Maverick or Santa Cruz for the long run?

[JASmith]

Also at least in my case, I avoid moon roofs like the plague.

Ditto! And you can't get a turbo Santa Cruz without a moonroof (well, except Canada). You can get any trim/engine Mav without though.

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[MattIngram]

It depends. While you may have fewer parts wearing out on the Santa Cruz and a better warranty, replacement parts on the Maverick will be less expensive and easier to repair. To me that’s a tie.

More MSRP on the Santa Cruz, means faster depreciation. Santa Cruz doesn’t seem to excite their target audience the way the Maverick does. I think that means the 5 year residual value on the Santa Cruz will be less compared to a Maverick.

 

[clippedwings]

Considering the many hours invested, and also never having actually seen either one, I agree with pretty much everything mentioned. There isn’t one of those issues that hasn’t been considered and mulled over by me. I have tried to make my choice without bias. In truth, both brands have major positives, and in spite of the SC’s slightly smaller bed, they are both able to carry 4 x 8 sheet goods in a similar manner, which is key for my business use (Though the notorious leaky tonneau of the SC is a big hit for someone who is going to be carrying goods possibly worth six figures in the bed). I am not a fan boy of either, and I think probably the overall driving factor, in spite of differences Is that the admittedly workman-like Mav offers a generous inclusion of high-tech features at a very acceptable price (even my fully loaded Lariat at around $35K is really not that much in today’s market), while the much pricier Hyundai offers a luxurious feel much like my wife’s BMW. Your personal needs and intended use are major factors. I may be lucky to still be driving 10 years from now. If I am, I’m sure that my next, and possibly last vehicle will be electrified in some way. I’m not considering longevity, and will probably not put 25,000 miles on it in the next 5 years. younger folks are likely to have different ideas. But truly, I believe both rides are worthy, and if you are lucky enough to be able to choose between them, they both have strong appeal mixed with various less-than-perfect characteristics that are going to make the choice difficult. What is really driving everything at present is whether or not you can get your hands on either one.

 

[TucsonFrontier82]

Considering the many hours invested, and also never having actually seen either one, I agree with pretty much everything mentioned. There isn’t one of those issues that hasn’t been considered and mulled over by me. I have tried to make my choice without bias. In truth, both brands have major positives, and in spite of the SC’s slightly smaller bed, they are both able to carry 4 x 8 sheet goods in a similar manner, which is key for my business use (Though the notorious leaky tonneau of the SC is a big hit for someone who is going to be carrying goods possibly worth six figures in the bed). I am not a fan boy of either, and I think probably the overall driving factor, in spite of differences Is that the admittedly workman-like Mav offers a generous inclusion of high-tech features at a very acceptable price (even my fully loaded Lariat at around $35K is really not that much in today’s market), while the much pricier Hyundai offers a luxurious feel much like my wife’s BMW. Your personal needs and intended use are major factors. I may be lucky to still be driving 10 years from now. If I am, I’m sure that my next, and possibly last vehicle will be electrified in some way. I’m not considering longevity, and will probably not put 25,000 miles on it in the next 5 years. younger folks are likely to have different ideas. But truly, I believe both rides are worthy, and if you are lucky enough to be able to choose between them, they both have strong appeal mixed with various less-than-perfect characteristics that are going to make the choice difficult. What is really driving everything at present is whether or not you can get your hands on either one.

For $35k, you could get a '22 Nissan Frontier S or SV and have a far more capable truck. The Nissan VQ engine is exceptionally reliable too. Since you say 4 × 8 material is important for your business,, I would look into the LWB (long wheelbase) option with a 6' bed. I can't imagine you'll be satisfied with the bed in the SC, especially if it has the factory rollup tonneau which takes up a half foot of space. Those 4 × 8 sheets will be sticking 4 feet out the back of your truck.

 

[tebowed]

Forgot to mention, if longevity is your goal, keeping the truck in a garage will help its reliability more than which manufacturer you chose.

Having lived in Virginia I know they salt those roads pretty heavily sometimes. Get the salt off the vehicle asap with a wash if longevity is the goal.

Also at least in my case, I avoid moon roofs like the plague. For some reason they always have problems on my cars, does not matter if it was my Volvo, Toyota or Honda, they all either leaked, or had issues with the drive motors. Had one get stuck in the open position and had to keep a tarp over it until I could get it fixed

Good god, the honda and VW moonroof leaks I had in my time.

 

[clippedwings]

For $35k, you could get a '22 Nissan Frontier S or SV and have a far more capable truck. The Nissan VQ engine is exceptionally reliable too. Since you say 4 × 8 material is important for your business,, I would look into the LWB (long wheelbase) option with a 6' bed. I can't imagine you'll be satisfied with the bed in the SC, especially if it has the factory rollup tonneau which takes up a half foot of space. Those 4 × 8 sheets will be sticking 4 feet out the back of your truck.

You are talking to someone who has owned three new Frontiers, from two different generations. Have also owned a Jeep Commanche (one of my favorites) and two early compact pickups - one a diesel. I am NOT a pickup Noob! The mid-sized trucks are now more truck-like than I want or need. I still occasionally need the 4x8 capacity, and my current business hauls are not weighty, they are large and flat, so that versatile Mav bed can suffice. The compact pickup form is not just a miniature version of a larger beast. It's an entirely different experience with entirely different characteristics. The other choice that's in my sights at present is the maligned Santa Cruz. It's unlikely I'll end up with one because the already pricey Limited is now being outrageously overpriced with dealer add-ons and markups, and I'm not likely to bite on that

 

[Arukoru]

Some things to think about:

XLT Fx4 (needs AWD) is $29,270 with 4k towing to close the gap with the SC

There is no comparable Santa Cruz so you can either get the better performing SEL Premium, or undershoot the Mav with the SEL + AWD + tow hitch and get close to the price with $30,365

Between the SEL and the XLT Fx4 you've got very comparable towing capability, similar speed although the maverick will outperform it. The Mav has better seats in the standard trims vs the SC in my opinion, I've driven in both. So in this particular head to head the Mav is pretty much better in every way except that the interior is much more targeted towards people who want the aesthetic of luxury vs the aesthetic of new age functional design. The SC styling on the inside is much more conservative while being a little baja wild on the outside. The Mav styling is the reverse with a much more forward thinking interior and a conservative exterior (arguably overly conservative).

I'd rather have an XLT Maverick myself but I also wouldn't configure a Santa Cruz like this.

To me, you're either getting the SEL Premium Santa Cruz or the Maverick because I don't see the SC SE being particularly incredible value by comparison. You're either missing out on power or MPGs by choosing the SC and in return you get a more luxurious looking machine. On the flipside though I'll take the SEL Premium over any Ecoboost Maverick.

Other random notes:

Front end of the SC is striking just like the one on the Tuscon, it rides a little nicer and definitely quieter, it has a sportier look with the stock stuff, and you're getting a nice warranty with a brand that has had hiccups but they're a reasonably safe bet.

The Maverick will probably have better aftermarket support, looks more truck-like especially with some aggressive tires and springs, and seems to get better mileage overall.

Over a long period of time I think the Maverick will probably hold resale value better if you care, reliability seems to be a bit of a toss up from my understanding with some people leaning Mav and some people leaning SC for various reasons. My 2 cents is that for the average person the Maverick fits into more budgets than the SC which is more of a toy for retired men that don't want to climb into their F150 every time they buy a plant from Home Depot or whatever. It is definitely a wife pleaser, I can't imagine trying to talk a 62+ yr old lady into a Maverick, my mom will ride in it once I'm sure for fun but she's way more at home in the luxury-esc Santa Cruz that looks and feels and rides just a little bit nicer.

 

[JASmith]

Some things to think about:

XLT Fx4 (needs AWD) is $29,270 with 4k towing to close the gap with the SC

There is no comparable Santa Cruz so you can either get the better performing SEL Premium, or undershoot the Mav with the SEL + AWD + tow hitch and get close to the price with $30,365

Between the SEL and the XLT Fx4 you've got very comparable towing capability, similar speed although the maverick will outperform it. The Mav has better seats in the standard trims vs the SC in my opinion, I've driven in both. So in this particular head to head the Mav is pretty much better in every way...

What is the point of a Lariat trim or Luxury package on a Maverick then?

Lariat gives you DRLs and LED strips on the brake lights, these are things the SEL not only has, but has objectively much more expensive counterparts.

The Lariat gives you upgraded 18" wheels, making it more comparable to the SEL that comes with 18" wheels, but again the SEL one ups it with 245mm vs 225mm tires on the Mav.

The Lariat gives you painted mirror caps, just like the SEL except the SEL again one-ups by having heat and integrated blinkers.

The Lariat gives you 8-way power seats, as does the SEL except the SEL is one-upping with power lumbar and heat.

The Lariat gives you pushbutton start, again something the SEL has as well. But again the SEL one-ups by having remote start standard, something you have to upgrade to the Luxury Package for.

So to be fair, you really need to at least include the ~$2.4K luxury package on the XLT and/or go Lariat, and you will still be short on a few features here and there that are unique like dampened tailgate that can be opened with the FOB and a self-leveling dampers that allows it to use softer springs for a more compliant ride. And lastly while Ford can match the no-deductible 10 year warranty of the Hyundai, you're going to spend a few grand for that at the dealer.

Trust me, I know its not a very easy comparison, as I had to make a excel spreadsheet for myself with all the options to figure out which ones compare. And there are flies in the powertrain ointment for the Santa Cruz, because I have a feeling the naturally aspirated 2.5 will actually be slower than the same horsepower 2.5 Hybrid in the Maverick while having only 60% the fuel economy. So while its nice you get 1.5K lbs extra tow capacity, that comes at a big penalty!

 

[Arukoru]

What is the point of a Lariat trim or Luxury package on a Maverick then?

Lariat gives you DRLs and LED strips on the brake lights, these are things the SEL not only has, but has objectively much more expensive counterparts.

The Lariat gives you upgraded 18" wheels, making it more comparable to the SEL that comes with 18" wheels, but again the SEL one ups it with 245mm vs 225mm tires on the Mav.

The Lariat gives you painted mirror caps, just like the SEL except the SEL again one-ups by having heat and integrated blinkers.

The Lariat gives you 8-way power seats, as does the SEL except the SEL is one-upping with power lumbar and heat.

The Lariat gives you pushbutton start, again something the SEL has as well. But again the SEL one-ups by having remote start standard, something you have to upgrade to the Luxury Package for.

So to be fair, you really need to at least include the ~$2.4K luxury package on the XLT and/or go Lariat, and you will still be short on a few features here and there that are unique like dampened tailgate that can be opened with the FOB and a self-leveling dampers that allows it to use softer springs for a more compliant ride. And lastly while Ford can match the no-deductible 10 year warranty of the Hyundai, you're going to spend a few grand for that at the dealer.

Trust me, I know its not a very easy comparison, as I had to make a excel spreadsheet for myself with all the options to figure out which ones compare. And there are flies in the powertrain ointment for the Santa Cruz, because I have a feeling the naturally aspirated 2.5 will actually be slower than the same horsepower 2.5 Hybrid in the Maverick while having only 60% the fuel economy. So while its nice you get 1.5K lbs extra tow capacity, that comes at a big penalty!

I didn't go into the lux package because I was trying to keep it close to the same price. The standard SEL doesn't have as many features as the Lariat Lux and I didn't think that was a super fair comparison. They are miss-matched so that either the SC or the Maverick are better at different pricepoints. For example if you want pushbutton, you're automatically getting "leather" seats which to get on the SC will bump it into a way higher pricepoint. You can really never make the two all that comparable unless you put every bell and whistle on the Mav and most of them on the SC.

 

[JASmith]

I didn't go into the lux package because I was trying to keep it close to the same price. The standard SEL doesn't have as many features as the Lariat Lux and I didn't think that was a super fair comparison. They are miss-matched so that either the SC or the Maverick are better at different pricepoints. For example if you want pushbutton, you're automatically getting "leather" seats which to get on the SC will bump it into a way higher pricepoint. You can really never make the two all that comparable unless you put every bell and whistle on the Mav and most of them on the SC.

I don't think its fair to compare ventilated genuine leather seats with vinyl. Vinyl isn't really any more expensive than cloth and is more just a tradeoff of durability vs breathability. On many vehicles its a no-cost option to choose either, unlike genuine leather which for obvious reasons is more expensive with the advantage of being more breathable being an organic membrane, especially perforated with a ventilation fan system.

I do think its fair to compare a XLT Luxury package or base Lariat with a SEL though, as you were assigning many of their features over a base XLT as having no value, but obviously they do to some people or those options wouldn't exist.

A Mav XLT Luxury FX4 4K copilot build is $31.5K + $2.5K to up the warranty = ~$34K

A SEL SC AWD is $30K + $1K for tow hitch + harness + wireless trailer brake controller + labor = ~$31K

IMO those are pretty closely comparable on the major $ items, albeit the SC will be slower and 500lbs less tow capacity with no rear center armrest.

Alternatively, you can compare the following which is probably even more of a closer match when you count lighting and pushbutton what not:

A Mav Lariat FX4 4K copilot w/ bedliner comes out to around $33K + $2.5K to up warranty = ~$35.5K

A SEL SC AWD is $30K + 1K for tow hitch + harness + wireless trailer brake controller + Labor + $1K for Katskins Leather Kit = ~$32K

tl;dr: If you drive pretty chill and don't mind 191hp but need AWD and more than 2K tow capability, the Santa Cruz generally comes out quite a bit cheaper than its closest Maverick counterpart, feature for feature.

 

[Nw_adventure]

The Lariat / XLT Lux/ packages are definitely a Ford shell game - Just to get heated seats requires LUX - @ the end of the day a fully spec'ed out AWD/Lariat/LUX/Moonroof/FX4 comes in at 36K and I am fine with that. SC climate functions buried in infotainment, no knobs, piano black interior and odd styling outside I just can't get excited about it and I do know it's got some neat options over the Mav -

 

[Mannyr]

The Lariat / XLT Lux/ packages are definitely a Ford shell game - Just to get heated seats requires LUX - @ the end of the day a fully spec'ed out AWD/Lariat/LUX/Moonroof/FX4 comes in at 36K and I am fine with that. SC climate functions buried in infotainment, no knobs, piano black interior and odd styling outside I just can't get excited about it and I do know it's got some neat options over the Mav -

I agree with the first part of your post, I mean I would love to be able to add the heated steering wheel to my XLT, but I can't unless I get the LUX package... so I see your point. Now compared to the SC and its longevity, I came to realization that probably (whether I like it or not) All ICE cars will start to feel outdated way sooner than I expected... So maybe I should wait for the Hybrid AWD with more power All I know is that I am scheduled for production mid Feb. and we will see what happen between now and March when my mav will probably make it to my dealership.

 

[Nw_adventure]

I agree with the first part of your post, I mean I would love to be able to add the heated steering wheel to my XLT, but I can't unless I get the LUX package... so I see your point. Now compared to the SC and its longevity, I came to realization that probably (whether I like it or not) All ICE cars will start to feel outdated way sooner than I expected... So maybe I should wait for the Hybrid AWD with more power All I know is that I am scheduled for production mid Feb. and we will see what happen between now and March when my mav will probably make it to my dealership.

We would have been all over a hybrid AWD that could tow 3k - At this point not being scheduled means march delivery at the earliest and was hoping for a rattler upgrade package but now seems 1.5 years out on that option

 

[ITSATRUCK]

Hybrid Maverick it has no competition. None, zip, nada! I also bet it will be the most reliable. Down side is poor towing and FWD. But I was more then impressed with TFL log test.

 

[Bob The Builder]

We had a 2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited. We put 55K on the clock until we traded it in Dec. 2019 for my wife's Cherokee. It was a nice car, solidly built, good engine and transmission and good mileage on a trip. Average mileage around town. It was a light car, low to the ground and not very well suited for Vermont winters. No matter what we put on for tires in the winter the car was basically useless in +6" snow events. Tires tried, X-Ice, Nokia Haks and Bridgestone Blizzaks. Some of the best winter tires out there IMHO.

The Hyundai was in and out of the dealership numerous times for TSB's and recalls. Honestly, I tried keeping a log of it all at the time but I just lost track. No joke. Shifter cable, lower arms in the rear, corrosion remediation on suspension components, relays replaced in transmission causing the tranny to go into limp mode on two occasions, software updates due to failing engines due to improper cleaning of machining residue on the crankshaft. Our engine never failed, but it was always in the back of my mind. One recall gave me an extended dip stick so 1/2 more quart of oil could be added to the transmission to try and extend the engine life. Defective TPMS sensors, some relay failing and causing check engine light to come on. Squeaky sounds from the sun roof that would drive you insane. Finally fixed by the dealer under a TSB. Everything listed covered under warranty. Many an hour spent at the dealer in the waiting area. LMAO.

Solidly built car. Yes. Am I ready to jump into another Hyundai feet first? Not on your life. My personal vehicle has been a Ford Ranger for 31 years now and over 500K. My next truck if I live long enough will be Mav. End of story. LOL.

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