Which has more fun in our Sportsman’s Paradise, the 2025 Ford Maverick or the Hyundai Santa Cruz? Our buying guide helps Monroe drivers choose the best compact truck!
Key Takeaways
- The Maverick’s low starting price gives your budget the biggest boost!
- Choose the Santa Cruz for a little extra muscle and a max tow rating of 5,000 pounds.
- Thanks to its hybrid powertrain, the Maverick offers major fuel savings.
- When it comes to sporty styling and high-tech features, the Maverick takes the lead!
Budget-Friendly Price: 2025 Ford Maverick
Ford’s compact truck gives your budget a major assist! Starting at $26,995*, the 2025 Maverick delivers sporty (yet thrifty) capabilities at a great price. The 2025 Santa Cruz’s $28,750* MSRP has the potential to raise your monthly payment — though not by much.
*Prices as of 4/15/25
Maximum Power: 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Whether you’re shopping for the most horsepower or the strongest towing capabilities, the Santa Cruz is your compact truck. Its turbocharged, 281-horsepower engine (found on higher trim models) pulls out ahead of the Maverick. Properly equipped, the Santa Cruz also tows more than its Ford competitor, pulling up to 5,000 pounds. Max payloads reach 1,400 pounds.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Powertrain Options
- SE, SEL: 2.5L four-cylinder engine (191 hp, 181 lb-ft)
- XRT, Limited: turbocharged 2.5L four-cylinder engine (281 hp, 321 lb-ft)
- Eight-speed automatic transmission
- SE, SEL: front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive
- XRT, Limited: all-wheel drive
Of course, the Maverick’s optional turbocharged engine is pretty punchy on its own, following just behind the Santa Cruz with 250 horses. And thanks to its 4,000-pound max towing capacity, Ford’s compact truck will tow a pretty substantial fishing boat (or mini camper). Better still, the Maverick can actually haul more camping and fishing supplies than the competition, with max payloads of 1,500 pounds!
2025 Ford Maverick Powertrain Options
- Standard 2.5L hybrid four-cylinder engine (191 hp, 155 lb-ft)
- Optional turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine (250 hp, 280 lb-ft)
- Continuously variable transmission (with hybrid) or 10-speed automatic transmission (with 2.0L engine)
- XL, XLT, Lariat: front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive
- Lobo, Tremor: all-wheel drive
Thriftiest Road-Trip Truck: 2025 Ford Maverick
The Santa Cruz might pack a bigger punch, but the Maverick delivers an almost unbelievable combination of power and efficiency, earning up to 38 mpg combined (42 city/35 highway). If you spend a lot of time on the road, you can soften the blow to your budget with the Maverick’s standard hybrid performance!
If you assumed the Maverick’s only real competitor is equally focused on efficiency, you might be in for a shock. With its optional engine, the Santa Cruz earns up to 25 mpg combined (22 city/30 highway). Those figures aren’t much better than what you’d get from a bigger, more powerful truck, including the Ford Ranger!
Comfort, Convenience, and Style: 2025 Ford Maverick
The Maverick’s roomy, handsomely equipped cabin will have you cruising through Monroe’s city streets and rural backroads in style. We’re huge fans of the infotainment system, which grants each trim model a 13.2-inch touchscreen and the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Maverick’s all-new street truck trim model, the Lobo, really gives it the edge when it comes to style. The Santa Cruz couldn’t match the Maverick Lobo’s low-riding swagger if it tried!
When Hyundai first introduced the Santa Cruz, the company was reluctant to even call it a truck. Today, they still claim it’s only part truck (the other part being SUV), and it shows. Instead of chiseled lines and a bold stance, the Santa Cruz looks like someone shrunk the Chevy Avalanche of old. But even if it’s not the handsomest model, this compact truck-SUV certainly delivers a roomy, comfortable ride. It’s also big on tech gear, including a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and four USB-C charging ports.
Best Compact Truck in Louisiana
So, which is better in Monroe, LA, the 2025 Maverick or Santa Cruz? We think it’s pretty clear that the Maverick earns a huge win here — delivering the perfect blend of efficiency, utility, and MSRP for North Louisiana’s side hustlers and sportsmen alike. Come see what we mean. Visit us at Banner Ford of Monroe in Ouachita Parish to sample Ford’s trailblazing compact truck!