Hyundai Santa Cruz

How it looks when you see it on the street: Here’s the gist of the Hyundai Santa Cruz: Imagine a child plays with a lego set, and mashes together car and truck part. Hence, Santa Cruz is a truck-ish car, or a car-ish truck.

How it makes you feel when you get in: There’s a conspicuous feeling about climbing into the Santa Cruz, a new model for 2022 model year.

How it drives: The Santa Cruz handles like a nimble SUV. It’s got solid power and responsive handling. Fuel economy is average for an SUV, but good for a pickup truck.

Space for people and things: The cool storage spaces tucked inside the Santa Cruz is part of its appeal. It’s got all the clever storage a weekender needs while still being easy to park.

Best Features: An impressive list of standards including a rearview camera, forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and driver drowsiness detection.

What should you compare it to: Ford Maverick, Jeep Commander, and Honda Ridgeline.

How much does it cost: Our test vehicle was $41,000.