The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick are small pickup trucks that aren’t afraid of hard work. They’re also reasonably friendly to your fuel budget and have starting prices far below larger, more expensive midsize and full-size trucks.
For the 2024 model year, the Santa Cruz adds the off-road-themed XRT trim to its lineup. Meanwhile, the Maverick now comes standard with a 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and has an optional hybrid powertrain. Previously, the hybrid served as the base engine.
Let’s look at the highlights of the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick to see how they compare.
2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz has a starting price of $28,275, including a factory-to-dealer delivery fee, and comes in six trims: SE, SEL, SEL with Activity Package, Night, XRT, and Limited. Serving as the base engine is a 191-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder paired to an 8-speed automatic and your choice of front- or all-wheel drive (AWD). The latter adds about $1,500 to the bottom line.
Hyundai Santa Cruz Highlights
Optional turbocharged engine: The base engine keeps the Santa Cruz’s price low, though we suggest at least trying the optional turbocharged engine. It has significantly better acceleration thanks to its 281-hp output. Plus, it’s nearly as fuel-efficient as its non-turbo stablemate.
All-terrain XRT model: A new addition for the 2024 model year, the Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT is fitted with all-wheel drive, dark exterior trim, fender flares, alloy wheels with orange center caps, and side steps. It also comes with the peppier turbo engine, too.
Clever cargo bed: Measuring 27 cubic feet in capacity, the 4-foot-3-inch cargo bed has a lockable in-bed trunk that can serve as a cooler. Upper trims have a tonneau cover to keep your valuables secure and hidden from prying eyes.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Santa Cruz models near you
2024 Ford Maverick
The 2024 Ford Maverick was introduced for the 2022 model year and instantly made a statement thanks to its versatility and easy-going driving nature. Like the Hyundai Santa Cruz, the Maverick uses a unibody chassis based on a compact SUV. This construction means the ride is smoother and the handling more agile than what you’d get in a traditional body-on-frame truck. Pricing starts at $25,410, including delivery charges, and there are three trims: XL, XLT, and Lariat.
Ford Maverick Highlights
Fuel economy: We won’t second guess Ford’s decision to make the hybrid 4-cylinder the optional engine. That being said, we’d suggest trying the hybrid version because its EPA-rated 37 mpg combined city/highway fuel economy is downright phenomenal for a small truck. Behind the wheel, this engine feels more than capable in city and highway driving.
Tremor Off-Road Package: The Maverick holds the advantage for anyone who wants to venture off-road. The optional Tremor package gets you a beefed-up suspension, reshaped bumpers for improved approach and departure angles, additional underbody skid plates, and locking all-wheel drive.
KBB trophy cabinet: We would be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn’t point out that the Maverick earned our Compact Truck Best of 2023 Award. We noted its truck-like versatility and compact car fuel economy, not to mention its affordability and all-terrain prowess.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Maverick models near you
Similarities
The Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick occupy a small niche of the truck world, though we think they go above and beyond expectations. Because their bodies are based on compact SUVs, they have easy-going driving manners and don’t guzzle gas.
Conclusion
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a great pickup for people who probably never considered a truck in the first place. It has a quirky design car-meets-truck shape that conjures up memories of the Chevrolet El Camino or Subaru Brat (we’ll let you decide). However, in terms of truck capability, the Hyundai is a little too beholden to its small SUV roots. The Ford Maverick doesn’t have the towing capacity of the Hyundai Santa Cruz, though it comes across as the more versatile and customizable choice here. We also love its outstanding economy in its hybrid format.
| 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz | 2024 Ford Maverick | |
| Starting Price | $28,275 | $25,410 |
| Popular Powertrains | , | |
| Engine | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder | Turbo 2.0-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 191 hp @ 6,100 rpm | 250 hp @ 5,500 rpm |
| Torque | 181 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm | 277 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Fuel economy | 22 mpg city/26 mpg highway/ 23 mpg combined | 23 mpg city/30 mpg highway/26 mpg combined |
| Also Available | Turbo 2.5-liter 4-cyl., AWD | 2.5-liter gas-electric 4-cyl., CVT, AWD |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 5 stars | 4 stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 118.3 inches | 121.1 inches |
| Overall Length | 195.7 inches | 199.7 inches |
| Width | 75.0 inches | 72.6 inches |
| Height | 66.7 inches | 68.7 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 39.6 feet | 40.0 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 40.2 inches | 40.3 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 39.6 inches | 39.6 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 41.4 inches | 42.8 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 36.5 inches | 36.9 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 57.6 inches | 57.3 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 56.1 inches | 55.6 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 27.0 cubic feet | 33.3 cubic feet |
