I took a look at a Santa Cruz today - I was very impressed

[Nw_adventure]

Not so humble brag, it isn't an issue for us either - we could easily afford to drive anything short of European ultra exotics. BUT, we don't place a high value on cars; I want an appliance, whatever meets our needs as efficiently as possible. For our use case, that was clearly a lower trim Maverick hybrid. If we were willing to spend $35k+, there are a handful of vehicles we are looking at before a Maverick.

We have resources, but they are still finite; I'd rather spend the extra $10k on some awesome e-bikes (which we did) or some family vacations. Everybody's priorities are different.

So what are the other vehicles with a truck bed that folks are looking at when dialing in a $35-$38k budget ? Just curious -

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[Enderet]

I just remembered two other things I noted as a positive of the Santa Cruz in my book.

1. The back seat is split 40/60. I know this may not matter to everyone, but for me I hated that the moment I put in a baby car seat in the back of the Mav, I no longer had access to the storage under the back seat.

2. No auto start/stop. Again, this one may not matter to some, and some may even see it as a negative. But I checked and double checked, and it appears the SC does not have auto start stop. I usually turned mine off in my Mav, and I know some people even buy an aftermarket piece to permanently disable it.

Edit - Here is a potential third. But a definitive third in my book. The fact that the SC has a composite bed as pointed out by OP means that you dont have to spend money on a drop in bed liner or a spray in bedliner. We are talking about potential savings ranging from what, 200-500 for that spray in bed liner, assuming you get it from a shop.

 

[Rainey]

This posting is for those of you on the forum who, like me, are still not quite sure about the Maverick (and like me, you might have one on order). But maybe you haven't looked at the Santa Cruz in person because you don't like the styling or think it's too expensive.

This is NOT intended as some kind of antagonistic posting to troll Maverick owners. Folks, I have a Maverick on order and a Ford Ranger in my driveway. I'm a lifelong Ford truck guy (well, I'm wavering).

I placed my order 3 Sep of last year. I ordered a Maverick because I preferred the conventional styling, the slightly longer bed, and the really powerful Ecoboost engine with a conventional automatic. I like my little luxuries, so the bottom line for the XLT ECO 360 LUX SIBL, including delivery, is $30,500. But I've been kind of wincing at how cheap Ford went on everything. I've seen the truck in person, and it definitely does not impress. And the postings here just reinforce that constantly.

- EDIT BY OP - I was wrong in the next para. The equivalent build SC is $400 more than my Maverick build, not $2,000 cheaper.

So I decided that darn it, I was gonna go check out the competition. I went to look at a similarly equipped Santa Cruz SEL that costs about $2,000 LESS than the Maverick I have on order. Long story short, it impressed.

• The Santa Cruz is way more appealing in person than in pictures. I liked it a lot. It has presence. A neighbor has one and loves it. It looks good going down the street.
• I was impressed by little things, like a composite bed and sound insulation under the hood. And a waterproof storage compartment in the bed.
• Closing the doors, hood, or tailgate on the Maverick vs the Santa Cruz just screams "CHEAP". I'm not being a troll here, the quality difference just jumped out at me in a big way. I don't necessarily hate cheap. My crude 2010 Ranger is cheap, and I've loved that cheap hunk of junk for 102,000 safe and reliable miles.
• The CP360 safety features I want, like blind spot, etc - they're all standard on the Santa Cruz.
• All the rotary shift haters will roll their eyes, but I wish the Santa Cruz didn't have a conventional shift lever. It looks like an antique.
• The interior just blew the Maverick out of the water. Except for the stupid piano black. I mean there was no comparison - these vehicles are not in the same league. The higher quality of the rear view camera really stood out. The software just blows the Ford out of the water.
• The bed had higher sides and was a half foot shorter. I don't care about the length, but I prefer the Maverick sides. Easier for a boomer to reach into the bed.
• The paint quality really impressed. Again, quality of materials jumped out at me everywhere I looked.
• I loved the little foot step indents in the bumper
• Same bed cubbies and lighting as the Maverick
• A bit smaller in the rear seat. Which is a non-issue for me as I really want a two door trucket in the first place.
• Mileage wasn't all that different from the Eco I ordered. And again, you give up a lot of horsepower on the lower trim Santa Cruz trucklets. So not for those who thirst after horsepower.

Bottom line is that I walked away seriously impressed with the lower trim Santa Cruz SEL. I have no build date for my constrained Maverick order and I need a Hobbit Truck sooner than later. And I walked away from the in-person review thinking "I can save $2,000 and get the same functionality sooner and with a ten year warranty". On the other hand, I'm thinking "Or I could stick with the Maverick and have all that horsepower and no piano black (but cheap hard plastics)". I'm thinking it over.

Bottom line. If you're wavering like me, I'd say go test drive a Santa Cruz in one of the lower trims (SE or SEL). You might find yourself pleasantly surprised. I'd love to hear the impressions of others who actually physically compared the two cars (sorry, trucks).

I have seen the Santa Cruse in person but I have not driven it. I picked up my Mav Lariat this week. I have to say I am very impressed with my Maverick and I love it way more than what I had expected I would. My order was verified on sept 1 and I got it this week. So, I would honestly think you should have yours sooner rather than later. Mine is also the hybrid which is taking longer. For me, I would wait it out and I am happy to say that I did.

 

[Nw_adventure]

I just remembered two other things I noted as a positive of the Santa Cruz in my book.

1. The back seat is split 40/60. I know this may not matter to everyone, but for me I hated that the moment I put in a baby car seat in the back of the Mav, I no longer had access to the storage under the back seat.

2. No auto start/stop. Again, this one may not matter to some, and some may even see it as a negative. But I checked and double checked, and it appears the SC does not have auto start stop. I usually turned mine off in my Mav, and I know some people even buy an aftermarket piece to permanently disable it.

Edit - Here is a potential third. But a definitive third in my book. The fact that the SC has a composite bed as pointed out by OP means that you dont have to spend money on a drop in bed liner or a spray in bedliner. We are talking about potential savings ranging from what, 200-500 for that spray in bed liner, assuming you get it from a shop.

Yes that 60/40 splitbench trump's the Mav - Hopefully there is a retro/fit option for future Mavericks if they upgrade design.

 

[numike]

I want the split too However I have seen the Santa Cruz up close and I was not impressed It looked like a sedan with a tiny seemingly useless cargo bed stuck on the back
NO TY

 

[Chuck Norris]

I have to say the SC is very impressive in person, I think it looks better then the Maverick, I like that it doesn’t look like a traditional truck, it looks modern, the Maverick looks like a 90’s small pickup, just my opinion. The SC build quality seems much better also, it’s a 40k car that you remove things to make it cheaper, the Maverick is a 20k car that you add stuff to. If you could get the SC base model with the 2.5 turbo I would be buying that, but having to spend 10k more for it doesn’t make it worth it to me, hence the value pick goes to the Maverick, if money was no object I would get the SC.

 

[Turtle]

I traded in a 2019 Hyundai Veloster for my Maverick. Keep that in mind when I say that for me the Santa Cruz was too over the top styling-wise. I feel like Hyundai has gone off the deep end in 2022 with their design language (similar to, in my opinion, what Toyota and Lexus have done in the past 5-10 years). The whole giant grill thing puts me off. It might be okay for some sports cars, but in everything else it's kind of silly to me.

I really like the simple design approach Ford took with the Maverick. The only thing missing in my opinion is that nobody competes with that incredible Hyundai warranty.

For just $1500 Ford will give you the warranty.

 

[numike]

Ford Maverick warranty here you go: https://www.floodfordesp.com/esp_pl...2=0&Surcharge5=0&Surcharge3=0&Submit=Continue

 

[WesM]

So what are the other vehicles with a truck bed that folks are looking at when dialing in a $35-$38k budget ? Just curious -

The usual:

Toyota Tacoma
Nissan Frontier
Ford Ranger
Honda Ridgeline
Chevy Colorado

All of which are obviously more capable than the SC or Maverick. About the same fuel efficiency too, except for the Hybrid Maverick.

The lower price and the hybrid are really what make the Maverick so special.

 

[Jamro300]

My Son bought a SEL premium, and it is pretty nice. It didn’t come with a hitch but the wiring is easily accessible to put the hitch on at a later date. My only problem with it is the bed is smaller than my Maverick. The SC is definitely quieter on the inside, and from what I could tell the ride was smoother. I would be lying if I hadn’t thought of trading my Mav in for an SC.

 

[Nw_adventure]

The usual:

Toyota Tacoma
Nissan Frontier
Ford Ranger
Honda Ridgeline
Chevy Colorado

All of which are obviously more capable than the SC or Maverick. About the same fuel efficiency too, except for the Hybrid Maverick.

Thx- All having size issues for those of us who don't want bloat- However would like to see the new Ranger later this fall- Frontier looks great but again oversized, with heavy steering, slow and got destroyed on TFL'S truck comparison.

 

[Enderet]

Ford Maverick warranty here you go: https://www.floodfordesp.com/esp_pl...2=0&Surcharge5=0&Surcharge3=0&Submit=Continue

For just $1500 Ford will give you the warranty.

Probably a little more expensive than that.

From the website linked by numike it looks like it is $1850 for 8 years/100,000k warranty with zero deductible (as far as I know if you buy this you arent buying another 8 years after the 3 years that come with it from the factory, you are really only buying another 5 years past the standard 3 year). That is still 2 years shy of the Hyundai if that matters at all.

But yeah, like I said earlier, for anyone that is trying to compare them in terms of price and whatnot, one could factor in the extra 1500-2000 extended warranty. Maverick or Santa Cruz, I plan on keeping it for that long, if not longer, so when comparing them I personally factor this price difference in, because I would definitely be buying it on the Mav. But thats just me. I know many on here have expressed that in their minds it is a waste of money.

 

[WesM]

Thx- All having size issues for those of us who don't want bloat- However would like to see the new Ranger later this fall- Frontier looks great but again oversized, with heavy steering, slow and got destroyed on TFL'S truck comparison.

yeah, all of the midsize trucks are kinda outdated right now. Even the new Frontier reuses a lot of parts from the old frontier. If ford came out with a solid hybrid, or even EV Ranger (not personally interested in EV but others are I'm sure), their only competition would be from themselves.

 

[Deleted member 14823]

Probably a little more expensive than that.

From the website linked by numike it looks like it is $1850 for 8 years/100,000k warranty with zero deductible (as far as I know if you buy this you arent buying another 8 years after the 3 years that come with it from the factory, you are really only buying another 5 years past the standard 3 year). That is still 2 years shy of the Hyundai if that matters at all.

But yeah, like I said earlier, for anyone that is trying to compare them in terms of price and whatnot, one could factor in the extra 1500-2000 extended warranty. Maverick or Santa Cruz, I plan on keeping it for that long, if not longer, so when comparing them I personally factor this price difference in, because I would definitely be buying it on the Mav. But thats just me. I know many on here have expressed that in their minds it is a waste of money.

I actually splurged on the Ford Protect Premiumcare package for 3 years, which essentially translates into a total of 6 years bumper to bumper for me. I wasn’t going to mention it, but my last Ford was an ‘81 Fairmont, and that experience is what prompted me to buy the warranty. Hopefully at the end of my ownership of the Maverick I’ll look back and view the extra warranty as having been unnecessary.

 

[Anton4]

A friend of mine settled for a Santa Cruz when he couldn’t find the Maverick he wanted. He’s happy with it, but I find them ugly. Doesn’t look like a car, doesn’t look like a truck. Everyone likes something different…that’s why there are so many options out there.

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