Which Pickup Truck Will Win?

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline vs Hyundai Santa Cruz

If you're shopping for a pickup that offers power, practicality, and comfort, the 2025 Honda Ridgeline should be at the top of your list. At Honda of Gainesville in Gainesville, FL, we’re excited to showcase the latest 2025 Ridgeline—a midsize truck that blends utility with refined handling. When compared to rivals like the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the 2025 Honda Ridgeline at our Honda dealership in Gainesville, FL, stands out for its strong V6 performance, standard all-wheel drive, and versatile truck bed innovations.

Bold Exterior, Premium Interior

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline makes a strong visual statement with its muscular stance, bold front fascia, and functional design. All 2025 Ridgeline trims at our Honda dealership near Alachua, FL, come standard with LED headlights, dual-action tailgate, and 18-inch alloy wheels, while upper trims add a moonroof, power sliding rear window, and gloss-black grille. The truck bed features an In-Bed Trunk^® with drain plug and available bed audio system—features you won’t find on the Santa Cruz.

You’ll find thoughtful details throughout the 2025 Honda Ridgeline interior. It seats five comfortably with supportive cloth or available leather-trimmed seating. Tri-zone automatic climate control is standard across the board, and higher trims offer a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and driver memory settings. With its wide cabin and flat rear floor, the 2025 Honda Ridgeline is more accommodating for adult passengers than the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, which has tighter rear legroom and less cabin storage.

V6 Muscle and Smooth Handling

Every 2025 Honda Ridgeline configuration at our Honda dealership in Gainesville, FL, is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain pairs with a 9-speed automatic transmission and comes standard with i-VTM4^® all-wheel drive. The 2025 Honda Ridgeline offers up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity—more than enough for a small camper, utility trailer, or weekend toys.

While the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers two engines, including a turbocharged option, its base engine is underwhelming with 191 horsepower. Even the turbo model falls slightly short of the smooth V6 performance of the 2025 Honda Ridgeline. The 2025 Ridgeline at Honda of Gainesville also boasts independent rear suspension and unibody construction, which help it deliver ride quality that feels more SUV than traditional truck—something the 2025 Santa Cruz attempts to emulate but doesn’t quite match.

Built-In Safety from the Ground Up

Safety is a top priority at Honda of Gainesville, which is why every 2025 Honda Ridgeline at our Honda dealership near Starke, FL, comes equipped with Honda Sensing^®. This suite includes adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, forward collision warnings, and collision mitigation braking. The 2025 Honda Ridgeline also includes blind spot information with rear cross-traffic alerts starting on the RTL trim and above.

While the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz also includes a long list of safety features such as forward collision avoidance, lane keeping assist, and blind spot monitoring, many of its most advanced systems are reserved for top-tier trims. The 2025 Honda Ridgeline at our Honda dealer in Gainesville, FL, provides broader safety coverage without forcing buyers to upgrade to the highest model.

Smart Tech and Cabin Connectivity

Step inside the 2025 Honda Ridgeline and you’ll find an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay^® and Android^™ Auto, along with a 7-speaker or optional 8-speaker sound system. Upper-level trims at our Honda dealership in Gainesville, FL, offer wireless phone charging, navigation, and a premium 540-watt audio system. The intuitive Honda interface is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with your smartphone.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz interior features larger displays—up to 12.3 inches—but lacks the cohesive design and usability of Honda’s infotainment. Wireless smartphone integration is not standard on lower-level trims, and some features like navigation and premium audio are locked behind the most expensive options. If simplicity, functionality, and user-friendly design are priorities, the 2025 Honda Ridgeline interior technology delivers.

The Top-Tier Truck: The 2025 Honda Ridgeline in Gainesville, FL

Whether you need a truck for weekend adventures or daily errands, the 2025 Honda Ridgeline at Honda of Gainesville offers a well-rounded solution. With its strong V6 performance, versatile truck bed, comfortable interior, and standard AWD, this midsize pickup easily holds its own against rivals like the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. At our Honda dealership in Gainesville, FL, we’re here to help you explore the Ridgeline lineup and find the model that best fits your lifestyle.

Visit our Honda dealership near Starke, FL, today to see the 2025 Honda Ridgeline up close, schedule a test-drive, and learn more about current finance and lease promotions. Our team is here to help you make a confident decision, so you can drive home in a pickup that’s as capable as it is comfortable.