* questions for owners that live in mountain areas

[basszillla]

i am curious which variation would best the best overall option for mountain area (appalachia, southern WV/"coal country") ?
i have aprox 6 mile round trip to/from work daily, + weekly trips (grocery, shopping, church, etc...) . sometimes a weekend trip for some local sightseeing (1~2 hours).
i am leaning towards the hybrid due to lowest base price + fuel mpg , but would maybe the 2.0 be better for up & down the steep hills/curves (either the fwd or awd variations) , or would the hybrid do just fine for these roads?
i guess also winter driving (snow/ice) to consider ?

i am relatively new to the area (formerly from lower michigan where roads are relatively flat & straight), so hoping someone that is local or similar type area that owns/drives a maverick could express their opinion/reasons of this.
Thanx !

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[Scott Asheville]

The hybrid is no longer the lower base price, so half your preposition is incorrect. I have a very steep gravel drive. Were it paved, I bet a hybrid FWD would be fine. But I like the confidence the on-demand AWD gives me. Around the mountains here, it's just plain nice to have AWD. You can get into some hairy places without much warning. So part of the answer is what kind of surfaces you plan to drive on. If just paved roads, I really wouldn't worry about the drivetrain.

 

[basszillla]

mostly paved roads.
have a 2023 ordered whereas the hybrid was still the base - sorry i didnt clarify that on the original post

 

[Old Man]

mostly paved roads.
have a 2023 ordered whereas the hybrid was still the base - sorry i didnt clarify that on the original post

Has it been scheduled?

 

[KSC Grey Ghost]

I have had two maverick Hybrids . Have had them all over the U.S.A. in the flat lands ,desert , valleys and over the Rockies also .in the Smokies On interstate 40 in New Mexico set the Cruze at 74 MPH up and over the Rocky mountains no problems . NEVER touched my brakes coming down the Rockies until I got in Albuquerque!! The regenerative breaking keep it at 74 MPH The Smokies I love driving my Maverick Hybrid up hills down hills around cruves Plenty of power handles fantastic sticks to the curves even with the tires squealing . Snow and ice slow and easy and still 42 miles to the gallon

 

[Baloo]

i am curious which variation would best the best overall option for mountain area (appalachia, southern WV/"coal country") ?
i have aprox 6 mile round trip to/from work daily, + weekly trips (grocery, shopping, church, etc...) . sometimes a weekend trip for some local sightseeing (1~2 hours).
i am leaning towards the hybrid due to lowest base price + fuel mpg , but would maybe the 2.0 be better for up & down the steep hills/curves (either the fwd or awd variations) , or would the hybrid do just fine for these roads?
i guess also winter driving (snow/ice) to consider ?

i am relatively new to the area (formerly from lower michigan where roads are relatively flat & straight), so hoping someone that is local or similar type area that owns/drives a maverick could express their opinion/reasons of this.
Thanx !

My family is from Wyoming County, currently they live in Monroe County. I made sure I got the AWD just for visits.

I have drove the roads in FWD vehicles which the Hybrid is, and RWD vehicles. The roads there can be sketchy in rain, snow, and even ice. I highly suggest AWD.

 

[bgn]

For me, a 2WD vehicle wouldn't work. I'm in the mountains two weekends a month basically year round on paved and unpaved roads, in mud, gravel, snow, and ice.

2WD is just fine, until it isn't.

 

[Montana]

For me, a 2WD vehicle wouldn't work. I'm in the mountains two weekends a month basically year round on paved and unpaved roads, in mud, gravel, snow, and ice.

2WD is just fine, until it isn't.

Same. My driveway alone rules out any FWD vehicle during winter. And I own a plow lol. I used to have to stop at the bottom and put it in 4WD, but in AWD, slippery does well enough. Ground clearance was an issue in the smaller Escape I had unless I plowed.

There will be people chiming in eventually to tell OP they have been driving FWD for 30 years in "snow" and never had a problem though. I think if you have to ask and you mention mountain living, you should go with the safer option - which is AWD or 4WD.

No real mention of winter being a concern though, which I find odd for the location. Transplants where I live might last 3 or 4 winters before it sets in lol.

 

[cj99x]

I drive through Wyoming, Boone, and Logan from Raleigh everyday going to work. And I can tell you that in the winters it is nice to have the AWD. I have driven both FWD and AWDs over that path and through the mountains and it is nice to have the option of the AWD when it comes time to have to take that alternate route because the DoH has another road obstacle that needs to be gone around. I would not limit myself to just a FWD if you can afford the AWD as there is a reason we drive 4x4s in Southern WV and it is for those times the DoH lets us down and we have to be there. Especially places like Bolt where they are afraid to take care of the highways in the winter until everyone has ran it into an ice path.

 

[basszillla]

yes - builds are scheduled . the dealership has a few hybrid builds & an awd build on orders

i am in Mercer Co. - i dont drive on I-64/I-77 very often , but mostly on 460, 19, 52, & around the city (Bluefield, Bluefield, + Princeton).

 

[commadorebob]

Not a mountain, but I was climbing a decent hill yesterday during a gully washer and the AWD had to kick on the back wheels due to front wheel slippage. But I doubt it was a necessity for climbing the hill; but it still helped.

 

[BluegrassNbass]

I've been driving in the snow for 30 years with FWD. So let me tell you It works just fine. Just add studs. Tip of the hat to Montana

Altough yes I have drove a lot of FWD in the snow, no way will it ever replace 4x4. FWD/studded tires is best if roads are plowed or there's black ice etc. I wouldn't be trying to drive in 12" of snow as you will probably be using a shovel soon. Here in Washington state FWD is fine for our winter roads. When they don't plow, I take my 4x4 over wifes camry. I say that because this is my first winter coming up with the Maverick.

 

[Timothyd]

i am curious which variation would best the best overall option for mountain area (appalachia, southern WV/"coal country") ?
i have aprox 6 mile round trip to/from work daily, + weekly trips (grocery, shopping, church, etc...) . sometimes a weekend trip for some local sightseeing (1~2 hours).
i am leaning towards the hybrid due to lowest base price + fuel mpg , but would maybe the 2.0 be better for up & down the steep hills/curves (either the fwd or awd variations) , or would the hybrid do just fine for these roads?
i guess also winter driving (snow/ice) to consider ?

i am relatively new to the area (formerly from lower michigan where roads are relatively flat & straight), so hoping someone that is local or similar type area that owns/drives a maverick could express their opinion/reasons of this.
Thanx !

I had a good customer in Wheeling. The hybrid would work well, torque of the electrical motor going uphill and recover the power and braking going down hill. Get some snows for winter if you're worried about snow.

 

[Mike S]

Another thing to think about is resale value. Hybrid Mavericks are in high demand and will probably hold their value a lot better than Ecoboosts, until Ford gets their act together and can increase production to meet the demand. You can always start with a hybrid and switch to an AWD if you need to. Going the other way is going to cost you.

 

[Ottocycle]

I would have a boosted motor at altitude. Naturally Aspirated motors loose a lot of power from the thinner air. FWD or AWD doesn't matter as much as tire selection. Since your from Michigan I won't preach the benefits of a winter tire and wheel setup

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