Hyundai Santa Cruz vs Ford Maverick: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
On EPA ratings the 2025 Ford Maverick's best version gets 38 mpg combined against 25 mpg for the Hyundai Santa Cruz.
Hyundai Santa Cruz
25mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic
Ford Maverick
38mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT
The cheapest Ford Maverick to fuel costs $1,700 a year at EPA's prices, $900 less than the cheapest Santa Cruz. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2025 Santa Cruz and 12 recalls for the Maverick.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | Santa Cruz | Maverick |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 25 mpg 2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic | 38 mpg (clearly better) 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 25 mpg | 25 mpg |
Hybrid or plug-in available | No | Hybrid 38 mpg |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $2,600 | $1,700 (clearly better) |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Costs $1,500 more | Saves $3,000 (clearly better) |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 3 | 12 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 19 | 48 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars (clearly better) | 4 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | 16.4% | 15.5% to 16.9% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2022. The Maverick rated higher in every one of the 5 years both were sold.
- Hyundai Santa Cruz
- Ford Maverick
2025: Hyundai Santa Cruz 25 mpg · Ford Maverick 38 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Hyundai Santa Cruz | Ford Maverick |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 23 | 37 |
| 2023 | 23 | 37 |
| 2024 | 23 | 37 |
| 2025 | 25 | 38 |
| 2026 | 25 | 38 |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Hyundai Santa Cruz (left bar)
- Ford Maverick (right bar)
2026: Hyundai Santa Cruz 3 recalls · Ford Maverick 7 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Hyundai Santa Cruz | Ford Maverick |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 | 29 |
| 2023 | 2 | 22 |
| 2024 | 1 | 16 |
| 2025 | 3 | 12 |
| 2026 | 3 | 7 |
More on each model
- 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Hyundai Santa Cruz by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Ford Maverick MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Ford Maverick by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the Santa Cruz or the Maverick?
For 2025, the Maverick. Its best version is rated 38 mpg combined; the Santa Cruz's best is 25 mpg.
Which is cheaper to fuel?
The Maverick. At EPA's assumptions its cheapest version costs $1,700 a year against $2,600, a $4,500 difference over five years.
How do they compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 Santa Cruz is rated 5 stars overall and the Maverick is rated 4 stars overall. Rollover risk is 16.4% for the Santa Cruz and 15.5% to 16.9% for the Maverick.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.