAD rebuild/metal fabrication job to fix that but then everything else is great so I should expect to have a couple/several more years of enjoyment out of my large El Camino. As far as the Hyundai Truck, I couldn’t help but visit my local dealer when I saw one sitting in the parking lot because it looked so sharp! The driver’s seat is really comfortable and when I hopped out of it (left it positioned where I would be driving it) to get in the back seat, I immediately noticed there was 2-3” (yes, inches) available between the front and rear seat which means I’d have to bring my driving seat ahead several inches to allow a smaller person to sit behind me (and I’m a tiny little guy myself!) The in-bed trunk is around (eyeball guessing) 70-80% smaller than the Ridgeline - don’t even think I could get my tent in it. The truck bed is certainly a lot smaller than the Ridgeline because of the bed cover and although it can be removed to get that extra foot of space, I didn’t ‘appear’ to be a 2 minute job to get it out. My impression of the Hyundai truck is that it’s a multi purpose vehicle I’m sure fits a great part in the market and I think my wife would love it because it IS smaller, has great fuel economy, AWD, loads of safety features and easy to handle. (No, I didn’t buy it but if you’re going to lose sleep over it, let me know and I’ll set up a go-fund-me page and keep you posted - only need $45,999.99 and I can cover the rest 😉)

Awesome review TK team! Loved seeing these compare and contrast style videos. People will always complain but i love seeing differences even if they arent apples to apples.

Great comparison review. I have my eye on both of these but I am heavily leaning towards the Ridgeline. Keep up the great reviews!

Having just taken my almost week-old Santa Cruz Ultimate for a nearly three hour tour down the exact kind of forest access gravel/sand/mud roads you were showing ... making big splashes and kicking up mud along the way ... (ADVENTURE!! It was .. we got turned around and lost in the middle of nowhere for about 60km) I can absolutely say it's built for just that kind of soft-road adventuring. It ate up those unmaintained washboards so well my wife didn't realize we were on washboard. Had a few bits of 'turkey trail' that left me wondering if I was going to have wheels hanging in the air. Hit some big mud holes full of water (didn't have a videographer to soak though). Prayed those highway Michelins would keep traction in the mud. It was a good time, other than spending an hour or so trying to figure out where the h*ll we were for a bit. LOL My only real complaint, if I had to pick one, is that the bed may be water resistant, but man, it gets LOADED with dust on those dirt roads! Had my jacket/computer bag/cooler bag in the bed because we gave a friend and her dachshund a ride back to town after work ... and I had to pound the dust off them all before I could bring them in the house. But we put the adventure in Sports Adventure Vehicle tonight. The things you do to get home when a fatal accident closes the only highway between your office and your home. (Trans-Canada Highway)

As a woman in search of her first pickup, I am doing my homework. I test-drove a Santa Cruz and love that it handles like a car, love the 5k towing capacity and AWD. My sister-in-law has the black edition honda ridgeline and she loves it but I don't like the boxiness of the Honda. the comparisons are real but for me, it is coming down to affordability and you cannot beat the Hyundai warranty. This was a great review and thank you

The Santa Cruz would fit much more easily in most garages, but I really like both vehicles. People who deride these as not being”real trucks” don’t realize how capable they really are for what most suburban drivers use a pickup (as opposed to buying a “real truck” for its image yet never taking it off-road).

I'd take a naturally aspirated engine over a turbocharged engine when I'm towing any day.... Driving a 2017 Ridgeline for the last 2yrs and very pleased with it.... had a few vehicles from Hyundai in the past and they do build good cars but Honda has this one in the bag.

I have had Ford F-150’s, Toyotas, a 2007 Ridgeline and now a 2023 Ridgeline. The naturally aspirated engine in the Ridgeline is such a reliable engine. Hondas are made so much better than their competitors. I would choose the Ridgeline over all others…and I did! Very impressed!

Honda hands down. Just better quality IMHO. Turbos are fine until about 5-6 years in when they go. Suddenly all your fuel savings are erased and then some.

Props to the king for bringing us this comparison video so quickly.

You are becoming my go to source for all things trucks. Great information with a very nice presentation.

Kudos to Howard for his commentary at the end! Great video guys. Keep 'em coming!

Thanks for including car seats in your reviews. It’s super helpful as I look for a new family vehicle for outdoor fun.

I own a 2021 Ridgeline and pick the Ridgeline (not because I own one) but for these reasons .bigger bed ... bigger trunk ... dual action tailgate = MORE UTILITY .bigger cab ... bigger truck = MORE COMFORT .superior AWD system (as you demonstrated) .less stressed J35Y6 V6 = LONG TERM RELIABILITY .simplicity less buttons to push less levers to pull fewer digital screens = LESS ELECTRICAL GREMLINS OVER TIME .the non-truck Ridgeline seems truckier than the car-like Santa Cruz Regards, Keith

I noticed the Trend addition is a great one in the Santa Cruz line up. All the best features of the Ultimate with dials for the radio and wireless car play. I love it!

I'd go for Honda for every single choice

Best Santa Cruz review by far. Loved the car seat review as well. Thank you

I would pick the Ridgeline because of the bigger trunk, wider bed, bigger back seat, and the torque vectoring AWD system. From everything I have seen, that iVTM4 system is extremely capable. I'd love to see Honda pop a version of their 3.0 Turbo that they use on the Acura S models into the Ridgeline. Even if it was slightly detuned that would make for a fun little truck. Of coarse it would probably drive the price up significantly too, so maybe not a great idea.

These two aren't really comparable. The Ridgeline was clearly built with the mid-size market in mind. It has better packaging and space for more classically "truck-like" duties. However, it's pricing is also more on par with more traditional mid-sized trucks, while a similarly equipped Santa Cruz will run close to $10k cheaper.

Have a 2022 Ridgeline on order and I like both these trucks but the Ridgeline just has way more utility. Road trips, cargo usage, interior and the famous Honda 3.5 engine that is proven till the end of time.

I'm shooting for a maverick, but the numbers for the Santa Cruz are pretty impressive especially with the dual clutch transmission!

Good GOOD Videography Fellas..thats how your videos should be so you look more professional...both of you give your opinions too and no yelling out. Good damn camera angles too. Good job.

I'm on my 2nd Ridgeline since 2007. My 17 has been a fantastic vehicle so far and super reliable just like the first gen was. The Santa Cruz is a sharp looking vehicle, but my friends with other Hyundai's with turbo chargers ALL have had major reliability issues with the turbo chargers and transmissions. That scares me. Maybe once they fix those issues and by the time I'm ready to replace my Ridge in a few years, the Santa Cruz will be one I test drive.

I test drove both back to back last week and the biggest thing I noticed was the steering. The Ridgeline has super light steering while the Santa Cruz feels weighted much better which I like. I’ll definitely be going for the Santa Cruz but here in the US you get the SE trim with the 2.5 NA engine with 191 hp

10 years and 100,000 miles from now, would you really want a turbo charge 4 cyl Santacruz over a 3.5 ltr 6 cylinder Honda Ridgeline?

9:56 THANK YOU! Finally found a review with baby seats in the back of these.

Honda ridgeline as I used one as a work truck at a body shop and it out performed my 03 4.8 v8 silverado better mpg better everything.

I like the more space you get with Honda Ridgeline. The bed is deeper and the trunk is massive. Great for grocery runs and I can use it for light hauling. The ride is smooth and I get good mileage per gallon. I traded my Ram 1500 it was a good truck but it was to much truck.

Awesome trucks my Canadians bros, I have first and second generation Ridgeline and they are perfect for me and my family living in northern Ontario Canada all year and all terrains...you can get lift kit for Honda, we use Nokian Rotiiva AT All weather winter rated tires all year and they are awesome

Both lacking a very nice future . For 2003 the Subaru Baja designers created a bed pass-through they call the Switchback. Flip the seat cushions forward, fold the backrests down, and a pass-through door folds flat so you can slide in surfboards, skis etc . Can't belive that today they couldn't offer this for cause of structural integrity .

You need to show how a 4x8ft sheet of Plywood does fit in the back of the ridgeline. (yes with tailgate open)

You are spot on……the Hyundai is in a class of its own even with Ford. Drive both and the Santa Cruz feels like a sports car while the Ford feels like a Ranger from the 90s. Note that the latter isn’t bad…..I loved my friend’s Ranger but if you don’t need the larger bed (which you probably don’t or you would’ve gotten a full size truck) then the Santa Cruz is the way to go!

That redirect loop/ latch position for the forward-facing car seat is amazing, coming from a dad that has to put two carseats in my ranger and pull the seat forward every single time.

We've had a slew of trucks, for many uses. Some of the recent ones...Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins Dually for heavy duty towing and fifth wheel rv travel, 1500 Dodge half ton, and then a few GMC Sierras. Today we own a 2020 Honda Ridgeline Touring. Pretty much all we need and has really cool features, so many that sometimes we forget... like the heated and cooled seats, rear heated seats, rear climate controls on the console, USB plugs in the rear console, rear tailgate dual opening options, sound system in the box, electric 110 in the box, etc. For us it works great, easy to park in narrow conditions, takes on a 48" wide sheet of plywood and will tow 5000 lbs which is perfect for our landscaping hobby. When traveling it is very comfortable, gets respectable fuel mileage while allowing for good luggage capacity. All in all the price may be higher than the Hyundai, but you have more truck and features. Also, I would be sure that you're going to get long trouble free service and much higher trade in value. As much as I respect the Hyundai / Kia brands, they are still suffering from negative reviews with the many engine failures and associated quality deficiencies. Bottom line, just spend the extra money on the Honda. :-)

Thank you, very well done. Also looking forward to the heavier tow testing of the Santa Cruz once the 7 pin connector is available. What brand of brake controller are you going to install?

I'd definitely pick the Ridgeline because there's no turbo to replace. I get the advantages of a turbo engine, but that's a very expensive repair. I've had a couple of vehicles with turbo engines and the turbo failed in both. Also I like the interior design of the Ridgeline much better. I've had several trucks and the Ridgeline meets all my needs, plus an awesome crash rating. The Ridgeline will be my next truck. Yes, I said truck.

Great review. The extra space in the Honda and the easy access spare is nice. With the Honda you know your resale value. With the Hyundai you get a little better mpg and a pretty substantial warranty and in the US 3 years of maintenance included. That's a pretty solid selling feature. Going for comfort features the ventilated seats are a plus for the Santa Cruz. I'm torn still. I'll have to drive them both. I think the turbo will be fun to drive. 😃

Nice vid. The one comparison I would like to see is a 4x8 sheet in both beds. If even a small PU can't bring home a couple of sheets of plywood or drywall easily, then it might be too small. Nice payload numbers on both.

I just love that Truck King got the new Cruz and it is filthy. I know it went through the ringer with TK and that is what I wanted to know.

Definitely Honda for me! I had had the first generation ridgeline for 10 years before I switched to another vehicle. I had abused it for the duration and was a very reliable vehicle despite. As for Santa Cruz as a newcomer in the arena, it still has a lot to prove in reliability, which i doubt very strongly.

Man love how you present, great info and you have a lot of charisma. 👍🏼

Great video, thanks for posting

Honda all day every day. Ridgeline is sadly not perfect but the engine and roominess are best in midsize class.

dude, you are dam good at this! excellent flow and to the point.

If you don't get the 10" infotainment on the Santa Cruz you DO get physical volume and tuning rollers, as well as physical up/down levers for the climate temps.

The Honda looks trucklike the Hyundai looks like a car with a bed but both very capable I'm impressed

Remember the original Ford Ranger with a single cab years ago? It was neat. I’m glad those little trucks are coming back. The new Colorado, Ridgeline and Ranger are pretty much big normal pick up trucks so the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz have brought back life to the segment. I too lean towards the Santa Cruz but wish they had a physical volume knob and climate controls. I prefer the base model’s interior.

I would get the Ridgeline if I were buying any truck right now. It has plenty of power and torque for what I would be doing with it. plus it is just a bit larger so I can haul larger items. Lastly, I have had both Honda and Hyundai. I was more pleased with my Honda vehicles.

I watched the TFL trail test on the Santa Cruz Limited AWD. I wasnt too impressed. I may go non turbo AWD so I don't have to use a DCT. Cant wait to see the winter testing on the Santa Cruz. Great comparison video!

thanks for another great video!

great review! learned a lot.

Finally!!! Thanks for this review.

I am a recent owner of a Santa Cruz. So far I am really impressed, but it's not without flaws. A light duty truck serves my needs. If I a larger bed or more towing I'll get a medium or large truck.

Honda ridgeline all the way. I own and love it. I am tired of this turbo nonsense. Making small displacement engines work hard all the time. Longevity won't be an option. My 2 cents. Great video.

I'm glad you guys treat these as a utility vehicles and don't give a crap if they're a "real truck". Love that you guys came with an open mind and are "fruits" as you mentioned. Great comparison.

I have owned two F 150s , a Ranger and a Sport Trac. The smaller trucks were a better option for me. Not everyone needs or wants a big truck. Great review guys.

The 4 cylinder turbo is awesome I tow two snowmobiles in a hybrid trailer with my cx 9 easily! I also run 4 hakkapalitta studded snows👍👍

Hyundai Santa Cruz is my favorite I have the all-wheel-drive limited edition Grey and love it

1:49 im sick of youtubers talking about how great the payload is in the santa cruz without mentioning that only 661lbs of it can go in the bed. your acting like the payload numbers are so close when it reality the honda has a major advantage. other than that i love your reviews, your one of the best

WoW super belle émission Merci beaucoup Québec/Canada

Going to order a 2022 Silverado crew cab with the 6.5ft bed (currently have a '12 with 5'8 bed). Nice to be able to close the gate with my quad loaded, or if I get a tool box can still fit the quad with gate down. Last I checked the GM trucks standard bed was a hair longer than Ram and a couple inches longer than F150 and it's the only bed that can close the gate with my ATV

Great review!!!!

Love my 2008 Honda Ridgeline it’s been so reliable to me just bought all terrain tires had a hard winter with tires not this time

People's comments stating that the Honda will outlast the Hyundai makes no sense considering that engine is only a few years old. Plus Hyundai gives you a 100,000 mile 10 year warranty with free scheduled maintenance for up to $36,000 miles I believe which is the best warranty you can have right now!!