Turning Radius... Why is it so bad?

[Maverick123]

Transit (full size) is not a similar chassis to Maverick, and certainly not FWD. Are you thinking Transit Connect?

HRG

Oh you're right, I mis-read that. Makes sense now that a RWD chassis w/o transverse driveline or CV joints could achieve a better steering angle than the Maverick can

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[RR - All the way]

Wow, after the turning radius of my long bed 2500 Ram, the Mav feels and seems like a go-kart to me.................. I even feel comfortable in the supermarket parking lot!!!!

 

[Backin15]

Try a u turn in a Frontier. That was one of the reasons we chose the Maverick.

 

[bgn]

It practically turns like a go-kart compared to my buddy's F-150 with the 6.5' bed.

 

[Ranch]

Information from
MaverickTruckClub states that the Transit van has a turning diameter of 39 feet with a 130-inch wheelbase.

This information was posted in a forum and was attributed to the user, "Propane Burning Man". While this information is publicly available, it may not be official specifications from the manufacturer.

For reference, the 2025 Ford Transit Cargo Van with a 130-inch wheelbase has an overall length of 219.9 inches. The curb-to-curb turning diameter of a 2025 Ford Transit T-150 with a 130" wheelbase is stated as 42.9 feet on a dealership website. However, another dealership lists a T-250 148" wheelbase as 47.8 feet. This difference could be due to variations between different models or measurement methods.

In general, a longer wheelbase typically results in a larger turning radius (and thus, diameter). However, steering angle and other factors can also influence the turning radius.

 

[Cherokee]

Mav, 121” wheel base. As you were.

 

[Pappamoto]

My Maverick does turn quite a bit wider than my other car (Porsche Boxster).

 

[f1jim]

My 2025 Lariat AWD is a pleasure to turn compared to my 2012 Nissan Frontier. That truck was a pain and my Maverick is miles ahead of that Nissan.
f1jim

 

[TNcoupe]

My 2dr Bronco has a turning radius of 33.3ft. The Maverick is a 70s land yacht compared to it.

 

[h1k3rb]

Info: The Maverick's turning circle is 40 feet, which is the diameter of the circle it can make when turning with the wheels fully turned. This translates to a turning radius of 20 feet. .........Turning circle of Ford F-150 (41.2 feet) and Ford Ranger (42.5 feet)....... The Bronco Sport has a smaller turning radius, around 18.7 feet.

Good point. My Ram ProMaster with 118-in wheelbase had at turning 'circle' of 36.3 ft, which makes the turning radius just 18.15 ft. Not as good as the 17.7 ft turning radius of my Corolla Cross hybrid but pretty darn good for a large van.

 

[LSchicago]

Turning radius is very normal for a 121" wheelbase vehicle. Get the small car mentality out of your mind.

 

[Probity]

Doesn't answer the question, but can get a glimpse of influencing factors here: Why Some Cars Have A Bigger Turning Radius Than Others - The Autopian

So - Rturn = (Wheelbase / SIN(turn angle)) + ½ Tire Width

I've no idea what the turn angle is on a Mav. It probably all comes down to packaging and CV axle design. Tire width doesn't seem to make a huge difference.

"Here you can see how the engine and the crash structure limits how far you can turn the wheels. If you wanted to get a smaller turn radius by getting more turn angle out of the front wheels, the only way to achieve that is to make the track width – and the rest of the car – wider or by making the tires significantly smaller. Neither of these choices may be possible or desirable for the type of vehicle you are designing so the whole thing becomes a trade-off between competing needs.

Another factor that limits turn angle is the outer CV joint in a front wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicle. Most modern axle-CV joints can be angled up to about 50 degrees. Anything more than that and the balls that are inside the joint are in danger of falling out or getting damaged. Now, while 50 degrees is a lot more than the 30 degrees we are using in our example, don’t forget that this angle also has to account for suspension travel."

 

[colinl]

My 2dr Bronco has a turning radius of 33.3ft. The Maverick is a 70s land yacht compared to it.

um... duh?

 

[Bob zimmerman]

I dunno.
I thought the turning radius of my Mav is amazing. I had a prius before this and I also have a sharp turn into my garage. My Mav feels nimble and makes tight turns like my Prius did.

As others have mentioned, try making tight turns in my Silverado and the Mav is like a hot wheels car compared to that.
Bob

 

[VICKY]

So, after driving the Maverick for almost a year and a half, the one thing that continues to irk me is that it seems to have the turning radius of a whale. Any particular reason it is so big? I often have trouble making u-turns on the first go.

I have had many cars over the years (including a couple of land yachts from the '70's) and I have never had a vehicle that turns so wide.

Is it due to the combination of FWD and the extra hybrid gear under the hood?

Wow mine makes U-turns great?

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