Why Is The Maverick So Cool? My Take.

[track me]

Baby Boomers

Thanks I was thinking Bad Boys. Don't know why??? That was the first think that came to mind.
I consider myself to be the tail end of the Boomers (1959) and did play Pong, but but that was as advanced as my gaming went.

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[LeersMav]

Thanks I was thinking Bad Boys. Don't know why??? That was the first think that came to mind.
I consider myself to be the tail end of the Boomers (1959) and did play Pong, but but that was as advanced as my gaming went.

Yes you are at 1959, then the Gen Xers began in 1960 (some have it at 1965 or there abouts.)

Yeah, ask a Millennial or Gen Zeer what Pong is, they say WHAT is THAT? LOL!

 

[track me]

I am also another "Millennial" in their early 30s that is looking for a new vehicle for the first time in nearly 10 years. I paid off and I am keeping my current car, which is also another great budget marvel of modern times, the Scion FRS. The new generation of it is now around $30k and most sporty cars that I tend to gravitate to are in the mid-30k to mid-40k range. Even the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra are in the same price range as the Maverick. Before getting my FRS, I had a 2012 Ford Fusion with the 2.5L 4cyl motor that the is still used for hybrid setups today such as the Maverick Hybrid. I haven't received any updates on my Maverick for the last few months, but I am holding out for now. I am hoping to get some updates on it sooner rather than later, but I am a patient person. The Maverick to me is cool for the fact that it checks off so many boxes for what 90% of people would use them for. I happen to live in an area where people to actually have legitimate uses for big trucks, but 2/3 of the people that have them don't really use them for anything more than to show off. Also, as someone that is a fairly average/below average height, I find it crazy how tall and high up the tailgates of gotten for trucks. My father's 15 year old Tacoma is a great height, but a new F-150 or Ram is absolutely insane. Even the midsize trucks have a much taller load height than I could use. The Maverick is just about perfect in terms of the load height.

I'm a little past "Milennial" but you nailed it pretty well. America's infatuation with bigger and more.
As far as what happened to trucks, "The Fall Guy" (you may be too young) and Monster Trucks.

 

[DryHeat]

I think the Maverick is cool because it doesn't try to be anything other than a small truck.

It doesn't look like an SUV, or like something from a futuristic movie. It doesn't have weird seats in the bed or some kind of flashy aerodynamic roll/light bar.

It just looks like a truck... but a small one.

 

[93nighthawk]

I honestly think the Maverick is the same as the original Ford Taurus- a turning point.

The value and utility matched with the price point are unbeatable. There are some tradeoffs of course- cheapness in some areas (interior, wire cover behind rear seat, and others). I'm kind of surprised there's been little hate over production outside of the US/Canada, but that is going to gain traction as long as Ford can make profit doing so.

The Taurus was the first car in the US with plastic headlights- which changed cars in the US forever. If you remember the round or square headlights which were mandatory before, you know. The word "aerodynamics" became a thing. Standard features in the Taurus compared to a car before were amazing.

Oh and talking about the "potent Ford Mustang V-8" of back then- the Taurus SHO model was revolutionary in price, performance, and "Above 100 mph, the aerodynamically superior SHO steadily pulls away from the Mustang."
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15142141/1989-ford-taurus-sho-road-test-review/

I would call the Maverick a "breakthrough car" just like the Taurus SHO, Mustang, 240z, and Accord listed in the article.

I agree, especially how Ford focused on designing in practicality and customiztion (fits system, water bottle holders, indents in the bed 2x4, ect) that do not add cost to production, instead of loading it with gadgets. Like the Taurus, the designers put their heart and soul into this product and you can tell.

Also, I miss my 93 Taurus SHO, it loved the triple digits.

 

[JennyJoannSuebeeMcNash]

The XL is all the "luxury" I need. (Although admittedly, cruise control should have been added.)

 

[atomguy245]

"Oh dude, a Ford Maverick! You got one!" my neighbor exclaimed. "Those things are so cool! Can I check it out?" About that time, a pizza delivery guy showed up and handed a steaming hot pie to my neighbor. "Aw, well, maybe next time then? I'm really thinking about ordering one."

I'm 32 years old. I grew up in a period of distinctively exciting automotive advancement - the "200mph" wars, if you will. I lusted after such greats as the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, The Lamborghini Diablo SV and the Ferrari F50, the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the Corvette C5 Z06, and yes - the unparalleled cool of the legendary McLaren F1. I played the Need for Speed games; I played Gran Turismo; I played Forza. I didn't play Test Drive (did anybody play Test Drive?). All that hype and lust for speed came to a head in 2005 with the Bugatti Veyron - the undisputed king of speed.

At the time, I didn't realize that was the end.

Not of speed, mind you - Hypercars were and still are designed and built, and they put almost unimaginable performance numbers down. No, it was the end of the excitement. The hype. The sheer thrill of competitive vehicular engineering. It's not that I wouldn't act like a kid at Christmas to take the latest and greatest by McLaren or Bugatti or Porsche or Ferrari out for a spin - I absolutely would - but the truth is that even the most ideal of locations and conditions are too restrictive for the raw power of these vehicular monstrosities. And once every manufacturer has a car that can lap the Nurbringring faster than a Kirk Hammett guitar solo, then who (besides the engineering team) really cares?

But that's when I noticed something interesting happen - and it's something I've noticed in the tech world, too. As the technology and capability of the high-end of a certain market has so far exceeded the demand of the average consumer that it no longer holds any legitimate appeal, the low-end of that market starts to rise. It's not interesting that your 1.2 million-dollar hypercar does 250 mph, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, and holds 1.05 G's in the corner. What is interesting is when your $20,000 bread-and-butter family car raises the bar for what you should expect from that side of the market.

Enter the Ford Maverick. I've been saying for years - my first car was a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT, 4-cylinder, a 5-speed, and all the luxury features of a Fisher Price tricycle - that the market was screaming for a stripped-down, no-nonsense, DIY-weekend-warrior, genuinely little truck. The midsize truck market has long been the "entry point" into the pickup truck market, and yet many of those are still oversized bro-dozers that could fit a '95 Ranger in the bed in case of a breakdown. I was surprised when Ford announced the exact vehicle I had been complaining that we needed all along. In September of 2021, I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one.

The little blue XL turbo that arrived cost me about $23,600 before all applicable taxes and fees (and the questionable addition of "nitrogen" in the tires for a cool Benjamin). Accounting for inflation, that's just about $1,500 more than the '95 Ranger I ground my first gears on. What did that money get me? It got me a powerful motor putting out 250 horses and 277 lb-ft of twist, but got a whopping 27.9mpg on it's maiden voyage in mixed driving - measured at the pump. It got me a cavernous cabin with enough space for my family to travel in comfortably. It got me excellent road manners and surprisingly engaging driving dynamics. It got me a smaller-than-standard but still very usable and spacious bed. It got me technology that would have been a wishlist for luxury vehicles just 12 years ago (and manual mirrors, but you can't have it all, I guess).

But the Maverick is more than the sum of it's parts. Sure, it's "cool" that it can zero-to-sixty faster than a Mustang GT from 20 years ago. Sure, it's "cool" that it's a truck that will get you small-car fuel efficiency. Sure, it's "cool" that it has car-like handling and will navigate a backroad with eagerness and athleticism rather than the typical laziness of a traditional pickup. But it's also not exactly a zero-compromise vehicle - the audio system is almost shockingly low-fi, the dash has zero soundproofing, the suspension and ride is firm, and the materials - while cleverly designed to be both cheap and cheerful - definitely communicate its low price tag.

No, it's cool because it raises the bar for its market position. It's a vehicle that's actually attainable to most people with a little bit of elbow grease and financial discipline. It's a vehicle that gives people the versatility and practically they really need without sacrificing the driving characteristics and fuel efficiency they really want. Is it for everybody? Of course not! A vehicle's "practicality" can only be measured by the driver, and if that driver needs to tow a horse trailer or cart 4 small children around, the Mav just ain't it. But when literally everything in the same price bracket looks like it's not even trying when compared to the Maverick? It starts to look really, genuinely "cool."

Do you want a brand new mid-trim Elantra or a ten-year-old Tacoma? Now, you can just choose the Maverick. That's cool.

Oh, and it's a ute. Utes are cool, and anyone who says otherwise is a Baja owner with a head gasket problem.

100% agree with this. Supercars and even today's Mustangs and Challengers have too much performance, you simply can't use them to their ability. And they are so expensive. This makes more attainable vehicles like the Maverick so much more interesting.

 

[Eagle11]

Yes you are at 1959, then the Gen Xers began in 1960 (some have it at 1965 or there abouts.)

Yeah, ask a Millennial or Gen Zeer what Pong is, they say WHAT is THAT? LOL!

I was born in 1962, and do not consider myself a Boomer, I have a brother and Sister who differently are. I'm more of a Gen Xer.

 

[Daraius]

Love this great post.

I have wanted a smaller truck for a while, didn't want to spend 30K+ for one. When I saw the Maverick and price, I was sold. So far it has been great.

I have been stopped by 11 people, 3 neighbors have geeked out on mine. 2 construction workers stopped me and wanted to chat about it, and the rest have been at the grocery store. This truck has gotten more attention than some of my past cars.

Received my license in 1978, my first vehicle was a 1977 Datsun King Cab truck with a 5 spd manual. I LOVED that truck I kept it for 10 yrs and put over 200K miles on it, I lost count on how many water pumps I replaced in it, and 1 clutch. My next car was a 1986 Mustang SVO, with a 2.3l turbocharged engine (200hp), it was a blast to drive when it was running correctly.

Since then I have owned many high-performance cars, Porsche 944 Turbo S, A couple of MB AMG, BMW M cars (still have my M5), dabbled in the Ferrari world (never again) but always wanted a compact truck again. Never liked the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma would have been nice, but trying to buy one, one would have thought they were in a Porsche dealer.

I can see the price point of the Maverick, and it works well. I would have liked to see some other features bundled in a package other than the Lux package.

I have been a mini truck guy-my first car was 1977 Chey Luv, 1.9 4speed, followed by a 1986 (pre hardbody) Nissan, A 1997 Ford Ranger. i did have an F150 Crew Cab 4x4. However, what has been missing in this market is the min truck, which the Maverick fills that void. All the mid size trucks grew to full size and the full size grew to super size-like movie theater sizes. Unlike the Hyundai Santa Cruz, the Maverick looks like a truck, not like some one hacked off the back of an SUV. -my 2 cents

 

[Matso]

We can all speculate on the future success of the Maverick. From the razor thin profit margin Ford has created, to the niche target group it seems to be aimed for. But it sure looks to me, at this particular moment in this particular environment; Ford's timing just couldn't be any better. And if the reviews on this forum and elsewhere in the auto news media is any measure, it's very difficult to see this venture as anything other than having a bright future. I can say personally (a guy in his sixties well outside the market bullseye) after driving my hybrid for over a week, that this truck suits my needs in every way. And I find it very entertaining to drive...right on by the gas stations. I am currently averaging 35 mpg since driving it from the dealership (220 miles). I have not reset the computer yet. Some highway miles in there but mostly city driving. This of course is where the hybrid system really shines. And if one really pays attention to the dash coach, and after a small learning curve you can maximize all electric driving which is also kind of fun. But most often I just drive it and enjoy without obsessing over the economy of it all. After the 1000 mile breakin, I'll start testing the overall performance such as rapid acceleration and hard braking. But I'm quite confident I won't be disappointed. Likewise after everything I have been reading, I don't see too many others being disappointed either. And even if Ford decides to push up the sticker for '23, which they probably will, I don't see that making one bit of a difference in sales. My only regret: not ordering two of them!

 

[Billkowski]

The popularity here isn't just about value(gas mileage, lower price). The pricier versions are selling just as quick. I had a 2016 Canyon and its no F150, but it was still a bit of chore to drive at times and lacked a fun factor, even when it was new. I think there is a demand for a smaller, more nimble truck that still looks like a truck but allows for easy parking, fitting in a garage, etc., I cannot imagine buying a 70K pickup and leaving it out in the weather. Unless you need to tow something heavy, the larger trucks are just wasted capability for 90% of people that buy one (referring mostly to the pavement princesses, not work trucks).

 

[dhill59]

Even cooler yet is the hybrid version @ $21500!

Even cooler yet is the hybrid version @ $19,995. It is the Pinto of Pick ups. lol

 

[Hoagus]

Even cooler yet is the hybrid version @ $19,995. It is the Pinto of Pick ups. lol

The $1500 delivery fee is mandatory. It’s part of the price.

Plus, there’s been some price inflation. But it’s still coolish.

 

[Montana]

I think they are cool because they look amazing lowered, and "lifted".

It's just the perfect mid size platform. After years of neglect to said platform, where everything else just got stupid big, it's nice to see someone get this right.

Lots of kinks to work out, but these are definitely cool "not" trucks

 

[Bob The Builder]

A brand new XLT pickup AWD, turbo engine, FX/4 package & Luxury package with beautiful jet black 17 inch wheels all for 31K!! Given today's insane prices for trucks, Now that is cool my friends!

Can't wait for my version to get built. Happy Father's Day everyone.

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