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A few thoughts about my AWD XLT with 4k Tow and FX4. No lux or 360. I ordered first day in June and picked up late November. I just rolled over 3k miles and I am more in love with the truck than ever. It is surprising how much I am enjoying the Maverick. It's been a great ski truck and we took it on a family trip to Southern Utah for some dirt road day trips on BLM land.
Initially I replaced the Scorpions on the FX4 with Falken Wildpeaks (235) which were great in the snow and good on the highway, however I had the opportunity to install a 1.5" ReadyLIFT SST kit with satin black Motegi wheels and larger Falken Wildpeak AT3W 245/65R17 tires.
I was hesitant to add the lift, however I am really happy with it. I actually step up into the truck a bit. Ride is noisier that the 235s, but the new tires have a more aggressive sidewall and tread. They appear to put more tread on the road. The added ground clearance seems like it will help. I'm more confident to push the Maverick off pavement now.
I had some fun taking some photos yesterday of the new look. This is the first Ecoboost we've owned and I am a believer. Fuel economy has dropped as I've added more aggressive tires and the lift, however I'm still around 23 mpg mixed with what feels like similar power to my previous V6 trucks and SUVs. The AWD system has been impressive in snow, dirt and gravel. Slippery mode has been helpful when my daughter drives to slow down throttle response keeping her out off trouble.
The Maverick does really well on the highway. The slightly longer wheelbase keeps the truck tracking much better than a vehicle of similar size like a smallish crossover. Both in comfort and performance it drives similar to our previous Toyota Highlander, which was a much higher price point vehicle. I mounted an older Thule cargo box for our trip on the bedrock and it worked well. I did take a hit on MPG as a result and was averaging around 24 mpg, which is still saving me money over the V6 this replaced.
The little Maverick found the Ford truck parking while on BLM land in Southern Utah. The truck is a lot of fun when turning off the traction control and swinging the rear on the corners on gravel and dirt. I did not try any extreme routes since I didn't have the lift yet, but mud and ruts mode does a good job on the slow-going sections where a wheel lifts now and then. I look forward to choosing more advanced trails next time I’m in the area to push the vehicle more. The cactus gray is still my favorite color (even if the only two other Mavericks I've ever seen were cactus gray, so it will be popular.) The truck looks decent even dirty.
What I like about the truck:
Power train is well engineered and is a pleasure to drive with a fun engine, smooth transmission, and surprisingly capable AWD system. Responsive and fun to drive. I have a lot of confidence in the truck.
I love the steering weighting as steers like a truck. Kind of heavy, but just right. Not like a little car.
Interior storage is excellent. Big cubbies for giant cell phones. Easy to clean. More storage under the rear seat than I would have thought.
I like the orange accents and overall clean design.
I love the rotary shifter.
FX4 display is awesome. (Same as Lariat.) I would highly recommend FX4 for this alone.
Seats are comfortable.
Plenty of room for a family of four to travel as far as interior space. Five is doable.
Bed size is the goldilocks size. So much more capable than any other vehicle in the price range.
Super fun to accessorize. I'm working on a mini overland build.
I've had more random conversations in parking lots about my truck than ever in my life.
What I don't like:
Radio reception is horrible and the antenna looks dumb. I took it off.
Display screen is low resolution and fairly useless (but works great with ApplePlay)
Bluetooth randomly drops when connected to our iPhones. I hope this can be fixed with an update.
Plastics scratch easily in the door wells, back of console, etc.
Rear cup holders in the arm rest are too shallow and will launch your kid's lemonade when emergency breaking to avoid a deer strike. (I speak from experience.)
My FX4 decal is falling off. Poor materials.
Ford dealerships seem to be worse than my experiences with Subaru, Toyota and Jeep/RAM.
Good to Know:
The hood doesn't have a latch like every other hood. Pull the handle twice inside. (My daughter was trying to find the gas flap opener and popped the hood. Took a FaceTime call and 15 minutes to try to get her to close it. She apparently isn't good at reading owners manuals even though she is brilliant.)
Sorry for the rambling thoughts, but overall I love this truck. I think I'm bonding with it, which is a surprise. I ordered it more as an experiment and we needed a reasonably priced AWD. I've been a RAM truck guy for years. My last and only Ford was a 1988 F250 I used as a yard truck years ago.
Now if only everyone who wants one could get one quickly built at MSRP! The hybrid I'm sure is a fantastic vehicle too. I think an all electric Maverick will show up eventually and will be killer.
Initially I replaced the Scorpions on the FX4 with Falken Wildpeaks (235) which were great in the snow and good on the highway, however I had the opportunity to install a 1.5" ReadyLIFT SST kit with satin black Motegi wheels and larger Falken Wildpeak AT3W 245/65R17 tires.
I was hesitant to add the lift, however I am really happy with it. I actually step up into the truck a bit. Ride is noisier that the 235s, but the new tires have a more aggressive sidewall and tread. They appear to put more tread on the road. The added ground clearance seems like it will help. I'm more confident to push the Maverick off pavement now.
I had some fun taking some photos yesterday of the new look. This is the first Ecoboost we've owned and I am a believer. Fuel economy has dropped as I've added more aggressive tires and the lift, however I'm still around 23 mpg mixed with what feels like similar power to my previous V6 trucks and SUVs. The AWD system has been impressive in snow, dirt and gravel. Slippery mode has been helpful when my daughter drives to slow down throttle response keeping her out off trouble.
The Maverick does really well on the highway. The slightly longer wheelbase keeps the truck tracking much better than a vehicle of similar size like a smallish crossover. Both in comfort and performance it drives similar to our previous Toyota Highlander, which was a much higher price point vehicle. I mounted an older Thule cargo box for our trip on the bedrock and it worked well. I did take a hit on MPG as a result and was averaging around 24 mpg, which is still saving me money over the V6 this replaced.
The little Maverick found the Ford truck parking while on BLM land in Southern Utah. The truck is a lot of fun when turning off the traction control and swinging the rear on the corners on gravel and dirt. I did not try any extreme routes since I didn't have the lift yet, but mud and ruts mode does a good job on the slow-going sections where a wheel lifts now and then. I look forward to choosing more advanced trails next time I’m in the area to push the vehicle more. The cactus gray is still my favorite color (even if the only two other Mavericks I've ever seen were cactus gray, so it will be popular.) The truck looks decent even dirty.
What I like about the truck:
Power train is well engineered and is a pleasure to drive with a fun engine, smooth transmission, and surprisingly capable AWD system. Responsive and fun to drive. I have a lot of confidence in the truck.
I love the steering weighting as steers like a truck. Kind of heavy, but just right. Not like a little car.
Interior storage is excellent. Big cubbies for giant cell phones. Easy to clean. More storage under the rear seat than I would have thought.
I like the orange accents and overall clean design.
I love the rotary shifter.
FX4 display is awesome. (Same as Lariat.) I would highly recommend FX4 for this alone.
Seats are comfortable.
Plenty of room for a family of four to travel as far as interior space. Five is doable.
Bed size is the goldilocks size. So much more capable than any other vehicle in the price range.
Super fun to accessorize. I'm working on a mini overland build.
I've had more random conversations in parking lots about my truck than ever in my life.
What I don't like:
Radio reception is horrible and the antenna looks dumb. I took it off.
Display screen is low resolution and fairly useless (but works great with ApplePlay)
Bluetooth randomly drops when connected to our iPhones. I hope this can be fixed with an update.
Plastics scratch easily in the door wells, back of console, etc.
Rear cup holders in the arm rest are too shallow and will launch your kid's lemonade when emergency breaking to avoid a deer strike. (I speak from experience.)
My FX4 decal is falling off. Poor materials.
Ford dealerships seem to be worse than my experiences with Subaru, Toyota and Jeep/RAM.
Good to Know:
The hood doesn't have a latch like every other hood. Pull the handle twice inside. (My daughter was trying to find the gas flap opener and popped the hood. Took a FaceTime call and 15 minutes to try to get her to close it. She apparently isn't good at reading owners manuals even though she is brilliant.)
Sorry for the rambling thoughts, but overall I love this truck. I think I'm bonding with it, which is a surprise. I ordered it more as an experiment and we needed a reasonably priced AWD. I've been a RAM truck guy for years. My last and only Ford was a 1988 F250 I used as a yard truck years ago.
Now if only everyone who wants one could get one quickly built at MSRP! The hybrid I'm sure is a fantastic vehicle too. I think an all electric Maverick will show up eventually and will be killer.
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