Ford Maverick is MotorTrend 2026 Truck of the Year! 🏆

[GmanGM]

https://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-maverick-2026-truck-of-the-year

The Ford Maverick Is the 2026 MotorTrend Truck of the Year

America’s favorite compact pickup gets smarter, tougher, and even more fun, earning our highest honor at long last.

Best of the Year

Back in 2022, when Ford introduced the Maverick, it was an open question whether Americans would accept a truly compact, crossover-based pickup truck. All those sales later, the answer is, “Yes, they will, if truck experts design it and build it.” Now the Maverick lineup has been further refined, improved, and broadened to become even more appealing to even more people. And that’s why MotorTrend is seizing this opportunity to name Ford Maverick our 2026 Truck of the Year.

Read the full award article: https://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-maverick-2026-truck-of-the-year

Not sure the 26' is enough better than 25' to have made a dif. The 'new' 13.2" screen is same and BTW , despite being large- Neither meets Apple specs to allow the new carplay 3 row icon/app display
-The 26' is missing the rear window option- this was a must for me when buying my 25' so thats a deficit now, - BTW that window, while better than no window is both 2 small and too delicate- I understand toyotas whole rear window panel retracts down into the rear cab wall- my older truck slide rear windows were both larger had metal frame so putting something through the window actually had support- (already broke mine due to lack of support)
- a real award winner would have the rear conversion option like either an Avalanche or I think even old Suburu Brat had- imho.
-Lastly- still no roof rack options?
Despite above, I like my 25' hybrid simply because its the only economical hybrid truck- by sometime in 27/28 there may be actual competition.

Sponsored

 

[dalola]

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

Your dates are off. The R1T won in '22, over the Mav. This is just MT covering for what they should have done in '22. They have a history of head-scratching conclusions.... expected for the social rag it has become.

 

[ScottyC]

I like the way the Courier imitated the grille of F-Series of the same era....usually, I don't care for "the corporate grille", but somehow, it works here.

 

[boxster03]

sponsored by the AGM battery industry

 

[Cherokee]

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

And they’d have to lower it, make the cab roomy like the Mav and keep a 4x4 version at the XLT trim level, all under $50,000

Yeah right !

 

[Rparry]

“Both the XLT Hybrid AWD and Lobo models managed their cargos easily, though when accelerating under load, the hybrid’s engine revs to redline and loudly hangs there until you’ve hit your target speed.”

They should have left this statement out of the article. Not very flattering.

I have the same Maverick and while that is true, So What? Not sure why people make a thing of this. When towing with other non hybrid trucks on a long hill I would select the gear that held the speed I wanted without gear hunting and up we went with the engine at a constant speed, What is the difference?

BP

 

[Rparry]

And they’d have to lower it, make the cab roomy like the Mav and keep a 4x4 version at the XLT trim level, all under $50,000

Yeah right !

They make that truck in Europe. https://www.ford.co.uk/vans-and-pickups/ranger-phev
It is listed at 40,000 Pounds approx $50,000 US$. Nifty truck. It is also available in the EU with Left Hand drive.

BP

 

[710-oil-614]

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....

Sync 4 a massive upgrade

 

[dalola]

Sync 4 a massive upgrade

Yeah, if you're into that stuff. My Bronco has Sync 4, sure, it's better, but not that important to me. I would prioritize the meter over the info screen, that was a huge fail on the '25's. All subjective, I get it. I just see the content/packages/value of the '22's as superior to anything coming after.

 

[BennyMav]

Great news!

 

[Cherokee]

They make that truck in Europe. https://www.ford.co.uk/vans-and-pickups/ranger-phev
It is listed at 40,000 Pounds approx $50,000 US$. Nifty truck. It is also available in the EU with Left Hand drive.
BP

Back in the Regan years, the Cold War, I served under Ronald Regan.
Stationed in What was then ‘West Germany’
82-87
Every Ford car and van was developed and tested over there before it was introduced in the US of A.

This did not include the F series trucks.
West Germany deemed the trucks unsafe for Autobahn use.
Only commercial vehicles could use rear axle non independent systems because,,,
Commercial trucks were limited to a top speed of 100 kph, 62 mph.

This Hybrid Ranger should soon be avail to us good old boys, just wait.

The Mustang of the day was not allowed to be sold in Europe because it did not have independent rear suspension.
It does now and is sold over there.

Here Endeth the Lesson.
:’P
Yeah, imma wiseass

 

[710-oil-614]

Yeah, if you're into that stuff. My Bronco has Sync 4, sure, it's better, but not that important to me. I would prioritize the meter over the info screen, that was a huge fail on the '25's. All subjective, I get it. I just see the content/packages/value of the '22's as superior to anything coming after.

That’s understandable. I found connected touch radio unusable and made the Maverick feel every bit as cheap as it is.

Sync 3 is barely adequate.

I paid about $4k more for my 2025 Lariat AWD Hybrid 4K tow over my 2023 XLTremor and it was worth every penny to me.

 

[Art Vandelay]

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.

They did state the award is for 2026 and that's why I was most confused. I get that they stated they tested a 2025 but it seems like they took a liberty of including a previous model year just to add another truck to the competition. I'm not worked up about it, I was just curious because in the past they were pretty strict about the criteria. And none of that even considers the fact that it was not significantly update for 2025, it was a minor refresh which in the past would not have been eligible for the TOTY competition. But it's their magazine, they change the rules as they please.

 

[Blue_Max]

They did state the award is for 2026 and that's why I was most confused. I get that they stated they tested a 2025 but it seems like they took a liberty of including a previous model year just to add another truck to the competition. I'm not worked up about it, I was just curious because in the past they were pretty strict about the criteria. And none of that even considers the fact that it was not significantly update for 2025, it was a minor refresh which in the past would not have been eligible for the TOTY competition. But it's their magazine, they change the rules as they please.

Well, I don't guess they can award to a future model. I guess the award gets its number from the upcoming calendar year, which is less than a month away. Model years no longer work the way they used to, anyway.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

I rarely see a Mav truck add

Here in Northeast,Ohio they show a Ford Commercial and ask the Lady why She bought the Ford Maverick.

Sponsored