FWD front wheel spin video in Park City.

[Ford Maverick Maniac]

Doesn't seem like a AWD vs FWD "apples to apples" comparison. That Explorer driver had some things working against him (or her)... Looks like summer tires on there. The tires also look to have fairly worn tread. Lost inertia going up the hill (got very slow / stopped), whereas you were driving at a reasonably "aggressive" speed going up the hill.

Do you think if you drove your AWD Maverick up that hill as tentatively as the Explorer driver did, and came to a near-stop at that point, you would be able to continue up the hill? Also, do you have snow tires?

[Edited to add:] Just saw your last reply. You're right about there not much difference in MPG if you're already getting an Ecoboost model. If I were going with Ecoboost, I would definitely order both AWD and 4K towing. But I live where there isn't much show, and mileage is king for me, so I'll be holding out for the hybrid. (I do wish there was an AWD hybrid offering, though!)

They do not salt the roads in PC so ice is a big issue.

To answer your questions Jim:
I do not have FX4 and go everywhere even with the stock Continentals. As for your question about stopping, on this other video I did a full stop at the steepest spot of the steepest street in the community. My street tires dug in no problem. Really surprised me actually.

The stop is about 5 min 45 sec into this video. I do this same thing in other videos on other streets and never had a problem. A FWD will not pull 3500 lbs of vehicle weight from a full stop up a steep slick street without chains on.

I know you want to hold out for the hybrid. With capacity at 35% and orders at around 65%, you probably have a 50/50 chance. I really hope your wait pays off Jim. Maybe order a 2024 AWD just in case.

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[stoptothink]

Snow tires...end of thread

 

[JimParker256]

They do not salt the roads in PC so ice is a big issue.

To answer your questions Jim:
I do not have FX4 and go everywhere even with the stock Continentals. As for your question about stopping, on this other video I did a full stop at the steepest spot of the steepest street in the community. My street tires dug in no problem. Really surprised me actually.

The stop is about 5 min 45 sec into this video. I do this same thing in other videos on other streets and never had a problem. A FWD will not pull 3500 lbs of vehicle weight from a full stop up a steep slick street without chains on.

I know you want to hold out for the hybrid. You probably have a 50/50 chance. I really hope your wait pays off Jim. Maybe order a 2024 AWD just in case.

Thanks for the update.

As for my odds of getting one... I suspect they are somewhat less than 50/50, even though I have one for me and one for my wife on order... I do already have a '22 Hybrid Lariat (someone else's order that they gave up on) in Area 51 that I purchased precisely to hedge our bets... I love the truck, but I REALLY wanted the Cyber Orange color, and I really do hope Ford comes through for me. But if they don't, I'll probably just keep what I have.

 

[Ford Maverick Maniac]

Thanks for the update.

As for my odds of getting one... I suspect they are somewhat less than 50/50, even though I have one for me and one for my wife on order... I do already have a '22 Hybrid Lariat (someone else's order that they gave up on) in Area 51 that I purchased precisely to hedge our bets... I love the truck, but I REALLY wanted the Cyber Orange color, and I really do hope Ford comes through for me. But if they don't, I'll probably just keep what I have.

Great! You already have a hybrid. I own one of each ordered summer of 2021, way before the long line.

My one word description of the hybrid is "PRACTICAL", 1 word for the AWD is "FUN". Owning one of each gives you max mpg for city driving and max capability for most everything else.

I have owned both for over a year and only have around 6k miles on each instead of 12k on one. They will last twice as long and solves the question of which to buy.

My videos are more lifestyle instead of typical walk arounds and test drives where they make you stare at their face for most of the time. I try to keep it to 5-10 minutes vs LMs 1.5 hr marathons. I hope my channel helps you while you wait Jim!

 

[icegradner]

Been up steeper hills with snow and ice, with all weather tires on the hybrid. All we are seeing here is that it's either super icy, or poor tires. Simple as that.

 

[stoptothink]

Been up steeper hills with snow and ice, with all weather tires on the hybrid. All we are seeing here is that it's either super icy, or poor tires. Simple as that.

The stock continentals on our hybrid suck, especially in the crazy conditions we are experiencing in the Utah mountains this season (I'm ~30 minutes from Park City). Our Maverick has sat in our garage most of the winter as we have blizzaks on our jetta and only need one car. We have gone up WAY steeper hills in the jetta this winter (we backcountry snowshoe hundreds of miles each season). I have zero concerns that the Maverick would have any issues in this "test" with proper tires.

 

[Ford Maverick Maniac]

The stock continentals on our hybrid suck, especially in the crazy conditions we are experiencing in the Utah mountains this season (I'm ~30 minutes from Park City). Our Maverick has sat in our garage most of the winter as we have blizzaks on our jetta and only need one car. We have gone up WAY steeper hills in the jetta this winter (we backcountry snowshoe hundreds of miles each season). I have zero concerns that the Maverick would have any issues in this "test" with proper tires.

We should meet!

Regardless of which roads we can or can't get up during a big storm one thing is for sure. You can't get past chain control without an AWD badge.

 

[surfstar]

...so correct [snow] tires + AWD badge on a hybrid for the win


remember - AWD don't help ya stop

 

[A Dodge that drives Fords]

Front wheel drive is not for me. I drove my 2002 Ford mustang GT with high performance tires. Year round for 12 years in Wisconsin with out having an accident or getting stuck. Plus when I sold it, it still had the factory battery in it my 1990 Ford probe GT was not so lucky. Which is why I'll never get a front wheel drive again.

 

[710-oil-614]

I can totally get up that incline in a FWD vehicle.

Come on. Give me a 93 Corolla with some Bilzzaks on it and I'll look like a damn mountain goat climbing that.

Look - the standard AWD system in the Mav is very good for on road tests like this but people make videos like this and act like nobody has ever been up an incline in 2" of snow when most of the upper MW and NE US is just laughing at you.

 

[KSC Grey Ghost]

I'm sorry but I humbly disagree with you on several aspects. One you never stop on a hill on snow or ice never never. Second it's the nut behind the wheel some people know how to drive in snow and ice and some people don't the people that did not learn how to drive in the snow and ice we call Flatlanders and they cause a lot of problems in the snow and ice. We have had three big ice and snow storms here in Northwest Tennessee one of them was -8 with a windshield of minus 22 all three of the storms I was out and my front wheel drive hybrid Maverick. I live in the middle of nowhere my driveway is over 800 ft long and it's all downhill an uphill coming home . Then to get out of the hollows I have to go up hills down hills to the right to the left to get to the main roads in my Maverick never let me down so again I humbly disagree with you.

 

[StrangeScience]

Whatever makes you feel comfortable. Hybrid Mav at 11k feet in snow without chains

I’ve driven the West (CO, WY, MT, OR, CA, ID) for many years with a fwd and had no issues. Get dedicated winter tires (not AT). Carry chains just in case. Know your vehicle and understand nothing beats ice except traction devices.

 

[stoptothink]

Whatever makes you feel comfortable. Hybrid Mav at 11k feet in snow without chains

I’ve driven the West (CO, WY, MT, OR, CA, ID) for many years with a fwd and had no issues. Get dedicated winter tires (not AT). Carry chains just in case. Know your vehicle and understand nothing beats ice except traction devices.

+1 Lived in the mountains of Utah for 15yrs now. We do tons of outdoor winter stuff (primarily backcountry snowshoeing), never owned an AWD or 4wd vehicle, and have had exactly zero incidents. Proper tires make a world of difference. Countless head-to-head tests out there comparing FWD with snow tires to AWD/4wd with all-seasons in every winter situation you can imagine; the winter tires win every time, usually by a significant margin. There are only a few situation where AWD has an advantage, ie. starting up a steep incline from a full stop.

Off-roading; now that is a different story.

 

[Ford Maverick Maniac]

I'm sorry but I humbly disagree with you on several aspects. One you never stop on a hill on snow or ice never never. Second it's the nut behind the wheel some people know how to drive in snow and ice and some people don't the people that did not learn how to drive in the snow and ice we call Flatlanders and they cause a lot of problems in the snow and ice. We have had three big ice and snow storms here in Northwest Tennessee one of them was -8 with a windshield of minus 22 all three of the storms I was out and my front wheel drive hybrid Maverick. I live in the middle of nowhere my driveway is over 800 ft long and it's all downhill an uphill coming home . Then to get out of the hollows I have to go up hills down hills to the right to the left to get to the main roads in my Maverick never let me down so again I humbly disagree with you.

Yes I did stop in my AWD, on an even steeper street. Here is the video: 5min 15 seconds in. Yes maybe FWD makes it on some roads and not on others. But for sure you will not make it past the police at chain control regardless of how confident a driver you are on slippery roads.

Maybe the most important reason to get AWD is because half of you will never see your hybrids. Not getting a Mav is worse than holding out for mpg.

With AWD, you will have a lot more capability in mud, snow, and light off road. Depending on how much you drive, it may only cost $500 more/yr in fuel than the hybrid.

Over time, order one of each if you can. Then you will have the best of both worlds.

 

[Mav_RICK]

Bottom line is the hybrid is not going to save the bulk of drivers ordering it all that much gas money.

Having AWD is not a must to drive effectively in snow. That said if I’m making lots of trips in the snow and with the hybrid constraint, I’m looking real hard at EB and I just as well get AWD while I’m at it.

I moved away from snow and Im holding out for the hybrid but I sure wouldn’t mind at all if it were AWD.

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