2024 Ford Maverick vs Hyundai Santa Cruz

In the midsize truck class, there are two strong contenders: the 2024 Ford Maverick and the 2024 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ. There are appealing features on both models, but they each have distinctive details too. The right truck for you will depend on various factors, such as your driving needs and lifestyle. To help inform you about the Maverick vs. the SANTA CRUZ, we created this helpful guide. We'll share what makes these pickups stand out so you can decide which one you want to drive around Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Exterior

The Ford Maverick offers three trims that are loaded with features. You can choose from the XL, XLT, or Lariat trims, depending on the features you want. Starting at the XL trim level, you get a black mesh grille with black surround, LED headlights and incandescent taillights, and a Flexbed tailgate. The XLT trim brings a gray grille bar to the front of this attractive truck and increases the cargo bed tie-downs from six to 10. On the Lariat trim, you'll notice a silver grille bar and a trailer hitch are standard features, as are heated side mirrors.

You'll have the option of five trims with the new SANTA CRUZ. Choose from the SE, SEL, Night, XRT, or Limited trims. At its most basic, the SANTA CRUZ has body-color side mirrors, bi-LED headlights, LED taillights, and a multifunctional tailgate. By upgrading to a higher trim, you can add stylish elements to this truck, including roof side rails, heated side mirrors, and a premium dark chrome accent grille and tailgate handle.

Both 2024 trucks come in several vibrant colors that can make them stand apart on the streets of Rio Rancho. For the Maverick, you can choose from these nine paint colors:

• Azure Gray Metallic Tricoat.
• Atlas Blue Metallic.
• Terrain.
• Shadow Black.
• Carbonized Gray Metallic Tricoat.
• Cactus Gray.
• Oxford White.
• Hot Pepper Red Metallic.
• Iconic Silver.

The SANTA CRUZ comes in these six color options:

• California Sand.
• Hampton Gray.
• Blue Stone.
• Phantom Black.
• Atlas White.
• Sage Gray.

Interior

You can fit five people in either the Maverick or the SANTA CRUZ, and both trucks have four doors for easy access for everyone. Cloth seats are standard in these pickups, but at the Lariat trim level, Ford upgrades you to Active-X-trimmed seats in Desert Brown. Going with the high-end Lariat trim also gets you heated front seats and dual-zone climate control. However, even lower trims of the Maverick have front and rear 12-volt power outlets, rear under-seat storage bins, and a rotary gear shift.

In the SANTA CRUZ, you'll find plenty to keep you comfortable. This truck, like the Maverick, has a minimum 4.2-inch cluster gauge to display your important driver information. Upper SANTA CRUZ trims offer climate control and interior LED lighting elements.

Power

The 2024 Ford Maverick gives you two engine options so you can create a truck that fits your unique driving needs. First up is the standard 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that generates 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This block mates to an eight-speed automatic transmission that provides smooth gear changes. If you want a more efficient version of the Maverick, your second engine option is a hybrid that can take you further than ever before. This option provides a 2.5-liter hybrid engine that uses an electric motor for a combined horsepower of 191.

Gas mileage for the Maverick's standard engine is an EPA-estimated 23 mpg when driving in the city and 30 mpg on the highways around New Mexico and beyond. For the hybrid setup, you'll get improved efficiency at 42 mpg on Rio Rancho's city streets and up to 33 mpg on the highway.

There are two engine options for the Hyundai SANTA CRUZ as well. You can get this model with the 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder option that pumps out 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. Or you can go with the 2.5-liter turbo engine, which generates an impressive 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The first engine pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the turbo engine works with an eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission setup.

Gas mileage for the SANTA CRUZ depends on whether you have front- or all-wheel drive and which engine is under the hood. Front-wheel-drive models can get up to 22 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, and all-wheel-drive versions reduce the truck's estimated mileage to 21 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. Models with the turbo engine can expect to get just 19 mpg on city streets and  27 mpg on highways.

Safety

Safety features and driver-assist technologies are standard and available on both the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai SANTA CRUZ. This ensures you have a stress-free driving experience. For the Maverick, Ford Co-Pilot360 adds several modern safety technologies to simplify driving. These features include a rearview camera, automatic LED high-beam headlights, and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking. With the Hyundai SANTA CRUZ, safety comes in the form of a SmartSense safety system. This suite includes forward collision assist with pedestrian detection, a driver attention warning, and rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist.

Technology

Technology is a part of our everyday lives, and you need to stay connected and entertained no matter where you go. So, whether you're driving through Rio Rancho or heading to Santa Fe, you can use the Maverick's 8-inch touch screen to connect your Apple or Android device and interact with your maps and playlists.

The SANTA CRUZ also has a standard 8-inch touch screen and smartphone connectivity options. A standard six-speaker sound system in the Maverick is perfect for listening to your favorite songs, but upgrading to the Bang & Olufsen premium sound system with eight speakers improves your listening pleasure.

Are You Ready for the 2024 Ford Maverick?

On top of all its superior features and upgrades, the 2024 Ford Maverick also comes in at a lower MSRP than the SANTA CRUZ. You can get the base Maverick starting at $23,815, while the base SANTA CRUZ comes in at $26,900. If you're ready to see how it feels to get behind the wheel of the latest Maverick pickup, come by Chalmers Ford and check out our extensive inventory.