2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2026 Toyota Tacoma near Wausau, WI
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2026 Toyota Tacoma
Shoppers comparing 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2026 Toyota Tacoma quickly notice how differently these two pickups approach everyday life. The Santa Cruz is Hyundai’s one-of-a-kind Sport Adventure Vehicle, pairing an agile, quiet unibody platform with smart open-bed utility, while Tacoma is a traditional body-on-frame midsize truck that emphasizes off-road grit and rugged configurations. For drivers near Wausau, WI who split time between commuting, errands, outdoor gear runs, and weekend trips, the Santa Cruz brings the right blend of maneuverability, cabin tech, and bed innovations like standard tie-down points, a drainable underfloor bin, and an available integrated lockable tonneau cover. The available panoramic curved display unifies a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen with an available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster for a clean, modern cockpit feel. Available HTRAC All Wheel Drive and terrain modes on XRT help in changing conditions, while Hyundai SmartSense brings confidence-enhancing features including available Highway Driving Assist and Blind-Spot View Monitor. At Stevens Point Auto Center, our team highlights how these details translate into a more versatile daily tool for Central Wisconsin. For many, the 2026 Santa Cruz’s car-like comfort, thoughtful storage, and tech-forward cabin make everyday driving near Wausau, WI simpler and more enjoyable.
| Feature | 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz | 2026 Toyota Tacoma |
|---|---|---|
| HTRAC All Wheel Drive available | Yes | No |
| Panoramic curved display with 12.3-inch touchscreen | Yes | No |
| Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ | Yes | Yes |
| Underfloor, drainable in-bed storage | Yes | No |
| Integrated, lockable tonneau cover | Yes | No |
| 115V in-bed power outlet | Yes | Yes |
| Highway Driving Assist (HDA) | Yes | No |
| Blind-Spot View Monitor camera feed | Yes | No |
| 10-year/100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty | Yes | No |
| Bluelink+ connected car service | Yes | No |
Exterior - Hyundai Dealer serving Wausau, WI
Santa Cruz looks athletic and refined, with color choices like Hampton Gray, Blue Stone, Phantom Black, Atlas White, Sage Gray, and Rockwood Green accentuating sharp surfacing and a confident stance. Where it truly separates itself is in the bed: molded-in features, standard tie-down points, an available C-channel utility rail with adjustable cleats, an available integrated lockable tonneau cover, and a sealed underfloor bin that drains. Add the available 115V in-bed power outlet, and you have a tailgate that doubles as a flexible workspace or adventure staging area. The new XRT builds on the theme with exposed front tow hooks, exclusive cladding, 18-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires, and a dark grille signature—plus Terrain Mode Select with Snow, Mud, and Sand modes. Toyota Tacoma leans into classic truck styling and offers robust off-road trims, a selection of bed lengths, and a variety of wheel and tire packages. Yet for daily ease, the Santa Cruz’s integrated bed solutions and city-friendly dimensions make it simpler to park, load, and lock gear. At Stevens Point Auto Center, we hear from customers who love how the Santa Cruz trades the bulk and complexity of a traditional build for smart, high-utility details that fit everyday life in and around the city.
Interior - 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz near Wausau, WI
Step into the Santa Cruz and the design immediately feels cohesive and contemporary. The available panoramic curved display integrates a standard high-resolution 12.3-inch touchscreen with an available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, keeping key information cleanly organized and easy to read. Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ are standard across the lineup, and Bluelink+ comes online to support remote start, lock, and more from your compatible smartphone at no extra cost. Upper trims bring premium touches like H-Tex® leatherette seating surfaces and thoughtful storage solutions that keep small items, charging cables, and trail passes from cluttering the cabin. The Blind-Spot View Monitor camera feed that appears in the cluster when you signal is one of those everyday confidence builders you appreciate from the first drive. Toyota Tacoma makes strides with its redesigned cabin and infotainment, offering an 8.0-inch center screen on most trims and an available larger 14.0-inch display on select models. Even so, the Santa Cruz’s cohesive interface and seamless wireless connectivity feel every bit the modern daily driver’s cockpit. Drivers near Wausau, WI will also notice the Santa Cruz’s more car-like seating position and tuning, providing easy ingress and egress and comfortable visibility in traffic or on longer trips.
Hyundai Santa Cruz vs Toyota Tacoma Mechanical Specs
The Santa Cruz uses a unibody architecture that feels composed over broken pavement, quiet at highway speeds, and planted in corners—more like a refined crossover than a jouncy pickup. That platform also enables confident handling in tight neighborhoods or parking structures, a practical advantage for errands or downtown trips. Available HTRAC All Wheel Drive adds traction benefits in changing road conditions, while XRT’s Terrain Mode Select dials in the response for snow, mud, or sand. Toyota Tacoma relies on body-on-frame construction, lending rugged poise and excellent off-road potential—especially in trims with specialized hardware. Certain Tacoma models switch to rear coil springs to improve ride quality, while others keep leaf springs. For most shoppers who balance commute miles with weekend projects, the Santa Cruz’s tuning provides the more serene everyday drive, with fewer compromises in ride and handling. We see that preference every day at Stevens Point Auto Center as owners trade in larger or older pickups for a Santa Cruz they can enjoy all week and still put to work on Saturdays. If your priority is quiet-cruising composure on Wisconsin highways and an easygoing feel around town, the Santa Cruz’s mechanical formula aligns beautifully.
Powertrain - Hyundai Dealership near Wausau, WI
Santa Cruz offers two powertrains: a 2.5L GDI-MPI 4-cylinder and an available 2.5L Turbocharged GDI-MPI 4-cylinder rated up to 281 hp. With the turbo engine, Santa Cruz is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped, and the powertrain’s strong midrange pairs well with HTRAC All Wheel Drive for confident merging and responsive passing. The Santa Cruz’s smooth acceleration and polished road manners complement its flexible bed capabilities, reinforcing that you do not need an oversized truck for your daily mix of tasks. By comparison, Tacoma uses a turbocharged 2.4L four-cylinder in nonhybrid models, delivering up to 278 horsepower on many trims, with a traditional 8-speed automatic or an available 6-speed manual on select models. It is a capable setup that skews toward traditional truck character. Yet the Santa Cruz strikes a rare balance—nimble feel, composed ride, and weekend-ready capability—making it an appealing choice for Wisconsin drivers who want one vehicle to cover distance comfortably and still handle spring yard work or a small trailer. If your driving loop includes a lot of mixed conditions near Wausau, WI, the Santa Cruz’s confident power delivery and traction options stand out for daily ease.
Safety - Hyundai Santa Cruz vs Toyota Tacoma
Hyundai SmartSense brings an extensive suite of driver-assistance features to Santa Cruz. Standard systems include Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection (FCA-Ped), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Following Assist (LFA), Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), High Beam Assist (HBA), Safe Exit Warning (SEW), and Rear Occupant Alert (ROA). On XRT and Limited, premium systems add Highway Driving Assist (HDA), Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Curve Control, Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM) that shows a live camera feed when you signal, Surround View Monitor (SVM), and Forward Attention Warning (FAW). Toyota Tacoma also equips robust safety tech through Toyota Safety Sense, including forward-collision mitigation, lane departure warning with lane-keeping, and adaptive cruise control, with additional features available on higher trims. The difference is how comprehensive the Santa Cruz can be when fully equipped, especially with camera-based confidence such as BVM, the 360-degree SVM, and the intelligent HDA pairing lane centering with cruise on select trims. For families and commuters who regularly drive winter roads, those systems can be the difference between white-knuckle uncertainty and measured calm. That peace of mind resonates with shoppers evaluating 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2026 Toyota Tacoma for life near Wausau, WI.
Request more 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2026 Toyota Tacoma near Wausau, WI information
For customers weighing 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2026 Toyota Tacoma, both are capable, but the Santa Cruz shines for everyday life—nimble to drive, easy to park, smartly packaged for gear, and packed with advanced safety and connected tech like Bluelink+. Add the practical bed features, available HTRAC All Wheel Drive, and the confidence of America’s Best Warranty, and the choice becomes clear for drivers who want one vehicle to do it all without feeling like a chore on the commute. Our team at Stevens Point Auto Center is ready to help you explore trims, from the value-rich SE and SEL to the rugged XRT and premium Limited, so you can match features to your routine. If your daily route includes school pickups, trailheads, and errands across Plover and Wisconsin Rapids, the Santa Cruz’s flexibility will feel right the moment you take the wheel. Stop by to see how those thoughtful details translate into real-world convenience, and take a test drive that shows why so many Central Wisconsin drivers choose our dealership for an easier, more enjoyable drive near Wausau, WI.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. Excludes options; taxes; title; registration; delivery, processing and handling fee; dealer charges. Dealer sets actual selling price. While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors do occur so please verify information with a customer service rep. This is easily done by calling us at 715-344-4100 or by visiting us at the dealership. For more information on America’s Best Warranty, click here.
*Any MPG listed is based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions, battery pack age/condition (hybrid only) and other factors.