Compare the2022 Ford MaverickVS 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The Ford Maverick has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Maverick has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Maverick and the Santa Cruz have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

There are almost 4 times as many Ford dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Maverick’s warranty.

The Maverick has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

The Maverick’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 59 more horsepower (250 vs. 191) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 181) than the Santa Cruz’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Maverick gets better mileage than the Santa Cruz:

Regenerative brakes improve the Maverick (except 2.0 EcoBoost)’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Maverick’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Maverick has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Maverick has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Maverick has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your work or a trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Santa Cruz; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Maverick has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Maverick’s wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer than on the Santa Cruz (121.1 inches vs. 118.3 inches).

The Maverick has 1.4 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room and .6 inches more rear hip room than the Santa Cruz.

A low lift-over bed design makes loading and unloading the Maverick easier. The Maverick’s bed lift-over height is 30.1 inches, while the Santa Cruz’s liftover is 31.6 inches.

An optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Maverick. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Maverick (except 2.0 Turbo) can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Maverick can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Santa Cruz can’t be towed flat on the ground.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Maverick’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Blue Link can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Maverick’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Santa Cruz’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Maverick’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Santa Cruz’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Maverick Lariat has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.