The Ford Maverick leads compact pickup sales in the United States of America, but rather than the public’s favorite, Nathan Adlen of The Fast Lane bought himself the Hyundai Santa Cruz. It’s the first brand-new vehicle he purchased since 1999, but the big question is, why this truck?
Nathan explains that he wanted something to daily in the cold Colorado weather, hence the all-wheel-drive system of the SEL in the featured clip. He also desired a bit of towing capacity and utility, which you can also get in an SUV. “I need a little bit of a bed so I can throw heavy stuff in there, and that’s exactly what this has,” said Nathan.
The SEL AWD is officially rated 3,500 pounds (1,588 kilograms) for towing and 1,732 pounds (786 kilograms) for payload. Under the hood, you’ll find a direct-injected lump with 191 horsepower and 181 pound-foot (245 Nm) of torque. Rather than a dual-clutch transmission, as Hyundai offers in the more powerful force-fed model, the naturally-aspirated 2.5 is rocking a torque-converter auto with eight forward ratios.
Slightly more fuel efficient compared to the turbo, the free-breathing engine is more than adequate for this application. The main reason the Santa Cruz won Nathan over the Ford Maverick concerns the interior, with an emphasis on the infotainment system. He also explains that the SEL won over the base trim level because it features heated front seats. Specified in gray cloth, the seats feel better than the Maverick, which is described as “a fantastic vehicle” despite not being good enough for him.
The unibody Honda Ridgeline and body-on-frame Nissan Frontier were also considered by Nathan, although the Maverick was a clear second in terms of preferences. Purchased for just around $33,500 including state tax, Nathan’s truck is finished in a green hue dubbed Sage Gray. “There will be some minor things done to it, they really need to be done,” said Nathan, highlighting that a lift and a snorkel will not happen.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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