Compare the2023 Ford MaverickVS 2023 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.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ford Maverick Hybrid’s reliability 32 points higher than the Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick is rated 36 points higher than the Santa Cruz.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

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 Hybrid’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 stoplights 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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Maverick higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Santa Cruz (5). This means the Maverick produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Santa Cruz every 15,000 miles.

The Maverick Hybrid 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 stops shorter than the Santa Cruz:

The Maverick offers an optional 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.

The Maverick has a much larger cargo box than the Santa Cruz (33.3 vs. 27 cubic feet).

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.

Both the Maverick and Santa Cruz have bed indentations that accommodate 2x4s for two-tiered loading, but the Maverick also has indentations to separate the cargo box into three different sections length-wise.

The Maverick Hybrid (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’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Santa Cruz’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Maverick XLT/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.

Insurance will cost less for the Maverick owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Maverick will cost $230 less than the Santa Cruz over a five-year period.

The Maverick will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Maverick will retain 60.94% to 61.31% of its original price after five years, while the Santa Cruz only retains 57.7% to 58.56%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Maverick will be $6226 to $10038 less than for the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Consumer Reports® chose the Ford Maverick Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Hyundai Santa Cruz isn't recommended.

The Maverick was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. Car and Driver has never chosen the Santa Cruz in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Maverick as the 2022 North American Truck of the Year. The Santa Cruz has never been chosen.

The Ford Maverick outsold the Hyundai Santa Cruz by over two to one during 2022.