Compare the2024 Hyundai Santa CruzVS 2024 Nissan Frontier

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Full-time four-wheel drive is optional on the Santa Cruz. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Frontier.

The Santa Cruz’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Frontier.

The Santa Cruz has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Frontier’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Cruz has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Nissan charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Frontier and the Frontier’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Santa Cruz uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Frontier uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Santa Cruz and the Frontier have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Santa Cruz is safer than the Frontier Crew Cab:

	Santa Cruz	Frontier
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	-89 lbs.	67 lbs.
Shoulder Deflection	-.87 in	.79 in
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	70	427
Head Peak Forces	no contact	88 G’s
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	134 lbs.
Neck Compression	-45 lbs.	156 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.83 in	1.81 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	469 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	9 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

The Hyundai Santa Cruz achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Frontier is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

The Santa Cruz comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Frontier’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Cruz 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Frontier. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Frontier ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Cruz’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Frontier’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Cruz for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Frontier.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Santa Cruz has a standard 600-amp battery. The Frontier’s 510-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Santa Cruz’s reliability 33 points higher than the Frontier.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 57 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 6 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The Santa Cruz’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 30 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 281) than the Frontier’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Santa Cruz turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Nissan Frontier:

	Santa Cruz	Frontier
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	7.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98.2 MPH	87.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Cruz gets better mileage than the Frontier:

			MPG
Santa Cruz
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/26 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/25 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/27 hwy
Frontier
	RWD	3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/23 hwy
		PRO-4X 3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/22 hwy

The Santa Cruz has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Frontier. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Santa Cruz offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Frontier doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Cruz’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Frontier:

	Santa Cruz	Frontier King Cab	Frontier Crew Cab
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	11.1 inches	11.7 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.3 inches	11.3 inches

The Santa Cruz stops much shorter than the Frontier:

	Santa Cruz	Frontier
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Santa Cruz’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Frontier S’ standard 70 series tires. The Santa Cruz Night/Limited’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Frontier SV/SL’s 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Cruz has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Frontier S. The Santa Cruz Night/Limited’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Frontier PRO-X/PRO-4X/Hardbody.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Santa Cruz has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Frontier has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Santa Cruz has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Frontier Crew Cab suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The front and rear suspension of the Santa Cruz uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Frontier, which uses leaf springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Santa Cruz has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Frontier doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Cruz is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 3.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Frontier.

The Santa Cruz SEL 4x4 handles at .83 G’s, while the Frontier LWB SV Crew Cab 4x4 pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Santa Cruz’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the Frontier King Cab 4x4’s (39.6 feet vs. 42.4 feet). The Santa Cruz’s turning circle is 7.3 feet tighter than the Frontier LWB Crew Cab’s (39.6 feet vs. 46.9 feet).

Chassis

The Hyundai Santa Cruz may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 650 pounds less than the Nissan Frontier.

The Santa Cruz is 1 foot, 2.5 inches shorter than the Frontier Crew Cab, making the Santa Cruz easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Santa Cruz’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Frontier doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

Passenger Space

The Santa Cruz has 1.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Frontier Crew Cab (101.8 vs. 100.1).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over bed design makes loading and unloading the Santa Cruz easier. The Santa Cruz’s bed lift-over height is 31.6 inches, while the Frontier King Cab’s liftover is 32 inches. The Frontier Crew Cab’s liftover is 33.4 inches.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz has a standard rear cargo step, which allows for much easier access to the cargo area. The Nissan Frontier doesn’t offer a rear cargo step.

Payload

The Santa Cruz has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Frontier:

	Santa Cruz	Frontier
Crew Cab	1753 lbs.	1460 lbs.
Crew Cab 4x4	1753 lbs.	1290 lbs.

The Santa Cruz has much higher optional payload capacities than the Frontier:

	Santa Cruz	Frontier
Crew Cab	1753 lbs.	1480 lbs.
Crew Cab 4x4	1753 lbs.	1310 lbs.

Ergonomics

To help each driver find a more comfortable driving position, the Santa Cruz has a telescoping steering wheel. Much better than just a tilt steering wheel or adjustable seat, this allows a short driver to sit further from the steering wheel while maintaining contact with the pedals. The Frontier doesn’t offer a telescoping steering wheel.

The Santa Cruz’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Frontier’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Santa Cruz and the Frontier have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Santa Cruz is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Frontier prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Santa Cruz SEL/Night/XRT/Limited’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and the driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Frontier’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

On a hot day the Santa Cruz’s driver can lower the front windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Frontier can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Santa Cruz Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Frontier’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Santa Cruz’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Frontier’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Santa Cruz’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Frontier’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Santa Cruz has standard power remote mirrors. The Frontier S doesn’t offer either a remote driver side or passenger side mirror. The driver will have to roll down the windows and reach across the car to adjust the mirrors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Santa Cruz Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Frontier doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Santa Cruz has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Frontier King Cab doesn’t offer rear vents.

Both the Santa Cruz and the Frontier offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Santa Cruz Limited has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Frontier Crew Cab doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Economic Advantages

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Santa Cruz will be $2186 to $6241 less than for the Nissan Frontier.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Santa Cruz, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Nissan Frontier isn't recommended.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its February 2022 issue and they ranked the Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited 4x4 higher than the Nissan Frontier PRO-4X Crew Cab.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Santa Cruz first among midsize pickups in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Frontier was rated second.