The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Costs $4k More Than the Ford Maverick, but for What?
The battle of the compact pickup truck is in full swing. The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz pricing is finally out, but how does it compare to the 2022 Ford Maverick? That depends on which trim level you choose and what features are most important. Buyers can get a lot of truck for under $40,000.
Pricing for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. the Ford Maverick
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz pricing was released this week ahead of the summer 2021 deliveries. For the Santa Cruz, this truck has four available trims to start. The SE trim starts at $23,990 and has a 3,500-pound towing capacity. The payload is 1,748 pounds. Moving up to the SEL trim, the estimated starting MSRP is $27,190 with the same capacities.
The Santa Cruz SEL Premium trim goes up quite a bit to $35,680. This offers an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and optional all-wheel drive. It also has the Hyundai digital key. The Limited trim starts at $39,720. It has ventilated and heated leather seats and a leather steering wheel.
The Ford Maverick pickup truck is starting at $19,995. The Maverick has a max payload of 1,500 pounds. It can tow 2,000 pounds across the board. The all-wheel drive option increases the towing capacity to 4,000 pounds – with the optional towing package. The XLT trim starts at $22,280, while the Lariat starts at $25,490.
Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz worth the extra cash over the Ford Maverick?
The Santa Cruz has a lot of standard features to start. It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Lane Following Assist. Allow wheels and lane-keeping assist are restricted to the higher trims on the Maverick. It also lacks wireless phone integration, which seems like an oversight for a 2022 model.
The base-level Santa Cruz is about $4,000 more than the base-level Maverick. It compares more to the XLT trim of the Maverick, which starts at $22,280. If drivers want AWD on the Santa Cruz, the price is an extra $1,500. It does come standard on the SEL Premium and Limited trims. And for that, the truck comes with a turbo 2.5L engine.
However, you can get every available feature Ford offers on the Maverick, plus the top Lariat trim, and it won’t go over $37,000. Every possible addition included came out to an extra $9,045. The destination charge to deliver your new truck is $1,495. Which makes the total for the Ford Maverick is $36,030. That’s a monthly payment of $473 a month, which could be much higher.
Price aside, these compact trucks are loaded
Even though this pickup truck is capable of a lot, the better truck choice might depend on what buyers want to do with it. Both trucks offer room for five passengers in the unibody design, and both offer a variety of trims. Due to the compact nature of the vehicles, both the Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick should be fairly easy to maneuver.
The Santa Cruz has two gasoline options for the engine, but it comes in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel drive. This truck gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city, 26-27 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. The all-wheel drive option comes with a turbocharged engine getting 19 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined. Ford has a given the Maverick a targeted EPA-estimated 40 mpg city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 37 mpg combined. This might vary as the Maverick rolls out.
These days, buyers don’t have to compromise on choosing pickup truck functionality with sedan driveability. These trucks can do it all. The safety features and technology on both the Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick have somehow made the idea of a pickup truck truly exciting.
