- First Name
- Ken
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2024
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 47
- Reaction score
- 77
- Location
- Cincinnati
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Maverick XLT Hybrid AWD Black Package (Ordered Sept. 9, 2024)
- Engine
- 2.5L Hybrid
- Thread starter
- #1
Well, not so much a review as general thoughts at the 4,000 mile mark. I'd wanted the Maverick since its debut, but like many people, I was disappointed you couldn't get it with the AWD/Hybrid combo. When I saw it would be available in the '25, I placed my order.
I went with the XLT AWD/Hybrid in Desert Sand with the Luxury Package, BAP and drop-in bed liner. I chose the XLT over the Lariat because I didn't need the additional tech features, back window, and didn't like the "brow" light over the headlights. I do wish I had the acoustic windshield (which I was unaware of at the time), and the Active-X seats.
Exterior: I love everything about the exterior design. When I saw the redesigned '25 front end, I too thought it was a little odd, but now I love it. The lack of badges keeps the styling very clean. When I ordered the BAP, it did not include the hood stripes and black roof. At the time, I was really irritated with those additions, especially the stripes, which seemed juvenile for a 62 year-old man to have on his truck. I was going to have them taken off as soon as I got it, but they made me feel like I was 16 again, cruising around in my old Firebird! I have now decided they are totally bitchin' and my old lady thinks they're cool ;-). The black roof has grown on me too, and with the Desert Sand color, gives it a little military vibe. A subtle feature of the BAP package I appreciate is the juxtaposition of gloss and matte black. You see it all over the truck—in the stripes, the mirrors, and the matte plastic against the glossy wheels and roof.
I don't know if they were meant for this purpose, but the wheel design creates excellent "stirrups" to stand in to reach the center of the truck bed.
Interior: It feels so CHEAP. As much as I love exterior, I really dislike the interior, and I really hate the Navy Pier color. I hated it the moment I saw it, and that hasn't changed a bit. I hoped so hard that it would be changed for the '25 model, but no such luck. I haven't seen that it compliments ANY of the exterior colors. Also high on my hate list is the "Flintstones" detailing around the vents and door panels. My main reason for getting the BAP was to make the interior at least a little better by getting rid of the contrasting color scheme (a "clown car" as someone described it). My daughter got a '24 Bronco Sport shortly after I got my Maverick, and I was surprised to see how many interior parts they shared. The Bronco interior however, is very tasteful. If only they had done the same color scheme on the Mav. I don't see how it could significantly affected the cost if they had just done a black, tan, or gray color with a pebbled/smooth finish. The rough cross-hatch texture just catches dust and scrapes my arm when I hang it out the window.
I didn't think I needed the Active-X seats from the Lariat trim, but I'm not impressed with the regular seats. They are comfortable for long drives (five hours has been my max so far), but the bottom doesn't feel quite wide enough, and the bolster pokes into your thigh. I have not sat in an Active-X seat yet, so I can't compare them.
My previous car was a 2002 Ranger, so I was a little apprehensive about all the tech I would be getting (particularly the lack of analog gauges), but I'm happy to say it hasn't been an issue. I don't use any of the driving tech. I thought lane assist was one of the dumbest things I'd heard of until I realized people now drive looking at their phones and need help not killing anyone. I also didn't want or care anything about a big screen, but it's generally unobtrusive for something so large. Other than "Start," the most used button in my truck is the screen-calming one. It's also soooo much better in the "Night" mode, so it's white on black instead of vice versa. I use a USB drive with MP3s and Apple CarPlay for music, and both work great.
Thankfully, there's a "miles to empty" readout, because the gas gauge is mostly a gauge in name only, preferring to spend its days wandering up and down in search of... something (though certainly not the amount of gas in the tank).
I'm adjusting to the HVAC controls being on the screen. They're mostly intuitive, but a big fail is the tiny little red light under each icon that tells you whether it's on or off. First of all, it should be round so it has more surface area than a rectangle, and second, the color should be orange/amber instead of red. There's not enough contrast between the black background and the red light, and if you're wearing sunglasses, you can't see it at all. How did this design get this far? The "Auto" function worked well in the winter, but it likes the AC and fan too much for me now that it's warmer.
Function: The Maverick hits a real sweet spot. I live in the city, and love that it's compact (PARKING!) and nimble (for a truck). My parents and in-laws live three and five hours away, so the 35-40 MPG is awesome. The bed is large enough to haul our two 9.5' kayaks and plenty of mulch. I haven't had the opportunity to try it in snow or off-road, so I can't speak to it's effectiveness there. I find the ride to be smooth, generally quiet, and comfortable.
Accessories: I added the Truxedo Pro X15 soft roll up cover. It took up the least space when open, which was necessary to get the kayaks in. Easy to install, and the fit and finish feel like OEM. It's worked great for our purposes.
https://realtruck.com/p/truxedo-pro...MI_PWpusPLjQMVUU9HAR2kzQcpEAAYASAAEgKJp_D_BwE
I also added the Mabett trash can, dog carrier, and console organizer. All have worked great, good quality, and also feel very OEM. They sell the console organizer bundled with a couple of other things, but they were not useful to me.
https://www.amazon.com/Mabett-Organizer-Maverick-2022-2025-Accessories/dp/B0DF7LZ1ZT?ref_=ast_sto_dp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6BR8XFP?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCHRG7R9?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Conclusion: I love this truck, and it works for me exactly as I hoped it would. If they had gotten the interior right, I'd be beside myself with joy. Haven't experienced any problems so far, and looking forward to the 5,000 mile service and first oil-change. I would also like to thank the members for their posts, they have been extremely helpful.
I went with the XLT AWD/Hybrid in Desert Sand with the Luxury Package, BAP and drop-in bed liner. I chose the XLT over the Lariat because I didn't need the additional tech features, back window, and didn't like the "brow" light over the headlights. I do wish I had the acoustic windshield (which I was unaware of at the time), and the Active-X seats.
Exterior: I love everything about the exterior design. When I saw the redesigned '25 front end, I too thought it was a little odd, but now I love it. The lack of badges keeps the styling very clean. When I ordered the BAP, it did not include the hood stripes and black roof. At the time, I was really irritated with those additions, especially the stripes, which seemed juvenile for a 62 year-old man to have on his truck. I was going to have them taken off as soon as I got it, but they made me feel like I was 16 again, cruising around in my old Firebird! I have now decided they are totally bitchin' and my old lady thinks they're cool ;-). The black roof has grown on me too, and with the Desert Sand color, gives it a little military vibe. A subtle feature of the BAP package I appreciate is the juxtaposition of gloss and matte black. You see it all over the truck—in the stripes, the mirrors, and the matte plastic against the glossy wheels and roof.
I don't know if they were meant for this purpose, but the wheel design creates excellent "stirrups" to stand in to reach the center of the truck bed.
Interior: It feels so CHEAP. As much as I love exterior, I really dislike the interior, and I really hate the Navy Pier color. I hated it the moment I saw it, and that hasn't changed a bit. I hoped so hard that it would be changed for the '25 model, but no such luck. I haven't seen that it compliments ANY of the exterior colors. Also high on my hate list is the "Flintstones" detailing around the vents and door panels. My main reason for getting the BAP was to make the interior at least a little better by getting rid of the contrasting color scheme (a "clown car" as someone described it). My daughter got a '24 Bronco Sport shortly after I got my Maverick, and I was surprised to see how many interior parts they shared. The Bronco interior however, is very tasteful. If only they had done the same color scheme on the Mav. I don't see how it could significantly affected the cost if they had just done a black, tan, or gray color with a pebbled/smooth finish. The rough cross-hatch texture just catches dust and scrapes my arm when I hang it out the window.
I didn't think I needed the Active-X seats from the Lariat trim, but I'm not impressed with the regular seats. They are comfortable for long drives (five hours has been my max so far), but the bottom doesn't feel quite wide enough, and the bolster pokes into your thigh. I have not sat in an Active-X seat yet, so I can't compare them.
My previous car was a 2002 Ranger, so I was a little apprehensive about all the tech I would be getting (particularly the lack of analog gauges), but I'm happy to say it hasn't been an issue. I don't use any of the driving tech. I thought lane assist was one of the dumbest things I'd heard of until I realized people now drive looking at their phones and need help not killing anyone. I also didn't want or care anything about a big screen, but it's generally unobtrusive for something so large. Other than "Start," the most used button in my truck is the screen-calming one. It's also soooo much better in the "Night" mode, so it's white on black instead of vice versa. I use a USB drive with MP3s and Apple CarPlay for music, and both work great.
Thankfully, there's a "miles to empty" readout, because the gas gauge is mostly a gauge in name only, preferring to spend its days wandering up and down in search of... something (though certainly not the amount of gas in the tank).
I'm adjusting to the HVAC controls being on the screen. They're mostly intuitive, but a big fail is the tiny little red light under each icon that tells you whether it's on or off. First of all, it should be round so it has more surface area than a rectangle, and second, the color should be orange/amber instead of red. There's not enough contrast between the black background and the red light, and if you're wearing sunglasses, you can't see it at all. How did this design get this far? The "Auto" function worked well in the winter, but it likes the AC and fan too much for me now that it's warmer.
Function: The Maverick hits a real sweet spot. I live in the city, and love that it's compact (PARKING!) and nimble (for a truck). My parents and in-laws live three and five hours away, so the 35-40 MPG is awesome. The bed is large enough to haul our two 9.5' kayaks and plenty of mulch. I haven't had the opportunity to try it in snow or off-road, so I can't speak to it's effectiveness there. I find the ride to be smooth, generally quiet, and comfortable.
Accessories: I added the Truxedo Pro X15 soft roll up cover. It took up the least space when open, which was necessary to get the kayaks in. Easy to install, and the fit and finish feel like OEM. It's worked great for our purposes.
https://realtruck.com/p/truxedo-pro...MI_PWpusPLjQMVUU9HAR2kzQcpEAAYASAAEgKJp_D_BwE
I also added the Mabett trash can, dog carrier, and console organizer. All have worked great, good quality, and also feel very OEM. They sell the console organizer bundled with a couple of other things, but they were not useful to me.
https://www.amazon.com/Mabett-Organizer-Maverick-2022-2025-Accessories/dp/B0DF7LZ1ZT?ref_=ast_sto_dp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6BR8XFP?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCHRG7R9?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Conclusion: I love this truck, and it works for me exactly as I hoped it would. If they had gotten the interior right, I'd be beside myself with joy. Haven't experienced any problems so far, and looking forward to the 5,000 mile service and first oil-change. I would also like to thank the members for their posts, they have been extremely helpful.
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