"Cute" "Little" truck?

[Timothyd]

You need to go back at least to the early to mid 80s Toyota pickups. Not sure they were cute though. Rust-buckets = yes.

Total rustbuckets!

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[RicksMaverick]

I sure this has been covered elsewhere, but I couldn't find it, so here goes.

"Cute?" Miatas are cute. The similar Honda S2000 is cute. My mid-1960s Sunbeam Alpine was cute. Maybe the Mini Cooper. But the 2022 Ford Maverick? Nah, I don't think so.

So, "Little?" I did some limited, non-rigorous, searching into the early versions if small pickups. (Feel free to check my work.) The examples I chose were 2 wheel drive, short beds and extra cabs when I could find them. The examples I used were: 1. first generation Ford Ranger Supercab, 1983-1988(?), 2. 1995 Toyata Tacoma, 3. 1995 Chevy S-10.

The Maverick is heavier and wider than any of them. The Maverick spec. is several inches taller than any of them, but I think that includes the antenna. Taking the height to the roofline, i'm calling it a wash. The Maverick is longer than the Ranger, near equal to the Toyota, and a few inches shorter than the S-10. So it's really only "little" compared to the newer behemoths we've become accustomed to commute back and forth to work in.

So why am I writing this!? 'Cos' I'm tired and bored with the reviewers comments about the Maverick being a "cute, little truck." I guess it was supposed to be a "cute" thing to say. It wasn't. Still isn't.

Who remembers the Ford Courier around 1972?

 

[MLA62563]

Total rustbuckets!

Oh I don't know about that. My Maverick replaced an '81 Toyota pickup that I had been driving for more than 25 years. It had a little patchy surface rust here and there, but a "rust bucket" it most assuredly was not. Never spent any time in a garage, and even underneath it was remarkably rust free after 40+ years of life. The 22R engine is in my opinion, the sturdiest ever built. I might add that even at just under 100 HP, it confidently hauled an amazing amount of cargo over the years for me, and moved along very well. How people can fuss about the hybrid having "only" 191 HP is totally beyond me. Trust me, you can get up and go on a helluva lot less just fine.
Hated to let it go by the way, but it was reaching the point where it would need a good bit of suspension work, and the fuel lines under the bed were just about to rot to dust. Besides, I'm ready to take it a little easier now. Got two grand for it, and I'll bet the guy who bought it will be driving it for many, many years to come!

 

[Timothyd]

Oh I don't know about that. My Maverick replaced an '81 Toyota pickup that I had been driving for more than 25 years. It had a little patchy surface rust here and there, but a "rust bucket" it most assuredly was not. Never spent any time in a garage, and even underneath it was remarkably rust free after 40+ years of life. The 22R engine is in my opinion, the sturdiest ever built. I might add that even at just under 100 HP, it confidently hauled an amazing amount of cargo over the years for me, and moved along very well. How people can fuss about the hybrid having "only" 191 HP is totally beyond me. Trust me, you can get up and go on a helluva lot less just fine.
Hated to let it go by the way, but it was reaching the point where it would need a good bit of suspension work, and the fuel lines under the bed were just about to rot to dust. Besides, I'm ready to take it a little easier now. Got two grand for it, and I'll bet the guy who bought it will be driving it for many, many years to come!

I had a early eighties "Xtra cab" and it not only looked rusty but the frame rusted to the point where it was creaking and sagging in the middle. I do admit that R22 engine was great, I should have saved it.

 

[Ponchsox]

Parked next to a Super Duty, the Maverick does look cute.

 

[Weird Harold]

Who remembers the Ford Courier around 1972?

I had a ’79 Ford Courier with a 7 foot bed and the 2.3 liter 4 cylinder engine. It was my favorite vehicle that I had ever owned (until the Maverick!)

 

[Bobinmi]

The ole lady works at Fords Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Company (she actually works ON the line Building the Hybrid eCVT for our mavericks!), everyone there has a F150 or F250 and "hate" and laugh at the maverick...I think it's the little peter syndrome...but I am the one laughing at the GAS STATIONS!

 

[New2AZ]

The ole lady works at Fords Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Company (she actually works ON the line Building the Hybrid eCVT for our mavericks!), everyone there has a F150 or F250 and "hate" and laugh at the maverick...I think it's the little peter syndrome...but I am the one laughing at the GAS STATIONS!

And I'll guess many of them are the same a-holes whining about gas prices when the fill up on their 14mpg monster costs them $200.

 

[YOBY]

I got asked at Tractor Supply. " When did FORD start Making ATV's" he laughed and walked away.

 

[Deleted member 14823]

Nothing you do is ever good enough for some people. We even do that to each other: "Too bad you picked the worst color choice for a Maverick! Hyuck hyuck hyuck"

Why waste time worrying about it.

 

[KimoCarew]

It is cute... and it will be on the road 20 years from now and will still be cute.

 

[Deleted member 1483]

Its the same size as a Ford Flex

 

[Sykotyk]

This "cute little truck" has got some wheels on it (don't try this at home).

I still got pretty good mileage through Ohio and Michigan.

Look at that miles to empty. That's why I love this "cute little truck".

Not a fluke, either. Here's the first 24.9 miles after that fill up. Mte only dropped by 5. Haha.

And 45 is the ultimate sweet spot for mpg:

63.7 miles be only took 1.2 gallons.

Drove a bit faster on two lanes today but still sipping gas. Didn't start the trip with a full tank, but filled up 49 miles in. 839 miles later and I've not even finished my second tank. Not even close. My old car would've been finishing its 3rd 16 gallon tank by now.

I love my truck. It's exactly the vehicle I wanted. A truck with the cost of a car to drive.

 

[crgator]

You have to be a little older to remember the first little truck that became a hit in the US back in the 60's and 70's, the Datsun pickup. Datsun pickups were actually first introduced in 1959. The parent company, Nissan, dropped the Datsun name in 1986. As I recall, the little Datson pickups were smaller than the Maverick is now.

I had a 1987 Nissan pickup, and I'm certain it was smaller than my Mav. I think the bed was a bit longer, but I doubt quite as wide. Volume was probably near the same.

 

[MTMaverick]

When someone says it’s little, I just tell them I’m compensating, like they may be with there big truck!

Ha, ha, thank you, perfect for response for my BIL who drives a full sized Dodge... and he will comment on the size when he sees my truck.

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