For several years, the only car-based unibody truck on sale in the US was the Honda Ridgeline. That ultimately proved to be a solid success though it's taken a while for rivals to play catch up. That day has come. The Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick have both debuted with sales now underway. The Maverick, as we all know, is sold out for model year 2022. It's simply the right truck for the time thanks to its honest simplicity, fuel economy, and affordable price tag. Hyundai has noticed.

That's why it recently released a new commercial that specifically points out the Maverick's faults when compared to the Santa Cruz. "The Ford Maverick doesn't stand a chance. Hyundai Santa Cruz wins every time," the voice-over states. But does it?

Hyundai says the Santa Cruz can be equipped with a blind-spot monitor, America's best warranty, plus a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds. Let's break this down more precisely. First off, the Maverick does have an optional blind-spot monitor and cross-traffic alert.

As for towing, the Maverick has a maximum capacity of 4,000 pounds but only when equipped with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine and the 4k tow package. In standard form, the Maverick can pull up to 2,000 pounds. So the Santa Cruz is the clear winner but bear in mind unibody truck customers are not always the traditional truck customers. They're looking for convenience and hauling abilities crossovers don't offer. If they require more serious towing, there's always the midsize Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, or Nissan Frontier. Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile warranty is without question the best in the business.

The Maverick comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty plan. What Hyundai fails to mention is that the Maverick's 54.4-inch bed length beats that of the Santa Cruz's bed, measuring at 52.1 inches. If off-roading is your thing, the Maverick continues to be the hands-down winner thanks to the optional FX4 Package.

But if you're only looking at price and don't care about much else, the Maverick wins once again. Starting at just $19,995, the base Maverick Hybrid costs quite a bit less than the cheapest Santa Cruz, which starts at $24,140. It's still possible to buy a new Santa Cruz right now and that, perhaps, might be the best way to lure away potential Maverick customers.