Honda/Toyota buyers seeing the "Light"??

[Padanky]

Similar story here... sold a 2013 Tacoma Access Cab with a stick shift to get the Maverick. I was tired of 17mpg gallon on a good tank and the uncomfortable, harsh ride. The wife can drive the Maverick, it's FAR more comfortable, and it will pull our little teardrop trailer just fine. I suspect that 10 years from now the Tacoma would still be worth more than the Maverick (unless gas is crazy expensive) but the real payback will be 10 years of much more enjoyable driving and road trips.

Exactly, Tacoma is a great reliable truck. No issues at all, just not that comfy and with lift I'm getting 14mpg and a rough loud ride. Wife hated it and agreed that I could get the Maverick so I did it before she changed her mind.

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[abcinv]

I'm keeping my '06 Tundra but the Maverick is serving it's purpose perfectly. I just need about 5 years and about 100k miles out if it. Feels like I'll get it but I only have about 2600 of those miles so far...

 

[fishinmagician]

Do you like flex more ? Pretty much the industry did the box car

Well yes and no. I love the idea of the flex, but mine had so many problems. The most practical and roomiest vehicle I've ever had, and it didn't feel like a big SUV.

The Element is smaller but also practical and roomy for it's size. However it only got like 3 mpg more than the flex and not nearly as fast

 

[JimParker256]

I actually like the Honda Ridgeline quite a bit... My brother has one, and absolutely loves it. But for me, the lousy fuel mileage is a complete deal killer for me. I might as well drive an F-150 or Silverado. That said, even if I could get one, it wouldn't fit in my garage, so...

Right now, there is just nothing that competes with the Maverick. It's the perfect size, and the fuel economy of the hybrid makes it viable for me. If I wind up not getting one, I'll be back looking at electric vehicles...

 

[Hoagus]

3,700 miles now on my Lariat Lux Hybrid - not sure how you could drive a Maverick and then say Honda or Toyota are off their game when it comes to quality. The Maverick is an interesting, entertaining vehicle but its build quality doesn't justify even the $29.3k price I paid for this one.

Can you cite specific examples of “build quality” issues.

 

[NJ Pinelands]

Yeah imagine what could be done if Ford could actually produce enough of them.... I think they could easily sell 150-180K a year

Ford hasn’t even advertised during college and pro football games, Chicago PD, hunting and fishing shows, NASCAR, etc. Ford would easily sell over 200,000 once the word gets out and folks actually see them in person. It is still like we are in some secret club. Nobody knows what the heck I am talking about when I say I have been waiting 13 months and counting for a $20,000 hybrid pick up truck.

 

[MLowe05]

Can you cite specific examples of “build quality” issues.

I don't mean for this to sound snarky, but what does "build quality" mean to you? Is it about everything working? Because to me there's more to it than that.

I've elaborated more on this in other places, but as my parents enter retirement we've put them in two of the Maverick's common "conquest" vehicles. We bought a 2021 Corolla SE ($23k) for my father and a 2022 Civic Touring ($29k) for my mother. Jump between these three vehicles and the Maverick is - by a large margin - the cheapest feeling of the bunch. From the materials they used to the way they screwed them together and overall refinement. The Civic in particular feels like an entirely different price category and in terms of quality of the work/materials reminds me more of our departed 2021 Volvo than it does its direct competitor Corolla.

So I'm not sure what "light" Honda/Toyota buyers would be seeing that this thread is referencing. Obviously if you need a truck and you want it to be cheap and efficient, the Maverick is a much, much better truck than the Civic or Corolla.

 

[JennyJoannSuebeeMcNash]

My wife had a 2013 Honda CR-V for 8 years and replaced the battery 5 times. Honda paid for the first 2, because it was still under warranty. They said for years they couldn't find anything wrong with it and didn't know why it kept dying.

2 years ago, the service dept manager said (paraphrased), "This has been a known problem for years." To make the gas mileage better, the computer wouldn't engage the alternator on short trips. But if all you take are short 10-15 minute trips, the alternator rarely engaged and caused the batteries to have a very short life.

So they made an inferior product and lied to us about it for years! But the truth finally came out. If you have children you know: don't reinforce bad behavior. No more Hondas for us...at least not for a while. I REALLY hate being lied to!!!

My mechanic said the same, more or less. That particular engine year had known issues.

 

[Impetus19]

Can you cite specific examples of “build quality” issues.

I don’t know if “build quality” is the correct term. I do wonder about the longevity of the vehicle after watching the munro live youtube video, where they inspect the underside. Definitely a value at the 25k range. At the 30k range the rav4 hybrid starts to add more value imho, for my specific needs.

 

[Eagle11]

Until Toyota and Honda start making a hybrid competitor. Personally, I think they can do it and produce more units than Ford can in a MY. How many think either will have a competitor soon?

Ding Ding Ding.... With the announcement of the new Prius, which is gorgeous and has a much-improved drivetrain, Toyota could and will build a hybrid compact truck. When it does, it will be much better than the Maverick.

 

[Hoagus]

I don't mean for this to sound snarky, but what does "build quality" mean to you? Is it about everything working? Because to me there's more to it than that.

So, nothing specific about build quality. You whole dialog sounds a bit hand wavey. That’s why I asked for clarification.

 

[MLowe05]

So, nothing specific about build quality. You whole dialog sounds a bit hand wavey. That’s why I asked for clarification.

I'm not sure what you even mean by this comment. I've got experience with the Maverick XL EB, the Maverick Lariat Hybrid, a low trim Corolla and a top spec Civic. I gave you my thoughts on each. The Maverick's cheap interior plastics squeak/rattle more than any other new vehicle I've ever owned. That is a direct reflection of build quality.

It's not complicated - and it should not be surprising. Honda and Toyota build better vehicles than Ford. They don't build a direct competitor to the Maverick. That is not the point.

 

[Hoagus]

I'm not sure what you even mean by this comment. I've got experience with the Maverick XL EB, the Maverick Lariat Hybrid, a low trim Corolla and a top spec Civic. I gave you my thoughts on each. The Maverick's cheap interior plastics squeak/rattle more than any other new vehicle I've ever owned. That is a direct reflection of build quality.

It's not complicated - and it should not be surprising. Honda and Toyota build better vehicles than Ford. They don't build a direct competitor to the Maverick. That is not the point.

Ok, interior plastic. Mine doesn’t squeak or rattle. I guess I got lucky.

Anything else?

 

[MLowe05]

Ok, interior plastic. Mine doesn’t squeak or rattle. I guess I got lucky.

Anything else?

Take a trip to your local dealer and park your Maverick beside one of these. Open/close doors. Sit in the seats. Check out the panel gaps. Operate the switchgear.

You and I have different ideas of what build quality means. You are obviously OK with anything that is functional. I have higher expectations.

I bought the Maverick. I knew all of this. My issue with this thread is the implication that the Maverick is superior. It is not.

Carry on.

 

[mtd14]

Ok, interior plastic. Mine doesn’t squeak or rattle. I guess I got lucky.

Anything else?

You're being really defensive about this, but just compare a $29.5k Maverick to a $27.5k Civic. You don't even have to go see them in person to tell the infotainment, digital displays on AC, armrests, vent styling, shifter, etc all look much nicer on the Civic. And that's without including the features the Civic has at that price point the Maverick doesn't without another $4k-$5k in upgrades.

I still have a Maverick on order since I'm interested in trying out a truck, but the more people I see blindly defending it and saying it's a better car than a [Civic, Corolla, RAV4, etc] makes me worried they're overcompensating for something.

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