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

cavemold

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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.
Did it come with wireless CarPlay ?
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Enderet

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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.
Oh, didnt even know that existed. If you dont mind sharing, approximately how much did that cost you?
 

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Oh, didnt even know that existed. If you dont mind sharing, approximately how much did that cost you?
Mine was 3k, but I’m sure it could’ve been negotiated down if I tried harder. I was so happy about getting it for the original MSRP and the great price on my trade that I didn’t put up a fight on the warranty price. Anyway, there’s a Ford Protect website with more info.
 

stoptothink

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So what are the other vehicles with a truck bed that folks are looking at when dialing in a $35-$38k budget ? Just curious -
Santa Cruz and Ridgeline. For us, a truck bed certainly wasn't a must have; we just need enough space for a very adventurous family of 4 (honestly, our jetta has done fine in this regard for 5yrs). At that pricepoint we're also looking at things like RAV4 hybrid and Hyundai Sant Fe hybrid. We would have looked at a Maverick at $35k, but I highly doubt we would have ended up with one.
 
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Nw_adventure

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Santa Cruz and Ridgeline. For us, a truck bed certainly wasn't a must have; we just need enough space for a very adventurous family of 4 (honestly, our jetta has done fine in this regard for 5yrs). At that pricepoint we're also looking at things like RAV4 hybrid and Hyundai Sant Fe hybrid. We would have looked at a Maverick at $35k, but I highly doubt we would have ended up with one.
I hear that but we do need a truck bed tired of SUV/HATCH constraints
 

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Old Hickory Trojan

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So your dealer has a lifetime warranty. That is good for you but that doesnt change the fact of the difference I pointed out, only that in your very specifc case it does not apply. Also i dont think the hybrid has 100k warranty bumper to bumper. It is 100k or 8 yrs on the hybrid components from what I recall. And then it has the 3 yr 36k bumper to bumper.

About awd, I dont know anything about that. In my case my comparison is between the non turbo sc fwd and the ecoboost mav fwd.
You are correct the dealers lifetime warranty is lifetime for the powertrain not sure exactly if the lifetime dealer warranty includes the battery system or not ...if it does thats even better if not its still 8 years or 100k miles for a Hybrid that with the cost of gas comparing the two is a difference of about 200 gallons for 12k miles per year....with the rising fuel prices could mean huge cost difference if Gas raises prices go to $8-10 a gallon estimates that are being forecast by economists.
 

Joe Rambo

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I've owned a Maverick XL EB FWD for 1 month and have driven it 1800 miles. I have also owned many Hyundai/Kia cars and currently have a Genesis G70.

I don't hate the Santa Cruz or any Hyundai. But in my daily usage, I must disagree with the "cheap" assessment you've made of the Maverick. It is not a luxury car for sure, but it seems well built and durable. The doors don't sound cheap to me. Driving the Maverick puts a stupid smile on my face for some reason - there is something so very cheerful about it.

I'm sure the SC is a great truck. But having experienced the Maverick now for a month, there's no doubt I've made the right choice with the hybrid (I never wanted an EB).

I say if you can hold out and wait, hold out. You can always sell the Maverick after delivery if it is not what you wanted it to be. I just sold our XL to Carvana for over $10,000 more than we paid.
I second this. We currently own 2 Kias( Soul, Sportage) and a Hyundai (Santa Fe). Been driving Hyundais/Kias since the early 2000s. My Mav seems to be more of a truck and definitely doesn't look, feel, or sound cheap to me at all. I'm sure the SC is nice, but after seeing a few on the road, I'm sure I made the right decision. Plus, it looks too much like my old 2003 Subaru Baja.
 
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Kelli

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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).
The dealers near me seem to have plenty in stock win a range of trim levels. I test drove an SEL Premium in white. I'm wondering if it was an exception. No ACTIVE BSW and passive never came on that I noticed and the sales guy and I tried to get it to come on near parked cars, at a stop light, etc.. From what I understand Ford's CP360 is passive (haven't experienced it yet) and to be honest I prefer the active if it acts the same way. The seats are narrower and didn't feel as supportive as the ones in my Santa Fe (2014). The inside to me was a bit tighter than I like, and maybe that's because the Santa Fe is bigger than the Tuscon which is what the Santa Cruz is based on. I didn't mind the piano black (but then I don't own one with that so . . . ). I like the cubby in the bed, it's smaller than the Ridgeline's, but nice. I REALLY like the backup camera, good and clear! I did like the "sound" of when doors/hood/tailgate closed. I didn't like the rolling tonneau cover in fact I actually jumped when moved and I was driving. Evidently, it's not a simple retract and it stays in place (haven't had one, didn't know). When you are going up or down even a small incline you KNOW it's moved because you hear and feel it. It sounds like a manual door on a dock being raised by a chain that has been allowed to slam shut. I really wanted to like the Santa Cruz and if I HAD to go that route I would, but I'd pay extra for the base Ridgeline even with the warranty difference as it has more room, better tailgate, more storage, bigger storage in the bed, and mileage is close.
 

cavemold

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If I didn’t go with a truck I’d consider the Tucson . The cruz doesn’t feel like truck to me. Feels like crossover with a bed. At 35k I would rather get ranger xlt . SC will have shorter customer base than the maverick in my opinion
 

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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 thought of another pro, if you are someone like me that is interested in the non-turbo, and are comparing it to the ecoboost. You wont have to do the walnut blasting that many around here talk about being needed on turbo engines.

Another pro is that Hyundai is currently offering 3 years of complimentary maintenance on new vehicle purchases. From what they say, that includes Oil Changes, Tire Rotations, Oil Filter Replacements, Multi-Point Inspections
 

NJBob

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It sure is tempting. I want adaptive cruise control and it looks like the Santa Cruz needs the top end limited edition to get this. That puts the cost to high for me. But the sel premium edition gives pretty much everything I want except for the acc. Including a moonroof which I don't care for.
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