[monogodo]

Since buying my Santa Cruz on August 14, I've had a few interesting experiences out in the wild with it.

• The day I bought it, my wife and I went to Warby Parker to get her glasses adjusted. I sat in the truck to try to figure out Apple CarPlay. Before I could even find it in the manual, my wife was tapping on my window. The guy from Warby Parker was with her and he was interested in the truck, and wanted to know if I'd talk to him about it. He geeked out over it, and was very excited to see one.

• Driving past the neighborhood tire shop, I saw 4 guys standing around chatting. One saw me, turned to the others and said something, then they all stared at me as I drove past.

• Backing into a parking space at a restaurant to pick up takeout, a guy was walking past. He stopped mid-stride and stared at the tailgate until I finished parking.

• While walking back to where I'd parked it on Monday to get a haircut, I saw a couple on the other side of the street walking the other direction. They kept looking back over their shoulders at my truck, talking about it.

• Driving to work this morning in rush hour traffic, was doing about 20-30 mph on the freeway. Noticed motion through the passenger window and looked over. Some guy in an older (tenth generation) F-150 was waving at me, and gave me a thumbs-up once I made eye contact.

 

[355rockit]

Was driving my newly purchased SC home yesterday and almost got side-swiped by a guy trying to take a pic of the Santa Cruz. Allot of people looking at the SAV since it is a rare sight these days.

 

[Jdnorton22]

I get a lot of head turns on my SC.

 

[tylerrobbins]

Yep. My first stop on the way home with my new SC today, 3 obvious stare/head turns.

 

[_metafizik]

Since buying my Santa Cruz on August 14, I've had a few interesting experiences out in the wild with it.

• The day I bought it, my wife and I went to Warby Parker to get her glasses adjusted. I sat in the truck to try to figure out Apple CarPlay. Before I could even find it in the manual, my wife was tapping on my window. The guy from Warby Parker was with her and he was interested in the truck, and wanted to know if I'd talk to him about it. He geeked out over it, and was very excited to see one.

• Driving past the neighborhood tire shop, I saw 4 guys standing around chatting. One saw me, turned to the others and said something, then they all stared at me as I drove past.

• Backing into a parking space at a restaurant to pick up takeout, a guy was walking past. He stopped mid-stride and stared at the tailgate until I finished parking.

• While walking back to where I'd parked it on Monday to get a haircut, I saw a couple on the other side of the street walking the other direction. They kept looking back over their shoulders at my truck, talking about it.

• Driving to work this morning in rush hour traffic, was doing about 20-30 mph on the freeway. Noticed motion through the passenger window and looked over. Some guy in an older (tenth generation) F-150 was waving at me, and gave me a thumbs-up once I made eye contact.

IMO the coolest thing (and myself and @Chuck) have mentioned this before is when people have congregated toward the back of the vehicle while you're backing out of a parking space and it sets the proximity sensor off. You turn around to look and see them mouthing S-A-N-T-A C-RU-Z. Anyway I thought it was cool the when I saw that happen. It actually happened to me twice the first two days.

 

[Boilerman]

I picked up mine on the 13th of August and I too have had many discussions and demonstrated it several times to people. My favorite new hobby is letting someone get about 1/2 way through reading the back of it at a light and then the light turns. "Green means gone" its a hoot especially when it looks like a funeral flower car when I picked up some plants the other day

 

[HSC4ME]

A real GGV in the wild!

 

[ToadVine]

... and then the light turns. "Green means gone" ...

Imagining the burning tire tracks of "Back to the Future!"

 

[monogodo]

Drove it to Van Buren, Arkansas this weekend to visit the MIL. While waiting outside Chili’s to pick up dinner, a staff member came out to check it out.
On the way home, we stopped for snacks in McAlester, Oklahoma. When we came back out to the truck,I noticed the person in the car a couple of spots over was taking a pic of it. She smiled and waved as she left.
Stopped at Buc•ees in Melissa, Texas. As I was pumping gas, a couple came over and asked questions about it (color, mpg, engine, does the tonneau come with it). They liked it.

 

[ToadVine]

Sounds like Hyundai should include a pack of brochures with each new SC, to pass out to potential buyers.

 

[Walking Black Bear]

Sounds like Hyundai should include a pack of brochures with each new SC, to pass out to potential buyers.

Y'know, I might just ask my dealer if he has some I can carry with me when I get mine. Good idea!

I warned my wife that we might be faced with random people coming to talk car/ask questions ... she doesn't understand why people would do that. I've spent far more time around car shows than she has. LOL

 

[monogodo]

I used to get it on my scooter (Piaggio BV350), so I'm kinda used to it.

 

[Yardtruck+]

I will admit it. I really thought for a while that the Ford Maverick would trounce the SC in popularity. I guess because the Mav is tradtional styling.
But now...I don't think so.
1. Ford is hosing the order holders with problems.
2. They just made the hybrid unobtanium.
3. The more you look at the SC, the more obviuos that Hyundai put a LOT of thought into the design.
4. The SC offers a usable non-turbo non hybrid option.
Now if they can up their QC game...

 

[Mike86merc]

I am amazed at how many looks I get in the SC. As well as stop light questions and conversations at the gas station. Most people have no clue these even exist. When people ask me what it is, I jokingly say "It's the new Chevy El Camino.". Everyone laughs and says how they had no idea Hyundai made a "truck". I drove past a grade school and the number of pointed fingers, "oh cool", "Look at that!" and "wow" made me chuckle. It's been a fun ownership so far.

I have to say I have yet to find any issues with QC. 🤞

 

[SkyCruz]

Was parking in an old neighborhood narrow street at a friend’s house.
3 young guys were across the street staring at me kinda wide-eyed (well, at my SC actually).
Thank goodness I didn’t bungle the small space parallel park!

As I walked by them one said, “I LOVE your truck!”
I almost said, “It’s not really a truck.”
Instead I just said thanks and walked on calmly but inside I was saying, “ME TOO!!”

 

[monogodo]

Drove past a road construction crew yesterday, and as I passed, all five of them watched me go by and stared as I drove off.

 

[HSC4ME]

Drove past a road construction crew yesterday, and as I passed, all five of them watched me go by and stared as I drove off.

Did they whistle?

 

[Cruzin'_AZ]

Someone in a Honda Civic getting off the freeway to my right stuck their hand out the driver's window with a thumbs up yesterday!

 

[rrbhokies]

Someone in a Honda Civic getting off the freeway to my right stuck their hand out the driver's window with a thumbs up yesterday!

Are you sure it wasn't one of the other fingers? People around here just are that friendly

 

[rrbhokies]

Stopped at light the other day and a couple in a Lincoln Blackwood pickup truck were taking pictures of my SC with their phone. Maybe time for an upgrade?

I had never seen a Blackwood before so I googled it and was surprised how few were built. I kind of caught a unicorn in the wind. Maybe I should have been the one taking pictures!

From Wikipedia:
"The Lincoln Blackwood is a luxury pickup truck that was marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company for the 2002 model year. The first pickup truck marketed by Lincoln, the Blackwood was derived from the Ford F-150 SuperCrew and the Lincoln Navigator. Drawing its name from its simulated black woodgrain cargo box, the Blackwood was offered solely with a black-painted exterior.

Marketed in the United States and Mexico, the Blackwood fell far under sales projections. After the 2002 model year, the Blackwood was discontinued in the United States, with a short run of 2003 models produced for Mexico. In total, only 3,356 units were produced, making it both the rarest and shortest-produced Lincoln model line."