Compare the2026 Jeep GladiatorVS 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the Gladiator. But it costs extra on the Santa Cruz.

Both the Gladiator 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, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Jeep Gladiator weighs 458 to 1291 pounds more than the Hyundai Santa Cruz. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Jeep Gladiator is safer than the Hyundai Santa Cruz:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Gladiator for 2 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 2 visits). Hyundai doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Santa Cruz.

There are almost 3 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Gladiator’s warranty.

The Gladiator has a solid front axle with a floating power axle for durability that the Santa Cruz 4x4’s independent front suspension and exposed front driveshafts don’t offer.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Gladiator has a standard 240-amp alternator. The Santa Cruz’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Gladiator has a standard 700-amp battery. The Santa Cruz’s 600-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 Gladiator’s reliability 16 points higher than the Santa Cruz.

The Gladiator’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 94 more horsepower (285 vs. 191) and 79 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 181) than the Santa Cruz’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Gladiator’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 4 more horsepower (285 vs. 281) than the Santa Cruz XRT/Limited’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Gladiator’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 Gladiator has 4.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Cruz (22 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Gladiator’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.

The Gladiator stops shorter than the Santa Cruz:

For better traction, the Gladiator Rubicon/Mojave’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Cruz (285/70R17 vs. 245/60R18).

The Gladiator has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Gladiator 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 Gladiator Rubicon has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Gladiator 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 Gladiator’s wheelbase is 19 inches longer than on the Santa Cruz (137.3 inches vs. 118.3 inches).

The Gladiator’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52.8% to 47.2%) than the Santa Cruz’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Gladiator more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Gladiator Sport has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Cruz (10 vs. 8.6 inches), allowing the Gladiator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Gladiator Mojave’s minimum ground clearance is 3 inches higher than on the Santa Cruz (11.6 vs. 8.6 inches).

The Gladiator has .6 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear hip room than the Santa Cruz.

The Gladiator has a much larger cargo box than the Santa Cruz shortbed (35.5 vs. 27 cubic feet).

A low lift-over bed design makes loading and unloading the Gladiator easier. The Gladiator’s bed lift-over height is 29.7 inches, while the Santa Cruz’s liftover is 31.6 inches.

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

A standard locking glovebox, standard locking center console and optional locking underseat storage drawer keeps your small valuables safer in the Gladiator. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Both the Gladiator and Santa Cruz have bed indentations that accommodate 2x4’s for two-tiered loading, but the Gladiator also has indentations to separate the cargo box into three different sections length-wise.

The Gladiator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Cruz’s (4500 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Santa Cruz 4x4 is only 5000 pounds. The Gladiator offers up to a 7700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Gladiator 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 Gladiator can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Santa Cruz can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Gladiator has a much higher optional payload capacity than the Santa Cruz (1720 vs. 1411 lbs.).

The engine in the Gladiator 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.

The Gladiator’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Santa Cruz does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Gladiator’s front power windows lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Santa Cruz’s standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

The Gladiator’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Santa Cruz’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Gladiator’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Santa Cruz’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Gladiator offers an optional 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.

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

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Jeep Gladiator retains 64.62% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 61.42% resale value of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz after five years, which can save the Jeep’s owner.

The Gladiator was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2020. The Santa Cruz has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Gladiator as the 2020 North American Truck of the Year. The Santa Cruz has never been chosen.

The Jeep Gladiator outsold the Hyundai Santa Cruz by 34% during 2024.