Santa Cruz's Are Starting to Arrive

[TruckGuySC]

Both the Maverick and Santa Cruz are based on crossovers with short beds. The Mav is based on the 2020 Escape platform and the Santa Cruz the 2022 Tucson, both FWD biased crossovers. Their specs are very close. Calling one a pickup and the other a sport adventure vehicle is purely an exercise in marketing/styling. Heck, with a few modifications (needs trailer brake controller), the Santa Cruz might be the better towing platform considering that it is available with a 275hp engine, 5K lb max tow capacity, and has a self-leveling rear suspension standard.

If that’s true, where exactly is the Santa Cruz’s off-road package? Mav has one…

and an even more off-road capable version is in the works… w the Bronco Sport’s GOAT Mode AWD.

About as “off-road” as a Santa Cruz will ever get is the over-flow parking at Starbucks while it’s owner runs in to get his Skinny Soy Latté…

Sponsored

 

[Bikeric]

Worked at a Subaru store. When the Baja was new, sales were dismal. As a used car everyone that came in on trade sold quickly.

I traded my 2015 WRX in on a 2005 Baja Turbo. The Baja wasn't nearly as quick, but was a solid platform and MUCH more practical.

 

[JASmith]

If that’s true, where exactly is the Santa Cruz’s off-road package? Mav has one…

and an even more off-road capable version is in the works… w the Bronco Sport’s GOAT Mode AWD.

About as “off-road” as a Santa Cruz will ever get is the over-flow parking at Starbucks while it’s owner runs in to get his Skinny Soy Latté…

So all non FX4 Mavericks are not trucks because they don't have an off-road package? I doubt the FX4 package will be on more than 25% of Mavericks. I have a Ram 1500 which is certainly a truck, but its 2WD and hasn't seen more than wet grass and some mudded out dirt roads after one of Houston's seemingly endless flooding episodes.

I plan on enjoy Starbucks and pup cups with my hybrid Maverick, and just plan to use the bed for hauling dirty/wet/smelly/tall things that might not otherwise do well in a crossover trunk area.

 

[JASmith]

I highly suggest you work in the Automotive manufacturing field for over (3) decades before making that type of statement. At least look at the recall content of the Bronco Sport.

I wasn't grasping at straws, just recalling a fact. Any company can built a problem vehicle, time is not factor although after (50) years, you'd think they could eliminate the variables.

Yeah, for an objective professional source, per Consumer Reports 2021 Automotive April issue, Hyundai as a brand I believe ranked 5th with "average" reliability rating and Ford I can't recall at the top of my head but it was pretty far towards the end in rank and had an average score of "below average" among all its vehicles. I can show a scan when I'm off work.

Specifically the Ford Maverick is based on the 2020 Escape chassis/powertrain, and it was rated with its worst "lowest reliability" rating for its first model year. Now, they may have worked the bugs out by now, which we won't know how the 2021's faired until April of 2022 issue, but if I were a betting person I'd feel safer with the Hyundai from a long-term repairs perspective since it has a longer standard warranty period and as a brand have scored higher than Ford on the surveys given out to the millions of CR subscribers.

 

[vap0rtranz]

The Baja wasn't nearly as quick, but was a solid platform and MUCH more practical.

Subaru should bring the Baja back. Competition makes everything better, even Ford.

to the millions of CR subscribers.

ConsumerReports subscribers are like Nielsen Ratings families: you always hear about them, but never meet one. aka. I don't believe either.

 

[oljackfrost]

Yeah, for an objective professional source, per Consumer Reports 2021 Automotive April issue, Hyundai as a brand I believe ranked 5th with "average" reliability rating and Ford I can't recall at the top of my head but it was pretty far towards the end in rank and had an average score of "below average" among all its vehicles. I can show a scan when I'm off work.

Specifically the Ford Maverick is based on the 2020 Escape chassis/powertrain, and it was rated with its worst "lowest reliability" rating for its first model year. Now, they may have worked the bugs out by now, which we won't know how the 2021's faired until April of 2022 issue, but if I were a betting person I'd feel safer with the Hyundai from a long-term repairs perspective since it has a longer standard warranty period and as a brand have scored higher than Ford on the surveys given out to the millions of CR subscribers.

I unfortunately don’t have any statistics, but when I worked in the retail auto industry at a Subaru store it was a common knowledge that import buyers (I believe about 90%) do all their factory recommended maintenance, whereas for domestic buyers the figure was well under 50%. If you don’t keep it up it’s not going to last. I’ve owned supposedly unreliable Ford and Chrysler products that were totally solid for me; change the oil and find and fix little noises before they become big noises. This is one reason I am skeptical when reading Consumer Reports charts... who does their maintenance and who avoids it?

 

[JASmith]

This is one reason I am skeptical when reading Consumer Reports charts... who does their maintenance and who avoids it?

I don't know, but the same Consumer Reports subscriber base rated the Ford Edge as double-green up highest reliability rating, and CR staff put it top rank in class with the "recommended" status as a best buy, so I don't think its universal anti-Ford bias. The biggest issue with that statistic is that I don't think we get the follow up release until later in the year where they actually break down the specific components that people most complained about reliability wise. For example, Mercedes got "worst" rating for usability score on their new GLA and GLB that have the new mbux as their older subscribers found it unusually complicated.

 

[oljackfrost]

A wise man once told me:
“All the car manufacturers have service departments, and they are not just doing oil changes “

 

[Unlikely_Username]

Does the Santa Cruz come with a fire extinguisher?

In March 2021, Hyundai announced another recall of more than 390,000 vehicles for two problems that can cause engine fires.

I drove my Ford for thousands of miles with a driver airbag that they knew could kill me before I could finally get it fixed. I'm a Ford fan and I'm getting the Maverick but it's not like they're infallible when it comes to recalls.

 

[Old Ranchero]

I don't know, but the same Consumer Reports subscriber base rated the Ford Edge as double-green up highest reliability rating, and CR staff put it top rank in class with the "recommended" status as a best buy, so I don't think its universal anti-Ford bias. The biggest issue with that statistic is that I don't think we get the follow up release until later in the year where they actually break down the specific components that people most complained about reliability wise. For example, Mercedes got "worst" rating for usability score on their new GLA and GLB that have the new mbux as their older subscribers found it unusually complicated.

doesn't the Edge have the same 2.0 Ecoboost as the Maverick? That would be a vote of confidence for my Maverick motor choice

 

[Wire4money]

I drove my Ford for thousands of miles with a driver airbag that they knew could kill me before I could finally get it fixed. I'm a Ford fan and I'm getting the Maverick but it's not like they're infallible when it comes to recalls.

Many Toyota, Subaru, Chevy, etc owners were in the same boat as you. That was not a Ford thing.

 

[Unlikely_Username]

Many Toyota, Subaru, Chevy, etc owners were in the same boat as you. That was not a Ford thing.

I'm aware. Still not happy that I didn't get a loaner.

 

[JASmith]

doesn't the Edge have the same 2.0 Ecoboost as the Maverick? That would be a vote of confidence for my Maverick motor choice

Yup, I think so, and they said it did well on their fuel economy test.

The ratings are based on questionnaires sent out to their subscribers in 2021 on their experience with their 2020 vehicles, so chances are pretty slim that people would have major engine or transmission issues so early on IMO. There are thousands of parts on a vehicle, and our Mercedes was in the shop twice the first year just for rattles and squeaks. They had to fix one of the rails on the pano roof that must not have been torqued down or lubricated properly, and the other was a part of the dash apparently missing some felt pieces causing plastic on plastic squeaking over bumps and I think they said one wire loom wasn't in its hook and was bouncing around making tapping noises.

Here are the TSBs for some common issues: https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Escape/2020/tsbs/

Depending on how many parts are shared, a lot of those issues may have been worked out.

 

[pxpaulx]

I believe it's the same engine. I test drove a Edge a couple years ago and was impressed by the engine alone. Smooth, nice torque, only drawback would be Premium fuel recommended for best performance. Not sure what the carry over will be for a Maverick although the fuel milage on a 2.0 Edge with FWD is 29mpg and AWD 28mpg on the highway.

I didn't know the 2.0 was in the newer edge models. That is a great comparison to go against for expectations! 21/28 and 23 combined. I suspect we could see 22-23/29-30 and 24-25 combined. The maverick is slightly less aerodynamic, but even in the AWD configurations the Maverick comes in almost 400lbs lighter!

 

[JASmith]

I didn't know the 2.0 was in the newer edge models. That is a great comparison to go against for expectations! 21/28 and 23 combined. I suspect we could see 22-23/29-30 and 24-25 combined. The maverick is slightly less aerodynamic, but even in the AWD configurations the Maverick comes in almost 400lbs lighter!

Maverick 2.0 AWD shares a lot more in common with the Bronco Sport though. In 2.0AWD guise, Mav is 3,731lbs vs BS 3,713lbs, virtually identical. Both have similar boxy shapes, and the same powertrain, I can't imagine the EPA rating would be drastically different.

Bronco Sport is EPA rated 23 combined/ 21 city/ 26 highway. Usually crossovers get slightly better highway fuel economy than pickups, but the BS has an odd hump in the rear passenger area and big roof rails, so I bet they end up very similar.

Sponsored