about to pull the trigger on a Mav. a cpl questions before...

[Deva]

Let me ask you fine folks a few questions before I join the club with a 24 XL hybrid w/ 360 co.

1. one of my biggest concerns is down hill decent on windy steep winter roads. my work commute goes over a busy steep mountain pass up to 10% grade.
i'll have proper winter tires of course...but coming from a maul car where I can shift down in to 3rd or even 2nd to not ride the breaks and my jeep that is automatic but has pattle shifters to shift down. i am use to down shifting to handle the road

so how to does the hybrid handle this. are we expected to just ride the breaks? I understand regen. breaking but often times you dont want to be breaking around an icy corner etc.

SO is there a way to put the mav. in a slower/lower "gear" so the truck does not run away on you?

2. for those of you have have got spry in bed liners do you like it. really thinking about this...

3. best cover for the back? I am thinking a try fold but not sure it;s worth the 1k IDK

4. is the key pad worth it? that was a add on i was going to get but reading on here where some are having trouble with it.

5. best useful or must have accessories both inside and out.

glad to be part of MTC you guys rock!

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[Deva]

any one?
I am very curious if you can but the XL mav. hybrid in low gear. it does not look like you can.

 

[Scott Asheville]

OP I know you're gonna eviscerate me for saying this, but given your mountain commute, you're use case is screaming for a BEV with strong regen. Ideally with paddles so you can increase the regen to slow. I know, there is no small BEV truck right now, certainly not for $30,000. Boy a Rivian sounds awesome. But now you're at $70,000.

Can't help wondering if you're crossing I-26 from TN to Asheville?

 

[AutobahnSHO]

1- There is a "low" mode but honestly the truck just regen brakes on its own, and once the battery is full if it needs to slow down more it will turn on the ICE to engine brake (not giving it any gas).
2- An absolute requirement for us. We can toss stuff into the bed with no worries.
3- We got the cheap rollup one (under $400 from Ford, the FordPass points covered about half of it). It's been great for past year, but we live in a warmer area. Not sure how they would hold up in snow etc...
4- YES. Make sure you check the "dealer install" button.
5- We haven't really gotten much else for ours in a year. We use it as a commuter car and weekend homeowner duties. OH one 2x6 cut exactly to size for the back of the bed to put groceries in without sliding all over.

 

[Deva]

OP I know you're gonna eviscerate me for saying this, but given your mountain commute, you're use case is screaming for a BEV with strong regen. Ideally with paddles so you can increase the regen to slow. I know, there is no small BEV truck right now, certainly not for $30,000. Boy a Rivian sounds awesome. But now you're at $70,000.

Can't help wondering if you're crossing I-26 from TN to Asheville?

nope not that road but I know it.
Teoton pass...wyoming /Idhao boarder

yeah I was dreaming of a Rivian last year, as well as a cyber truck then there was the ford lighting....
the mav. seems like it the realistic choice for me.

 

[Deva]

1- There is a "low" mode but honestly the truck just regen brakes on its own, and once the battery is full if it needs to slow down more it will turn on the ICE to engine brake (not giving it any gas).
2- An absolute requirement for us. We can toss stuff into the bed with no worries.
3- We got the cheap rollup one (under $400 from Ford, the FordPass points covered about half of it). It's been great for past year, but we live in a warmer area. Not sure how they would hold up in snow etc...
4- YES. Make sure you check the "dealer install" button.
5- We haven't really gotten much else for ours in a year. We use it as a commuter car and weekend homeowner duties. OH one 2x6 cut exactly to size for the back of the bed to put groceries in without sliding all over.

thanks for the feedabck! I was wondering how the regin. breaking works on long descents.
I am guessing it will be fine just have to adjust my driving with out gearing down.
I swore I would never own a automatic but here we are...haha

 

[Exranger]

Don’t know about the hybrid, but get the bedliner and a bed mat. Believe me now and thank me later. I got the cargo pack too (it was free with bedliner at the time) and like it so far. Tailgate damper is nice to have. Not sure but maybe one of the drive modes could help with downhill grades.

SIBL spray in bedliner

 

[Gschaef]

I have had drop in bed liners for years and was very happy with them but that was not the case with the Mav. I was unsatisfied with the fit, particularly with the bulkhead. I also didn’t care for the floor cut outs for tie downs. I decided on an after market spray in and was surprised how much I like it. Complete coverage and easy access to all potential tie downs. The surface is rough but there are all kinds of bed pads you can get if that is an issue.

Same with the keypad. I’m surprised how much I end up using it. I disconnected my truck from the Ford Pass app to hopefully cut down on parasitic battery drain and I don’t care to constantly provide Ford updates on my usage. This means I can’t use the app on my phone to unlock the vehicle so the keypad is a good alternative. The battery powered one works and you can get it right now for $102 on the Ford accessory website with their 15% promo code. Just be sure to see if there is a dealer in your area at honors the $24 installation fee. Good luck.

 

[BlueRaven]

if you want hill descent control. ditch the hybrid. get a fx4. also most of your other question can be answered by searching the forum.

one more thing, its BRAKES, NOT BREAKS.

 

[Deva]

if you want hill descent control. ditch the hybrid. get a fx4. also most of your other question can be answered by searching the forum.

one more thing, its BRAKES, NOT BREAKS.

haha oops that was a silly mistake.

 

[Master Blaster]

1. The hybrid has a 1-speed transmission, so there is no equivalent to gearing down. Instead hit the L button on the shifter and it switches into 1-pedal mode and unless you put some pedal into it, it will use regen to effectively do fairly hard braking without using the brakes. Put a bit of pedal into it to modulate how much braking you need. If you're on ice, put the drivetrain into slippery mode to delay and slow down any braking or acceleration actions. The L-button will normally get you down to about 5mph before you have to actually get into the brakes.

2. I had 1-piece DIBLs on my 2 Rangers, and they were good. People who tell you about it rusting underneath have probably never actually had one. The Mav has a Line-X SIBL and they did a very good job. CDN$710 all-in. There are some videos out there showing that the Ford SIBL is not as durable, is a bit slippery and does not cover from the window to the bumper.

3. Get either a hard trifold or a cap. The soft tonneaus are easily broken into, and don't last very long with either a snow load or in southern states with very hot sun. Most of the soft tonneaus either have velcro edges that are a pain in the ass to put back down, or plastic locking mechanisms that don't fit very well. Don't get the Ford tonneau as it is waay overpriced. CDN$575 installed including taxes.

4. Some people love it, mostly because they leave their keys in the vehicle waiting for a thief. I have had it on 3 vehicles now, and have used it twice in 20 years. I doubt that you'll miss it.

5a. Get aftermarket raised-edge floor mats. The Ford ones don't cover the area under the gas pedal, right where it gets most of the crud.

5b. Get the 2-piece center console tray assembly. The console is just a deep hole where things go in and never come out. The trays fix that nicely.

5c. Get a decent USB cable. Your phone has to be connected by cable to use the apps, maps, etc. Some people are getting a stick-on $40 WiFi adapter to plug in, but IMHO it seems like overkill.

5d. Get it undercoated. Krown seems to be the only undercoating that the dealers aren't worried about damaging the electrical components underneath, but there are several lanolin-based products like Cosmoline that should be pretty good too.

5e. If you're in a snowbelt, get dedicated rims and ice-rated tires (not M+S or 3-peak). They stop a good 30% shorter than other types of tires, and the factory tires aren't that good on anything other than dry road. If you're in an area where they use winter salt, get steel rims, not aluminum. You'll find out why after about 5 years or corrosion and curb rash.

5f. Cut down a 2x6 to fit the back bed slot, to hold groceries and other stuff from sliding forward so that the other half can't reach it. Cut the bottoms of the ends to a bit of an angle, so that it slides in all the way to the bottom and things don't slide under it easily.

5g. Get a soft-open shock for the tailgate, so the other half doesn't complain about it being too heavy. You have to remove the left-side bottle opener, as it won;t clear the piston. The Ford one is a DeeZee and costs 60% more than the other brands. CDN$32 off Amazon, including the required wrenches.

5h. Unless you bought the way-overpriced Ford load tiedown rails, get some angled L-track and build your own. I used 48" Supertrac rails cut down to 40" for CDN$72, $15 of M6x30 and M8x30 screws and 2 hours of labour.

That's all of my list. Of course, YMMV...

 

[Deva]

1. The hybrid has a 1-speed transmission, so there is no equivalent to gearing down. Instead hit the L button on the shifter and it switches into 1-pedal mode and unless you put some pedal into it, it will use regen to effectively do fairly hard braking without using the brakes. Put a bit of pedal into it to modulate how much braking you need. If you're on ice, put the drivetrain into slippery mode to delay and slow down any braking or acceleration actions. The L-button will normally get you down to about 5mph before you have to actually get into the brakes.

2. I had 1-piece DIBLs on my 2 Rangers, and they were good. People who tell you about it rusting underneath have probably never actually had one. The Mav has a Line-X SIBL and they did a very good job. CDN$710 all-in. There are some videos out there showing that the Ford SIBL is not as durable, is a bit slippery and does not cover from the window to the bumper.

3. Get either a hard trifold or a cap. The soft tonneaus are easily broken into, and don't last very long with either a snow load or in southern states with very hot sun. Most of the soft tonneaus either have velcro edges that are a pain in the ass to put back down, or plastic locking mechanisms that don't fit very well. Don't get the Ford tonneau as it is waay overpriced. CDN$575 installed including taxes.

4. Some people love it, mostly because they leave their keys in the vehicle waiting for a thief. I have had it on 3 vehicles now, and have used it twice in 20 years. I doubt that you'll miss it.

5a. Get aftermarket raised-edge floor mats. The Ford ones don't cover the area under the gas pedal, right where it gets most of the crud.

5b. Get the 2-piece center console tray assembly. The console is just a deep hole where things go in and never come out. The trays fix that nicely.

5c. Get a decent USB cable. Your phone has to be connected by cable to use the apps, maps, etc. Some people are getting a stick-on $40 WiFi adapter to plug in, but IMHO it seems like overkill.

5d. Get it undercoated. Krown seems to be the only undercoating that the dealers aren't worried about damaging the electrical components underneath, but there are several lanolin-based products like Cosmoline that should be pretty good too.

5e. If you're in a snowbelt, get dedicated rims and ice-rated tires (not M+S or 3-peak). They stop a good 30% shorter than other types of tires, and the factory tires aren't that good on anything other than dry road. If you're in an area where they use winter salt, get steel rims, not aluminum. You'll find out why after about 5 years or corrosion and curb rash.

5f. Cut down a 2x6 to fit the back bed slot, to hold groceries and other stuff from sliding forward so that the other half can't reach it. Cut the bottoms of the ends to a bit of an angle, so that it slides in all the way to the bottom and things don't slide under it easily.

5g. Get a soft-open shock for the tailgate, so the other half doesn't complain about it being too heavy. You have to remove the left-side bottle opener, as it won;t clear the piston. The Ford one is a DeeZee and costs 60% more than the other brands. CDN$32 off Amazon, including the required wrenches.

5h. Unless you bought the way-overpriced Ford load tiedown rails, get some angled L-track and build your own. I used 48" Supertrac rails cut down to 40" for CDN$72, $15 of M6x30 and M8x30 screws and 2 hours of labour.

That's all of my list. Of course, YMMV...

Hey thanks for taking the time to write up a very detailed feedback!
thanks for explaining the hybrid trans. I don't need as slow as 5mph more like 20-30 in winter and 30-40 in the summer. just did not want to ride the brake..

def. getting snow tires its a must around here.
i'll look into the after market bed covers.
i was looking at the center console tray on amazon. some say it hard to get out have you had that experience?
good floor mat are a must in these parts too they are def. on the list.

thanks again!

oh PS: does the XL trim have the L button?

 

[The Real Maverick]

You will be fine on hills.
The hybrid is as good as any other.
I have been driving Ford Hybrids just like this since 2005. I have taken them to very extreme places and very large mountains.

The original brake pads lasted 200,000 miles for me in my last Ford Hybrid. Since the electric motor slows you down, the brake pads get little wear.

 

[Master Blaster]

oh PS: does the XL trim have the L button?

Yes. And one plus with the XL trim is that you get half-decent-looking steel wheels for winter. If you want aluminum for summer, just get them aftermarket.

 

[ychuck46]

We live in TN and have some steep descents on I-40 that go on for miles. Our Mav hybrid has been great at keeping the speed constant, unlike our traditional F-150 that likes to run away with itself. You should be pleased with how it works on your mountain passes as well.

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