Mini truck battle: Ford Maverick vs. Hyundai Santa Cruz
Cars
Speaker 1: You on details. Don't worry. I got your details. Let's take a look at the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai, Santa Cruz, compact pickups, and we'll see how they compare in size power, fuel efficiency, towing, and hauling, and of course price. And we're gonna see which one makes the grade. Now we may be on the cut of a little chocolate revolution. I mean, mid-size trucks are becoming well giant and there's room in the market for something smaller and cheaper. Enter the Ford [00:00:30] Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Now for this compare, we're gonna look at the base model for each. So I'm talking about the Maverick XL and the Santa Cruz se
Speaker 1: These little uni body crossovers with a bed offer up plenty of utility while remaining small enough to maneuver in the tight city streets. Just how small, well, let's check it out. Overall. The Maverick is a bit bigger than the Santa Cruz. It's four inches longer from stem to stern and its wheel base [00:01:00] is 2.8 inches. It's also two inches taller. However, both have the same 40 foot turning radius, which is really, really tiny. I mean, you can flip a UE pretty much wherever you want. Still. I'm gonna give the point here to the Santa Cruz. Since the whole point of a chocolate is a tiny footprint.
Speaker 1: Now, when it comes to base model engines, the Maverick gets a naturally aspirated 2.5 liter four cylinder hybrid powertrain. While the Santa Cruz makes due [00:01:30] with the same displacement and natural aspiration, but it mixes the electrification. However, even with the extra ump from the electric motor, the Maverick still puts down the same amount of horsepower as the Santa Cruz, 191 ponies, but the total torque output for the Ford is 173 pound feet. While the Santa Cruz throws down 181 pound feet of twist. Now, if you want Ford's standard hybrid powertrain, you can only get it with front wheel drive the Santa Cruz while standard in front wheel drive, at least has all-wheel drive available in [00:02:00] the base model. If you wanna pony up more cash, you can get both trucks with a more powerful engine. And the Maverick's larger engine comes with all wheel drive, but that's more money.
Speaker 1: So we're gonna leave that discussion for another day. Now with the hybrid powertrain, the Maverick puts the power down to the pavement with a continuously variable transmission. While the Santa Cruz gets a traditional eight speed automatic. Now look, I haven't driven either one, but I feel safe and thing that the eight speed automatic in the Hyundai is gonna produce a better driving experience. The electric assist in the Ford may make it feel [00:02:30] a bit more fun, but as far as driving enjoyment goes, I'm gonna mark one down for the Santa Cruz. As for fuel economy. Ford has only released specs for the hybrid while driving in the city. And it's a whopping 40 miles per gallon. That is pretty spectacular. Now we do have full efficiency numbers for the Santa Cruz, and we're looking at 21 miles per gallon in the city, 26 on the highway and 23 combined.
Speaker 1: Now I'm gonna guess that the Mavs highway fuel economy is likely to be a lot less impressive, but even so it's pretty clear that if fuel economy [00:03:00] is higher under your must haves, the Maverick is the right choice. Of course, the great thing about these vehicles is their utilities. I'm sure their beds might be tiny. The Maverick's bed is four feet, six inches long. The Santa Cruz is a bit smaller at four feet, four inches long. The fours bed is a little bit wider, but both have pretty remarkable PA of capacities. The map can haul 1500 pounds. The Santa Cruz can haul 1,752 pounds. Plus the Santa Cruz has a pretty cool in bed storage compartment. Things get [00:03:30] interesting with towing as well. The Maverick with the hybrid power train can drag 2000 pounds behind it. The Santa Cruz, 3,500 pounds, of course both can tell more with their optional, more powerful engines, but when it comes to base model towing and hauling the Santa Cruz takes the cake.
Speaker 1: Now, if you're all about price, the Maverick starts at $21,490, including $1,495 for destination Santa Cruz, however starts at of few grand [00:04:00] higher $25,175, including $1,185 for destination. So in the end, it's Ford coming in with the final point. So where are we at? Well, the Maverick just kills in fuel economy and price metrics that are undoubtedly the most important to many of you out there in compact truck by buying land. But the Santa Cruz delivers better numbers when it comes to the overall footprint, power and utility, and for what it's worth. I like the vaguely crazy looks of the Santa [00:04:30] Cruz a bit better, but of course I am a total weirdo and you might find it hideous regardless. It looks like the Hyundai Santa Cruz comes out on top here, assuming that you give equal weight to each category Hyundai says, we'll see it in dealerships this summer. And as I speak this it's mid-July. So I'd say it's gonna come to market pretty soon. The Ford Maverick will hit the streets this fall.
