Maverick vs Santa Cruz - Pick your activity / Trucklets or Utes -- [Everyday Driver Review]

[bgn]

1. They start off the video telling folks it's not a truck. Ok. Based on what? The fact that it's not body on frame? Does that matter, especially given thousands of F-150 and Ranger owners use their vehicles to go to the grocery store and the mall?

2. The Santa Cruz is ugly in my opinion. The front looks awful, and their updated design language looks even worse on a vehicle like this.

3. The Santa Cruz has a better interior (but the lack of physical buttons and piano black would make it a nonstarter for me). Even in the Lariat, I'm not impressed by anything in the interior in the Maverick.

4. The Santa Cruz comes with huge wheels and a DCT. Both are no-nos for even mild offroading.

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[MrEd]

They did hit it on the head saying the Maverick is a commuter truck. That’s exactly why I bought mine.

I’m a DIY guy always at Home Depot, but with three kids and a mother in law, I needed to have the minivan for the family, which then doubled as my lumber hauler on weekends. Unfortunately that meant removing the middle seats which was a pain.

A 2016 Honda Civic was my weekday commuting car getting 37 mpg. Tiny for my 6’2” 225lb frame and not useful for anything other than commuting to work.

Now, my Maverick has replaced both. To me, the Maverick is the perfect vehicle for a guy like me that commutes all week (getting 41 mpg in the Maverick) and then spends the weekend doing home projects. I don’t need a heavier duty truck like a professional tradesmen making their living with one. I need high mpg during the week and versatility on the weekends. The Maverick fits the bill.

Precisely. Same story here.

 

[MrEd]

I don't even have to watch the video to know what's best. The Maverick by a long shot. Why else would I have gotten it and joined this forum? Although, I did test drive a Santa Cruz when they first came out a couple of months before ordering the Maverick and I do have to say it was very nice to drive. It handled well, had tons of safety features (being the Limited trim in all) and had plenty of power. But the Maverick is all that as well for a fraction of the price! Plus, that hideous front fascia was the deal breaker other than the price. The side and the rear look okay but that Joker-face front end is atrocious. The Maverick is so much nicer on the eyes. Ford did such a great job with the overall design of this truck inside and out. And the fact you can get it fully loaded at $35,000 (if you have a good dealer that doesn't mark it up) is such a great value in my book! The SC would've cost at least $10,000 more before markups. With that factored in, you're looking at $15,000 or even $20,000 more just on a little truck! Absolute insanity!

I got my Maverick Hybid First Edition Lariat with Luxury Package and 360 CoPilot for a good bit less than $35K. Ordered last August, took ownership in February. Incredible in every way.

 

[dalola]

Meh, pretty forgettable video. A bit shallow technically, and they try to pass off their subjective opinions as fact too many times. Like the SC styling, they come across as trying too hard.

 

[Mach E CP]

While I still have not driven the Maverick, obviously I haven't taken delivery yet, I do like my
SC Limited (price was too high) ... I like it a lot!! All of the comments in this video regarding the SC are spot on. I am so anxiously awaiting the day that I can drive my new Maverick First Ed Rapid Red with AWD and complete the comparison. In advance of such, I have already considered that - the Hybrid I have on order (in addition to the FE RR) I will more than likely keep as a daily driver. The SC will be the LONG HAUL Drive in comfort and better safety features!

I can't wait to read the response comments...

Nice selections WasChops! Maverick enthusiasts tend to buy TWO Mavericks! Can the same be said of SC enthusiasts?

 

[WasChops]

Nice selections WasChops! Maverick enthusiasts tend to buy TWO Mavericks! Can the same be said of SC enthusiasts?

I don't know and do not care of someone else's decision - I am confident in what I have considered and the plan I have laid out... which includes sell off at any given time.

 

[Old Hickory Trojan]

Nice selections WasChops! Maverick enthusiasts tend to buy TWO Mavericks! Can the same be said of SC enthusiasts?

The SC is butt ugly if you call it a truck and obviously they didn't do any real testing. I've watched so may videos on these two it's rediculous but in everyone the Maverick AWD is superior to the SC's AWD. Not even close. Does the SC even have anything that gets close to the Hybrid's MPG? For this only an idiot would pay the difference in price for an SC. Both those guys had limited knowledge or even adequate testing for comparisons. That video was a total waste of time.

 

[cavemold]

You have to upgrade get turbo , and you don’t get wireless car play in 42k cruz .. ridiculous. .

 

[cavemold]

The SC is butt ugly if you call it a truck and obviously they didn't do any real testing. I've watched so may videos on these two it's rediculous but in everyone the Maverick AWD is superior to the SC's AWD. Not even close. Does the SC even have anything that gets close to the Hybrid's MPG? For this only an idiot would pay the difference in price for an SC. Both those guys had limited knowledge or even adequate testing for comparisons. That video was a total waste of time.

Nope the cruz really is over priced for what it is . The fact it doesn’t come with wireless package for CarPlay at 42k …….

 

[cavemold]

Also the maverick technology placed second to a tundra imo in tech

 

[dedMann]

The comparison of lower vs higher model in reviewing is worthless. I can't even take this serious. Apples to Apples..... Maybe I should find myself a base vs base video of the two. Just because.

 

[Goose..you there?]

These giuys almost completely ignore the cost difference. I own a Hyundai, and it is fun to drive But look at the cost difference, the bang for the buck of the Maverick is amazing.

 

[JASmith]

They start off the video telling folks it's not a truck. Ok. Based on what? The fact that it's not body on frame? Does that matter, especially given thousands of F-150 and Ranger owners use their vehicles to go to the grocery store and the mall?

Worse, their justification in the video is that because some are FWD... its like, uhhh, my Ram 1500 isn't a truck because its also two wheel drive? Heck, the least traditional design is the new Cybertruck, which isn't body on frame either, but it has a separate bed and that's good enough for "pickup" definition IMO. Call them out in the youtube comments.

The Santa Cruz comes with huge wheels and a DCT. Both are no-nos for even mild offroading.

I have the same complaint, even though I'm not offroading. 20" wheels are not only typically heavier, but the further the mass is from the axis of rotation the more horsepower you lose spinning them up, same as like trying to spin someone in a chair with their legs out vs tucked in. Plus, 18" wheels allow for more sidewall for a more comfortable ride with better curb protection, and I rub curbs way too often, lol! Luckily, only the Limited trim comes with dubs, the others are all 18" (and they look decent if you plastidip them all-black as seen below):

 

[Ponchsox]

When I told my wife I’m going to order a 2023 Maverick and trade my 2019 Forester she said I should look at the Santa Cruz. I took one look at a picture and said “not for me.”

 

[Dun4791]

Nope the cruz really is over priced for what it is . The fact it doesn’t come with wireless package for CarPlay at 42k …….

I don’t feel the cruz is overpriced, I feel the maverick is just the cheap value leader.

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