Ford Maverick Vs Hyundai Santa Cruz: Which Used Truck Is Better?
The idea of compact pickup trucks isn’t new. In fact, before pickups went into an uncontrolled growth spurt, most of them were compact or, at most, the size of today’s Ford Ranger. Today, the best-selling pickups are the size of a studio apartment on wheels, which leaves room in the market for a more maneuverable and affordable pickup.
That’s exactly what happened in 2021, when Hyundai came out with the Santa Cruz first, and then Ford, not wanting to be left out of the compact pickup game, came out with the Maverick. Both models were successful in their own right, but purely on sales, the Maverick significantly outsells the Santa Cruz. Though both are already affordable for a compact pickup, they are even more affordable used. The question now is, which is the model that’s perfect for you?
Ownership Costs? Almost Equal
According to iSeeCars, both the Maverick and the Santa Cruz have near-equal resale values after five years. Running costs are almost equal as well, which isn’t surprising since both have similar (but, of course, unrelated) mechanicals.
Almost Similar Resale Value
The Maverick will have an average five-year resale of $19,816, while the Santa Cruz will have an average resale value of $19,728, though the numbers don’t tell the whole story. The Maverick’s lower resale value doesn’t mean it’s less desirable, but it has primarily to do with its lower starting price. This is reflected in how much value it loses in five years, which is about 31.8 percent. The Maverick Hybrid has a slightly lower five-year used value of $17,659, which means a depreciation of 37.3 percent—below the segment’s average of 33.4 percent.
On the other hand, the Hyundai Santa Cruz depreciates slightly faster than the Ford Maverick, as it loses 34.9 percent of its value in five years. That’s a three percent difference from the Maverick, which means that out in the real world, both the Maverick and Santa Cruz will be almost equal in value, a gap that will merely be determined by vehicle condition. All in all, the Maverick, whether gasoline or hybrid, and also the Santa Cruz, aren’t far off from the 33.3 percent five-year depreciation of all pickup classes, or the industry average of 41.7 percent.
Almost Similar Running Costs
That’s also the case when it comes to running costs. The Maverick and Santa Cruz aren’t specialized vehicles. They’re both based on unibody platforms of popular crossovers, with the same powertrain options being utilized as well. CarEdge says that the average five-year maintenance cost of the Santa Cruz is $3,057. The Santa Cruz is essentially a Tucson with a bed, and it uses the same 2.5-liter non-turbo or turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It doesn’t get the Tucson’s available hybrid system, though.
But for the Maverick, it inherits the Escape’s series-parallel hybrid system, but with a few tweaks for pickup duty. Meanwhile, its five-year maintenance cost of $3,341 is slightly higher than the Santa Cruz’s. In general, Ford as a brand has higher maintenance costs than Hyundai, as reflected in its brand rankings at CarEdge. Hyundai is seventh in terms of five-year maintenance costs, while Ford is fifteenth. Lastly, reliability is also extremely similar between the two models, according to J.D. Power. Both have steadily improved since their 2022 debuts, with the Maverick now rated 85 out of 100 for reliability, while the Santa Cruz is rated at 88 out of 100.
Stylish Cruiser Or Straightforward Functionality
Driving dynamics-wise, we determined in 2021 that there’s not much to separate the Maverick and Santa Cruz. Where they diverge is in what Ford and Hyundai each consider the ideal compact pickup when it comes to design and functionality.
Santa Cruz For Maximum Style
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is the compact pickup for you if you want the more radically styled option between the two. Its Sensuous Sportiness design from the Tucson works surprisingly well in a pickup format. Inside, the Santa Cruz largely adopts the Tucson’s dash design, whether it’s for the original model or the facelifted one. Versus the Maverick, the Santa Cruz is far more stylish and daring to look at, but as a result, it also isn’t the best when it comes to overall functionality.
The super sleek and upscale design of the Santa Cruz means that there’s less interior flexibility. In fact, functionality-wise, it is no different from the Tucson. As for its bed, it is smaller than the Maverick’s at 27 cubic feet, but it has underfloor storage with a drain plug that can double as a cooler. Overall, the Santa Cruz prioritizes sleek design, a plush interior, plus more modern tech with a slightly higher degree of flexibility over the Tucson, and if you don’t want a utilitarian pickup, then this vehicle is perfect for you.
Maverick For Maximum Functionality
With a more utilitarian interior that’s characterized by numerous hard plastics, you won’t buy the Maverick because its interior looks sleek, nor do its tech features look as premium as the Santa Cruz’s. What you’ll love about the Maverick’s interior is its sheer functionality. From the dash to the door panels, if there’s room for a storage nook, Ford would have probably added one already. There are also the FITS tethers that Ford created for the Maverick, and with blueprints for these tethers open to everyone, owners and accessory developers are able to create accessories to further personalize their Maverick.
And indeed, this is the main focus of the Maverick ownership experience. Its larger 33-cubic-foot FLEXBED is, well, a lot more flexible than what the Santa Cruz offers. There are numerous slots, hooks, and cutouts that can enable you to slot in 2×4 or 2×6 boards for custom shelves or dividers. There’s also a multi-position tailgate that locks in a half-open position so it can carry longer items. The Maverick isn’t the sleekest, the poshest, or the most high-tech, but the reason why it severely outsells the Santa Cruz in new car sales is that it is the best option if you want a compact truck that actually does the truck stuff well.
Get Which Captures Your Heart The Most
So we’ve broken down the average resale value, the average running costs, and the reliability. These two pickups couldn’t be any more similar in these respects, so we dissected them into what makes them different in terms of orientation. So which one should you go for? Well, that depends on what captures your heart the most.
Here’s Where The Maverick Fits
The Maverick has a 2,000-pound towing capacity as standard or 4,000 pounds with the 4K Tow Package, which, surprisingly, is lower than the standard 3,500 pounds or the maximum of 5,000 pounds with the turbo version. Though the Maverick has lower towing capacity, it is undeniably the pickup with significantly better off-road capability when properly equipped. For instance, the Tremor variant has a one-inch lift, a lockable differential, and all-terrain tires, just to name a few.
Another reason to go for the Maverick is if you want a compact pickup with a sporty touch, particularly with the Lobo variant introduced in 2025. Our team has tested the Maverick Lobo and found that it brings back the street truck genre well with its slightly sportier on-road handling, though don’t think it has become a sports car. Lastly, those who seek an electrified pickup should look to the Maverick, since it’s the only option with a hybrid powertrain that delivers excellent combined fuel economy of 38 MPG, or 37 MPG with all-wheel drive (AWD).
And Here’s Where The Santa Cruz Fits
Meanwhile, the Santa Cruz is going to be a great option if you’ll be looking for a style-forward pickup. It has a higher towing capacity than the Maverick, and it’s also the more powerful option if you go for the turbo version. For reference, the 2.5-liter turbo’s output is 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, while the 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo of the Maverick produces 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque.
In terms of on-road capabilities, the Santa Cruz isn’t too different from the Maverick, but when it comes to tackling trails, that’s where the Maverick will be in your favor. The Santa Cruz XRT is very modest in terms of its off-road upgrades. Only the bumpers have been tweaked for better approach and departure angles, but the ground clearance is the same. The suspension is also largely unchanged, so the XRT version amounts to little more than a rugged design package.
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