Toyota Tacoma Base vs Hyundai Santa Cruz
Side-by-side score breakdown across reliability, safety, value, performance, and technology.
What the Numbers Mean for You
- Up-front cost: the Hyundai Santa Cruz starts about $4,811 lower ($25,744 vs $30,555).
- Fuel: at 15,000 miles/year, the Hyundai Santa Cruz saves roughly $103/year ($2,283 vs $2,386) — about $515 over five years.
- Biggest gap — value: the Hyundai Santa Cruz leads by 0.8 points (8.4 vs 7.6). In practice that means more car for each dollar at this price point.
Quick verdict: the Toyota Tacoma Base leads on both long-haul dependability and the driving experience — the main reason to pick the Santa Cruz instead is price or personal preference on styling and brand.
Fuel estimates assume 15,000 miles/year at $3.50/gal. Recall counts from NHTSA at page build time. Scores are Carivo's editorial assessment informed by NHTSA, EPA, and manufacturer data — how we score →
