Hybrid Maverick 1200 Mile Review (Not Short)

[Jetfixer]

Thank You for the review. I can’t wait until my xlt hybrid is delivered.

Sponsored

 

[Bushpilot]

I am surprised the XLT had auto for the climate control. I use it often and it works. It even lets you choose the max speed for the fan. That was new too.

I was surprised by the same in my XL. Also, it is notweworthy that the climate control (heat) works very well at 10F. Probably colder, but I haven't tested that yet.

Oh, as long as we are on the subject of cold, so far I am impressed with the FWD and factory tires on icy/snowy roads.

 

[Delzona]

First the bad things.
1. There is a rattle that has developed when I hit bumps. Potholes, railroad crossings, ect. I will be taking it back to the dealer to get them to locate that.
2. The radio is definitely buggy. Luckily I have found a fix for mine that has yet to fail, unplug or plug my phone into it. So far that has worked every time it has locked up.
3. There is no way to leave the truck in default eco mode. I am getting that muscle memory to change that at startup.
4. No indication of battery charge percentage. Not a biggie, but would like to have it.
5. Every so often the Ford Pass Start function misbehaves. A restart fixes that.
6. To open the hood you have to open the door. Major oversight in the design department. On the flop side, I love that you pull it twice to unlatch the hood. That makes it easier than looking for it on the grille. Also gives me a laugh when others go to looking for it!

Now to the general review/how to's
I have figured out how to manipulate the truck to get it to Electric only. The prerequisite is that the HVB have enough charge and you not be at highway speeds. 55 or less. Change the mode to Eco. Let off the gas and let the charge needle dive deep and then just ease back on it. Boom, you are in electric only mode.

The truck runs in ICE only more than I thought. The ICE is also WAAAAYYYY more fuel efficient than I thought. Highway speeds where I am hitting 37+ is straight ICE.
The EV coach shows you what is running. Gray only bar is ICE only. Gray/blue is true Hybrid. Blue is Electric. Charge can have either electric motor or ICE running depending on charge status of HVB.

If you let the truck sit a few days it will run ICE at the beginning. The HVB definitely drains while sitting. It will click randomly changing relays on various items. After a few miles it charges (this battery seems to charge really fast) and runs as advertised.

As far as mileage goes, I am averaging 39 on the dot combined with 80% Hwy. The last 800 I am averaging 40. My shortest trip has been 30 miles one way. This truck demands a different driving style. I am braking much sooner and letting the engine slow me down so I can charge as much battery as possible. I am easier on the throttle when I start up or I get to speed quickly and let off. The cruise is much better at fuel mileage than I am. In town this thing is killer. 45+ mpgs is normal.

The ride is the best truck ride I have ever had. It is even better than our Escape. It makes long trips much easier.

Not having Sync has opened my eyes to the best feature of this truck and I think the most overlooked(Other than the bottle openers). Using AA has made me never want sync again. Hit the voice and tell it to call the closes Lowes and it does. Ask it for the weather or new updates and it does. Tell it to take you to a random restaurant and it does. Even ask it what is 3+6/2 and it will tell you 6 every time. It has become more helpful than any OEM software could ever be. (AA even has some stupid games for when you are stuck waiting somewhere in your truck on the screen)

Power in the truck is NOT an issue. It hits 80 mph with ease and more than quick enough to help you avoid the other idiots on the road(I say other because we all have our idiot moments).

This truck is STABLE on wet roads. I have now driven on the interstate in torrential downpours twice. It handles it WELL. I have gotten it to hydroplane twice. Once at 74 and it came off plane in about 25 yards and did not get squirrely. I hit a bad puddle when it happened. My only issue was the cruise did not disconnect. Another was on a back road at about 60. I felt it and it went away just as fast. Just keep your speeds consistent with the weather and enjoy the ride.

The materials on the exterior are thin. I do think this truck will be easy to dent. The hood has a little shake at highway speeds, but that is due to how thin it is. This truck could not survive having struts. The hood would pull the same thing an old square body chevy does....

The storage in this truck is amazing. It takes this small cab and makes it unreal. Ford knocked it out of the park with this. It is setup perfectly. Put your phones up front, your cups in the cup holder, your pistol on your side, your credit card in the card slot(it fits perfectly) and your wallet in the spot next to that. Cant give Ford enough praise for the cabin setup. I wish they put that much thought into every cabin. It is ironic that they made every thing they could out of the cheapest cabin because they needed it to be desirable unlike the Lincolns where they know the owner is happy just to have a Lincoln.

Regular cleaning of the interior plastics will be needed. They seem to hold smudges and dirt easily. Just the downfall of the textured surfaces. Nothing a little Armor All cant fix. As all the reviewers said, even though it is cheap plastic it is done very well.

The lane keeping does have a weak vibration. It could be stronger but its still noticeable. The BLISS is the BEST I have seen yet. It tells you early and holds until the other vehicle is well within view. If you hit your turn signal it blinks rapidly to let you know not to change lanes. Those two things are done better than any other brand I have driven including Fords. I just wish the mirrors were bigger.

The reverse camera is fine. It works well and has decent lighting at night. LED reverse lights will make it even better.

I am surprised the XLT had auto for the climate control. I use it often and it works. It even lets you choose the max speed for the fan. That was new too.

I changed the oil at 1019 miles. It was clean. Looked almost like new. If the percentages hold the truck will get over 10k miles between changes. I had 95% life left at that change.

The auto dim is great except street lights and narrow streets with trees on either side can cause it to dim.

Fantastic write-up!! Always great to hear a real review that isn't sponsored or by some Youtuber looking for an increase in subscriptions! Is this your first hybrid or are you already hybrid knowledgeable? I ask because Maverick will be my first hybrid and so far I've gotten a bit of knowledge from reading others reviews and like yours they also have pointed out about braking early and slightly changing driving style if looking for max MPG. I've breezed through the owners manual, but real life suggestion mean more to me.

 

[Delzona]

Noticeable with no radio. Not worth mentioning if radio is running. What is noticeable is how quickly the cabin cools off or heats up if climate control is turned off. Near zero insulation

Zero insulation would also explain why highway noise is more noticeable. I'm seriously considering using some sound proofing that I have left over from doing my Mom's PT Cruiser. It really cut down the engine noise after I did the floorboard from the firewall to the back seats.

 

[Hack]

First the bad things.
1. There is a rattle that has developed when I hit bumps. Potholes, railroad crossings, ect. I will be taking it back to the dealer to get them to locate that.
2. The radio is definitely buggy. Luckily I have found a fix for mine that has yet to fail, unplug or plug my phone into it. So far that has worked every time it has locked up.
3. There is no way to leave the truck in default eco mode. I am getting that muscle memory to change that at startup.
4. No indication of battery charge percentage. Not a biggie, but would like to have it.
5. Every so often the Ford Pass Start function misbehaves. A restart fixes that.
6. To open the hood you have to open the door. Major oversight in the design department. On the flop side, I love that you pull it twice to unlatch the hood. That makes it easier than looking for it on the grille. Also gives me a laugh when others go to looking for it!

Now to the general review/how to's
I have figured out how to manipulate the truck to get it to Electric only. The prerequisite is that the HVB have enough charge and you not be at highway speeds. 55 or less. Change the mode to Eco. Let off the gas and let the charge needle dive deep and then just ease back on it. Boom, you are in electric only mode.

The truck runs in ICE only more than I thought. The ICE is also WAAAAYYYY more fuel efficient than I thought. Highway speeds where I am hitting 37+ is straight ICE.
The EV coach shows you what is running. Gray only bar is ICE only. Gray/blue is true Hybrid. Blue is Electric. Charge can have either electric motor or ICE running depending on charge status of HVB.

If you let the truck sit a few days it will run ICE at the beginning. The HVB definitely drains while sitting. It will click randomly changing relays on various items. After a few miles it charges (this battery seems to charge really fast) and runs as advertised.

As far as mileage goes, I am averaging 39 on the dot combined with 80% Hwy. The last 800 I am averaging 40. My shortest trip has been 30 miles one way. This truck demands a different driving style. I am braking much sooner and letting the engine slow me down so I can charge as much battery as possible. I am easier on the throttle when I start up or I get to speed quickly and let off. The cruise is much better at fuel mileage than I am. In town this thing is killer. 45+ mpgs is normal.

The ride is the best truck ride I have ever had. It is even better than our Escape. It makes long trips much easier.

Not having Sync has opened my eyes to the best feature of this truck and I think the most overlooked(Other than the bottle openers). Using AA has made me never want sync again. Hit the voice and tell it to call the closes Lowes and it does. Ask it for the weather or new updates and it does. Tell it to take you to a random restaurant and it does. Even ask it what is 3+6/2 and it will tell you 6 every time. It has become more helpful than any OEM software could ever be. (AA even has some stupid games for when you are stuck waiting somewhere in your truck on the screen)

Power in the truck is NOT an issue. It hits 80 mph with ease and more than quick enough to help you avoid the other idiots on the road(I say other because we all have our idiot moments).

This truck is STABLE on wet roads. I have now driven on the interstate in torrential downpours twice. It handles it WELL. I have gotten it to hydroplane twice. Once at 74 and it came off plane in about 25 yards and did not get squirrely. I hit a bad puddle when it happened. My only issue was the cruise did not disconnect. Another was on a back road at about 60. I felt it and it went away just as fast. Just keep your speeds consistent with the weather and enjoy the ride.

The materials on the exterior are thin. I do think this truck will be easy to dent. The hood has a little shake at highway speeds, but that is due to how thin it is. This truck could not survive having struts. The hood would pull the same thing an old square body chevy does....

The storage in this truck is amazing. It takes this small cab and makes it unreal. Ford knocked it out of the park with this. It is setup perfectly. Put your phones up front, your cups in the cup holder, your pistol on your side, your credit card in the card slot(it fits perfectly) and your wallet in the spot next to that. Cant give Ford enough praise for the cabin setup. I wish they put that much thought into every cabin. It is ironic that they made every thing they could out of the cheapest cabin because they needed it to be desirable unlike the Lincolns where they know the owner is happy just to have a Lincoln.

Regular cleaning of the interior plastics will be needed. They seem to hold smudges and dirt easily. Just the downfall of the textured surfaces. Nothing a little Armor All cant fix. As all the reviewers said, even though it is cheap plastic it is done very well.

The lane keeping does have a weak vibration. It could be stronger but its still noticeable. The BLISS is the BEST I have seen yet. It tells you early and holds until the other vehicle is well within view. If you hit your turn signal it blinks rapidly to let you know not to change lanes. Those two things are done better than any other brand I have driven including Fords. I just wish the mirrors were bigger.

The reverse camera is fine. It works well and has decent lighting at night. LED reverse lights will make it even better.

I am surprised the XLT had auto for the climate control. I use it often and it works. It even lets you choose the max speed for the fan. That was new too.

I changed the oil at 1019 miles. It was clean. Looked almost like new. If the percentages hold the truck will get over 10k miles between changes. I had 95% life left at that change.

The auto dim is great except street lights and narrow streets with trees on either side can cause it to dim.

Great review! Thank you!

 

[STARCOMMTREY1]

Fantastic write-up!! Always great to hear a real review that isn't sponsored or by some Youtuber looking for an increase in subscriptions! Is this your first hybrid or are you already hybrid knowledgeable? I ask because Maverick will be my first hybrid and so far I've gotten a bit of knowledge from reading others reviews and like yours they also have pointed out about braking early and slightly changing driving style if looking for max MPG. I've breezed through the owners manual, but real life suggestion mean more to me.

First Hybrid

 

[brnpttmn]

I was surprised by the same in my XL. Also, it is notweworthy that the climate control (heat) works very well at 10F. Probably colder, but I haven't tested that yet.

Oh, as long as we are on the subject of cold, so far I am impressed with the FWD and factory tires on icy/snowy roads.

Same here, and I can vouch that the heater works well down to at least -10°F. Although I generally keep it the thermostat at 60° when it gets below freezing.

 

[mamboman777]

First the bad things.
1. There is a rattle that has developed when I hit bumps. Potholes, railroad crossings, ect. I will be taking it back to the dealer to get them to locate that.
2. The radio is definitely buggy. Luckily I have found a fix for mine that has yet to fail, unplug or plug my phone into it. So far that has worked every time it has locked up.
3. There is no way to leave the truck in default eco mode. I am getting that muscle memory to change that at startup.
4. No indication of battery charge percentage. Not a biggie, but would like to have it.
5. Every so often the Ford Pass Start function misbehaves. A restart fixes that.
6. To open the hood you have to open the door. Major oversight in the design department. On the flop side, I love that you pull it twice to unlatch the hood. That makes it easier than looking for it on the grille. Also gives me a laugh when others go to looking for it!

Now to the general review/how to's
I have figured out how to manipulate the truck to get it to Electric only. The prerequisite is that the HVB have enough charge and you not be at highway speeds. 55 or less. Change the mode to Eco. Let off the gas and let the charge needle dive deep and then just ease back on it. Boom, you are in electric only mode.

The truck runs in ICE only more than I thought. The ICE is also WAAAAYYYY more fuel efficient than I thought. Highway speeds where I am hitting 37+ is straight ICE.
The EV coach shows you what is running. Gray only bar is ICE only. Gray/blue is true Hybrid. Blue is Electric. Charge can have either electric motor or ICE running depending on charge status of HVB.

If you let the truck sit a few days it will run ICE at the beginning. The HVB definitely drains while sitting. It will click randomly changing relays on various items. After a few miles it charges (this battery seems to charge really fast) and runs as advertised.

As far as mileage goes, I am averaging 39 on the dot combined with 80% Hwy. The last 800 I am averaging 40. My shortest trip has been 30 miles one way. This truck demands a different driving style. I am braking much sooner and letting the engine slow me down so I can charge as much battery as possible. I am easier on the throttle when I start up or I get to speed quickly and let off. The cruise is much better at fuel mileage than I am. In town this thing is killer. 45+ mpgs is normal.

The ride is the best truck ride I have ever had. It is even better than our Escape. It makes long trips much easier.

Not having Sync has opened my eyes to the best feature of this truck and I think the most overlooked(Other than the bottle openers). Using AA has made me never want sync again. Hit the voice and tell it to call the closes Lowes and it does. Ask it for the weather or new updates and it does. Tell it to take you to a random restaurant and it does. Even ask it what is 3+6/2 and it will tell you 6 every time. It has become more helpful than any OEM software could ever be. (AA even has some stupid games for when you are stuck waiting somewhere in your truck on the screen)

Power in the truck is NOT an issue. It hits 80 mph with ease and more than quick enough to help you avoid the other idiots on the road(I say other because we all have our idiot moments).

This truck is STABLE on wet roads. I have now driven on the interstate in torrential downpours twice. It handles it WELL. I have gotten it to hydroplane twice. Once at 74 and it came off plane in about 25 yards and did not get squirrely. I hit a bad puddle when it happened. My only issue was the cruise did not disconnect. Another was on a back road at about 60. I felt it and it went away just as fast. Just keep your speeds consistent with the weather and enjoy the ride.

The materials on the exterior are thin. I do think this truck will be easy to dent. The hood has a little shake at highway speeds, but that is due to how thin it is. This truck could not survive having struts. The hood would pull the same thing an old square body chevy does....

The storage in this truck is amazing. It takes this small cab and makes it unreal. Ford knocked it out of the park with this. It is setup perfectly. Put your phones up front, your cups in the cup holder, your pistol on your side, your credit card in the card slot(it fits perfectly) and your wallet in the spot next to that. Cant give Ford enough praise for the cabin setup. I wish they put that much thought into every cabin. It is ironic that they made every thing they could out of the cheapest cabin because they needed it to be desirable unlike the Lincolns where they know the owner is happy just to have a Lincoln.

Regular cleaning of the interior plastics will be needed. They seem to hold smudges and dirt easily. Just the downfall of the textured surfaces. Nothing a little Armor All cant fix. As all the reviewers said, even though it is cheap plastic it is done very well.

The lane keeping does have a weak vibration. It could be stronger but its still noticeable. The BLISS is the BEST I have seen yet. It tells you early and holds until the other vehicle is well within view. If you hit your turn signal it blinks rapidly to let you know not to change lanes. Those two things are done better than any other brand I have driven including Fords. I just wish the mirrors were bigger.

The reverse camera is fine. It works well and has decent lighting at night. LED reverse lights will make it even better.

I am surprised the XLT had auto for the climate control. I use it often and it works. It even lets you choose the max speed for the fan. That was new too.

I changed the oil at 1019 miles. It was clean. Looked almost like new. If the percentages hold the truck will get over 10k miles between changes. I had 95% life left at that change.

The auto dim is great except street lights and narrow streets with trees on either side can cause it to dim.

Thank you for the review and for sharing your thoughts. It is appreciated!

 

[Edge Haley]

First the bad things.
1. There is a rattle that has developed when I hit bumps. Potholes, railroad crossings, ect. I will be taking it back to the dealer to get them to locate that.
2. The radio is definitely buggy. Luckily I have found a fix for mine that has yet to fail, unplug or plug my phone into it. So far that has worked every time it has locked up.
3. There is no way to leave the truck in default eco mode. I am getting that muscle memory to change that at startup.
4. No indication of battery charge percentage. Not a biggie, but would like to have it.
5. Every so often the Ford Pass Start function misbehaves. A restart fixes that.
6. To open the hood you have to open the door. Major oversight in the design department. On the flop side, I love that you pull it twice to unlatch the hood. That makes it easier than looking for it on the grille. Also gives me a laugh when others go to looking for it!

Now to the general review/how to's
I have figured out how to manipulate the truck to get it to Electric only. The prerequisite is that the HVB have enough charge and you not be at highway speeds. 55 or less. Change the mode to Eco. Let off the gas and let the charge needle dive deep and then just ease back on it. Boom, you are in electric only mode.

The truck runs in ICE only more than I thought. The ICE is also WAAAAYYYY more fuel efficient than I thought. Highway speeds where I am hitting 37+ is straight ICE.
The EV coach shows you what is running. Gray only bar is ICE only. Gray/blue is true Hybrid. Blue is Electric. Charge can have either electric motor or ICE running depending on charge status of HVB.

If you let the truck sit a few days it will run ICE at the beginning. The HVB definitely drains while sitting. It will click randomly changing relays on various items. After a few miles it charges (this battery seems to charge really fast) and runs as advertised.

As far as mileage goes, I am averaging 39 on the dot combined with 80% Hwy. The last 800 I am averaging 40. My shortest trip has been 30 miles one way. This truck demands a different driving style. I am braking much sooner and letting the engine slow me down so I can charge as much battery as possible. I am easier on the throttle when I start up or I get to speed quickly and let off. The cruise is much better at fuel mileage than I am. In town this thing is killer. 45+ mpgs is normal.

The ride is the best truck ride I have ever had. It is even better than our Escape. It makes long trips much easier.

Not having Sync has opened my eyes to the best feature of this truck and I think the most overlooked(Other than the bottle openers). Using AA has made me never want sync again. Hit the voice and tell it to call the closes Lowes and it does. Ask it for the weather or new updates and it does. Tell it to take you to a random restaurant and it does. Even ask it what is 3+6/2 and it will tell you 6 every time. It has become more helpful than any OEM software could ever be. (AA even has some stupid games for when you are stuck waiting somewhere in your truck on the screen)

Power in the truck is NOT an issue. It hits 80 mph with ease and more than quick enough to help you avoid the other idiots on the road(I say other because we all have our idiot moments).

This truck is STABLE on wet roads. I have now driven on the interstate in torrential downpours twice. It handles it WELL. I have gotten it to hydroplane twice. Once at 74 and it came off plane in about 25 yards and did not get squirrely. I hit a bad puddle when it happened. My only issue was the cruise did not disconnect. Another was on a back road at about 60. I felt it and it went away just as fast. Just keep your speeds consistent with the weather and enjoy the ride.

The materials on the exterior are thin. I do think this truck will be easy to dent. The hood has a little shake at highway speeds, but that is due to how thin it is. This truck could not survive having struts. The hood would pull the same thing an old square body chevy does....

The storage in this truck is amazing. It takes this small cab and makes it unreal. Ford knocked it out of the park with this. It is setup perfectly. Put your phones up front, your cups in the cup holder, your pistol on your side, your credit card in the card slot(it fits perfectly) and your wallet in the spot next to that. Cant give Ford enough praise for the cabin setup. I wish they put that much thought into every cabin. It is ironic that they made every thing they could out of the cheapest cabin because they needed it to be desirable unlike the Lincolns where they know the owner is happy just to have a Lincoln.

Regular cleaning of the interior plastics will be needed. They seem to hold smudges and dirt easily. Just the downfall of the textured surfaces. Nothing a little Armor All cant fix. As all the reviewers said, even though it is cheap plastic it is done very well.

The lane keeping does have a weak vibration. It could be stronger but its still noticeable. The BLISS is the BEST I have seen yet. It tells you early and holds until the other vehicle is well within view. If you hit your turn signal it blinks rapidly to let you know not to change lanes. Those two things are done better than any other brand I have driven including Fords. I just wish the mirrors were bigger.

The reverse camera is fine. It works well and has decent lighting at night. LED reverse lights will make it even better.

I am surprised the XLT had auto for the climate control. I use it often and it works. It even lets you choose the max speed for the fan. That was new too.

I changed the oil at 1019 miles. It was clean. Looked almost like new. If the percentages hold the truck will get over 10k miles between changes. I had 95% life left at that change.

The auto dim is great except street lights and narrow streets with trees on either side can cause it to dim.

Thanks for sharing all the little non-documented secrets.

 

[bgillen35]

The BLISS is the BEST I have seen yet. It tells you early and holds until the other vehicle is well within view. If you hit your turn signal it blinks rapidly to let you know not to change lanes.

Great write up!

Is there any audible cue as well for the blind spot? Also, is the blind spot symbol on the mirror just an orange dot or is the normal symbol of two cars fully illuminated? I've seen ford do both and I found the dot (Ford Edge) not as noticeable.

My Mazda will have a loud chime if I put my signal on when someone is in my blindspot. Because of that, I've gotten in the habit of throwing my signal on even if the lane change is a last second decision. That chime has saved me a few times when I go to change lanes impatiently or swerve.

 

[STARCOMMTREY1]

Great write up!

Is there any audible que as well for the blind spot? Also, is the blind spot symbol on the mirror just an orange dot or is the normal symbol of two cars fully illuminated? I've seen ford do both and I found the dot (Ford Edge) not as noticeable.

My Mazda will have a loud chime if I put my signal on when someone is in my blindspot. Because of that, I've gotten in the habit of throwing my signal on even if the lane change is a last second decision. That chime has saved me a few times when I go to change lanes impatiently or swerve.

Both cars light up. No audible that I have heard. If a car is there and you turn on the signal the lights blink rapidly to let you know not to be a tool and actually look because someone is there. If it is not on then they are not directly at your side in the rear or they are sitting on your front wheel well upfront.

 

[JohnnyBravo]

my hybrid Lariat is on its way.....spray in bedliner and all! I am also hopeful someone can figure out how to add a bigger battery and extend the EV range a few miles. I only need to go 9 mi each way to work.

 

[jtpc2021]

Number 6, the hood release is not a major oversight, it is designed that way on purpose due to the dual pull hood release, so the hood cannot be opened while driving.

^this

 

[Old Ranchero]

Hood release inside car is an anti-theft feature. When you have the doors locked nobody can open your hood from the outside when looking to steal a battery, or worse.

 

[Old Ranchero]

I will never understand changing the oil before you have to on a new car. It's a waste of money and time. It is not 1960 anymore.

If we needed to change it, Ford would have told us.

Too many Facebook engineers out there.

Thanks for the other feedback

agreed I also don't understand why people are out there driving sustained 70-80 MPH and/or trying to get accurate MPG readings before the recommended 1000 mi break in period.

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