On the Fence with a 2025 XL Hybrid Order - Please Share Your Thoughts...

[mcluvin]

We usually keep one newer vehicle and one older vehicle, so we have some semblance of reliability. It's not a status symbol to me. I want reliable, cheap transportation. With Covid and all my newest vehicle has 225K miles on it and the oldest has ~290K. That is not our normal. I'm a Honda guy (2 CR-Vs). We want to get a hybrid as our next vehicle. We don't really want to spend $35K on a CR-V Hybrid. I helped my kid get a 2024 Maverick XL Hybrid. We liked it. It has flaws, vague steering, cheap plastic. We wonder about reliability especially CV axles, but other than that it has been great through ~7K miles. My daughter loves it.

I would say Ford has now got it priced too high, but with the Granger deal plus Farm Bureau and a $750 off Ford just sent me, it gets it to where I'm interested again. I can live with the front end and I really like Eruption Green, but those AC controls?? Any former Escape Hybrid owners who have put 200K to 300K on their hybrids? You don't have to be real diligent with maintenance on that K24 (Honda) engine. It will take some abuse and keep going. That's what I'm coming from...

I'm just kinda thinking out loud right now and would appreciate any thoughts...

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[Nootch]

I was on the fence about the looks of the 24. I adore the looks of the 25, I really think it will grow on people. What is selling me on the 25 is the AWD Hybrid. I live in a cold snowy area, and having AWD is essential in a truck. They are pricey and I think part of that is being a single mover in a market all things considered. The fuel economy is what is making me pull the trigger. dropping 4L/100 (+14MPG) is huge for the number of KM I travel. the napkin math says conservatively $1400 a year with average fuel prices and a 5 year average of driven km.

 

[PNWMaverick]

.....We wonder about reliability especially CV axles......

I would say Ford has now got it priced too high....

There is no indication Ford has revised their CV axel design. This means it is a matter of when, and not if, they are going to fail.

My '22 Maverick purchased today would be ~$32,000. I would not pay that for this truck, even with how much I like it. The only reason Ford is able to get away with the inflated pricing is that there isn't a competing vehicle on the road. If I am spending $32,000 on a truck I will be looking at a 1-2 year old Colorado or Ranger.

The quality, fit, and finish of the Maverick makes sense under $30,000, especially the low to mid $20,000. Beyond that there are simply a lot of better finished vehicles on the road if you don't need a truck. If you do need a truck then the previously mentioned options are better.

 

[OleFordGuy]

Don't have much to offer on the subject, I normally trade around 80-100k miles regardless of what it is. The honda k24 is known for its reliability, tough to beat. I think the escape hybrids have a real good history but never owned one to give you an honest opinion. research their history on line would be my suggestion, maybe others can chime in. Round numbers your looking at basically 30K for the new maverick xl hybrid. check the expiration date on your coupon, its worthless after that date. the xl trim seems to be the hardest to get in a reasonable time frame based on the history ive seen on this forum. You'll just need to run the numbers against any other vehicles you would consider, research their past history and see what your gut leads you to from a comfort level of what you feel is best for you long term. Good Luck with whatever decision you go with.

 

[Mike1597]

We usually keep one newer vehicle and one older vehicle, so we have some semblance of reliability. It's not a status symbol to me. I want reliable, cheap transportation. With Covid and all my newest vehicle has 225K miles on it and the oldest has ~290K. That is not our normal. I'm a Honda guy (2 CR-Vs). We want to get a hybrid as our next vehicle. We don't really want to spend $35K on a CR-V Hybrid. I helped my kid get a 2024 Maverick XL Hybrid. We liked it. It has flaws, vague steering, cheap plastic. We wonder about reliability especially CV axles, but other than that it has been great through ~7K miles. My daughter loves it.

I would say Ford has now got it priced too high, but with the Granger deal plus Farm Bureau and a $750 off Ford just sent me, it gets it to where I'm interested again. I can live with the front end and I really like Eruption Green, but those AC controls?? Any former Escape Hybrid owners who have put 200K to 300K on their hybrids? You don't have to be real diligent with maintenance on that K24 (Honda) engine. It will take some abuse and keep going. That's what I'm coming from...

I'm just kinda thinking out loud right now and would appreciate any thoughts...

IMO the XLT is the best value and has some nice features not on the XL. Unless you live in deep snow country with no plowed roads the FWD does just fine. FWD is $2,200 cheaper, has less maintenance, and gets better mpg.

 

[Raymundo76]

We usually keep one newer vehicle and one older vehicle, so we have some semblance of reliability. It's not a status symbol to me. I want reliable, cheap transportation. With Covid and all my newest vehicle has 225K miles on it and the oldest has ~290K. That is not our normal. I'm a Honda guy (2 CR-Vs). We want to get a hybrid as our next vehicle. We don't really want to spend $35K on a CR-V Hybrid. I helped my kid get a 2024 Maverick XL Hybrid. We liked it. It has flaws, vague steering, cheap plastic. We wonder about reliability especially CV axles, but other than that it has been great through ~7K miles. My daughter loves it.

I would say Ford has now got it priced too high, but with the Granger deal plus Farm Bureau and a $750 off Ford just sent me, it gets it to where I'm interested again. I can live with the front end and I really like Eruption Green, but those AC controls?? Any former Escape Hybrid owners who have put 200K to 300K on their hybrids? You don't have to be real diligent with maintenance on that K24 (Honda) engine. It will take some abuse and keep going. That's what I'm coming from...

I'm just kinda thinking out loud right now and would appreciate any thoughts...

I love my 24 hybrid, but I only drive 1000 mi/mo. Do you need a truck and how many miles do you plan to keep your next vehicle are the questions to ask yourself. Do not think the Mav would last 200K miles. I don't think the Mav is over priced; $30K seems reasonable to me for a small truck.

 

[tom_tucker]

We usually keep one newer vehicle and one older vehicle, so we have some semblance of reliability. It's not a status symbol to me. I want reliable, cheap transportation. With Covid and all my newest vehicle has 225K miles on it and the oldest has ~290K. That is not our normal. I'm a Honda guy (2 CR-Vs). We want to get a hybrid as our next vehicle. We don't really want to spend $35K on a CR-V Hybrid. I helped my kid get a 2024 Maverick XL Hybrid. We liked it. It has flaws, vague steering, cheap plastic. We wonder about reliability especially CV axles, but other than that it has been great through ~7K miles. My daughter loves it.

I would say Ford has now got it priced too high, but with the Granger deal plus Farm Bureau and a $750 off Ford just sent me, it gets it to where I'm interested again. I can live with the front end and I really like Eruption Green, but those AC controls?? Any former Escape Hybrid owners who have put 200K to 300K on their hybrids? You don't have to be real diligent with maintenance on that K24 (Honda) engine. It will take some abuse and keep going. That's what I'm coming from...

I'm just kinda thinking out loud right now and would appreciate any thoughts...

You're talking about engines, what's your use case for a pickup over a compact SUV? We're talking about the refined CR-V vs. a Maverick. That's not a comparison.

I have a specific use case for the bed, I want my gear separate. Otherwise, there's the forester/cr-v/rav4. What your use case?

 

[mcluvin]

Inexpensive, reliable transportation with some utility, in hybrid form, is really all I'm looking for. That can be a small truck, a small SUV, or even a hatchback. We have owned a few CR-Vs over the years and been pretty happy with them. We drive them until the wheels fall off and I do most of my own maintenance. When you get to 200K+ miles big stuff starts breaking. We like to have 1 vehicle we don't have to worry so much about that.

I compared features XL vs. XLT. For me I think the XL has everything I need. It's really cool Ford gives you that big display and Wireless Carplay even on the base model. That's important to me. I do with there was a way to get a power driver's seat on the XL. I can live without it though.

 

[tom_tucker]

Inexpensive, reliable transportation with some utility, in hybrid form, is really all I'm looking for. That can be a small truck, a small SUV, or even a hatchback. We have owned a few CR-Vs over the years and been pretty happy with them. We drive them until the wheels fall off and I do most of my own maintenance. When you get to 200K+ miles big stuff starts breaking. We like to have 1 vehicle we don't have to worry so much about that.

I compared features XL vs. XLT. For me I think the XL has everything I need. It's really cool Ford gives you that big display and Wireless Carplay even on the base model. That's important to me. I do with there was a way to get a power driver's seat on the XL. I can live without it though.

I agree on the 2025 XL. That's the trim I would start over with now that the price has shot up.

It just doesn't seem like you have a pickup bed need. The corolla cross, rav4, cr-v and forester are just going to be much nicer vehicles IMO. Most of those have Hybrid options. The price reflects the quality, as those cars are going be higher priced.

 

[William Buckman]

We usually keep one newer vehicle and one older vehicle, so we have some semblance of reliability. It's not a status symbol to me. I want reliable, cheap transportation. With Covid and all my newest vehicle has 225K miles on it and the oldest has ~290K. That is not our normal. I'm a Honda guy (2 CR-Vs). We want to get a hybrid as our next vehicle. We don't really want to spend $35K on a CR-V Hybrid. I helped my kid get a 2024 Maverick XL Hybrid. We liked it. It has flaws, vague steering, cheap plastic. We wonder about reliability especially CV axles, but other than that it has been great through ~7K miles. My daughter loves it.

I would say Ford has now got it priced too high, but with the Granger deal plus Farm Bureau and a $750 off Ford just sent me, it gets it to where I'm interested again. I can live with the front end and I really like Eruption Green, but those AC controls?? Any former Escape Hybrid owners who have put 200K to 300K on their hybrids? You don't have to be real diligent with maintenance on that K24 (Honda) engine. It will take some abuse and keep going. That's what I'm coming from...

I'm just kinda thinking out loud right now and would appreciate any thoughts...

I understand about the concerns of the CV axles, but if you want longevity from the Maverick, peace of mind is to spend the money for a solid extended warranty to cover these situations . We've had our 24 Lariat for 4 months now and had no problems. I worked at a Toyota plant 25 years and was going to downsize to a Taco from the Tundra but the cost was $14,000 more than a comparable Maverick. This fits in the garage and we enjoy the ride. Good luck in your decision

 

[Krys]

For me it was a good decision, I retired now, live on the mountain and 2023 Maverick saves me a lot of money. My mileage goes from low 38 to 50 MPH. Most of the time about 45 MPH on regular gas, so I fill once / twice a month. with 10,000 miles no issues. Handles well in Winter on a snowy mountain road. The cabin is very well insulated, less engine or road noise than on my Lincoln MKC. All recall software fixes are done by a dealer sending a mobile service technician to my garage. I have a bed extender, so loading 3 or 4 bikes is a breeze, same with 2 kayaks. I lean bikes on one bed side using furniture pad, attach to bed anchors with bungee cords. I added Co-Pilot 360 package and built in inverter, so I have 120V supply in the cabin and in the back. Ordered spray-in bed liner realizing that the full bed insert might not work with the bed extender. Have Ford hard rolled bed cover, but it is about 1/2 inch too short on the back (made for Ford by Rev Industries, would not buy it again). In general, good choice, but had to wait 12 months to get my order.

 

[mcluvin]

I agree on the 2025 XL. That's the trim I would start over with now that the price has shot up.

It just doesn't seem like you have a pickup bed need. The corolla cross, rav4, cr-v and forester are just going to be much nicer vehicles IMO. Most of those have Hybrid options. The price reflects the quality, as those cars are going be higher priced.

We do occasionally tow a small U-Haul trailer. The bed would be used. A lot of things that require putting the back seats down now in the CR-V, say bags of mulch, that could just get tossed in the bed. Hauling gas for the generator, you really wish you had a bed because gas really stinks.

The problem with the CR-V Hybrid is that the lowest trim level still has a lot of features I don't need, but you pay for it. They don't offer an LX Hybrid and if they did, I bet it would be a lot closer to the price of an XLT Maverick than folks think. Corolla Cross Hybrid looked like a good option, until I saw the inside. The back seat is very cramped. I'd love to consider an HR-V Hybrid, but they don't sell it in the US.

I really don't think the Mav looks cheap other than the easily scratched plastics and the chintzy carpet. The exposed screw heads fit with the truck aesthetic. The upholstery could look nicer, but it looks like it won't stain easily. On a long drive, and I did 19 straight hours in a Maverick XL, those seats are more comfortable to me than my CR-V seats. That's not to say either of them are particularly comfy. I've got an old Corolla that has surprisingly comfy seats, better than the other 2 for sure.

My daughter picked up a genuine Mav bed extender for $40. She uses the hell out of that thing. I'm surprised so many folks don't.

 

[Scupking]

Go for it. You will love the Maverick!

 

[CurtisB]

Take the dive, jump in the pool, dump the bank account!! You only live once! Can't tell you the cars I should have purchase! Ok, I'll tell you one car, a DeLorean that a guy wanted to unload for a mere $2,000 around 1984. He hated the car and manufacturing had stopped.

 

[mcluvin]

Go for it. You will love the Maverick!

I'm gonna do it! Google "cheapest hybrids". None of them have any utility except the Maverick in the sub $25K Category. I'm not even going to consider a Hyundai or Kia. As one of the newest members of the Illinois Farm Bureau, I can't wait to get my truck!

Eruption Green is such a nice color! I'm really surprised they aren't charging extra for it. My last green vehicle was a 93 MR2. I loved it! Totally impractical, and a poor choice on my part, but it looked real good. Vague steering and soft ride, here I come!!

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