Help talk me into a Maverick?

[duneslider]

Sort of joking but not...
My current vehicles are a 2007 Jeep JK Unlimited with a lift and 35" mud tires and the family bus is a 2019 Expedition Max. The jeep has over 220k and isn't a great DD and I would like to not drive it everyday. I am not in a rush to buy but there are a lot of new and used mavericks popping up in the local classifieds and if the right one shows up I wouldn't mind grabbing one.

The Maverick just makes sense for what I need it for. It would be the DD, really doesn't need to tow a lot but I would like to tow my utility trailer to the dump a few times a year or pick up some lumber or drywall at the box store with the trailer, that kind of stuff. We do a ton of mountain biking so this would carry bikes either over the tailgate or on a rack quite often. Daily commute is about 50 miles total. This covers the usage for 99% of the year. A few times a year I would drive this on longer trips going to MTB destinations, so think 3-4 hour drives to southern utah or Moab. Highway speed limit on my commute is 70mph, there are a lot of 75-80mph on the drives to southern utah/moab. I would like okay mpg on the long trips but understand the bikes and racks and speed kills that. The expedition nets me 20-21mpg usually, I would like to do better than that.

I think the fact that I have driven a jeep or big truck since I was 16 has my vision clouded. Every time I look at the Maverick I start out building a hybrid and end up with the tremor, them move to the Ranger, then at that point I might as well be in an F150, then that is not the point of what I need and I am back at the Hybrid Maverick.

So, a few questions.
Is it realistic to think I will see 30+ mpg in the hybrid for my daily commute driving? What about the ecoboost, what is realistic there? I do drive conservative for what that is worth.
How does the Hybrid do in the snow assuming I put on a tire like the Michelin Crossclimate? We do have snowy days and not having 4wd gives me anxiety, I've never not had 4wd.
I do a bit of camping and dirt road driving, I occasionally need 4wd in the expedition usually in sand. What can I expect with the maverick hybrid? As you can tell I am really struggling with the no 4wd/Awd drive thing.
If 25+ is realistic for commuting with the Ecoboost that might be a winner for me.

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[duneslider]

There seems to be plenty, roughly 20 or more in the classifieds right now in my area? A bunch of hybrids too. A mix of new and used options. XL, XLT, Lariat.

 

[pxpaulx]

There seems to be plenty, roughly 20 or more in the classifieds right now in my area? A bunch of hybrids too. A mix of new and used options. XL, XLT, Lariat.

Ford auto-posts to dealer inventory during transit - you're likely just seeing customer orders (if you can view the window sticker and it is green...it is a customer order). If any are available dealer is highly likely jacking or going to jack the price on you. There is a reason they sold out in a month and can't be ordered until next year - they are popular.

 

[dalola]

Sounds like you don't drive much in town/city, where the hybrid really separates, from an FE perspective.

Just based on your described lifestyle, I would go AWD 4K EB for sure, which will still yield better FE than any other non-hybrid truck out there, plus many added advantages for hauling, towing, off-road, snow, etc....

Good luck!

 

[duneslider]

Ford auto-posts to dealer inventory during transit - you're likely just seeing customer orders (if you can view the window sticker and it is green...it is a customer order). If any are available dealer is highly likely jacking or going to jack the price on you. There is a reason they sold out in a month and can't be ordered until next year - they are popular.

There are a lot of those posts for sure but its easy to tell the ones that aren't on the lot. I'm not set on having brand new there are a lot with low miles (500-15000) and also new ones with pictures sitting on the lot. Most new are priced 2-3k over msrp. Most used are priced similarly at or around msrp, even though they are used. I probably wouldn't pay new pricing for a used but 2-3k over msrp isn't "horrible" for new. I still don't like paying over msrp but with how everything is I also could see prices declining over the next year. I may also look at placing an order.

Mostly curious what people's real world experience has been with them now that people have been driving them for a year.

 

[710-oil-614]

Yeah I hear the Santa Cruz are really nice.....

 

[ClemsonU88]

I have a hybrid XLT and LOVE IT!!! I drive 65 miles to work (one way) twice a week, and the speed limit is 55 most of the way. I live in a decent sized city, so most of the driving is between 35-55, and I get 45mpg overall. When I drive 70 on the interstate, I get around 30-33 mpg.

It's plenty big enough for average adults in the back seat. I've sat there (I'm 5' 10"), and my sons in law, wife, and daughters all sat back there on a trip to Florida (about 500 miles).

I think the seats are comfortable, but some have complained they're not. It has good acceleration and drives smoothly, and it has all the amenities I need. Like you, I only need to haul stuff periodically. Recently I've made 2 trips to get some 4x8 plywood and other pieces of lumber, and the tailgate supported them excellently. You'll want tie straps if you do that, but they even have a place on the tail gate to attach the straps. They thought of everything!

I think Ford hit a grand slam with this vehicle. I've owned a Corolla, an F-150, 4 pre-2014 Rangers, 1 2019 Ranger, a Frontier, a Dodge Neon, and an '88 Dodge Daytona; and the Maverick beats them all except the Daytona!

If you can get a hybrid XLT, I'd say it's worth it. Then again, I only paid $26,000 out the door.

 

[CTYankee]

I have an XLT EcoBoost AWD with Lux, moonroof, and CP360 that I purchased off the dealers lot for MSRP in October 2021. Since then, I've averaged 27.4 MPG over about 8K miles of mixed driving. On those occasions when I had no city driving in the mix (up in rural Maine, for example) I've gotten as much as 35.

It's not what a hybrid can deliver, but I wouldn't want to be in a FWD in some of the conditions you've described. The right tires can help in winter driving but they aren't going to be as effective as AWD for sand.

My Maverick replaced a 2014 Wrangler Rubicon 2-door that now serves as a spare vehicle and winter plow truck.

 

[duneslider]

I have an XLT EcoBoost AWD with Lux, moonroof, and CP360 that I purchased off the dealers lot for MSRP in October 2021. Since then, I've averaged 27.4 MPG over about 8K miles of mixed driving. On those occasions when I had no city driving in the mix (up in rural Maine, for example) I've gotten as much as 35.

It's not what a hybrid can deliver, but I wouldn't want to be in a FWD in some of the conditions you've described. The right tires can help in winter driving but they aren't going to be as effective as AWD for sand.

My Maverick replaced a 2014 Wrangler Rubicon 2-door that now serves as a spare vehicle and winter plow truck.

I definitely am thinking the EB is probably better for my needs. I get about 17 in my jeep so jumping to 25-27 is a pretty good jump and with high gas prices that makes a big difference.

 

[STARCOMMTREY1]

Sort of joking but not...
My current vehicles are a 2007 Jeep JK Unlimited with a lift and 35" mud tires and the family bus is a 2019 Expedition Max. The jeep has over 220k and isn't a great DD and I would like to not drive it everyday. I am not in a rush to buy but there are a lot of new and used mavericks popping up in the local classifieds and if the right one shows up I wouldn't mind grabbing one.

The Maverick just makes sense for what I need it for. It would be the DD, really doesn't need to tow a lot but I would like to tow my utility trailer to the dump a few times a year or pick up some lumber or drywall at the box store with the trailer, that kind of stuff. We do a ton of mountain biking so this would carry bikes either over the tailgate or on a rack quite often. Daily commute is about 50 miles total. This covers the usage for 99% of the year. A few times a year I would drive this on longer trips going to MTB destinations, so think 3-4 hour drives to southern utah or Moab. Highway speed limit on my commute is 70mph, there are a lot of 75-80mph on the drives to southern utah/moab. I would like okay mpg on the long trips but understand the bikes and racks and speed kills that. The expedition nets me 20-21mpg usually, I would like to do better than that.

I think the fact that I have driven a jeep or big truck since I was 16 has my vision clouded. Every time I look at the Maverick I start out building a hybrid and end up with the tremor, them move to the Ranger, then at that point I might as well be in an F150, then that is not the point of what I need and I am back at the Hybrid Maverick.

So, a few questions.
Is it realistic to think I will see 30+ mpg in the hybrid for my daily commute driving? What about the ecoboost, what is realistic there? I do drive conservative for what that is worth.
How does the Hybrid do in the snow assuming I put on a tire like the Michelin Crossclimate? We do have snowy days and not having 4wd gives me anxiety, I've never not had 4wd.
I do a bit of camping and dirt road driving, I occasionally need 4wd in the expedition usually in sand. What can I expect with the maverick hybrid? As you can tell I am really struggling with the no 4wd/Awd drive thing.
If 25+ is realistic for commuting with the Ecoboost that might be a winner for me.

I just posted a 40k mile review that you should read.

 

[2020 GT500]

Love my ecoboost. Good power and economy. Zero problems at 2k miles so far. Easy to drive…anyone will be comfy behind the wheel, from your teenage kid to grandma.

 

[Jatrax]

Is it realistic to think I will see 30+ mpg in the hybrid for my daily commute driving?

Yes. Probably 35+ unless you have a lead foot.

How does the Hybrid do in the snow assuming I put on a tire like the Michelin Crossclimate? We do have snowy days and not having 4wd gives me anxiety, I've never not had 4wd.

FWD with good tires is better than 4x4 with all seasons. I've driven both. Tires and ground clearance have much more to do with it than AWD or FWD. If AWD was an option on the hybrid I would have gotten it, but FWD doesn't bother me at all in snow or ice. I drove a Prius for 10 years on Mt. Hood and always made it home. Ground clearance was the only issue with the Prius.

I do a bit of camping and dirt road driving, I occasionally need 4wd in the expedition usually in sand. What can I expect with the maverick hybrid?

I don't have a lot of experience with sand but in mud I have always found FWD to be adequate and much better than RWD. Again, tires and clearance are what are important. And knowing how to drive in those situations of course. Anybody can get stuck if they try hard enough.

 

[TedTX]

Hybrid did fine in sand dune like grassy fields. So lite it barely leaves a dent in soft soil where my v8 Silverado would plow deep trails with its tires.

 

[Maverick2022XL]

Sort of joking but not...
My current vehicles are a 2007 Jeep JK Unlimited with a lift and 35" mud tires and the family bus is a 2019 Expedition Max. The jeep has over 220k and isn't a great DD and I would like to not drive it everyday. I am not in a rush to buy but there are a lot of new and used mavericks popping up in the local classifieds and if the right one shows up I wouldn't mind grabbing one.

The Maverick just makes sense for what I need it for. It would be the DD, really doesn't need to tow a lot but I would like to tow my utility trailer to the dump a few times a year or pick up some lumber or drywall at the box store with the trailer, that kind of stuff. We do a ton of mountain biking so this would carry bikes either over the tailgate or on a rack quite often. Daily commute is about 50 miles total. This covers the usage for 99% of the year. A few times a year I would drive this on longer trips going to MTB destinations, so think 3-4 hour drives to southern utah or Moab. Highway speed limit on my commute is 70mph, there are a lot of 75-80mph on the drives to southern utah/moab. I would like okay mpg on the long trips but understand the bikes and racks and speed kills that. The expedition nets me 20-21mpg usually, I would like to do better than that.

I think the fact that I have driven a jeep or big truck since I was 16 has my vision clouded. Every time I look at the Maverick I start out building a hybrid and end up with the tremor, them move to the Ranger, then at that point I might as well be in an F150, then that is not the point of what I need and I am back at the Hybrid Maverick.

So, a few questions.
Is it realistic to think I will see 30+ mpg in the hybrid for my daily commute driving? What about the ecoboost, what is realistic there? I do drive conservative for what that is worth.
How does the Hybrid do in the snow assuming I put on a tire like the Michelin Crossclimate? We do have snowy days and not having 4wd gives me anxiety, I've never not had 4wd.
I do a bit of camping and dirt road driving, I occasionally need 4wd in the expedition usually in sand. What can I expect with the maverick hybrid? As you can tell I am really struggling with the no 4wd/Awd drive thing.
If 25+ is realistic for commuting with the Ecoboost that might be a winner for me.

Ecoboost engine with eco mode enabled will get 28 - 30 MPG on mixed mode driving. Highway 29 - 35 MPG with eco mode. Depending how much weight you want trailer you maybe locked into an Ecoboost AWD w/4k tow package if you need to trailer anything over 2500lbs. Your MPG with a trailer an ecooboost can vary anywhere between 15 and 22 MPG depending the weight. MPG on an ecoboost by and large will be the same between FWD and AWD except if you get the Tremor package then it will drop by a few MPG.

Unless you are doing a lot of stop and go driving the hybrid isn't going to net you that much of a difference in MPG. Usually on highway driving at over 60 MPH you'll only going to see like 33 to 35 MPG without eco mode.

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