Nice try but Maverick all the way!

[ClemsonU88]

I personally think the Santa Cruz is better looking but too expensive. Unfortunately I think the Maverick looks like it was designed in the 1990s compared to the SC.

I'm the opposite. I like the look of the Maverick more than the Santa Cruz.

Interestingly, I thought the SC looked goofy in all the photos I saw (I still do), but when I saw it in person, I actually like it. But I like the Maverick more both in pictures & in person.

The one thing I HATED about the SC when I looked online was the colors. All were earth tones and muted. I didn't necessarily WANT bright school bus orange, but I definitely didn't want blah, muted earth tones. Literally white, black, 2 grays, and two earth colors. BORING!! No blue, red, yellow, orange, green, or any non-dull colors. I suppose white isn't muted, but it's kind of boring.

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[Huchipapa]

I personally think the Santa Cruz is better looking but too expensive. Unfortunately I think the Maverick looks like it was designed in the 1990s compared to the SC.

You say that like it's a bad thing.....
I'm an avid fan of auto design. I think the Maverick design will age better.

 

[Puckitup27]

I personally think the Santa Cruz is better looking but too expensive. Unfortunately I think the Maverick looks like it was designed in the 1990s compared to the SC.

The look of the Maverick is one of the other things that sold me on it over the Santa Cruz. I don't hate the Santa Cruz look but I love that the Maverick actually looks like a truck. It's probably the same reason why I still drive a 2008 Escape. Anything after 2012 looks like a caravan instead of a truck. I love the old school truck look.

 

[Syntax Error]

I actually bumped into a Santa Cruz the other day in person and I do think it looks better in person than in the photos you see of them on the internet.

I still think the Maverick is a better looking truck and I wouldn't be caught dead in a Santa Cruz, but hey, I guess they tried.

 

[Dad]

Did I mention this earlier? Santa Cruz is not flat towable. Maverick is and that can be a deal killer for people looking for a small, yet versatile vehicle behind their RV.

 

[crgator]

Only place I usually see 4 year old hyundais is used car lots. Advertised as "good cars" by the salesmen.

I don't know. My first Hyundai was 8 years old when I traded it. Was still running great, and just wanted something new. My girlfriend's Hyundai is 7 years old and running like a champ.

 

[Scupking]

From what I was reading today the Hyundai SC is a sales failure for Hyundai. Makes sense since it’s more expensive, smaller bed, less rear seat room, bad transmission and doesn’t get great gas mileage..

 

[JBryant]

Test drove a. Santa Claus before ordering my Maverick Lariat hybrid. Thumbs down due to price, MSRP, back seat room, mpg, and list goes on.

 

[Joe Mac]

Test drove a. Santa Claus before ordering my Maverick Lariat hybrid. Thumbs down due to price, MSRP, back seat room, mpg, and list goes on.

I had a Kia with same turbo 4cly engine and DCT transmission as the SC
The transmission overheats in traffic, it overheats going up hills or with 4 people in it. Go on U tube it overheated on a fire road during the off road test.
But if you get the non-turbo it should be ok, because it doesn't have a DCT transmission.

 

[Old Hickory Trojan]

From what I was reading today the Hyundai SC is a sales failure for Hyundai. Makes sense since it’s more expensive, smaller bed, less rear seat room, bad transmission and doesn’t get great gas mileage..

It may be a failure but some of your info is wrong. Yup the bed is smaller by approximately 3" in length. Might be a couple inches as well in the rear seat but the NA engine has a plain 8 speed tranny and has not had any issues with it. As far as the mileage. Not much difference in cost between the 2023 Ecoboost AWD and the SC in AWD...but here are some highlites. The SC comes with a ton of extra standard features that the Maverick doesn't unless you load it up and in that case the SEL is cheaper then an XLT comparably equiped in 4WD and it tows more weight and the payload is equal or more or less depending how you've loaded it up with features. Hyundai screwed up when they built the top of the line unit and left the lots empty on the lower trims at introduction. Now they are putting the lower trims on lots but have a no sell on the tow package equiped 4 pin ones for an issue with the 4 pin pigtail that needs to be replaced. Bottom line the most cost effective SC's are not sellable unless they are the ones without the tow package. Big disadvantage to moving SC's to buyers that don't want to spend over $30k when they won't sell those with the tow package right now. With all that said I got my SC at $1000 under MSRP and will be getting my Maverick Hybrid with the rollover discount so I couldn't really compare. But most think the SC rides better and handles better and has a nicer interior. Some can't get by the design but it doesn't bother me and this from a long time truck owner both small ( Ford Courier, Ford Ranger, Datsun), and larger (two 1/2 Ton RAM's).

 

[Old Hickory Trojan]

Did I mention this earlier? Santa Cruz is not flat towable. Maverick is and that can be a deal killer for people looking for a small, yet versatile vehicle behind their RV.

Not exactly..not all Mavericks are flat towable just some depending on the features.

 

[Old Hickory Trojan]

You say that like it's a bad thing.....
I'm an avid fan of auto design. I think the Maverick design will age better.

Have you looked at the prelim designs of the new small trucks from GM and RAM and the impressions of the new Ford Ranchero? Those lean more to the SC in design then the Maverick.? I like the Maverick but not sure based upon what they are showing of these new models that the trend is going that way.

 

[Scott Asheville]

I wager Hyundai will go the same route Honda did with the Ridgeline. They'll do a midcycle refresh that makes the SC look like every other ruthlessly conforming truck on the road (like the Maverick - which I call a giant WalMart toaster with wheels). That edgy nose will suddenly become a "manly" square slab. The cab-bed transition will lose the slope and will drop squarely. And suddenly sales will climb, just like they did for the Ridgeline when they "manified" the design. Same vehicle, jeans instead of dress slacks equals instant sales improvement.

I'm watching the Cybertruck intensely for the same reason. I want to see how many of the fabled 1.5 million $100 reservation holders actually buy that truck. I'm Switzerland on it - just idle curiosity.

There seems to be a deep psychological fear in American males about buying trucks that don't look like trucks. Like they're afraid a non-trucklike truck will do a Lorena Bobbitt on them. I'm sure social scientists giggle about it at cocktail parties.

 

[S. fisher]

I personally think the Santa Cruz is better looking but too expensive. Unfortunately I think the Maverick looks like it was designed in the 1990s compared to the SC.

I kinda feel that some guy at ford during the 2014 Christmas party was like; Hey Carl, what if we cut the roof behind the second row seats on the Flex and added a small truck bed?
Jeez Johnson, no one would want to buy that.

 

[Old Ranchero]

I wager Hyundai will go the same route Honda did with the Ridgeline. They'll do a midcycle refresh that makes the SC look like every other ruthlessly conforming truck on the road (like the Maverick - which I call a giant WalMart toaster with wheels). That edgy nose will suddenly become a "manly" square slab. The cab-bed transition will lose the slope and will drop squarely. And suddenly sales will climb, just like they did for the Ridgeline when they "manified" the design. Same vehicle, jeans instead of dress slacks equals instant sales improvement.

I'm watching the Cybertruck intensely for the same reason. I want to see how many of the fabled 1.5 million $100 reservation holders actually buy that truck. I'm Switzerland on it - just idle curiosity.

There seems to be a deep psychological fear in American males about buying trucks that don't look like trucks. Like they're afraid a non-trucklike truck will do a Lorena Bobbitt on them. I'm sure social scientists giggle about it at cocktail parties.

Why do you assume it's fear? It's personal taste, that pleases an individual's eye or not. All my life I've been drawn to squared off styling like Ranchero in my avatar. I'm just not a follower of every new trend- it doesn't automatically equate to progress with each new big "thing" marketed to us gullible plebes. I like what I like

Same with music. Good rock and roll peaked in the 1970s and everything since is just imitation or not worth listening to. If it ain't broke don't fix it

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