How Does The Hyundai Santa Cruz Compare To The Ford Maverick

If you’re thinking about buying a truck but are concerned about the practicality of maneuvering it around city roads, Hyundai has the perfect answer with the compact Santa Cruz. This small pickup is based on an SUV frame to give you the benefit of a decent-sized cargo bed on a vehicle that can hold its own on busy city roads.

One of the Santa Cruz’s main rivals in the compact pickup class is the Ford Maverick. Both vehicles appeared for the 2022 model year, but which one comes out on top in a head-to-head? Our truck experts here at Hiley Hyundai of Fort Worth have the answer. Give us a call today at 817-367-4000. 

Santa Cruz vs. Maverick Engine and Performance

The engine options in these two small trucks are remarkably similar. The Santa Cruz’s base unit is a 191-horsepower four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic, while Ford goes with a hybrid powertrain that also puts out 191 horsepower for the Maverick.

You have the option to upgrade the Santa Cruz to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which puts out 281 horsepower. It’s the best choice if you plan on doing a significant amount of towing or hauling. As for the Maverick, its optional engine is also a turbocharged four-cylinder unit, but its output of 250 horsepower doesn’t quite match the power of the Santa Cruz.

With its turbocharged engine, the Santa Cruz returns 27 mpg on the highway, while the Maverick gets 30 mpg. The Maverick does even better with 42 mpg on the highway in its hybrid configuration. The Hyundai truck’s extra power gives it a slight edge in towing, with the Santa Cruz boasting a better towing capacity of 5,000 pounds compared with the Maverick’s 4,000 pounds. A 5,000-pound towing limit is enough to pull a decent-sized camper or midsize trailer.

2023 Santa Cruz vs. Maverick Seating and Cargo Space

Both pickups can seat five people in their cabins and have comparable legroom and headroom dimensions in both rows. Adults will find adequate space to relax in the front- or second-row seats. Behind the rear row, the Santa Cruz has a cargo bed measuring 4 feet in length compared with 4 feet, 6 inches for the Maverick.

The Santa Cruz makes effective use of its cargo capacity, with several smaller compartments for safely storing fragile items, including a small trunk behind the seats that you can use for carrying food and drinks. The Maverick’s cargo bed also offers storage compartments to help you find your things more easily.

Hyundai vs. Ford Infotainment and Safety Features

These two pickups offer comparable infotainment systems in their base setups. Both feature an 8-inch touch screen, a six-speaker stereo, and smartphone compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Maverick features a standard Wi-Fi hotspot, while the Santa Cruz has voice recognition. In the Santa Cruz, you can upgrade to a 10.25-inch screen, a premium stereo, and wireless device charging. Ford offers an eight-speaker stereo, a navigation system, and wireless device charging in the Maverick’s higher trims.

The Santa Cruz has a long list of standard safety features than the Maverick, although Ford’s truck makes up some of the difference with its optional upgrades. The base Maverick includes a forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Santa Cruz also has these features: lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring. Other standard assistance features include a driver attention monitor and a rear-seat reminder, which warns you to check the back row for kids or pets before you get out.

Ford’s optional upgrades include rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. The Santa Cruz offers a surround-view parking camera, traffic sign recognition, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

Santa Cruz vs. Maverick Trims and Pricing

Hyundai offers the Santa Cruz in five trims, while the Ford Maverick comes in three. You can buy the Santa Cruz in SE, SEL, Night, SEL Premium, and Limited configurations. The Maverick’s trims are the XL, XLT, and Lariat. The Maverick has a slightly lower price tag, with an MSRP of $22,195, compared with the Santa Cruz’s $25,450. However, the longer list of standard features offered in the Santa Cruz explains this difference.

Stepping up to the XLT trim in the Maverick will get you a power-locking tailgate, 17-inch alloy wheels, and optional heated front seats. The range-topping Lariat trim gains synthetic leather upholstery, power adjustments for the driver’s seat, proximity keyless entry, and rear-row USB ports. A luxury upgrade package gets you a larger stereo, wireless device charging, and a navigation system.

Choosing the SEL trim in the Santa Cruz gets you heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat. You also benefit from remote start and proximity keyless entry. The Night trim is a new addition for 2023, featuring dark exterior accents, dark wheels, and side steps. A larger infotainment screen, LED lighting, and wireless device charging are also included inside the cabin.

The SEL Premium trim adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual-zone climate control, and a navigation system. Finally, the top Limited trim gains genuine leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and a surround-view parking camera.

As you can see, both these compact pickups have much to offer. Their powertrains run neck-and-neck in terms of horsepower, but the Santa Cruz offers additional interior comfort and entertainment features you won’t find in the Maverick. Provided you’re willing to pay a bit extra for your truck, we think the Santa Cruz is a wise choice when deciding between these two rivals.

If you’d like to learn more about the Santa Cruz or arrange a test drive near Dallas, feel free to contact us today. Here at Hiley Hyundai of Fort Worth, our vehicle experts would be delighted to help you have a hassle-free buying experience. Our finance team can talk you through our competitive auto loan options or provide information on our lease deals if you’d rather not purchase a truck. To get started, take some time to browse our online Santa Cruz inventory or swing by our Fort Worth dealership to check out our showroom in person.