Nice try but Maverick all the way!

[Scott Asheville]

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

That's a fair observation. I painted with a very broad brush.

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[Scott Asheville]

On the whole SC vs Maverick thing, one of my favorite Sunday morning reads just dropped his personal update on his Santa Cruz (Nathan, at TFL). His video link is at the very end. He bought an SC for his personal use (family).

For those who don't want to watch: Nathan says he'd rather have purchased a Maverick hybrid, but his wife and kids overruled him. He likes the SC well enough, loves the standard safety equipment, wishes his trim had more power, and hopes to own it for a long time. The AWD trim he got is well equipped and costs about the same as a similarly equipped Maverick. And most importantly - he was able to buy it off the lot for MSRP (it wasn't unobtanium). So I guess there's ammo in that video for both sides of the Mav vs SC war to sling at each other. Let the war of words continue.

https://tflcar.com/2023/04/ask-nath...for-the-u-s-bronco-big-bend-and-favorite-car/

 

[Suzukiridr14]

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.

I like the back of the Santa Cruz, not liking the front.

 

[Dad]

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

You are correct and I should have pointed that out in my post. Only the FWD hybrid can be flat-towed

 

[Dad]

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.

The grille is terrible looking. Same ugly front end as their Tuscon. What's with the big grille competition among car manufacturers?

 

[Old Hickory Trojan]

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

Your Avitar is anything but squared off styling...love the slope on one side of the front end

 

[BDennis]

I do like the Santa Cruz interior.

 

[Dad]

70k miles on XLT EB!

Great review! You had me at, "don't mind that dead thing".

 

[Traegorn]

You are correct and I should have pointed that out in my post. Only the FWD hybrid can be flat-towed

Actually, only the Hybrid can be flat towed. The front wheel drive Ecoboost can be towed with a tow dolly, but it can't be flat towed.

 

[cavemold]

They should redisgn cruz with the new Sonata look . I think it could work

 

[notfast]

I used to have a frontier and loved it... but the gas milage was terrible and it didn't like the highway very much.

I own a '19 Frontier, previously owned a '16, and drove probably a dozen more (rental cars). They definitely get "smiles per gallon". And they all have a vibration that starts at about 80mph.

Running E23-E25, I get about 16mpg tank averages. Most I've gotten is a little over 18mpg tank average when on my semi-regular Los Angeles to Las Vegas run, which is almost all freeway. I top off in Victorville and fill up in Henderson as I roll into town.

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

A large portion of those preowned Hyundais are previous rental cars. If you consider a car as more a transportation appliance than an extension of your personality, a used Hyundai ain't a bad deal, especially considering the 5-year, 60000 mile new-vehicle limited warranty. (The 10 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty only applies to the original owner).

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..

I'm sensing that it may go the way of the Subaru Baja. If I recall, Subaru anticipated selling around 20,000 units a year, but barely managed to sell 30,000 units over nearly five years.

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.

The shaky rollout is definitely a contributing factor, and hopefully one they can recover from.

What's with the big grille competition among car manufacturers?

I've been saying that for years. Ford, Chevy, Toyota, BMW, Lexus, Hyundai/Kia...late model vehicles are all-grille.

Personally I'd rather have a larger, preferably unpainted bumper cover, or heck, a full-metal bumper, rather than a huge plastic grille that will shatter into a thousand pieces and be expensive to replace.

 

[Old Man]

Maverick looks like a truck. The Santa Cruz looks like the small 2 door car from the '80s with a small truck bed with the two seats in the bed.

 

[Old Hickory Trojan]

Maverick looks like a truck. The Santa Cruz looks like the small 2 door car from the '80s with a small truck bed with the two seats in the bed.

The SC looks nothing like small 2 door car from the 80's. I don't know what you are looking at but it sure isn't that.

 

[skadizzle]

I love the El Camino and when the SC was first announced it reminded me of one. Then when they announced the Maverick Truck that was hybrid and cheaper, it was over. The SC is based on the Tucson and as such more like an SUV with the back chopped than a car with the back chopped. If it was based on a Sonata I would probably be more into it. I'd love to see Chevy do an El Camino based on the Malibu but it will never happen. I wish they would've brought some of the Holden Utes over here. They were awesome.

 

[Maverickman74]

A large portion of those preowned Hyundais are previous rental cars. If you consider a car as more a transportation appliance than an extension of your personality, a used Hyundai ain't a bad deal, especially considering the 5-year, 60000 mile new-vehicle limited warranty. (The 10 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty only applies to the original owner).

I've been saying that for years. Ford, Chevy, Toyota, BMW, Lexus, Hyundai/Kia...late model vehicles are all-grille.

Personally I'd rather have a larger, preferably unpainted bumper cover, or heck, a full-metal bumper, rather than a huge plastic grille that will shatter into a thousand pieces and be expensive to replace.

I've got old jeeps and a Bronco for basic transportation, I wouldnt spend new car money or even more than $3000 on something just to get me point A to B. I only pay new car money for comfort, style, and such.


As for big grills I present to you the 1987 Ford Escort GT. If you need bigger frontal cooling area than a pizza chain grand opening flyer forget about it! Really the grilles these days are all about high strung motors and climate control efficiency.

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