Compare the2023 Ford RangerVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Both the Ranger and the Santa Cruz have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

There are almost 4 times as many Ford dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ranger’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Ranger has a standard 700-amp battery. The Santa Cruz’s 600-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Ranger first among midsize pickups in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Santa Cruz isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

The Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 79 more horsepower (270 vs. 191) and 129 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 181) than the Santa Cruz’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Ranger’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Ranger has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Ranger, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Santa Cruz.

The Ranger’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Santa Cruz are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Ranger has larger standard tires than the Santa Cruz (255/70R16 vs. 245/60R18). The Ranger’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Cruz (265/65R17 vs. 245/60R18).

The Ford Ranger’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Hyundai Santa Cruz only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Ranger has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your work or a trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Santa Cruz; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Ranger has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ranger’s wheelbase is 8.5 inches longer than on the Santa Cruz (126.8 inches vs. 118.3 inches).

The Ranger SuperCrew has a much larger cargo box than the Santa Cruz shortbed (43.3 vs. 27 cubic feet).

The Ranger’s cargo box is larger than the Santa Cruz’s in every dimension:

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Ranger. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Ranger’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Cruz’s (7500 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Ranger 4WD can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Ranger can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Santa Cruz can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Ranger SuperCrew has a higher standard payload capacity than the Santa Cruz (1818 vs. 1753 lbs.).

The Ranger has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Santa Cruz (1905 vs. 1753 lbs.).

The Ranger uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Santa Cruz uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the Ranger is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Santa Cruz. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Ranger’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Blue Link can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Ranger SuperCrew has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Ford Ranger comes in extended cab and crew cab bodystyles; the Hyundai Santa Cruz isn’t available as an extended cab.

The Ford Ranger outsold the Hyundai Santa Cruz by 56% during 2022.