First post, potential new owner.
My current daily driver is a 2017 VW GTI with a stage 1 tune, and my new job that starts next month will likely require me to have something with more cargo capability along with AWD for my sales territory in the northern midwest (ND, SD, MN, WI, IL, MI). I'm married, 1 - 10 year old, and 3 mid-size dogs (Aussies). New company will give me a healthy car allowance and pays for all fuel and oil changes. So decent gas mileage or a hybid don't really benefit me. $30-$40k is my desired price range. I'm not interested in a full size or even a mid size truck due to driving dynamics. A Santa Cruz SEL Premium AWD seems to hit the sweet spot for me.
So things like the Santa Cruz, Maverick, and Rav4 Prime are among my top considerations. The likely performance advantage of the SC over the Maverick, and the styling of the SC is making me lean more towards the Hyundai, even though the Maverick in "comparable trim" would be about $5k less. The federal tax credit of $7500 of the Rav4 Prime and the straight line performance of the Toyota are appealing and make the price competitive, but the styling is a bit blah to me.
Burger tuning makes a JB4 tuner device for the Stinger 2.5T, Kia K5 2.5t, Sonata 2.5T, Santa Fe 2.5T, and Genesis 2.5T. So it stands to reason they'll offer it for the Santa Cruz 2.5T as well. As it's a piggyback design, they don't reflash the tune, and can be removed for dealer trips or warranty concerns. An extra 4-6psi of boost on the Santa Cruz and 30-40 hp and tq on 91/93 octane, or +60 hp and tq on an E20 blend sounds quite appealing. JB4 for Kia / Hyundai 2.5T, 3.5T, SmartStream, and K5 (BETA) . Seems like the 2.5T on other platforms like the Sonata, Stinger, Genesis and SUVs are hitting 0-60 in 5.0-6.0 seconds (faster times for the lighter cars), and a quarter mile trap speed around 99-105mph. So depending on weight of the Santa Cruz, it should be right there in stock form. An extra boost from a tuner would move this "Sport Truck" into quite a sleeper, right? Anyone else interested in the 2.5t for the straightline performance capability?
Also an open bed means I'd have the cargo room needed for my demonstration products for work, and possibly be able to move my motorcycle (Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, 330 lb dry weight) around without a trailer when needed. Although it's been easy and cheap to get a Uhaul trailer for <$20/day to tow with my GTI, so I could fall back on that if necessary. Any idea how long the bed and dropped tailgate will be with the bed cover removed? I need at least 70" from the leading edge of my front tire of the Husky to the rear wheel footprint for it to fit safely in the bed and on the tailgate. Tailgate appears to be rated at 500 lbs, so should be fine for me. Or possibly use a hitch mounted motorcycle rack if the SC has a class 3/4 hitch rated for 500 lbs. But has anyone seen a hitch rating yet? I'd assume at least 500 lbs if it can tow 5000 lbs as a 10% tongue weight is considered typical.
Anyway, I'm close to just making a reservation so I can get one before winter... Any help y'all can provide with some of my questions would be appreciated. Thanks!
My current daily driver is a 2017 VW GTI with a stage 1 tune, and my new job that starts next month will likely require me to have something with more cargo capability along with AWD for my sales territory in the northern midwest (ND, SD, MN, WI, IL, MI). I'm married, 1 - 10 year old, and 3 mid-size dogs (Aussies). New company will give me a healthy car allowance and pays for all fuel and oil changes. So decent gas mileage or a hybid don't really benefit me. $30-$40k is my desired price range. I'm not interested in a full size or even a mid size truck due to driving dynamics. A Santa Cruz SEL Premium AWD seems to hit the sweet spot for me.
So things like the Santa Cruz, Maverick, and Rav4 Prime are among my top considerations. The likely performance advantage of the SC over the Maverick, and the styling of the SC is making me lean more towards the Hyundai, even though the Maverick in "comparable trim" would be about $5k less. The federal tax credit of $7500 of the Rav4 Prime and the straight line performance of the Toyota are appealing and make the price competitive, but the styling is a bit blah to me.
Burger tuning makes a JB4 tuner device for the Stinger 2.5T, Kia K5 2.5t, Sonata 2.5T, Santa Fe 2.5T, and Genesis 2.5T. So it stands to reason they'll offer it for the Santa Cruz 2.5T as well. As it's a piggyback design, they don't reflash the tune, and can be removed for dealer trips or warranty concerns. An extra 4-6psi of boost on the Santa Cruz and 30-40 hp and tq on 91/93 octane, or +60 hp and tq on an E20 blend sounds quite appealing. JB4 for Kia / Hyundai 2.5T, 3.5T, SmartStream, and K5 (BETA) . Seems like the 2.5T on other platforms like the Sonata, Stinger, Genesis and SUVs are hitting 0-60 in 5.0-6.0 seconds (faster times for the lighter cars), and a quarter mile trap speed around 99-105mph. So depending on weight of the Santa Cruz, it should be right there in stock form. An extra boost from a tuner would move this "Sport Truck" into quite a sleeper, right? Anyone else interested in the 2.5t for the straightline performance capability?
Also an open bed means I'd have the cargo room needed for my demonstration products for work, and possibly be able to move my motorcycle (Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, 330 lb dry weight) around without a trailer when needed. Although it's been easy and cheap to get a Uhaul trailer for <$20/day to tow with my GTI, so I could fall back on that if necessary. Any idea how long the bed and dropped tailgate will be with the bed cover removed? I need at least 70" from the leading edge of my front tire of the Husky to the rear wheel footprint for it to fit safely in the bed and on the tailgate. Tailgate appears to be rated at 500 lbs, so should be fine for me. Or possibly use a hitch mounted motorcycle rack if the SC has a class 3/4 hitch rated for 500 lbs. But has anyone seen a hitch rating yet? I'd assume at least 500 lbs if it can tow 5000 lbs as a 10% tongue weight is considered typical.
Anyway, I'm close to just making a reservation so I can get one before winter... Any help y'all can provide with some of my questions would be appreciated. Thanks!