I Think The Maverick is The Best Entry Level Vehicle Ever Created

[OneAlienBoi]

Can anyone else name an entry level product from any mainstream brand that's been this affordable, practical, reliable, efficient, good looking, fun to drive? While also having this much character? I've never seen another affordable vehicle that has this much passion put into it.

I've been in civics, in Kia Rios, Toyota tercels, cruzes, fiestas. There's always this underlying message of "We don't really care about you" that you get from something like a Corolla or a civic. It's a "They'll take whatever we give them" mentality. The maverick is the first entry level vehicle I've ever experienced that doesn't feel or act like an entry level vehicle, that's a major reason why it's sucessful imo. The efficiency and versatility is great, but it's also an affordable vehicle that values you as it's owner.

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[Dignam]

Pontiac Aztek. jk...or am I?

The Jeep Cherokee XJs come close, but maybe not quite entry level when they were new. Practical, reliable (well, the engine and transmission were, little things would break a lot), capable, and not very expensive.

But I agree the Maverick is pretty unique in that it checks a LOT of those boxes.

 

[bgn]

It's a cheap vehicle built with cheap labor by one of the most recalled manufacturers in America.

While it has no competition when considering the bed and price, it would not be my first choice in the 25-40k price range if I didn't need a bed.

 

[surfstar]

(prior to a Maverick hybrid being available) I'd say VW Golf

 

[fossil]

original Ranger springs to mind.

 

[1929]

Can anyone else name an entry level product from any mainstream brand that's been this affordable, practical, reliable, efficient, good looking, fun to drive? While also having this much character? I've never seen another affordable vehicle that has this much passion put into it.

I've been in civics, in Kia Rios, Toyota tercels, cruzes, fiestas. There's always this underlying message of "We don't really care about you" that you get from something like a Corolla or a civic. It's a "They'll take whatever we give them" mentality. The maverick is the first entry level vehicle I've ever experienced that doesn't feel or act like an entry level vehicle, that's a major reason why it's sucessful imo. The efficiency and versatility is great, but it's also an affordable vehicle that values you as it's owner.

1984 Mazda B2000 SE5. Under $6000, 5 speed transmission, tinted glass, full carpeting. 38 mpg. Fun to drive.

 

[Falcon first]

VW Beetle, best selling car of all time and easy to fix and cheap.

 

[Red Ryder]

Maverick would have ranked well for me, sans the reliability metric.

 

[OneAlienBoi]

Maverick would have ranked well for me, sans the reliability metric.

True, but as we've already discussed, the issues you and other early hybrid owners have had were already resolved in later build mavericks.

 

[Last Truck Ever]

original Ranger springs to mind.

This. I remember when they WERE the cheap, entry level vehicle for an entire generation. I bought 3 or 4 of them after high school, well into my early working years.

 

[OneAlienBoi]

It's a cheap vehicle built with cheap labor by one of the most recalled manufacturers in America.

While it has no competition when considering the bed and price, it would not be my first choice in the 25-40k price range if I didn't need a bed.

Except the factory in Mexico that makes the maverick has an absolutely incredible reputation for making quality/reliable vehicles. It's often viewed as the standard for quality not just within Ford, but to other brands as well.

Regarding price, I've actually found that longevity and quality tends to improve as you drop in price. A $20,000 f-150 or Camry is generally far more reliable than a $90,000 BMW 5 series. I have a few theories for this. Cheaper cars have less parts and features that can break, but they also appeal to people who obviously have less money much of the time. So brands know they have to nail the reliability to keep these customers.

Someone with a 130 grand range Rover is probably going to be ok with a 5 grand repair bill. But for someone who's trying to budget, having to deal with reliability problems becomes far more of a hassle, and a deterrent from buying these products in the future.

Regarding recalls, recalls don't bother me as much as unaddressed issues. All cars and brands have problems, that's just a fact. A recall indicates to me that at least a brand is taking corrective action to address issues. The Honda 1.5 is one of the least reliable engines currently on sale, but last time I checked, Honda wasn't recalling it, or doing anything really to set things right. Same goes for all the automatic transmission problems many Honda models have. Nissan never really did anything about their CVTs. It took Subaru forever to fix their head gaskets issues. Toyota's are having sky high issues with virtually brand new cars blowing their engines. The list goes on and on.

 

[Red Ryder]

True, but as we've already discussed, the issues you and other early hybrid owners have had were already resolved in later build mavericks.

I hear ya, but I can only rate based on my experience. The unfortunate part in my case, was the lack of resolution for my vehicle, despite many attempts.

While I can agree that the design is great, the engineering and follow-up support were disappointing, leaving no option for me to call it "best anything vehicle". Jury is still out on long-term reliability for newer builds. The mindset of the Maverick (albeit new) was that the powertrain and facility were proven and there was negligible risk at purchasing a new model.

 

[8211badger]

Honda Fit. Maybe a bit short in the "good looking" department tho. But my 5MT was a blast to drive, never needed any unexpected repairs, and could haul endless amounts of crap.

 

[Dignam]

Except the factory in Mexico that makes the maverick has an absolutely incredible reputation for making quality/reliable vehicles. It's often viewed as the standard for quality not just within Ford, but to other brands as well.
...
Regarding recalls, recalls don't bother me as much as unaddressed issues. All cars and brands have problems, that's just a fact. A recall indicates to me that at least a brand is taking corrective action to address issues. The Honda 1.5 is one of the least reliable engines currently on sale, but last time I checked, Honda wasn't recalling it, or doing anything really to set things right. Same goes for all the automatic transmission problems many Honda models have. Nissan never really did anything about their CVTs. It took Subaru forever to fix their head gaskets issues. Toyota's are having sky high issues with virtually brand new cars blowing their engines. The list goes on and on.

Exactly. Glad you took the time to type it out, because I was too lazy to.

I'm not saying Ford is the most reliable brand, but # of recalls is not the same as # of problems.

 

[Bob The Builder]

The 1998 Geo Metro with the 1.0L 3 cylinder engine that tied the Prius with the best gas mileage of the year at 42 mpg and was NOT a hybrid. Had a friend who had one who had to commute crazy distances and his gas bill was sick. It ran forever, cost him little.

Car & Driver, a Japanese auto lover magazine if there ever was one, rated it third that year because it lacked amenities. It was the cheapest of the top 3 by far, Prius, Insight, Metro. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, the Metro was legendary for us cheapish blokes.

Here in 2023, I cast my vote for the Maverick, by far, not even close. Fantastic in every aspect. Ford knows how to build trucks, not fast by any means, but they do know how. Cheap ones too, apparently.

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