Talk me into or out of the Maverick--getting cold feet

[LAClippers420]

Follow your heart. You either want it or you don’t.

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[Cocobean]

My opinion. It's a 4 door truck BUT with a kid nothing will beat the versatility of a van or an SUV (even a 2 row) as your primary family hauler.

Given the choices you listed and if I was buying my first family vehicle it would be CRV. Maverick would be for the spouse and not used as the primary. You want space, and easy access to cargo.

This might get a lot of hate, but just my honest opinion.

Actually very practical advice imo

 

[Old Man]

This is a decision you should of made before you ordered. Now you've taken someone else's turn in getting an ordered Maverick that they have waited for.

ALL vehicles have recalls. Honda just had a big recall (303,000) on HR-Vs and Accords for defective seat belts. All hybrids have had problems with deep sleep and battery issues.

 

[Dignam]

If it were me in your shoes (having to consistently transport humans in the back seat), I'd probably go with an SUV. But it's just me, my GF and a 60 pound dog so the Maverick is a perfect fit for us.

It has done great in snow and ice, but I do have the larger factory tires and AWD. I'm sure the hybrid is fine, especially if you throw some snow tires on.

As for build quality, I've done all mods myself and it's not terrible to work on. It seems generally well put together.

 

[Waka Kyoshi]

I only have 1500 Millie’s on my Hybrid MaverIck, but I have another Ford hybrid so I think I can comment.

I sold a 2011 AWD CRV to get the maverick. Truth be told my wife’s ford Cmax Hybrid with winter tires was better in the snow and ice. Other than maintenance the only repairs on the CRV were AC compressor and recalls. The C-Max has 140,000 miles, and other than maintenance, a $400 electrical short. If I had to have only one car for a family , it wouldn’t be the maverick. But people put caps on or hard tonneau covers and they are good to go. I have not enjoyed a vehicle purchase as much as the maverick. It’s Harley like as you can modify it. A Camry is very reliable but it’s as exciting as a refrigerator.

 

[TNFurb]

I have had my Hybrid Lariat Maverick for all of a week, so take my thoughts for what they are worth. We traded in my wife’s 2021 CRV hybrid touring for the Maverick. A few months ago we traded in my 2020 Honda Ridgeline for a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Outerbanks. We also own a 2012 Subaru Legacy sedan that one of my daughters drives. I can tell you that we traded in the Hondas primarily because we were growing frustrated and tired of the frustrations with the infotainment systems. And this is after having owned Hondas and driven multiple Hondas for the past 20 years. The current infotainment systems though are just not good. Too many gremlins that kept popping up. Too many times the system would just go out in the middle of a long trip on the highway using navigation and the only solution was to pull off an exit, park, shut off the vehicle completely open the door then shut the door and restart the vehicle. This was happening in both of our Hondas. Out side of that they were great reliable vehicles. The CRV is definitely roomy and has better back seat space than the Maverick. Our Subaru legacy has 115k miles on it and has been a reliable vehicle as well. It’s old enough though that there is no real infotainment system in it. The one problem that we have never been able to get fixed is a faulty power driver’s seat. It is hit or miss as to when it will move and when it won’t. We have to fiddle with it and raise it some or lower it some in order to get it to move front to back. That started happening probably at 50-60k miles. Other than that it’s a rock solid car. The Maverick in my first week has proven to be extremely comfortable, surprisingly quiet and feels very solid and well built to me. It actually seems quieter to me than the CRV was. My advice is to get the Maverick only if you want a truck bed. I have had trucks for years and can’t imagine not having one of our vehicles be a truck for the convenience of the bed. I’m also a mid fifties empty nester so my needs are different than yours. If you decide on the SUV route then unless you just really want a hybrid, I would look long and hard at the Forrester. They are great practical and reliable vehicles that I can’t imagine you’d be unhappy with.

 

[SiGmA_X]

So, I ordered a '24 Hybrid XLT back in August and I was very surprised to get a build date email yesterday (February 2024). But--in part because I expected more like a year's wait--I've been looking at Foresters and especially CR-V Hybrids instead these past few months.

While I've always wanted a truck (and not a huge one, which is why I was so excited about the Maverick and the hybrid), I'm getting cold feet for a couple reasons and would welcome some perspective from current Maverick owners to help me decide whether or not to go with the Maverick. I'll outline my main thoughts below:

• I'm not not sure how well the Hybrid (no AWD) will do in the snow, which we get a few times a year in my area (southern Ohio). I know it's not rear-wheel drive and we don't get a ton of really bad snow (usually!) but I do think an AWD (and especially a Subaru) would have the edge. I didn't order an EB because I wanted the fuel economy of the hybrid. How has your Maverick hybrid done in the winter? ,
• I'm not sure how practical the Maverick is for a family of three (including a toddler still in a carseat), in part because it doesn't seem like there's much cargo space (aside from the bed, which is of course exposed to the rain, and because I've seen on here that carseat space is very limited. How has the Maverick worked as a family vehicle for you?
• Finally, I'm a little concerned about the overall build quality/reliability of the Maverick. I know people tend to post more complaints than praise in general, but seems the CRV-V hybrid and Forester are more reliable and, overall, better built/more comfortable (especially the CR-V hybrid). I worry about the deep sleep issue, the recalls, etc. I've always owned Toyotas and Hondas and really appreciate a reliable vehicle I can keep for 10+ years.

Thanks for any thoughts and perspective! This forum has been very helpful.

Sounds like an suv would suit you better….

 

[tom_tucker]

So, I ordered a '24 Hybrid XLT back in August and I was very surprised to get a build date email yesterday (February 2024). But--in part because I expected more like a year's wait--I've been looking at Foresters and especially CR-V Hybrids instead these past few months.

While I've always wanted a truck (and not a huge one, which is why I was so excited about the Maverick and the hybrid), I'm getting cold feet for a couple reasons and would welcome some perspective from current Maverick owners to help me decide whether or not to go with the Maverick. I'll outline my main thoughts below:

• I'm not not sure how well the Hybrid (no AWD) will do in the snow, which we get a few times a year in my area (southern Ohio). I know it's not rear-wheel drive and we don't get a ton of really bad snow (usually!) but I do think an AWD (and especially a Subaru) would have the edge. I didn't order an EB because I wanted the fuel economy of the hybrid. How has your Maverick hybrid done in the winter? ,
• I'm not sure how practical the Maverick is for a family of three (including a toddler still in a carseat), in part because it doesn't seem like there's much cargo space (aside from the bed, which is of course exposed to the rain, and because I've seen on here that carseat space is very limited. How has the Maverick worked as a family vehicle for you?
• Finally, I'm a little concerned about the overall build quality/reliability of the Maverick. I know people tend to post more complaints than praise in general, but seems the CRV-V hybrid and Forester are more reliable and, overall, better built/more comfortable (especially the CR-V hybrid). I worry about the deep sleep issue, the recalls, etc. I've always owned Toyotas and Hondas and really appreciate a reliable vehicle I can keep for 10+ years.

Thanks for any thoughts and perspective! This forum has been very helpful.

Snow tires and a cap

Certainly, I will not be driving up and over Wolf Gap at night, on Forest service roads, in winter with no guard rails in a snowstorm like I used to take the Subaru. The only reason I even got snow tires is that I'm a ski bum and I need to drive 2-5 hours to reach skiing.

 

[Bobinmi]

Its not a stretch limo...but it is a great little pickup truck that seats four, not obese people.

I've got 43k miles on my 2022 hybrid, have avg 41.6 mpg and it has far far exceeded my expectations. I live in Michigan, and the FWD is fine in snow. Hell, we drove rear wheel drive cars for years...and the past 20 years FWD was the main drive, and it does have a little extra clearance than most FWD cars and small SUVs.

I grew up in NH and would not hesitate owning a maverick.

My .02

 

[OneAlienBoi]

We live in Utah, a state known for it's snow. This last winter was the worst one on record. Our maverick didn't miss a beat, even on stock tires. No skidding, no spinning of the tires, nothing. So you'd be set, especially if you bought some chunky snow tires like many people do. Unless you like in a part of the country where you get like 5 ft of snow overnight, which doesn't sound like it's the case based on your comment.

The rear space appears to be better than a ranger or Tacoma, maybe not quite as good as a midsized crossover in the second row, our explorer has slightly more room, but its definitely not bad. I'd say the back door entrance can be a little tricky to get in and out of at times, but it's not terrible by any means.

In terms of reliability, the maverick has one of the best reliability rankings of any truck on sale. It's not fun to read about other people having issues, but that exists for every brand. Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, Nissan, Kia/Hyundai, there's stories of issues with all of them. Hondas are notorious for transmission issues with their automatics. Toyota engines are going boom goes the dynamite on brand new vehicles left and right. Everything on Nissans fails, I can't find a Subaru from the early 2000s that hasn't gone through at least an engine or two. But just because these things happen doesn't mean it'll happen to us, or that's it's probable to happen. The issues we see represent maybe 1% of all mavericks sold, if that. It just seems more common because the internet spreads information very quickly.

Overall, I'm not gonna say the maverick is perfect. But it's a truck getting better fuel economy than any compact car I've ever driven, while having a ton of personality, and it has a 8 year warranty while using proven and durable components. That's a combination only the maverick offers.

 

[Old Fart]

I skipped to the bottom, the 2022 Maverick XLT was a crap shoot for us, I loved the PriusV but the Mav has more load capacity, better visibility and the hybrid gets similar mileage. My Aunt lived in Connecticut and raved about the front wheel drive in the snow because all the weight is in the front but you have to put snow tires on all four, I live in Florida so snow isn't an issue, I'm from Ohio snow was not an issue with the Corvair but you don't give a rip about that. A good set of M&S tires should keep you out of trouble in the wet and sloppiest Ohio winters, the Mav transmission has 5 different modes of use, including wet / slippery which got us out of trouble last summer at a washed out campground towing the camper through 3foot ruts. LOVE MY MAVERICK HYBRID! Prius wouldn't have stood a chance.

 

[Donodo]

Get a small suv.

 

[AncientMan]

My opinion. It's a 4 door truck BUT with a kid nothing will beat the versatility of a van or an SUV (even a 2 row) as your primary family hauler.

Given the choices you listed and if I was buying my first family vehicle it would be CRV. Maverick would be for the spouse and not used as the primary. You want space, and easy access to cargo.

This might get a lot of hate, but just my honest opinion.

I learned to love minivans when I bought a used 2005 Toyota van. It was super reliable (a given for Toyota) and it drove quite comfortably. I’d still have it but gifted it to a daughter with young kids and she still loves it!
Edit: funny thing, my other daughter got my Honda CRv, and it’s perfect for her use… both are great vehicles, you just need to decide what you want/need and be confident that any of the 3 listed will be good vehicles.

 

[icegradner]

Follow your heart. You either want it or you don’t.

Worst advice ever. Use logic, not emotions to make the choice, it's not like buying a candy bar.

 

[gwrace14651]

So, I ordered a '24 Hybrid XLT back in August and I was very surprised to get a build date email yesterday (February 2024). But--in part because I expected more like a year's wait--I've been looking at Foresters and especially CR-V Hybrids instead these past few months.

While I've always wanted a truck (and not a huge one, which is why I was so excited about the Maverick and the hybrid), I'm getting cold feet for a couple reasons and would welcome some perspective from current Maverick owners to help me decide whether or not to go with the Maverick. I'll outline my main thoughts below:

• I'm not not sure how well the Hybrid (no AWD) will do in the snow, which we get a few times a year in my area (southern Ohio). I know it's not rear-wheel drive and we don't get a ton of really bad snow (usually!) but I do think an AWD (and especially a Subaru) would have the edge. I didn't order an EB because I wanted the fuel economy of the hybrid. How has your Maverick hybrid done in the winter? ,
• I'm not sure how practical the Maverick is for a family of three (including a toddler still in a carseat), in part because it doesn't seem like there's much cargo space (aside from the bed, which is of course exposed to the rain, and because I've seen on here that carseat space is very limited. How has the Maverick worked as a family vehicle for you?
• Finally, I'm a little concerned about the overall build quality/reliability of the Maverick. I know people tend to post more complaints than praise in general, but seems the CRV-V hybrid and Forester are more reliable and, overall, better built/more comfortable (especially the CR-V hybrid). I worry about the deep sleep issue, the recalls, etc. I've always owned Toyotas and Hondas and really appreciate a reliable vehicle I can keep for 10+ years.

Thanks for any thoughts and perspective! This forum has been very helpful.

I spent 22 years in Ohio in some pretty wicked snow storms. Never owned anything but rear or front wheel drive cars. Good snow tires and or chains are your best friend. Loving our new 24 Lariat Hybrid.

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