The Hyundai Santa Cruz Beats the Gas-Powered Ford Maverick
It’s time to consider alternative options. While the Hyundai Santa Cruz doesn’t have the same allure as the Ford Maverick Hybrid, it’s easier to get. Plus, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz beats the regular Ford Maverick in one crucial area.
How many MPG does the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz get?
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city and up to 26 mpg on the highway. But after extensive testing, critics find that it actually gets about 16 mpg in the city and up to 34 mpg on the highway.
The regular Ford Maverick, or the gas-powered model gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city and up to 28 mpg on the highway.
After being put through the same routes and testing, the Maverick averaged 16 mpg in the city and up to 32 mpg on the highway.
This means that the Santa Cruz currently outranks the gas-powered Maverick as the more fuel-efficient option. If you’re trying to save gas, but don’t want to wait for the Maverick Hybrid to finally be available, you can save with the Santa Cruz.
But the Ford Maverick Hybrid is hard to resist with its EPA-estimated 42 mpg in the city and up to 33 mpg on the highway. However, the Maverick Hybrid still can’t be paired with AWD or the towing package.
The Santa Cruz starts with a standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. Upgrade to the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine for 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque.
With the gas-powered Maverick, you get a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. The Maverick Hybrid pairs the same engine with an electric motor to generate 191 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque.
The Maverick hybrid can tow up to 2,000 lbs, the regular Maverick can tow up to 4,000 lbs, and the Santa Cruz can tow up to 5,000 lbs.
Sure, the Maverick is the more popular option, but it’s hard to get. The Santa Cruz is easier to find with more power and a slightly better fuel economy than the gas-powered Maverick.
