First Santa Cruz Test Drive Review (that I've found)

[Olyeller]

Game over LOL!

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[hsinking1932]

T

Watched the review, go to 23:00 in for his conclusion.

DISMAL FAILURE.

Game over.

Nice video. I can see the points in his conclusion. There is a thin red line between a pickup and an SUV with an openable trunk. All players in the compact pickup market are playing around the line. SC likes to stay over the line. Hyundai never claims the SC is a pickup, while Ford struggles to keep Mav in the pickup side, although SC has a stronger powertrain. It is an interesting game. More competitors make the game more fun. May everyone gets what they need.

 

[F1PRB22GA]

Hyundai:" The market needs a truck for non-truck people. It'll be a home run."
Honda:" Trust us-not really."

The Santa Cruz is a textbook “jack-of-all-trades, master of none” and won’t convince many buyers.

 

[KimoCarew]

Nice review. Thanks.

I'm wondering about the composite bed. Every once in a while I will use this thing (or the Maverick) as a truck. If I'm hauling something like pieces of heavy tree limbs to the dump for chipping, could they dent or even poke through the bed liner, since the bed isn't steel?

I love my composite bed in the Tacoma. I wish Mav had one.

 

[hsinking1932]

Nice review. Thanks.

I'm wondering about the composite bed. Every once in a while I will use this thing (or the Maverick) as a truck. If I'm hauling something like pieces of heavy tree limbs to the dump for chipping, could they dent or even poke through the bed liner, since the bed isn't steel?

A warning from the SC's user manual

 

[JASmith]

I don't care for the looks of the Santa Cruz and the bed is 6 inches shorter and cannot handle 4 x 8 sheets of plywood like the Maverick. No brainer for me...Go Maverick!

I had read that it can do the same party trick, although not as elegantly. Just like the Maverick, while between the wheelhousings is only 43" wide, above it is 54" wide, so a 48" wide sheet of plywood isn't an issue. I guess Ford patented the tilted tailgate trick though, so I think they said you have to use a vertical 2x4 or something on the tailgate to support the back end. It also kind of apes the Maverick in that it has two slots for 2x4s so you can make a shelf system if needed, and it has a mini "brunk" in the back like the Honda Ridgeline but a lot shallower, that is waterproof and lockable and has a drain plug. One major flaw though is that I heard if you get the optional bed extender which I think is a must-buy for these short beds trucks (I even use one on my Ram 1500), is that if you swivel the extender backwards into the bed, the little brunk door won't open anymore. I could be wrong though. *shrugs*

 

[JASmith]

I’ve looked at all that’s available on both the Maverick and the Santa Cruz. I’m leaning more towards the Santa Cruz now for several reasons. A top shelf Maverick and a top shelf Santa Cruz are very close in price. The Santa Cruz is built in Alabama, the Maverick in Mexico. The Santa Cruz Limited has cooled seats, not available on Maverick. Maverick has more color choices and a slightly longer bed. The Cruz has a trunk under the bed. Hyundai is now shipping retail versions to dealers available for sale.

I'm also on the fence, but I think you're wrong on price.

The first edition (sorry guys) I think is kind of a gimmick. A "normal" top shelf Maverick would be a Lariat ecoboost luxury package 4K towing copilot 360 which is $32.5K after destination charges in FWD and ~$35K in AWD.

There are currently 222 Santa Cruz's already on autotrader, so looking at the cheapest Limited trim is $41.1K MSRP. ~$8.5K to 6K, assuming no markup, is not nothing. The SEL Premium, lowest trim with a turbo is ~$37K, so either way its a bit more. FWD would knock $1500 off, but Hyundai isn't making any FWD turbo models for the time being. The base 2.5 naturally aspirated option is much cheaper, but its going to be over 20lbs/hp which is frankly quite slow, without the fuel economy to justify it. For $26.6K you can get a 37mpg combined XLT hybrid luxury package, which to me seems like a better deal if jumping $10K to the turbo Santa Cruz is too much to swallow.

 

[Jojo]

I'm surprised these reviews have only addressed normal street and highway driving, no dirt roads or bumpy roads or the like. Seems like the market they are affecting would try some light rough driving

 

[Olyeller]

The MSRP for the loaded Lariat luxury AWD FX4 package with sunroof that I ordered is $41,100. The Limited Santa Cruz comparably equipped is $41,700. You are comparing lesser trimsI don’t want an XL nor an XLT, I want a loaded trucklet. The Lariat comes with the 2.0 Ecoboost. The Limited Santa Cruz comes with a 3.5 turbo. Gas mileage is comparable. Again the hybrid is of no interest to me. I understand why some of you are enamored with it but I am not. It’s my personal preference. So in either case to compare apples to apples there is a marginal cost difference between comparably equipped models especially when you are talking fully loaded models.. I can afford to pay the $42,000 plus tax and license to get the vehicle that suits my purposes. But I understand that upfront cost is important to folks earlier in life than me. If I were to buy a comparably equipped full size truck that won’t fit in my garage I’ll pay a lot more than $42K. I want to reiterate that I am not heaping scorn on the Maverick. If it comes first I won’t be disappointed.

 

[ColoradoShooter]

I can’t get over how ugly that car is.

 

[Hack]

A warning from the SC's user manual

I'm not as much thinking of the total weight as dings and punctures.

 

[slashy42]

You could buy a ford ranger 4x4 crew cab for $33k and get the same mpg.

Yea, some people are really into luxury appointments I guess? If I were into fully loaded lariat territory I'd be jumping to a ranger XLT in velocity blue, 4x4, and that chrome appearance package.

 

[JASmith]

The MSRP for the loaded Lariat luxury AWD FX4 package with sunroof that I ordered is $41,100. The Limited Santa Cruz comparably equipped is $41,700.

I just don't understand unless the dealer ripped you off. The build site says that described configuration should be $35,765 after destination, where is the extra $5.3K going? Even after tonneau and what not I'm drawing a blank. Personally, I just can't see breaking the $40K barrier with the Maverick, as the interior hard plastics seem out of place at that pricepoint. Also a little confused choosing the FX4 packaged or the Limited SC, as the 20" wheel/tire package on that trim is very street focused whereas the FX4 is meant for mild offroading.

 

[Olyeller]

Nobody is ripping me off. I priced mine out on the Ford build and Price site first. I didn’t disclose here every option I checked. I included 4K tow, Ford 360, the trifold tonneau. I pretty much included every option except for late delivery items or the first aid or smokers packages. I know what I want and I’m willing to pay for it. That said, when outfitted the way I want, they are very close in price and similar in equipment with the slight edge to the Santa Cruz albeit a couple hundred higher.

 

[pxpaulx]

The MSRP for the loaded Lariat luxury AWD FX4 package with sunroof that I ordered is $41,100. The Limited Santa Cruz comparably equipped is $41,700. You are comparing lesser trimsI don’t want an XL nor an XLT, I want a loaded trucklet. The Lariat comes with the 2.0 Ecoboost. The Limited Santa Cruz comes with a 3.5 turbo. Gas mileage is comparable. Again the hybrid is of no interest to me. I understand why some of you are enamored with it but I am not. It’s my personal preference. So in either case to compare apples to apples there is a marginal cost difference between comparably equipped models especially when you are talking fully loaded models.. I can afford to pay the $42,000 plus tax and license to get the vehicle that suits my purposes. But I understand that upfront cost is important to folks earlier in life than me. If I were to buy a comparably equipped full size truck that won’t fit in my garage I’ll pay a lot more than $42K. I want to reiterate that I am not heaping scorn on the Maverick. If it comes first I won’t be disappointed.

I'm curious how you ended up at $41,100 for a loaded lariat as described? are these out the door prices? I put in all those options, plus FS spare, hard roll-up tonneau and moonroof and it is about $38K in the build and price?

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