The same could be said for the 20-inch wheels on the top Santa Cruz. It clears 9.5 inches over rock and log, but its all-terrain tires cause more road noise on pavement. The Outback Wilderness gets the off-road advantage thanks to its revised bumper angles, suspension upgrades, and tires. In fact, the ground clearance (8.6 inches on Santa Cruz) and height (66/66.7 inches) of both vehicles are nearly identical, as are the approach and departure angles, further suggesting that Hyundai benchmarked the Outback and not other pickup trucks in designing the Santa Cruz. The Outback’s independent suspension muffles road riding, and its wagon-like profile neutralizes the 8.7 inches of ground clearance so it doesn’t lean into turns like other taller SUVs. The smooth and quiet ride quality in the Santa Cruz is impressive, and the only sense of its rear pickup bed is looking in the rear view mirror at the sliding rear window that charms even the happiest Outback doggies. When it comes to comfort, the Outback and Santa Cruz are pretty evenly matched. Storage below the 60/40-split flip-up rear seat helps the Santa Cruz hold more things. The rear seats in the Santa Cruz don’t suffer the vertical stiffness of traditional trucks, but the seat bottoms lack the same thigh support as the Outback. The Outback’s 39.5 inches of rear leg room is 3.0 inches more than the Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz is 4.4 inches longer and slightly wider, but the Outback’s interior is roomier, especially for rear seat passengers. The neatest trick is the available factory-installed lockable tonneau cover that secures things like the cargo hold of a crossover. An integrated trunk in the floor has a drain plug so it can double as a cooler. With the right accessories, four bikes could be stowed in the back with the front forks hanging over the gate. The bed is smaller than the Maverick, at 48.4 inches long up top and just under 54 inches across Hyundai assures you it can haul 4x8 sheets of plywood resting on the wheel wells and hanging over the open, adjustable gate. Obviously, the bed differentiates it from the Outback and other crossovers, but it also helps the Santa Cruz stand out from more traditional pickup trucks.
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