Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Santa Cruz: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Hyundai Santa Cruz burns about $2,450 of fuel annually against $2,650 for the Honda Pilot. That $200 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,000 over five years and $1,600 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Hyundai Santa Cruz leads in both cycles — 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway against 20 and 27 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Honda Pilot is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, 3.5), the Hyundai Santa Cruz with 1 (SIDI & PFI). Across 43 recorded Honda Pilot configurations and 20 for the Hyundai Santa Cruz, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Honda Pilot is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Hyundai Santa Cruz with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Hyundai Santa Cruz emits 356 g/mile of CO2 versus 388 g/mile for the Honda Pilot. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.