The Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. The Competition

Interior

Once again, the Hyundai compact pickup gets an easy win with its interior. Hyundai puts upscale, well-designed interiors inside even economical models like the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Ford Maverick designers chose to use more basic materials and design, apparently in hopes of cutting costs. Unfortunately for Ford, the interior comes off looking cheap, while the Santa Cruz looks downright luxurious wherever you take it in Henderson or Rusk, TX.

Technology

You undoubtedly want to use your phone's most helpful apps, but you don't want to risk your life doing it. The Hyundai Santa Cruz gives you smartphone integration for both Apple and Android, so you get safe, hands-free access to your phone's apps, just by using your voice. You can keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. Now, it's worth noting that the Ford Maverick also boasts Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, but it requires connection with physical wires that clutter up the cabin, while the Hyundai Santa Cruz connects wirelessly. Additionally, the Hyundai Santa Cruz has wireless phone charging standard while the Maverick makes you pay extra for it.

But the tech offerings don't stop within the cabin of the new Hyundai Santa Cruz. In fact, for its model year, the new Hyundai Santa Cruz offers a more robust suite of standard safety features, not to mention newly available tech like Adaptive Cruise Control on the Hyundai Santa Cruise SEL Premium trim that's sure to be useful for Lufkin and Center, TX drivers. The Ford Maverick has not made similar commitments to safety for its model year.

Infotainment

To give you a better view of your interior controls, the new Hyundai Santa Cruz has an 8-inch touchscreen on its most basic model. The Santa Cruz also offers a more generous 10.2-inch touchscreen with its higher trims. Once again, perhaps to cut more corners, the Ford Maverick doesn't even offer a bigger screen. The Santa Cruz does offer a premium sound option: Bose Audio with the fun of eight awesome speakers.

Warranty

Most carmakers don't put themselves at much risk when they write their warranty coverage, offering only average protection. Is it possible they're worried their quality won't hold up and they'll have to pay for big warranty claims? Note that Hyundai protects the Hyundai Santa Cruz and all Hyundai models with the best powertrain warranty in America: 10 years or 100,000 miles. Guess which company isn't worried about its own quality: Ford or Hyundai?