Car & Driver recommends Maverick as a great first vehicle

[pigsareus]

Reliable??? I worked at a g Chevy dealership back then. We kept a separate routing sheet for the Vega. Every one of them experienced engine failure due to silicone impregnated cylinders failing due to antifreeze leaks. We had a limit of 26 Vegas waiting for engine repair at a time. The engine had a die-cast aluminum engine block with a cast-iron cylinder head. Iron and aluminum expand and contract at different rates. The head gaskets failed due to the different expansion rates. In 1975, Chevy installed cast iron cylinder sleeves in the aluminum block and sold the Vega with a then unheard of 50,000 mile engine warranty. The engine update couldn't save the Vega probably due to its rust-bucket reputation.

well... I meant reliable excluding the engine of course, that's why i mentioned i got 100 miles to the quart of oil, eventually the engine crapped out but I got about 40k out of the darn thing so for 400 bucks that wasn't bad. Too bad GM didn't understand basic metallurgy , how that got past the engineers is absolutely nuts...well that and no drain holes in the panels resulting in the rusty fenders....

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[johnny99]

And the Ford Pinto was a decent car for what it was, except it was a true rust bucket and a crash hazard ( could explode if hit from the rear ).

unsafe at any speed

 

[Carlitos_92]

The engine had a die-cast aluminum engine block with a cast-iron cylinder head. Iron and aluminum expand and contract at different rates. The head gaskets failed due to the different expansion rates.

They were probably just ahead of their time, or had the casting choices totally backwards. GM has made a slew of reliable LS variants with iron blocks and aluminum heads.

 

[GenMaster]

unsafe at any speed

It's really sad when the Pinto can win any contest!!

 

[DinoLord]

"The interior looks nice enough but is made of rugged materials..."

I like the look of the interior (in the Lariat, anyway) more than most people, but the absolute last word I'd use to describe the materials is "rugged."

They mean that the interior is hard plastic, not softly appointed.

 

[Cherokee]

C&D is in the business of advertising for manufacturers, not used car dealers.

Well yeah,
You wanna get paid you do what the Boss says.

 

[johnny99]

It's really sad when the Pinto can win any contest!!

Ralph Nader was an incredible Consumer Advocate and I don't think he and Lee Iacocca got on very well ;-)

 

[GenMaster]

Ralph Nader was an incredible Consumer Advocate and I don't think he and Lee Iacocca got on very well ;-)

I meant how the Pinto can win anything at all. Didn't say it passed the most important thing.... Safety.. well, rear end crash safety..

 

[Lone Ridr]

They were probably just ahead of their time, or had the casting choices totally backwards. GM has made a slew of reliable LS variants with iron blocks and aluminum heads.

To my knowledge nobody sells an aluminum block with silicone impregnated cylinders. The hardened piston rings rode on silicone. The Vega and Rotary Mazda suffered the same problem on combustion chamber sealing. The fix was vegetable fiber gaskets. The Rotary engine survived and thank goodness, the POS Vega died after thousands of buyers got screwed over. Nobody at the dealership was pleased when yet another Vega came through the service door.

 

[Carlitos_92]

To my knowledge nobody sells an aluminum block with silicone impregnated cylinders. The hardened piston rings rode on silicone. The Vega and Rotary Mazda suffered the same problem on combustion chamber sealing. The fix was vegetable fiber gaskets. The Rotary engine survived and thank goodness, the POS Vega died after thousands of buyers got screwed over. Nobody at the dealership was pleased when yet another Vega came through the service door.

You may be right, but the silicon cylinder bore treatment would have nothing to do with your hypothesis about the coefficients of expansion. My point was, somewhere along the way, GM apparently worked out the whole "one part is iron and another part is aluminum" thing to a reasonable level of reliability.

 

[DinoLord]

To my knowledge nobody sells an aluminum block with silicone impregnated cylinders. The hardened piston rings rode on silicone. The Vega and Rotary Mazda suffered the same problem on combustion chamber sealing. The fix was vegetable fiber gaskets. The Rotary engine survived and thank goodness, the POS Vega died after thousands of buyers got screwed over. Nobody at the dealership was pleased when yet another Vega came through the service door.

A few of the Germans use them but only in select applications.

 

[Lone Ridr]

well... I meant reliable excluding the engine of course, that's why i mentioned i got 100 miles to the quart of oil, eventually the engine crapped out but I got about 40k out of the darn thing so for 400 bucks that wasn't bad. Too bad GM didn't understand basic metallurgy , how that got past the engineers is absolutely nuts...well that and no drain holes in the panels resulting in the rusty fenders....

The engines used oil because the silicone washed of, exposing the aluminum block to steel rings that couldn't seal to gouged aluminum. The rust problems were throughout Chevy's total lineup. The decided to use mild untreated steel for the panels. The cowl panels that housed the wiper transmissions were particularly vulnerable and even worse, the C10 truck quarter panels would rust through in less than 12,000 miles - Southern Indiana was not known for rough road salt winters. I don't miss pissed off Chevy customers looking for someone to take their anger and disappointment out at all. I wasn't even the messenger. I was always polite and took it on the chin while looking sympathetic. Chevy decision makers had no real excuse for all their poor decisions, one auxiliary result was a lot of unhappy employees in the service department.

 

[JazznSF]

I don't know about "first vehicle" but how about "last vehicle?" Maybe that sounds a bit too ominous. For me, however, it sorta fits. For my daily drivers I've owned (mostly) small form factor four and five door imports over the last four or five decades. Without exception, all were three pedal cars. The last three were Mazdas, which IMHO are highly underrated, highly reliable vehicles that are an absolute blast to drive. They get great gas mileage too. However, since retiring at the end of '25 I no longer have a daily commute. The nearest Mazda dealer is over an hour away. Plus, Mazda now seems determined to sell a line of SUVs instead of the sedans and hatchbacks that built their business and reputation. They lost me as a customer.

Enter the Maverick. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be driving an automatic, let alone a vehicle with a CVT. (I call them "rubber band transmissions.") Everybody I talked to about the Maverick seemed to know someone who owned one, and they all had nothing but good things to say. I talked to a half-dozen of those owners who confirmed the praise. I made the decision to special order mine, since I was in no hurry for one and there weren't any dealers within 500 miles who had an Orange Fury Lariat Hybrid sitting of their lot. We have a fabulous Ford dealer fifteen minutes away. (They've been taking great care of my wife's Edge, which we both drive and enjoy.)

The special order process was smooth and easy. Getting exactly the truck I wanted was worth the wait. I look at it as a reward for working hard all these years. And so far, I've got a big grin on my face every time I get behind the wheel. It's been a little warm here lately, so using the remote start to get the truck cooled down before I drive it is a kick, and makes my wife very happy. (She retired too, about two-and-a-half months ago.) We buzz around town on errands and run out to the coast in the new truck, which drives more like a car if you ask me.

Is this the last vehicle I ever buy? I hope not. But if it is, I'm pretty happy that I've got an Orange Fury Hybrid with all the creature comforts. I think Ford got this one right.

And as far as having this one for a first vehicle? Call me old school. You work one, or maybe two part time jobs, and work full-time for a couple of summers prior to getting your license. You keep your grades up. Then, I'll throw in some cash and pay for your insurance until you've managed to get some time behind the wheel. And that deal stays active if/when you go off to college. I think that's more than a "fair shake" and a lesson in setting and achieving goals. Plus, there's the "pride of ownership" aspect too, having worked to get the vehicle you want, not the one Daddy bought for you. I think that's a "win/win!"

 

[GenMaster]

I don't know about "first vehicle" but how about "last vehicle?" Maybe that sounds a bit too ominous. For me, however, it sorta fits. For my daily drivers I've owned (mostly) small form factor four and five door imports over the last four or five decades. Without exception, all were three pedal cars. The last three were Mazdas, which IMHO are highly underrated, highly reliable vehicles that are an absolute blast to drive. They get great gas mileage too. However, since retiring at the end of '25 I no longer have a daily commute. The nearest Mazda dealer is over an hour away. Plus, Mazda now seems determined to sell a line of SUVs instead of the sedans and hatchbacks that built their business and reputation. They lost me as a customer.

Enter the Maverick. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be driving an automatic, let alone a vehicle with a CVT. (I call them "rubber band transmissions.") Everybody I talked to about the Maverick seemed to know someone who owned one, and they all had nothing but good things to say. I talked to a half-dozen of those owners who confirmed the praise. I made the decision to special order mine, since I was in no hurry for one and there weren't any dealers within 500 miles who had an Orange Fury Lariat Hybrid sitting of their lot. We have a fabulous Ford dealer fifteen minutes away. (They've been taking great care of my wife's Edge, which we both drive and enjoy.)

The special order process was smooth and easy. Getting exactly the truck I wanted was worth the wait. I look at it as a reward for working hard all these years. And so far, I've got a big grin on my face every time I get behind the wheel. It's been a little warm here lately, so using the remote start to get the truck cooled down before I drive it is a kick, and makes my wife very happy. (She retired too, about two-and-a-half months ago.) We buzz around town on errands and run out to the coast in the new truck, which drives more like a car if you ask me.

Is this the last vehicle I ever buy? I hope not. But if it is, I'm pretty happy that I've got an Orange Fury Hybrid with all the creature comforts. I think Ford got this one right.

And as far as having this one for a first vehicle? Call me old school. You work one, or maybe two part time jobs, and work full-time for a couple of summers prior to getting your license. You keep your grades up. Then, I'll throw in some cash and pay for your insurance until you've managed to get some time behind the wheel. And that deal stays active if/when you go off to college. I think that's more than a "fair shake" and a lesson in setting and achieving goals. Plus, there's the "pride of ownership" aspect too, having worked to get the vehicle you want, not the one Daddy bought for you. I think that's a "win/win!"

I also own a Mazda CX5. Probably the best CUV/car I've ever owned and I retire next year, so I've owned many cars and trucks since I was 14 (bought my first car, but couldn't drive it for 2 more years), and I'm retiring with my Mazda and my 2026 Maverick XLT Hybrid. Love the Hybrid as well. I live in the country in S. Texas and those work for me perfectly. I can retire a happy man. Enjoy your Hybrid.

 

[MavGeek]

As others have mentioned it may be my last new vehicle. I hope it lasts 10 years or so. We‘ll see what my driving habits are then at 75.

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