2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. 2025 Ford Maverick: Clash of the Titans
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz and the 2025 Ford Maverick stand out in the compact pickup truck segment. Both offer a unique combination of urban-friendly size and practical capability. Our team at Hyundai of Auburn explores what makes these two rivals special to help you decide which one is better for your daily commute and weekend adventures.
Exterior Design and Aesthetic Features
The 2025 Santa Cruz and Maverick follow different design philosophies. Hyundai built a sleek, aerodynamic truck with Tucson-inspired front styling. Ford retained a traditional truck appearance, featuring a bold grille and upright stance. Their profiles highlight these differences. The Santa Cruz sports flowing lines and athletic wheel arches while the Maverick keeps it boxy and work-ready. Both trucks offer innovative tailgates and bed designs. The Santa Cruz XRT has 18-inch alloy wheels and red tow hooks, while the Maverick starts with 17-inch wheels and offers 19-inch options on higher trims.
Interior Comfort and Technology
Both trucks comfortably seat five people. The Maverick offers more front legroom at 42.8 inches compared to the Santa Cruz’s 41.4 inches. The Hyundai edges ahead with ventilated front seats, which are perfect for Alabama’s hot summers. The dashboards of these two trucks show different priorities. The Santa Cruz offers driver-centered controls while the Maverick features rugged utility. Ford offers a 13.2-inch touch screen, compared to Hyundai’s 12.3-inch display, featuring dual curved screens on higher trims. Both include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
If you’re tech-savvy, you may prefer the Santa Cruz’s fingerprint scanner and Hyundai Pay. The Maverick counters with clever storage and livelier interior colors. Its two-tone combinations and bold stitching bring more character than Hyundai’s more subdued cabin design.
Performance and Capability
The Maverick’s base hybrid combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor for 191 horsepower. Ford also offers a 2.0-liter EcoBoost option that produces 238 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. Hyundai provides two choices: a 191-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a potent 2.5-liter turbo that delivers 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque.
Santa Cruz edges ahead with a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds with the base engine and 5,000 pounds with the turbo. The Maverick pulls 2,000 pounds standard and up to 4,000 pounds with the tow package. The Ford offers a payload capacity of 1,500 pounds vs. Hyundai’s 1,411 pounds. Both feature four-foot square beds for weekend gear.
Both trucks offer all-wheel drive (AWD). The Maverick Tremor package offers 9.4 inches of ground clearance compared to the Santa Cruz’s 8.6 inches. Both trucks accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6 seconds. Your choice will depend on your specific needs.
Fuel Efficiency and Environmental Impact
Ford dominates with the Maverick’s hybrid efficiency at 42 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 37 mpg combined, which is nearly twice the Santa Cruz’s city rating. For 2025, Ford added AWD to the Maverick hybrid powertrain, which is perfect if you want both traction and fuel efficiency.
The Santa Cruz lacks a hybrid option but offers decent pickup mileage. The base front-wheel-drive (FWD) model gets 22 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined, which drops slightly in the AWD and turbo AWD versions. The nonhybrid Maverick with the EcoBoost engine and FWD achieves 23 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg combined, while the Tremor AWD manages 24 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Both 2025 trucks offer impressive safety tech. The Santa Cruz includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver attention warning as standard. The Maverick offers automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane-keep assist, with Ford’s Co-Pilot360 package available for those seeking additional features. Hyundai leads in safety ratings. The 2025 Santa Cruz has earned a perfect five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert give Santa Cruz an edge for navigating Auburn’s busy areas. Both trucks include backup cameras and offer parking sensors for tight spaces, as well as the LATCH system for car seats. While Ford’s safety features are solid, Hyundai’s more comprehensive standard package slightly favors the safety-conscious buyer.
Pricing and Value for Money
The 2025 Maverick starts at $28,145, and Hyundai’s 2025 Santa Cruz has a starting MSRP of $28,750. The Santa Cruz provides more luxury features as standard, such as heated front seats. Both trucks offer various trim options for different needs.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck offers better coverage, including a five-year/60,000-mile limited warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Ford gives you just a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain coverage. If you’re interested in long-term ownership, you may find this extra protection worth the higher price tag.
You should also consider fuel costs. The Maverick hybrid’s stellar fuel economy ratings mean significant savings, especially for city drivers. You can calculate your monthly payments with Hyundai of Auburn’s payment calculator to see what you can comfortably afford. And you may want to consider choosing a used Hyundai Santa Cruz for sale at our dealership.
Real-Life Usability and Practicality
The Maverick’s FLEXBED includes customizable cargo options, a multiposition tailgate, and a 12-volt power outlet, which is perfect for DIY projects or game day tailgating. The Santa Cruz offers a lockable bed storage box, integrated steps, and an adaptable utility track system. Both trucks excel in city driving. Their compact size simplifies navigating Auburn’s streets and tight parking. The Santa Cruz provides a smoother, quieter ride, which is perfect for commuting, while the Maverick offers more truck-like handling.
Discover the New Santa Cruz at Hyundai of Auburn
Your choice between these two trucks will depend on your needs and lifestyle. The Santa Cruz offers a premium, SUV-like feel with stronger towing ability, which is perfect for Lake Martin boat trips. Hyundai offers exceptional warranty coverage and better standard safety technologies, while both trucks offer unique storage solutions. Visit us to explore the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, or contact us online or call 334-321-0777 to schedule a test-drive to help you decide whether this truck is right for you.
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