Ford Maverick is MotorTrend 2026 Truck of the Year! 🏆

[Cherokee]

I wonder if it will still be Truck of the Year when it hits its first major redesign and grows up to be the size of a current Ranger?

I’ll buy something else. Join that vehicles forum and talk about how great it is.
:’P

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[Scupking]

Not another vehicle I’d choose currently over my 2025 Hybrid Lariat AWD 4K tow

Exactly. Now if the Ranger was a hybrid, got 30+mpg and could tow 7500lbs then that would be tempting.

 

[dalola]

Not sure about the 2025 being refined and sorted. The fuel gauge sucks IMO one time You look at it it's at 3/4 of a Tank 10 minutes later it's down another 1/8 of a tank. Not to mention the annoying clicking sound in the passenger side of the dash. The fuel gauge and rattles in the dash are 2 of the reasons I got rid of the 2023 BS BB I had. I have driven Fords all My life but these 2 problems are really annoying Me. You guys in warm Climates have it nice if You lived in cold climates I'm sure You would hear more rattles and clicking noises.

The addition of the AWD hybrid & Lobo, and adding dual FI to the EB were nice improvements to the model, but IMHO, the rest of the truck went backwards. Styling, decontenting, price hikes.... no thanks. The first year, '22, was the best of the Maverick, all things considered. Will be interesting to see what the FMC brings....

 

[Joshoc88]

So why wasn't it TOTY last year as nothing has changed since 2025 refresh..haha.

Are you silly? Totally new motor(rods, pistons and dual fueling), better front face, upgraded 8f35 across the line. 25>>>22-24

 

[wax87]

Ford's return on ad dollars🫰

*I'm not saying that it's a bad truck or it doesn't deserve the award.
Reality is.
Ford spends billions of dollars in advertising.
Advertising dollars, is what keeps magazines like Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Hot Rod..etc. afloat.

I rarely see a Mav truck add

 

[JohnCondren1933]

I believe the MT Article said 2025 the Maverick was a close tie for Rivian, which had just done a 1st coast to coast drive with an EV Truck, so Rivian truck got it for doing the 1st of something.

I dont know why Mav didn't get 2022 TOTY year it came out, im too lazy to go look up what actually won.
If I were to guess, 2022 the Hyundai SC had already come out to abysmal sales & leaned way into the "not really a truck but has a kinda bed" so maybe was the assumption Maverick would be niche like SC & if so, MT editors decide too much risk getting SC sales #s, making it TOTY would make MT the laughingstock

Magazines have lead times. The article says they tested a '25 model. I think the award is for 2026, but they're awarding it to a 2025 model because that's what they evaluated. But it's all a game, anyway. I remember when they ran a live-axle Mustang GT (early Coyote years) against a BMW M3, and the Mustang performed better than the M3 in every category ... but they rated the M3 higher because they liked it better.

 

[piwtrnr]

Lets face it, it's just a very stylish small popular truck. Especially to me with my Lariat with those lit up eyebrows. It just shouts "Look at me".

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

I rarely see a Mav truck add

You're right, but I do see a lot of Ford ads.

 

[Fcnrwy]

Hey!! First time in my adult life I am driving a Motor Trend vehicle of the year....and I agree with their assessment.

I have a 2022.... Does this still count...

Jerry

 

[Alfetta159]

grows up to be the size of a current Ranger

And then someone will have the brilliant idea of making a small truck. I wonder what they'll call it...

 

[Alfetta159]

Predecessors like the Ford Courier were not like sized.

Much less the original Rangers...

 

[jfgesquire]

Okay, it's a trucklett, and that's a good thing. Especially in a parking lot.

Spot the Maverick!

 

[MaverickDragon]

Spot the Maverick!

It's the good looking one with adequate room on both sides of the parking space!

 

[JohnCondren1933]

Much less the original Rangers...

Wild to realize how small Ranger was all the way to last generation before the major redesign.

I had a 96 Ranger, backend looked like that but why is that Ranger so much lower to the ground than Maverick did they have 15" automobile wheels I cant remember. But yeah the 96 Ranger felt much smaller in driver seat & noone was sitting in the rear jump seats except a skinny 5 year old

 

[Mike S]

Hopefully they've finally fired all those vehicle designers who want to make any vehicle bigger with each model year. Its been a trend in every manufacturer for at least 60 years now, and nobody has ever explained why a couple of inches every year is supposed to make it better. The F100 and original F150 were the same size as the Maverick. The Ranger started out at almost exactly the same size as the Maverick, and is now only a foot shorter than the ridiculously oversized F150, GMC, Toyota, Nissan and Ram products. They've also all become taller each year for 20 years, and now you can't even get in without climbing in and can't see the vehicle in front of you over the stupidly high hoods. And they actually haul less than a 60s or early 70s truck.

The original Ranger was significantly smaller (at least in width) than the Maverick. I had one, which easily fit in my 1900 vintage garage. I had to spend $6K to widen the garage door when I bought my Maverick.

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