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The 2024 Ford Maverick and 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz are one another's most blatant rivals. They’re additionally one another's solely rivals. This pair of compact pickup vehicles, each based mostly on car-like “crossover” platforms, got here to market a number of months aside and gave rise to a completely new automobile section.
As a result of the Maverick and Santa Cruz have been developed collectively, they each went in regards to the concept of a compact pickup in very other ways. The Maverick went with a conventional, boxy, American truck idea, albeit with a really unconventional out there powertrain: a hybrid. The Santa Cruz is sort of a compact SUV with a truck mattress, a type of different to all these out of doors journey trim ranges bobbing up across the SUV world.
In different phrases, the Santa Cruz and the Maverick are comparable of their most elementary description (compact truck), however in the end very totally different. Let's check out totally different areas the place they will outperform the opposite.
Learn our 2024 Ford Maverick evaluate
Learn our 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz evaluate
Whose inside is best?
Winner: Santa Cruz
Should you're questioning why Santa Cruz prices extra, there's an enormous purpose why. The Santa Cruz's cabin design and high quality is basically the identical because the Hyundai Tucson; It has a premium look and the standard of the supplies is excessive. The highest trim may even be referred to as luxurious. The Maverick positively will get factors for the fascinating design and daring colour palette, but when we're speaking a few crossover SUV the standard of the supplies can be indicative of the whole section beneath the Santa Cruz. All the things is manufactured from exhausting plastic, which might be fantastic contemplating the worth, however the query actually requested was which had the nicer inside. Hyundai.
Whose infotainment know-how is best?
Winner: Santa Cruz
Hyundai has among the finest infotainment methods within the trade, in order that's simple. It seems nice and is simple to make use of. We don't love the touch-sensitive second controls, however they not less than contribute to the premium look talked about above. There are two display sizes out there, the 8-inch normal and the ten.25-inch higher trim improve, each operating mainly the identical interface. The Maverick solely affords an 8-inch display, however it's truly fairly user-friendly in itself. It has been left behind by Hyundai.
Which one is safer?
Winner: Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz comes normal with extra driver help know-how options, and we typically want the Ford's efficiency. The Hyundai additionally has higher security scores.
The Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security gave the Santa Cruz its highest rating of “Good” in all crashworthiness assessments, however its lowest rating was “Poor” for its headlights. It's very possible that this can change in 2024 as all Santa Cruz fashions now come normal with superior LED lighting. NHTSA's partial analysis gave the Santa Cruz 5 out of 5 stars for frontal crash safety and 4 stars in rollover assessments.
The Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security (IIHS) hasn't up to date its scores for the 2024 Maverick, however we count on them to stay unchanged from 2023. The 2023 Maverick earned the second-best score of “Acceptable” for up to date reasonable overlap entrance crashes. testing (many new vehicles haven’t but been subjected to this testing), and at finest a “good” score for unwanted effects. It earned the very best “Superior” score for vehicle-to-vehicle frontal crash prevention, the second finest “Superior” score for daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian collision prevention, and the second finest “Superior” score for nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian collision prevention. Earned a “Fundamental” score for prevention.
Whose again seat is greater?
Winner: Maverick
Specs say totally different, however after testing them each, the Maverick has the higher again seat. Legroom could also be successfully adjustable, however the seatback within the Santa Cruz is extra noticeably upright than what you'll discover within the Maverick. Then there's the matter of adjusting the rear-facing baby seat. Briefly, there was extra room left for the entrance seat passenger within the Maverick. Even a 6-foot-3-inch tall passenger was completely comfy due to the pure angle of the seatback and the area between my knees and the dashboard. Within the Santa Cruz, the seat was pushed too far ahead and his knees have been jammed in opposition to the sprint. In fact, this might additionally must do with the Santa Cruz's sprint design, which extends into the cabin.
Learn our in-depth evaluate of the Santa Cruz vs. Maverick Again Seat
Which has better cargo capability and effectivity?
Winner: Santa Cruz
If we're actually speaking capability, the Maverick's mattress is 4.5 ft lengthy whereas the Santa Cruz's mattress is 4.3 ft lengthy. It additionally has a extra conventional form. What the Santa Cruz could lack when it comes to general functionality (and even that in issue) it makes up for with intelligent options that add versatility and security past the standard pickup expertise. It has an underfloor storage space, bed-sized cubbies, and maybe probably the most helpful characteristic, an out there garage-door-style curler shade that slides forwards and backwards over the mattress to simply safe it. To be honest, the Maverick does have its personal cubby and 12-volt plug, however given the way in which most individuals use their trunk, we predict the Santa Cruz's added performance outweighs the literal potential.
Which will get higher gas economic system?
Winner: Maverick
The Maverick is accessible with a hybrid powertrain, so it's easy. Though paired solely with front-wheel drive, the Maverick Hybrid returns 37 miles per gallon mixed. The Santa Cruz can do a better of 23 mpg mixed. The Maverick's base turbocharged engine is superior to each the Santa Cruz's weaker base engine and turbocharged upgrades, reaching mainly the identical gas economic system of 22-23 mpg. The Maverick Turbo returns 26 mpg with front-wheel drive and 25 mpg with all-wheel drive.
Who’s extra highly effective?
Winner: Umm, it relies upon
If we’re speaking in regards to the base engine, the Maverick is rather more highly effective. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four produces 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. The Santa Cruz's 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four produces solely 191 hp and 181 lb-ft. By the way in which, that is the very same horsepower that the Maverick Hybrid produces. Then again, the Santa Cruz's upgraded engine is a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. The acceleration right here is the strongest ever.
Which automotive is best to drive?
Winner: Santa Cruz
We like the way in which the Maverick drives. For a pickup, it's nimble, simple to park, simple to maneuver via metropolis streets and even enjoyable at instances. We like Santa Cruz higher. It's one of the vital responsive and agile compact crossovers on the market, no matter what's happening behind the C pillar. There's nothing truck-like about it, and it's surprisingly quick and succesful even on a winding mountain highway. True, getting the larger engine actually helps right here, however normally, the Santa Cruz will get the nod, regardless that the Maverick is spectacular in its personal proper.
Which is extra comfy?
Winner: Inconclusive
The entrance seats within the Santa Cruz usually tend to be thought-about extra comfy, whereas we've already famous that its upright rear seat will give the Maverick the sting in that space. You can too count on quietness from a Hyundai. Experience consolation is extra intriguing. The Santa Cruz has a extra refined suspension design, however its sporty tuning could make it appear too harsh to some. We'll must label it “inconclusive.”
Are there variations that stand out greater than others?
Winner: Maverick
Not solely does the Maverick supply its personal hybrid powertrain that obliterates the Santa Cruz's gas economic system numbers, however Maverick additionally provides prospects a alternative of two off-road-oriented variations. The FX4 Off-Highway Bundle provides all-terrain tires, uncovered entrance tow hooks, efficiency suspension, hill descent management, off-road drive mode, skid plates, trailer hitch receiver, an upgraded cooling fan, and the next capability radiator. Look upgrades. The Tremor package deal takes issues up a notch with a extra superior 4WD system (features a twin-clutch rear drive unit and locking rear differential), distinctive off-road suspension with elevated experience peak, Path Management off-road cruise management, heavy-duty Takes a step ahead. responsibility transmission cooler, a full-size spare tire and several other distinctive look upgrades inside and outside.
When have been they final redesigned?
Winner: Tie
Each have been model new for 2022 and haven’t undergone any vital adjustments since then. The Maverick will get the Tremor, and the Santa Cruz will get the XRT Look Bundle, however that's past some characteristic availability adjustments.
Which one affords higher worth?
Winner: Maverick
Maverick is reasonable. To be honest, its base trim stage has fewer options, and each model has a lower-quality cabin. Nevertheless, general, it's exhausting to not see the Maverick because the clear winner right here, and never solely that, it's one of many higher worth choices within the automotive world.