Santa Cruz SEL Premium full review

[RevNation]

I got a lot of crap for my first review of the Santa Cruz like I was too hard on it. I’ve owned both a hybrid and ecoboost Maverick since and was recently asked if my view of the SC has changed. I’ve honestly warmed up to the SC somewhat, especially the 2.5T which is a blast to drive. I’ve learned to appreciate the small bed that it has with the in bed storage and built in tonneau cover. The rear seats are pretty cramped and the use of piano gloss is way over the top. The ride quality is great and even with beating on it I observed 27mpg overall which isn’t bad.

I still wouldn’t choose it over the Maverick though. Here’s why:

this trim would be on par with a EB AWD, XLT Lux, 4k tow package, moon roof, spray in bed liner, and tonneau cover. I’ve built out the closest configuration Maverick to the SC I tested and the Maverick was still $5,000 cheaper which is pretty wild. I do get that the warranty is better with Hyundai and the vehicle definitely feels more premium but that’s a shit ton of money. Secondly, until Hyundai gets a hybrid option and gets rid of the weird duel clutch transmission, the Maverick will continue to eat its lunch from a market share stand point.

What do you all think? This isn’t spam or self promotion, this is best source for an audience who’s cross shopped these vehicles. Feedback is appreciated!!

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[BoricuaBeautyx]

I got a lot of crap for my first review of the Santa Cruz like I was too hard on it. I’ve owned both a hybrid and ecoboost Maverick since and was recently asked if my view of the SC has changed. I’ve honestly warmed up to the SC somewhat, especially the 2.5T which is a blast to drive. I’ve learned to appreciate the small bed that it has with the in bed storage and built in tonneau cover. The rear seats are pretty cramped and the use of piano gloss is way over the top. The ride quality is great and even with beating on it I observed 27mpg overall which isn’t bad.

I still wouldn’t choose it over the Maverick though. Here’s why:

this trim would be on par with a EB AWD, XLT Lux, 4k tow package, moon roof, spray in bed liner, and tonneau cover. I’ve built out the closest configuration Maverick to the SC I tested and the Maverick was still $5,000 cheaper which is pretty wild. I do get that the warranty is better with Hyundai and the vehicle definitely feels more premium but that’s a shit ton of money. Secondly, until Hyundai gets a hybrid option and gets rid of the weird duel clutch transmission, the Maverick will continue to eat its lunch from a market share stand point.

What do you all think? This isn’t spam or self promotion, this is best source for an audience who’s cross shopped these vehicles. Feedback is appreciated!!

I can appreciate certain things on the SC, but better than the Maverick? Not at all. For certain people, they prefer one over the other. To me, the SC at $5000 just doesn't resonate with me. I guess for a nicer interior? Maybe a bit of extra power? Not really worth the $5000 in my opinion. I love the classic truck look of the Maverick. The SC is way too....flashy for my liking. This is coming from someone who put lightbars at the grille bar and tailgate, I still somehow think the SC is childish looking. This is personal preference though.

 

[RevNation]

I agree with you. The night package they have now, which is similar to the black appearance package from Ford helps with the styling. Their prices are a bit out of control and Ford is usually the one in that boat (see F-150). It’s a good ride overall but not for the price.

 

[Scott Asheville]

I drive a Maverick XLT AWD LUX ECO, and my recent (last week) cross-shopping led to a very different result than yours. I cross-shopped a 2023 SC SEL AWD, which had less HP than my ecoboost (but I dont' care) but more quality and tech content. The price was just about the same - because my local dealers are discounting the SC by around $1,500.

I could trade my 12,000 mile 22 Maverick today for $33,000 (I have that quote from last week in hand) and walk away with a new SC with a non-turbo engine, conventional transmission, and better tech - and not spend a dollar on the transaction. But I don't. The main reason is kind of weird - I like the cheaper Maverick interior. I feel like I can be a slob (which I am) without consequences. That's because the Maverick has the "I'm a truck, abuse me" look and feel inside.

It's weird. I should logically trade right now and I would get my last 12,000 miles of Maverick driving free. But I don't just because the Maverick feels like a cheap truck inside and I oddly prefer that.

The popularity of the Maverick just reinforces what Ford always says. They claim to know their truck customers and what they want.. And I think they're right.

 

[Old Hickory Trojan]

I got a lot of crap for my first review of the Santa Cruz like I was too hard on it. I’ve owned both a hybrid and ecoboost Maverick since and was recently asked if my view of the SC has changed. I’ve honestly warmed up to the SC somewhat, especially the 2.5T which is a blast to drive. I’ve learned to appreciate the small bed that it has with the in bed storage and built in tonneau cover. The rear seats are pretty cramped and the use of piano gloss is way over the top. The ride quality is great and even with beating on it I observed 27mpg overall which isn’t bad.

I still wouldn’t choose it over the Maverick though. Here’s why:

this trim would be on par with a EB AWD, XLT Lux, 4k tow package, moon roof, spray in bed liner, and tonneau cover. I’ve built out the closest configuration Maverick to the SC I tested and the Maverick was still $5,000 cheaper which is pretty wild. I do get that the warranty is better with Hyundai and the vehicle definitely feels more premium but that’s a shit ton of money. Secondly, until Hyundai gets a hybrid option and gets rid of the weird duel clutch transmission, the Maverick will continue to eat its lunch from a market share stand point.

What do you all think? This isn’t spam or self promotion, this is best source for an audience who’s cross shopped these vehicles. Feedback is appreciated!!

Personally I've owned both the SC and the Maverick and got rid of the Maverick and I find this evaluation off point. First of all the numbers you came u with are not oranges to oranges. In my case I have the SEL AWD wth the tow package and found it cheaper by $1000 then a Maverick XLT Ecoboost AWD with 4k tow. I use those in my comparison because although the Ecoboost is more powerful engine, they both have 8 speed transmissions and both have comparable payloads, both have cloth interiors, both have reasonably close towing capability ( 3500 to 4000 pounds with eh SC having more safety equipment as standard. If you were to compare the SC Limited with the turbo to the Maverick you might come up with the following whih someone on the SC forum came up with:

"Anyone else tired of the Ford Maverick biased reviews between it and the Santa Cruz? I have seen so many apples to oranges comparisons between the Hyundai & the Ford that I am starting to think that either Ford is subsidizing the You tubers or they simply do not do their homework first? ( ignorance or laziness? ) I'll address some common oversights in favor of the Ford Maverick, that they have used ( so at the end of their comparison review ) they can pronounce the Maverick as the better of the two compact pick-up trucks.
1. It just looks like a truck and the Hyundai is just based on a Tucson SUV.
Styling aside, since that is something subjective to each reviewer...
( the Santa Cruz is longer & wider than the Tucson platform just like the Maverick - which is also based on an SUV platform, the Ford Escape, only they conveniently omit this detail )
Maverick: 200"L x 73"W x 69"H
Santa Cruz: 195"L x 75"W x 67"H
2. The Maverick has an adjustable tailgate so you can support 4 x 8 sheets of plywood stacked on top of the wheel wells. - btw: so does the Santa Cruz. ( on it's damped tailgate with remote open vs the Ford's undamped tailgate & no remote open feature )
3. The Maverick has a much bigger bed than the Santa Cruz's 4'ft bed.
( the Santa Cruz bed dimension is: 52.1" x 42.5" between the wheel wells. The Maverick bed dimension is 54.4" x 42.6" between the wheel wells. so it's only 2.3" longer! Also the side corner steps that the Maverick lacks go overlooked as does the lockable in-bed storage ( only available on the Santa Cruz ) that the Ford lacks plus the Maverick only comes with a Spray-on liner vs the Santa Cruz's composite bed, doesn't seem to get mentioned much either. ( I agree that the roll-up Tonneau cover does subtract 10" from the bed length if installed, but it can be removed or not even optioned ) These comparisons with an open bed Maverick verses a Santa Cruz with the Tonneau cover are comparing apples to oranges.
4. The Maverick has a lot more rear seat room than the cramped Santa Cruz Back seat. ( rear seat leg room is 36.9" on the Ford and 36.5" on the Hyundai ) they also overlook or gloss over the fact that while the Ford's rear seats also fold up, it's not a 60/40 split, its the whole seat or nothing and you can't remove it's under-seat tray either.
5. Pricing. Yes, I agree the Ford has a lower starting price for the cheap/base model but comparing a Hyundai SC Limited to a Maverick XL or XLT is again apples to oranges, once you get a loaded Maverick Lariat AWD with comparable features* ( *see attached photos of pricing ) and keeping in mind that besides a 10.25" info-tainment screen and 10.2" digital gauge cluster screen ( neither available on the Ford ) plus heated/cooled front seats, dual rear A/C vents & USB charge ports, Lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, Surround View Monitor SVM with Blind-spot View Monitor BVM ( high resolution compared to the low resolution screen on the Ford ) a real shift lever vs a rotary gear select dial and too many other features ( also not available on the Ford ) though the Santa Cruz is more expensive than the Maverick, a true comparison should also ask:

"How much do you comparatively get for your money?"

If the You tube automotive review channels want to truly compare apples to apples on these two new compact pick-up trucks, then lets keep these two models compared as equal as possible:

Maverick Lariat AWD - the 2.0L EcoBoost® in-line 4-cylinder engine has 250 horsepower and has a torque rating of 277 lb. Towing capacity is rated at 4000 lbs. 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined.

Santa Cruz Limited AWD - the 2.5L in-line 4-cylinder Turbo engine has 281 horsepower and has a torque rating of 311 lb. Towing capacity is rated at 5000 lbs. 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined.

Now here is your honest 's to 's 🛻 comparison.

 

[RevNation]

I compaired the eco-boost turbo, charged engine to the Santa Cruz 2.5 turbo charged engine the SEL premium with the turbo charged engine is $5000 more than a comparative Maverick like I said in the post. The items that your listing as far as the rear seat goes, I never claimed that the maverick had a large rear seat. It’s actually cramped as well. In the SEL premium, you do not get rear AC vents power outlets or any type of adapters, nor do you get armrests with any type of cupholders like I pointed out. You do get that stuff in the limited and don’t in lariat, I agree.

Hyundais turbo engine is great, the transmission is not. Mavericks turbo engine is not great nor is the torque limiting transmission.

Both had cloth interiors with heated seats. You do get a host of safety equipment in the Hyundai that you don’t get in the Ford. The math I put up on the screen is the bed dimensions with the hard tonneau cover installed which 90% of SC owners will have. You can compare the 2.5l non-turbo to the 2.0l turbo but your power disparity is much greater.

I sold my EB because of the garbage drivetrain, so I’m not a Maverick fanboy by any stretch. I sold my hybrid because of quality control issues. I actually did enjoy my time with the Santa Cruz but again, the two trims that I was testing, I’d pick the Maverick. I would like to compare the limited against the lariat luxury package at some point. Thank you for the feedback and taking the time to put together all this information and I’m glad that you’re enjoying your Santa Cruz.

 

[fossil]

 

[Maverick2023]

THIS IS A FREAKING MAVERICK FORUM.

 

[FischAutoTechGarten]

The main reason is kind of weird - I like the cheaper Maverick interior. I feel like I can be a slob (which I am) without consequences. That's because the Maverick has the "I'm a truck, abuse me" look and feel inside.

The "I'm a slob and the maverick encourages it defense". Not heard that used before.

 

[Mav_RICK]

THIS IS A FREAKING MAVERICK FORUM.

But this thread is in the " Maverick VRS The Competition"section.

 

[PlantMan]

Talk about blatant self-serving clickbait.

 

[Old Hickory Trojan]

I compaired the eco-boost turbo, charged engine to the Santa Cruz 2.5 turbo charged engine the SEL premium with the turbo charged engine is $5000 more than a comparative Maverick like I said in the post. The items that your listing as far as the rear seat goes, I never claimed that the maverick had a large rear seat. It’s actually cramped as well. In the SEL premium, you do not get rear AC vents power outlets or any type of adapters, nor do you get armrests with any type of cupholders like I pointed out. You do get that stuff in the limited and don’t in lariat, I agree.

Hyundais turbo engine is great, the transmission is not. Mavericks turbo engine is not great nor is the torque limiting transmission.

Both had cloth interiors with heated seats. You do get a host of safety equipment in the Hyundai that you don’t get in the Ford. The math I put up on the screen is the bed dimensions with the hard tonneau cover installed which 90% of SC owners will have. You can compare the 2.5l non-turbo to the 2.0l turbo but your power disparity is much greater.

I sold my EB because of the garbage drivetrain, so I’m not a Maverick fanboy by any stretch. I sold my hybrid because of quality control issues. I actually did enjoy my time with the Santa Cruz but again, the two trims that I was testing, I’d pick the Maverick. I would like to compare the limited against the lariat luxury package at some point. Thank you for the feedback and taking the time to put together all this information and I’m glad that you’re enjoying your Santa Cruz.

Let me correct a couple items. First many SC owners rid themselves of the Hard Tonneau that they have on the Limited SC. Many don't want that option after finding it freezes closed in the winter and does take up too much space. Second I agree the power disparity is one sided in the comparison but the tow capacity is not unless you upgrade to the 4k package in the Ford. The standard for the Maverick is 2000 pounds and in the less powerful SEL SC is 3500 pounds. Cupholders are in the rear doors ( not ideal but there). The lower level model SC has solar glass and acoustic windshield. Rear AC vents are in the floor. Biggest complaint I have with the SC is the lack of power outlets.

 

[RevNation]

I drive a Maverick XLT AWD LUX ECO, and my recent (last week) cross-shopping led to a very different result than yours. I cross-shopped a 2023 SC SEL AWD, which had less HP than my ecoboost (but I dont' care) but more quality and tech content. The price was just about the same - because my local dealers are discounting the SC by around $1,500.

I could trade my 12,000 mile 22 Maverick today for $33,000 (I have that quote from last week in hand) and walk away with a new SC with a non-turbo engine, conventional transmission, and better tech - and not spend a dollar on the transaction. But I don't. The main reason is kind of weird - I like the cheaper Maverick interior. I feel like I can be a slob (which I am) without consequences. That's because the Maverick has the "I'm a truck, abuse me" look and feel inside.

It's weird. I should logically trade right now and I would get my last 12,000 miles of Maverick driving free. But I don't just because the Maverick feels like a cheap truck inside and I oddly prefer that.

The popularity of the Maverick just reinforces what Ford always says. They claim to know their truck customers and what they want.. And I think they're right.

This is great!! Honesty is priceless friend.

 

[RevNation]

Talk about blatant self-serving clickbait.

Thanks for getting this out of the way bud.

 

[Scott Asheville]

I personally enjoy keeping track of the Santa Cruz each model year. I know we're a Maverick forum, but how could we not be interested in the nearest competition?

I agree with some of the above comments about apples and oranges. Depending on what trims and equipment you configure and place value in, you can easily make the Maverick look better than similar trims of the SC. You can also make some trims of the SC look better than similar trims of the Maverick (especially when you factor in discounts and a ten year warranty).

I think the only trim where the SC really falls flat on it's face is the one they don't have. A loss leader hybrid SC. There's just no such animal on the Hyundai side.

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