And this is exactly why I find the price-based comparisons between the Maverick and Santa Cruz to be exercises in ignorance. They ignore everything but the numbers. They ignore what each one is and is NOT equipped with. They ignore all reason. Then they proceed to say how they would go ahead and order a Lariat FX4 with 4k Tow package ... which is nowhere in the same zip code as $20k or 40mpg.
Hey, if you WANT to drive a stripper just to hit that $20k price point on a new vehicle with warranty, good on ya, buddy! I'm more than willing to pay the price for the luxury and comfort and far better looks of the competition, even if I had to go out of town to get one. I did my comparisons as apples to apples as I could make the two - and every throwing in every blasted option Ford offered I couldn't get a Maverick with all of the features of the Santa Cruz, the price was almost identical, and other than the wider selection of colors, it just doesn't look as good.
More than willing to pay the price for luxury.. and you bought a Santa cruz rather than a host of other far more luxurious and capable vehicles. Everyone gets to choose. Thats the great part. I wouldn't choose a Cruz or a Maverick. To me both are "strippers". Even a Ram, 2021 and up F150 or 2022 k1500 is far more luxurious.....if you insist on calling the cruz a truck like most here do. Get into cars or SUV and the sky is the limit.
one has to be careful bashing the guys in cheaper cars. Eventually a Maserati or AMG or Range rover or Jaguar etc etc pulls up beside you.
Ford offers: hitch with 7 pin, transmission oil cooler, high capacity radiator, upgraded cooling fan, upgraded drive ratio, and trailer brake controller all for $745.
The SC just has the hitch and 7 pin from the factory ($450), sure you can fill in the blanks with aftermarket bits but when doing an apples-to-apples check box comparison the SC falls short in this area except for the self-leveling suspension which the Mav doesn't offer. In fact the Mav's FX4 off road package only changes the wheels/tires not the suspension so I don't see any value there... but you do get a sticker
I haven't seen anything that indicates the DCT has a special, towing specific cooler. Now is the stock turbo's and DCT cooling system enough for towing? I can only assume yes or they wouldn't have rated it to tow 5k. Guess we will find out when someone starts pushing the limits.
In the ranger and f150 fx4 adds a locker, skid plates, all weather floor mats, stiffer suspension. and AT tires. Not sure about maverick. Even in the F150 its a rip off. The skids suck, the locker is available even without FX4 and the goodyear territory AT tires are perhaps the sorriest AT tires ever made. Decent road tires but AT is a stretch. And you get a sorrier ride from the fx4 shocks....as a bonus.
Here's the big question, does the Santa Cruz come with the self-immolating catalytic converter like the hybrid Maverick does?
Big issues in Ford land ...
Maybe hyundai included the "self immolating" ABS system that they so graciously included in so many cars. Even after all the recalls. Or their self releasing seat belts they got hit for. Or the hoods that open on their own going down the road. Maybe to combat that ABS fire. Lol
Ooh ooh or does the maverick come with the built in loss of power upon acceleration to keep you safe or the exploding and underfilled DcT the cruze does. Or the self dumping tailgate. Lol. Maybe the Ford can be fixed with their built in OTA updates...
It's easy to pick on a vehicle . ANY vehicle. Ford gave us self ejecting spark plugs for 10 years. Chevy and dodge gave us permanently disabled cylinders to save the polar bears. Toyota gave us 10 years of trucks that turned to powder to save the world. Takata airbags, exploding Pinto, burning duramax and wrangler......
No brand is free from it.
Every make gets recalls and screw ups. You can't even buy lettuce without being part of a recall these days.
I've owned most every brand you could think of up Lexus and Benz. I've had recalls on every single new vehicle I've purchased. (Around 30) They also all broke in some way or fashion. Some more than others.
I hate seeing people bash others vehicles. Mustang guys hate Camaro guys. Camaro guys hate Mustang guys. Everybody hates the Mopar guys......until a honda or Eclipse or Subaru pulls up....then they all team up on that guy. Lol. I grew up tuning in the import days. Eclipse turbo, supra, 3000GT.....the American muscle guys absolutely hated the imports and the imports hated them. I had Mustang, Trans-am and turbo imports too so I found myself always taking up for the least represented. Being a tech and seeing the constant flow of TSB and recalls makes it easy to infuriate any brand loyalist. It also makes you realize they all make junk sometimes