Without a spray it'll deteriorate almost as fast as it depreciates, imo :) Not a fan of mat liners, either, seems like ideal conditions for water to congregate and misbehave.
Maverick does feel modern but 'cheap' inside because it's made from budget bits for a budget market. It's comfortable enough, but idk how durable it will prove to be inside and out. Generally, I'd say it's still worth getting over the tacoma since it doesn't sound like you plan on using it to do...
Mav has better interior cabin space/utility. Ranger has more truck capability across the board. If you plan on regularly loading up the bed and/or towing I'd go Ranger.
Post hip surgery, it's easier for me to climb up than it is to slide down.... And then get back out. I'll take the ladder any day :) Wasn't a fan of how low the Mav rides, but it's still my best option right now...
We're not beta testers, when there are issues, we're gonna hear about it, and rightfully so.
Just have to keep in mind that this forum is a tiny subset of the total number of owners and is not indicative of quality/reliability.
Haven't seen this issue in the Ranger forum (also available in cactus gray) so if there's an issue, I'd be concerned about any color from that plant. I'm still going with cactus gray.