2025 Ford F-150 vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz was a unique blend of a unibody crossover and a compact pickup truck, offering a distinctive design that set it apart from traditional pickups. Available in various trims, the Limited trim stood out with its intentional design elements, including a Tron-like grille and sharply raked C-pillar. The interior, while not overly luxurious, featured high-quality materials and a cohesive design, with a funky four-spoked steering wheel and a trim that spanned the driver and passenger space. Despite its compact size, the Santa Cruz made a bold statement on the road.

In contrast, the 2025 Ford F-150 Tremor SuperCrew was a robust and off-road-focused version of the F-150 lineup. It featured a mix of body-color and black exterior details, accented with Active Orange highlights and exclusive wheels. The Space White Metallic paint added a sophisticated touch to its chiseled bodywork. Inside, the Tremor offered an industrial yet comfortable cabin with black leather seats, orange accents, and a range of amenities like a panoramic sunroof and heated seats. The interior was designed for practicality and comfort, making it suitable for both off-road adventures and daily commutes.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz offered a choice between a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower and a turbocharged variant producing 282 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged engine, paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, provided a peppy performance, making it easy to pass other vehicles even on uphill roads. The Santa Cruz excelled in maneuverability, making it ideal for city driving and tight parking spaces. Its AWD system, with a center locking differential and hill-descent control, allowed for some off-road capability, although its ground clearance and geometry limited its off-road prowess.

The 2025 Ford F-150 Tremor, equipped with a 5.0-liter V8 engine, delivered a robust 400 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain allowed for a maximum towing capacity of 9,900 pounds and a payload capacity of 1,725 pounds. The Tremor's off-road capabilities were enhanced by its 4WD system, off-road-tuned suspension, and various driving modes. Despite its size, the Tremor offered a firm and quiet ride on highways, although its all-terrain tires limited handling on twisty roads. The truck's size posed challenges in tight spaces, but its off-road features and powerful engine made it a formidable choice for adventurous drivers.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz, despite not being a traditional pickup, offered impressive utility with a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds in AWD form. Its compact bed, measuring 52 inches long and nearly 54 inches wide, provided ample space for camping gear and other cargo. The bed featured lockable underfloor storage, tie-down points, and a sliding tonneau cover, although the latch was somewhat finicky. Inside, the rear seats folded up for additional cargo space, but rear legroom was limited to 36.5 inches. Heated front seats were a highlight, offering adjustable levels of warmth.

The 2025 Ford F-150 Tremor provided a spacious and comfortable interior with oversized, power-adjustable seats and ample storage options. The Mobile Office package transformed the center console into a workstation, while the rear seat cushion flipped up for secure cargo storage. The Pro Access tailgate offered versatility, and the hard tonneau cover added security. The Tremor's interior was well-equipped for long journeys, with features like a heated steering wheel and effective climate control, making it a practical choice for both work and leisure.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz featured an 8-inch touchscreen with Hyundai’s BlueLink infotainment system on lower trims, supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Upper trims offered a larger 10.25-inch display, but only with wired smartphone compatibility. The infotainment system was intuitive, though it lacked a physical volume knob, relying on touch-sensitive controls. Charging options were limited, with USB-A ports available, but no USB-C. Wireless charging was standard on higher trims.

The 2025 Ford F-150 Tremor boasted dual 12-inch displays, including a digital instrument panel and Sync 4 infotainment touchscreen. Despite their size, these screens offered impressive usability, though the fonts and contrast could be challenging in bright conditions. The infotainment system, paired with a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, provided excellent performance. The Tremor also featured a head-up display, off-road cameras, and trailering assistance features, enhancing its technological appeal.

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz came equipped with a comprehensive suite of advanced driver-assistance systems, including forward collision avoidance, blind-spot collision avoidance, and lane-keep assist. The Limited trim added features like adaptive cruise control and a blind-spot view monitor. The Santa Cruz received a five-star front crash rating from NHTSA, although it had not been rated by IIHS for 2024.

The 2025 Ford F-150 Tremor offered an impressive array of safety features, including new oncoming-traffic detection, evasive steering assist, and predictive speed assist. The BlueCruise hands-free driving technology was a standout feature, providing reliable performance in most situations. The F-150 earned high marks in crash tests from both NHTSA and IIHS, making it a safe choice for drivers.