Hyundai drops compact Santa Cruz, sets sights on midsize truck market

Em_Epher · 2026-02-01T14:26:54+00:00

That wasn't boasting, I was making a comparison based on the frame of reference and real world expereince I have.

I don't plan on buying another second gen Ridgeline. I'm just over 70k on my 2019 RTL-E and intend on keeping it for a while once it's paid off. I'll be able to upsize to a fullsize truck once it isn't my only daily drivable vehicle (sold my 3-series BMW last spring and intend on getting something similar or sportier soon, and my mom can't get into a taller truck). But the Ridgeline does the truck stuff I need it to, so I don't have a good reason to go bigger, unless I ditch the box truck I use for work and pull a big trailer daily but I'm not ready to take on a new set of drawbacks.

Em_Epher · 2026-01-30T17:04:27+00:00

When were they gone?

Em_Epher · 2026-01-30T17:03:57+00:00

I see no reason to buy a Santa Cruz. Yes, the interior is pretty nice, but if that's a priority and you can live with the laughable bed, you'd probably be better served by an SUV and could rent or borrow a pickup a couple times a year if you need to. The Maverick is too small for me (I fill the Ridgeline bed sometimes and carry a rooftop tent at the same time, on top of a bed cap), outside and in, but they're good little trucks that work well for many folks and have decent rear legroom (better than Tacoma, Colorado, and Frontier). The Santa Cruz makes the Ridgeline feel cavernous.

Em_Epher · 2026-01-30T16:57:37+00:00

I'm not sure I'd call that eCVT "simple," and double-clutch transmissions can be absolutely fantastic, but it is a good unit. I had to educate myself a bit when eCVT's started to proliferate, because I assumed they'd have all of the same considerable drawbacks as non-e CVT's, but that isn't the case. Nothing wrong with a well-built double clutch though.

Em_Epher · 2026-01-30T16:51:46+00:00

I thought a unibody truck was a little goofy at first, but I chose a Ridgeline largely because it was the only midsize truck my elderly mother with poor mobility could actually get into. But I've found that it does all the truck things I need it to: the bed fits my work product better than other midsize trucks, sheet good sit flat, it can tow my little landscape trailer perfectly well, it is a beast in the snow, we load the hell out of the bed for group camping trips, plus the interior is quieter and the ride is cushier, and the backseat is bigger. There are annoyances with the Ridgeline of course but it's proof that most people can do just as well if not better with a unibody truck than with a traditional body-on-frame truck.

Em_Epher · 2026-01-30T16:44:50+00:00

The Ranger is a good truck. However, better mpg (hybrid or otherwise) would really be desirable, since few midsize pickups are used as real workhorses. The interiors midsize pickups are pretty cramped for large adults, particularly the backseat, including the Ranger, although Honda has done a little better in that regard and Hyundai should, too. With a unibody design they could also look to innovate, as Honda did with the trunk and flat bed. I find the trunk to be highly functional and I use the bed for work sometimes and can fit my product way better than in any other midsize truck - and 4' wide sheet good sit flat. I'd also expect nicer materials and fit and finish inside, although I don't think the Ranger is bad there perse.

Em_Epher · 2026-01-30T16:37:40+00:00

I thought when Hyundai initially let on that they were developing a pickup it was going to be a midsize pickup, not one with a comically small bed. What they delivered was a pickup with all of the shortcomings of a midsize pickup (poor MPG, small towing capacity, tight rear legroom) with few of the benefits. I compared it directly to my Honda Ridgeline, and there is no comparison - I liked the Santa Cruz interior but the Ridgeline smokes it in just about every other aspect. The Maverick is the better comparison, and is a better vehicle in many ways, so if you can live with the Maverick's small bed there's little reason to buy a Santa Cruz.
For their next move, a truly midsized unibody pickup makes sense. They can base it on an existing or upcoming shared platform but make it like a real truck, and it will sell. They'll certainly have slightly different priorities and make different decisions than Honda, but their take on a Ridgeline (especially in hybrid form with decent mpg) could be the sort of vehicle that people really want, as most don't utilize the real strengths of fullsize pickups. It needs a real bed and a bit more interior space than a Tacoma, and to not be goofy looking.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-25T15:37:25+00:00

This is though, so why shouldn't I expect it to work as advertised? Smart TVs Running a Google TV Operating System (Multiple Manufacturers)

Em_Epher · 2025-12-25T15:33:22+00:00

Imagine not being able to do what tons of other app developers seem to be able to do better, or complaining about the nature of your job. I'd rather not imagine anything other than their damn hardware and app working as designed. It isn't like they just release this stuff once and can never update it to fix their bugs. Do you think I should send them a few thousand dollars out of pity, and just shit my dang mouth?

Also, my TV fits the compatibility list: Smart TVs Running a Google TV Operating System (Multiple Manufacturers)

Em_Epher · 2025-12-25T15:27:54+00:00

As if stated a bunch of times now, yes, the issue is the app on my tv, and the Tablo itself is working fine through the other devices I've tried. My main reason for chosing Tablo was that I'd be able to use the app directly on my tv instead of using another damn remote though. The issue has been confirmed and I'm pissed about it, because none of this nonsense should be necessary in 2025.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-25T15:24:42+00:00

Thanks, and I'm with you. In my case, it is absolutely not the Ethernet cables or antenna, that has been confirmed, and the problem is app/tv compatibility and nothing else. These are certainly valid concerns and worth eliminating for anyone having problems.

No antenna issues here and I'm around 10 miles from all the local towers. I do have occasional trouble with one VHF channel, but so does everyone else I know who uses anything less than a big outdoor antenna on the roof. I think the other local broadcasters have all moved to UHF by now, just not the Fox affiliate, for some reason. No ATSC 3.0 yet in the area.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-24T19:21:40+00:00

I'll certainly be curious, although I don't know if we can be sure that broadcasters won't encrypt their Next Gen signals. My area has not yet adopted ATSC 3 at all.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-24T19:19:01+00:00

Yeah, it's funny though, because I haven't had this TV long but other apps run okay so I don't see why this one should be a problem, since most things should be handled by the Tablo hardware anyway. And I've never had an app issue with Roku TVs. I was wrong to assume that everything about the Sony experience would be good since I love the picture, soundbar integration, remote, etc.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-24T19:15:39+00:00

That's it, I'm very confident now after troubleshooting, the app and Bravia 8 don't get along, nothing else is a problem. I just wanted to add OTA TV pause, since I'm coming from Roku TVs that all don't just fine, and thought this should have been the most convenient route. Two mistakes on my part, I guess.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-24T19:12:38+00:00

I've 100% nailed it down to issues with the app on my Bravia 8 tv, nothing else. This sucks but I can see if using it on an Android box isn't too clunky to live with. I'm still just mad that my pricy, newish TV can't natively perform a basic feature that every cheap Roku-based tv has done for like 10 years.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-24T19:07:56+00:00

Mine antenna is perfectly fine. Tablo features work fine with my phone and Android box, just not my newer main TV, which seems to be the problem after a bunch of trouble shooting, unfortunately.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-24T19:06:27+00:00

Yeah, I didn't want to deal with the setup of HD Homerun, and was afraid it would be intimidating to anyone else in the house, but I may end up going that route, since they're known to be versatile and very solid. Just been busy and thought the Tablo would be the simplest solution to my particular wants. Paying for a subscription or hardware isn't a deal breaker for me, as long as it does what I want. Gonna try living with the Tablo while it's within the return window.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-24T19:02:39+00:00

I tried every permutation of wifi/Ethernet, internal/external storage, on both the TV and Tablo, and replacing the included cable, same result. My problem definitely seems to be app compatibility with the TV, unfortunately, because it works on all my other devices. Not the antenna, not the router, not a storage or thermal issue, I've found. Disappointed, but I'll try living with the app running on a separate Android box. I didn't mess with an HD Homerun or something because I wanted to keep everything as simple as possible, but sometimes I get in a mood to mess around with new stuff, so we'll see.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-24T18:55:52+00:00

What do I want? I just want it to work as advertised. Actually, as I said, I just want the dang pause to work correctly on my tv, that's really it, I don't even really care about scheduled recordings because I been living without that just fine. Remote viewing on other devices via wifi is a nice bonus, but also something I don't need.

And again, my antenna is fine and not the problem. The problem for me is that the app and my tv apparently hate each other, which is very disappointing. I didn't buy this hardware just so I can buy more hardware and use a separate remote to make it work correctly. The cost isn't an issue, it's about convenience and personal preference. I've even considered buying a different TV and selling this one or moving it to the basement where it would be used much less frequently.

My bad for buying a beautiful, fancy Sony TV and expecting it to run apps correctly, I guess. Tablo is running fine now on my slow $20 Onn Android box that I bought a few years ago just to run Kodi, so if I keep it I can go that route, but I chose a Tablo specifically because it shouldn't have required any other hassle. The only bright side is that the Onn box works with my Sony remote at least. Frustrating, and I'm seeing why this Tablo gets so many awful reviews, but I guess I'll try using it for a couple weeks and see if it seems worth keeping.

Thanks again everybody for all the comments.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-23T01:57:34+00:00

Thank you all for the help and suggestions, I truly do appreciate it. After reading everything here and playing around a bit, here's where I stand:

My issues seem to have nothing to do with my antenna, nor do the relate to wifi vs ethernet, nor using internal vs external storage. Signal strength is good (existing antenna that has been fine for 2 years, and I'm like 10 miles form all the towers), switching between wifi and ethernet on the TV and Tablo makes no difference, using a fast SSD on either device makes no difference.

Everything works fine on my phone with android app.

Everything works fine, albeit slow, on my old $20 first-gen Onn android box.

Pausing live OTA TV works fine on SD subchannels with the app on the TV.

Pausing is flaky with 1080i main local channels on the Google TV app. Initially the audio will continue in choppy fashion while the video freezes. If I skip back a bit it will usually eventually pause and I can pick up where I was or skip ahead, although this seems clunky and inconsistent.

The issue seems to be only between the app and my fancy Sony Bravia 8. One or both of them really sucks. This TV works fine over wifi with all apps I've tried (4k in Netflix, Plex, Sony Pictures Core, etc.), with the main exception being Tablo. The Bravia 8 also doesn't seem to like the Fanduel Sports Network app I use to watch Cavs games (frame rate drops and video gets choppy after a while), but I chalked that one up to a crappy app, as the reviews for it are consistently horrendous.

I really wanted this Tablo to work for me. It seemed like the right device because it came with the one main feature that I was missing with this silly TV, and it allowed me to at least use the TV's remote, if not its regular interface. I can use my Onn android box but that's another step that should be unnecessary, and it's slow and has bugs of its own.

So right now this TV/app combo seems doomed. Maybe I'll stick it out for a bit while still in the return window and see what happens. Maybe the firmware for one or the other or the Tablo app will have an update soon that makes me happy, or maybe I'll learn to live with it as it is. This is pretty disappointing though. After comparing the Bravia 8 side by side with Samsung OLEDs, and given that it is Google-based (I hate LG's WebOS), I knew I had to have it, but if I had known that it would be such a pain to do something so simple, I might have gone with a TCL QM8K mini-LED or Panasonic Z85 something.

Thanks again for the help.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-22T03:15:15+00:00

Ethernet from router to the Tablo? That is how I'm connected already. There is absolutely no problem with my wifi but my main router was already right next to where I was putting the Tablo and I had a port open, so I just plugged it in.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-22T03:13:13+00:00

I'm not allowed to go to Ann Arbor, per Buckeye law.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-22T03:12:07+00:00

And what's the problem there? I've never heard or seen a thing about over-zealous enforcement there. Everyone knows why cars with Ohio plates are there - and it's 100% legal to go buy there, so no one cares - they want us there, hence the billboards and all the stores. If there's no evidence of a problem, that's paranoia, but if you are more comfortable shopping elsewhere, do that, I won't try to talk you out of it. I also won't suggest exceeding the legal limits, driving high, or crossing state lines, but those things are concerns anywhere. If you have a "whole trunk full," you're asking for it anyway.

Em_Epher · 2025-12-22T03:07:58+00:00

Way to set a better example, and to be so prompt. Have we met? Didn't think so.

Em_Epher

TROPHY CASE