Ford Maverick Hybrid Vs. Hyundai Santa Cruz Vs. Honda Ridgeline: Which One Is The Most Fuel-Efficient? There's One Clear Winner
The compact and midsize pickups have become genuine alternatives to SUVs, and these three prove a truck can be practical without draining your wallet at the pump. The Ford Maverick Hybrid, Hyundai Santa Cruz, and Honda Ridgeline take very different approaches, and one wins the efficiency contest in a rout. Fuel economy is where these trucks differ most dramatically, because only one is a hybrid. The Maverick offers a gas-electric powertrain that the other two cannot match, which turns what could have been a close race into a blowout. Weighing the EPA figures, the Ford Maverick Hybrid is the runaway winner, delivering car-like economy from a vehicle with a truck bed.
EPA fuel economy ratings
The gap here is enormous. The Maverick Hybrid returns up to 42 mpg in the city, 35 on the highway, and 38 combined with front-wheel drive, with the newly available all-wheel-drive hybrid rated at 40 city, 34 highway, and 37 combined. Those are figures you would expect from a compact sedan, not a pickup, and they come standard on most Maverick trims. That the hybrid is the standard powertrain rather than a pricey upgrade is a large part of the story, since it means the most efficient Maverick is also one of the cheapest, an unusual combination in any vehicle class.
The Santa Cruz, which offers no hybrid, tops out at 22 mpg city, 30 highway, and 25 combined with its base four-cylinder, dropping to 22 mpg combined with the turbocharged engine. The Ridgeline, powered exclusively by a V6, manages roughly 18 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined. The Maverick Hybrid nearly doubles the Ridgeline's combined figure, a margin that reshapes a household's fuel budget. Put in yearly terms, the Maverick Hybrid can save its owner hundreds of dollars in fuel compared with the Santa Cruz and well over a thousand compared with the Ridgeline, an advantage that compounds over years of ownership.
Why the gap is so large
The reason is simple: hybridization. The Maverick pairs a gas engine with an electric motor and does its best work in the city, where regenerative braking and electric assist push it to 42 mpg, an efficiency neither rival can approach without the same technology. It is the only truck of the three built primarily around saving fuel.
The Santa Cruz and Ridgeline are conventional gas trucks, and while both are reasonably efficient for what they are, they are playing a different game. The Santa Cruz's numbers are competitive among gas pickups, and the Ridgeline's V6 prioritizes smooth power and towing over economy, but neither can close a gap this wide against a hybrid. Hyundai has yet to offer a hybrid Santa Cruz, and Honda sticks with its single V6, so unless and until either adds electrification, the Maverick will keep this category to itself.
The trade-offs beyond mpg
Efficiency is not the whole story, and the other two have real strengths. The Santa Cruz offers a more upscale cabin, available turbocharged power, and a higher tow rating, appealing to buyers who want style and capability over maximum economy. The Honda Ridgeline is the largest and most truck-like of the three, with standard all-wheel drive, a roomy cabin, and a clever in-bed trunk, making it the choice for someone who needs more hauling muscle.
The Maverick answers with more than just economy, offering a low starting price, genuine bed utility, and available all-wheel drive on the hybrid, but its fuel efficiency is the headline and the reason it dominates this particular comparison. For buyers stepping down from a thirsty full-size truck or up from a car, that blend of a usable bed and car-like running costs is exactly what has made the Maverick so hard to keep in stock.
So which one is the most fuel-efficient?
The Ford Maverick Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient of the three by a wide margin. Its up to 38 mpg combined rating is nearly double what the Ridgeline manages and far beyond anything the Santa Cruz can offer, making it the clear choice for a buyer who wants truck utility with car economy. The Hyundai Santa Cruz is the pick for someone who prioritizes an upscale cabin and turbocharged power over fuel savings, and the Honda Ridgeline is the choice for a buyer who needs the most space and towing capability. Neither, though, comes close to the Maverick Hybrid on efficiency, and for that goal, the Ford is the only real answer.
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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 11:55 AM.