Colin Wood said:
Two engine options:
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder good for " 190+ horsepower and 180+ lb.-ft. of torque"
- 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder good for "275+ horsepower and 310+ lb.-ft. of torque"
The naturally aspirated engine is backed by an eight-speed auto and rated for 3500 lbs. of towing, with the turbo model mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch and can tow 5000 lbs.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the Santa Cruz is smaller than most trucks on the road, coming in at 195.7 in. long and 75 in. wide.
Now that's an interesting one... First time I've ever heard of a DCT being mentioned for towing. I guess it's either got a very low 1st gear or good management of clutch engagement so they're not worried about people burning it up trying to start gently on a hill.
Mark L (Forum Supporter) said:
I want a base level odyssey with a ridgeline driveline. I want to be able to tow and the wife will not drive a non 4wd car in the winter. A higher end element.
The middle row seats are in the way. That's the only reason I can figure.
Snrub
Dork
4/15/21 12:35 p.m.
It's okay. The shadowing in the previews hid some of the parts I don't like as much. The grill bugs me a bit.
It'll be interesting to see if the base engine is actually sold in quantity. If it isn't just a "price leader" model, they're going after a part of the market that hasn't existed since the 2000s Ranger/Colorado, etc. Edit: I suppose the Taco is in this market too.
It *feels* to me that people must exist out there who want a smaller, more affordable truck. I fully admit that I don't intuitively understand the general truck market. The Tuscon starts ~$24k. Is it possible this could too?
The build in tonneau cover is interesting. I'm sure lots of people will appreciate it. I'm wondering if it can come out so I can push a motorcycle wheel flat against the back of the bed.
Looks great and I bet they sell a ton of them. My kids 110 cc dirt bike would fit in the back but not my 250 cc. Guess I'll just keep my $300 trailer.
I want one and I hope the upper trim & engine lands below $45k.
My '85 Brat had rear facing jump seats and wouldn't that be crazy in something like this.
I am essentially their Target demographic. Except I'm too damn cheap to buy a new one. It really is a modern-day El Camino.
I like it a lot. Better than I expected. Now waiting for pricing and availability. I have always liked the Ridgeline but it was just a little bit too big for my needs.
In reply to fasted58 :
Wow, that bed's small. Cue unwanted images of Subarus. Might be a bit too "lifestyle" for my needs.
I do like that it seems to embrace the idea that it's basically a tall car with outside dirty object storage (read: truck shaped object for those who need a few aspects of a truck, but don't need a truck) and has reasonable towing ability for the size of the vehicle. But it doesn't do the Ridgeline thing and sit there going "see, I can be a real truck too" because it knows it isn't, but also shouldn't be.
Honestly with 5000 lb towing, a closed deck trailer with a removal stake side setup and second set of wheels with more aggressive tires will handle 95% of hauling needs and softroading adventures people would ever do. A removal stake side on a closed deck better justifies the registration cost of a trailer that's otherwise used 6-8 times a year. It having a small enough footprint to park, a 100k warranty and 275hp makes it sound quite enjoyable to daily and roadtrip. The back seat room looks cramped, I suspect those with kids will wish that it was larger.
Feedyurhed said:
I like it a lot. Better than I expected. Now waiting for pricing and availability. I have always liked the Ridgeline but it was just a little bit too big for my needs.
This. I think this thing looks pretty damn cool. And a 275hp turbo? The thought of cashing in my GTi for something like this will be very tempting, especially to get the extra utility. Really a shame it's not offered with three pedals, but DCT *may* be an acceptable tradeoff even to a luddite like me.
Side note: my wife said "that looks dumb." But she drives an ultra-boring crossover and isn't into anything that isn't "normal," so I will disregard her opinion.
I see that 275hp and 5000-lb tow rating and am doing the calculations in my head (my trailer is 1800, my rally car is 2800). It would be a stretch, but maybe if I get an aluminum trailer......Then I think "My berkeleying V8 Sequoia has 275hp, is lugging around an extra 1000+lbs of its own weight, and probably has smaller brakes than the Santa Cruz.
I will honestly be interested to see some real-world reviews of how it actually tows, and how that transmission holds up. A bit curious, since the Tucson is only rated for 1,000lbs towing, and isn't this based on that?
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
Tow ratings are bizarre sometimes. Like, Chevy made pickups with a tow rating of 0 pounds and a cargo rating of 100lb (I did not forget a naught), even though it shared the same brakes and transmission/rearend as more load-rated vehicles on the same chassis.
It also had twice the power of a regular pickup (Top Gear link because Top Gear)
Rons
HalfDork
4/16/21 9:44 p.m.
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
The local trailer builders (Express Custom in Parksville really Coombs) build a car trailer 1200 pounds, electric brakes, and stake pockets. GVW of the trailer is 7000 pounds so that design would work.
Rons said:
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
The local trailer builders (Express Custom in Parksville really Coombs) build a car trailer 1200 pounds, electric brakes, and stake pockets. GVW of the trailer is 7000 pounds so that design would work.
I mean, my wife's CX-9 has close to the power of the Sequoia and pretty hefty brakes. It's rated to tow 3500 but honestly I wouldnt' have a whole lot of reservations about towing with it if I though the transmission would hold up. The Ford Flex is basically the same vehicle underneath and is rated to 4500.
As to my trailer, I could probably knock a few hundred LBS off if I made it into a partial-deck.
That said, towing with the long-wheelbase Sequoia is far more pleasant than towing with my old 4Runner, which had the same engine and actually had bigger brakes. We tow fast (sometimes over 80) and over long distances to go to rally....so need something stable at highway left-lane speeds :)
irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:
I see that 275hp and 5000-lb tow rating and am doing the calculations in my head (my trailer is 1800, my rally car is 2800). It would be a stretch, but maybe if I get an aluminum trailer......Then I think "My berkeleying V8 Sequoia has 275hp, is lugging around an extra 1000+lbs of its own weight, and probably has smaller brakes than the Santa Cruz.
I will honestly be interested to see some real-world reviews of how it actually tows, and how that transmission holds up. A bit curious, since the Tucson is only rated for 1,000lbs towing, and isn't this based on that?
I'd rather tow 5k lbs with the Sequoia- the BOF truck with RWD tranny and axle not to mention an understressed V8 making 275 hp without forced induction.
Nothing against the Hyundai, it will probably be great for most buyers and I could see it being used to tote a pop up camper, small boat, jet skis etc. If I was going to tackle a 5k load on a regular basis or tow it somewhere with big elevation changes I think I'd look to something more suited for the job
The Santa Cruz looks alright to me.
The ideal pickup for me in my driveway works for my use. It's called a Honda Fit.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I saw a YouTube video about this. It was being compared as a modern Subaru brat. I really like this. I hope it succeeds.
Rons
HalfDork
4/17/21 11:27 a.m.
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
In reality I think the towing capacity at 5000lbs would be pushing it, you'd be looking at one gas can or two decisions packing for an event. As an everyday driver that could tow the car alone for a short distance or perhaps pick up heavy parts etc perfet.
Rons said:
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
In reality I think the towing capacity at 5000lbs would be pushing it, you'd be looking at one gas can or two decisions packing for an event. As an everyday driver that could tow the car alone for a short distance or perhaps pick up heavy parts etc perfet.
Not seriously thinking about it - we fill up the entire interior of the Sequioa for rally with all our gear, tools, people, etc....the Santa Cruz wouldn't have enough space. My old 4Runner was even too small for our needs.
That said, with that 100k Hyundai drivetrain warranty, just make sure you're under 5k and it's all covered if you blow it up, I suppose :)
I still like my Avalanche more, even at 190k.....
Some of the online auto test sites are reporting that the production Santa Cruz will have a retractable rear window which if true would be a really cool feature.
It's not uncommon for tow ratings to be limited by trans or drivetrain durability. And short wheelbase vehicles or those with squishy suspensions don't tend to handle as much trailer without getting pushed around.
Plus, some trailers are easier or harder on the tow rig. A long, low windage trailer without much weight behind the axles (but not excessive tongue weight) is generally the easiest and most stable. IMO, most car trailers are too short in the tongue and have the axles too far forward, making them less stable than they could be.
