Some shoppers prefer trucks with gas engines, while others prefer something all-electric. Some folks want a large truck that can haul heavy things, while others prefer smaller and more agile offerings that drive like a sedan. Although large pickup trucks have dominated the scene for years, there are now smaller, more modern offerings for shoppers after a compact rig that's easier to live with.The Honda Ridgeline was the first modern unibody truck. It remains one of just three available monocoque pickups on our shores today, alongside the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. In 2026, which unibody truck is the most reliable, and how do the runners-up stack up against it? The Most Reliable Truck Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz Hyundai If you're looking for a reliable modern pickup truck, you've got plenty of options. According to the latest Quality and Reliability metrics from J.D. Power, the most reliable unibody pickup is the Santa Cruz. Among its peers, this model currently holds a score of 87/100, good enough for a GREAT designation on the consumer rating scale. This metric is based on owner feedback relating to defects, malfunctions, and design flaws, covering the entire vehicle and all systems. The Santa Cruz has held a GREAT designation since its introduction, with the numerical score improving each year.When the Santa Cruz arrived for the 2022 model year, it shared a platform and many components with the popular Tucson compact SUV. The 2.5-liter Smartstream engine family arrived two years earlier in the Sonata and later came to other Hyundai and Kia products. The all-wheel-drive system, on-board technology, and the safety suite had all been honed from previous use elsewhere in the Hyundai lineup. The result was that the Santa Cruz hit the market as an all-new vehicle with plenty of proven and mass-produced amenities under the skin, which may have helped with its high score.Hyundai In 2026, the Santa Cruz offers a standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. Higher grades add a turbocharged punch, bringing the output to 281 horsepower. The Runners-Up Prove You Can't Go Wrong Honda Among unibody trucks, the Santa Cruz has just two competitors: the Maverick and the Ridgeline. The Maverick has the only hybrid engine of the trio, which can now be paired with AWD. There's a turbocharged non-hybrid four-cylinder version of the Maverick that offers even more power, if you prefer it.The Ridgeline runs a sole naturally aspirated V6 engine option among this group and is the longest-running nameplate on your page. While the Santa Cruz earns the highest score of this trio for Quality and Dependability, more owners call the Ridgeline and Tacoma their best midsize trucks this year, according to J.D. Power data. Remember, we're not considering the Tacoma as a contender on our list due to its body-on-frame structure.Ford On that Quality and Dependability metric, the competition stacks up well. The Santa Cruz's score of 87 is good for top place among the trio, but the Maverick's score of 85, also good for a GREAT designation, is right on the Hyundai's tail. Like the Santa Cruz, the Maverick started life on a proven platform with plenty of established tech on board. It has earned consistently high Quality and Dependability scores since debuting.Hyundai The Ridgeline comes in with a score of 84, also earning a GREAT designation and taking third place on our list by a single point. Looking back in time, the Ridgeline's scoring history for Quality and Reliability is patchy in some areas and generally less impressive. Though the 2024 and 2025 model year Ridgelines earned a GREAT score for Quality and Reliability, 2023 and earlier units show AVERAGE ratings back as far as 2018. If consistency in the scoring helps drive confidence towards your decision, the Maverick or Santa Cruz are likely better picks for you. Pros and Cons of a Unibody Truck Hyundai A key advantage of building a unibody truck on an existing SUV platform is the cost. Without the need to develop a dedicated truck platform or production facilities, monocoque pickups make it easier for automakers to build pickups on existing assembly lines with existing equipment, parts, and people. Of course, this doesn't always materialize into cheaper trucks for the masses, and the $30,000 pickup truck is dead in the US anyway.HyundaiAccording to Moneygeek.com, pickup prices are on the rise.Pickup trucks come in two basic sizes: mid-size and full-size. In 2024, the average price for a mid-size pickup truck was $42,690, while full-size pickup trucks averaged $65,713. Pickup trucks have seen a steady increase in price over the years, with notable jumps in 2020 and 2021. During that period, the average cost for full-size models increased by around $8,000 a year, while mid-size trucks saw a $4,000 jump. – Moneygeek.comStill, our trio represents some of the most affordable pickup trucks available today. Their unibody construction comes at the expense of maximum off-road capability and towing capacity. The setup is perfect for owners with more modest needs for capability and lower fuel budgets. Unibody construction also enables optimized packaging, allowing for more spacious interiors, improved storage capacity, and even the in-bed cargo provisions provided by the Ridgeline and Santa Cruz.Any of the trucks on your page can be expected to deliver a car-like drive and handling, excellent ride comfort, and four-wheel traction that requires no driver decision-making at any time. If you find yourself in a Maverick with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine with AWD and a set of Blizzak cold-weather tires, you're in for some exciting handling when the snow flies, too. Properly equipped, the Maverick can tow 4,000 pounds, and the Ridgeline and Santa Cruz can tow up to 5,000 pounds. Here's What A Santa Cruz Will Cost You Today Hyundai The 2026 Santa Cruz starts at $29,500 in the SE trim grade, with the SEL adding a value bundle of extra content from $31,150. With upgrades to tech and style, the SEL Activity grade begins at $34,200. The rugged Santa Cruz XRT goes for $41,400, and the top-dog Limited is $43,450.In the used market, data from the CarBuzz Marketplace shows a solid selection of second-hand Santa Cruz trucks for around $20,000 for a 2022 example with about 60,000 to 70,000 miles on its odometer. For around $30,000, you can find virtually any grade of Santa Cruz you like from 2023 or 2024, typically still on its factory oil fill. You need to shell out a few thousand more or accept a higher odometer reading for a top-line Limited model with the turbocharged engine.Hyundai If you can accept a few miles on the odometer, a sub-35,000-mile Santa Cruz Limited can be had for under $30,000 all day long. When determining your budget, remember that you could save thousands by opting for a few-year-old model with virtually identical content, and no freight or PDI charges. The 2026 Limited trim grade costs $43,450. Meanwhile, you can find numerous used Santa Cruz SE models with odometer readings under 35,000 miles and asking prices below $25,000.