- First Name
- Matthew
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2026
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
- 21
- Location
- California's Central Coast
- Vehicle(s)
- 2026 Maverick Lariat, 2017 Mazda GT, 1982 Volvo 245, 1970 Buick Skylark
- Engine
- 2.5L Hybrid
- Thread starter
- #1
Picked up my Orange Fury ’26 Lariat from the dealership Wednesday 1 July. If you are willing to wait, it’s worth being able to special order exactly what you want from the factory. It's fun to check off the options on the Ford website, then - as Tom Petty sang - "the waiting is the hardest part." The payoff is getting the phone call from the dealership, “Your truck is here!”
I knew that the experience of driving a hybrid would take some getting used to. I’ve had three-pedal cars all of my life; it’s kinda weird not having to shift gears. The CVT in the Mav doesn't behave anything like the conventional automatic transmission in my wife’s '14 Ford Edge. Compared to the older generations of the Toyota Prius I've driven and ridden in, the change is dramatic.The biggest improvement I've noticed is that the IC engine's starting and stopping is almost unnoticeable. Ford has done a very good job of refining that transition, IMHO.
The gas mileage so far not only rivals what I get in my '17 Mazda 3 GT six-speed manual, it is even better! On a short weekend road trip (about 40 miles each way) each leg returned 41 mpg. The driving experience, of course, could not be any more different than in my Mazda hatch. For one thing, you’re up higher of course, and by comparison the visibility feels wide open. The only thing I miss from the Mazda is the "heads up" display, which has BLIS indicators on the HUD and all road signs, not just the speed limit signage. Other than that, the Maverick has every driver’s assistance feature the Mazda has. The 360 degree camera works great and the front and rear parking sensors are super helpful, especially making the transition to a vehicle that's two feet longer. Also, the adaptive cruise control implementation in the Mav is far more sophisticated than the system in the Mazda. The ACC is very smooth, and quite responsive. (Lane keeping does its job well but it's still a PIA... I kept it turned off in my Mazda.)
My wife was initially skeptical about special ordering a brand new vehicle. After retiring at the end of 2025, however, I decided to go for it. Call it a “lovely parting gift” leaving the workplace after fifty-plus years!
Now that she’s been a passenger for a few days, she’s all but fallen in love with our new Orange Fury Maverick. Two comments that she's made repeatedly: “It’s so quiet!” and “It’s so smooth!” My wife sometimes struggles with her iPhone, but at this point, she’s way ahead of me getting comfortable with all the bells and whistles available on the center screen. She tells me that "it's easy" to figure out. From her, that's unexpected praise for "modern technology."
It should also be mentioned that the experience at the dealership was one of the best buying experiences of my life. From start to finish, our purchase was smooth and easy. The entire process - from placing the order to driving my truck home - took just over nine weeks. Like I said up front, well worth the wait.
We could not be any happier!
I knew that the experience of driving a hybrid would take some getting used to. I’ve had three-pedal cars all of my life; it’s kinda weird not having to shift gears. The CVT in the Mav doesn't behave anything like the conventional automatic transmission in my wife’s '14 Ford Edge. Compared to the older generations of the Toyota Prius I've driven and ridden in, the change is dramatic.The biggest improvement I've noticed is that the IC engine's starting and stopping is almost unnoticeable. Ford has done a very good job of refining that transition, IMHO.
The gas mileage so far not only rivals what I get in my '17 Mazda 3 GT six-speed manual, it is even better! On a short weekend road trip (about 40 miles each way) each leg returned 41 mpg. The driving experience, of course, could not be any more different than in my Mazda hatch. For one thing, you’re up higher of course, and by comparison the visibility feels wide open. The only thing I miss from the Mazda is the "heads up" display, which has BLIS indicators on the HUD and all road signs, not just the speed limit signage. Other than that, the Maverick has every driver’s assistance feature the Mazda has. The 360 degree camera works great and the front and rear parking sensors are super helpful, especially making the transition to a vehicle that's two feet longer. Also, the adaptive cruise control implementation in the Mav is far more sophisticated than the system in the Mazda. The ACC is very smooth, and quite responsive. (Lane keeping does its job well but it's still a PIA... I kept it turned off in my Mazda.)
My wife was initially skeptical about special ordering a brand new vehicle. After retiring at the end of 2025, however, I decided to go for it. Call it a “lovely parting gift” leaving the workplace after fifty-plus years!
Now that she’s been a passenger for a few days, she’s all but fallen in love with our new Orange Fury Maverick. Two comments that she's made repeatedly: “It’s so quiet!” and “It’s so smooth!” My wife sometimes struggles with her iPhone, but at this point, she’s way ahead of me getting comfortable with all the bells and whistles available on the center screen. She tells me that "it's easy" to figure out. From her, that's unexpected praise for "modern technology."
It should also be mentioned that the experience at the dealership was one of the best buying experiences of my life. From start to finish, our purchase was smooth and easy. The entire process - from placing the order to driving my truck home - took just over nine weeks. Like I said up front, well worth the wait.
We could not be any happier!
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