Hybrid Maverick 1200 Mile Review (Not Short)

[altomav]

First the bad things.
1. There is a rattle that has developed when I hit bumps. Potholes, railroad crossings, ect. I will be taking it back to the dealer to get them to locate that.
2. The radio is definitely buggy. Luckily I have found a fix for mine that has yet to fail, unplug or plug my phone into it. So far that has worked every time it has locked up.
3. There is no way to leave the truck in default eco mode. I am getting that muscle memory to change that at startup.
4. No indication of battery charge percentage. Not a biggie, but would like to have it.
5. Every so often the Ford Pass Start function misbehaves. A restart fixes that.
6. To open the hood you have to open the door. Major oversight in the design department. On the flop side, I love that you pull it twice to unlatch the hood. That makes it easier than looking for it on the grille. Also gives me a laugh when others go to looking for it!

Now to the general review/how to's
I have figured out how to manipulate the truck to get it to Electric only. The prerequisite is that the HVB have enough charge and you not be at highway speeds. 55 or less. Change the mode to Eco. Let off the gas and let the charge needle dive deep and then just ease back on it. Boom, you are in electric only mode.

The truck runs in ICE only more than I thought. The ICE is also WAAAAYYYY more fuel efficient than I thought. Highway speeds where I am hitting 37+ is straight ICE.
The EV coach shows you what is running. Gray only bar is ICE only. Gray/blue is true Hybrid. Blue is Electric. Charge can have either electric motor or ICE running depending on charge status of HVB.

If you let the truck sit a few days it will run ICE at the beginning. The HVB definitely drains while sitting. It will click randomly changing relays on various items. After a few miles it charges (this battery seems to charge really fast) and runs as advertised.

As far as mileage goes, I am averaging 39 on the dot combined with 80% Hwy. The last 800 I am averaging 40. My shortest trip has been 30 miles one way. This truck demands a different driving style. I am braking much sooner and letting the engine slow me down so I can charge as much battery as possible. I am easier on the throttle when I start up or I get to speed quickly and let off. The cruise is much better at fuel mileage than I am. In town this thing is killer. 45+ mpgs is normal.

The ride is the best truck ride I have ever had. It is even better than our Escape. It makes long trips much easier.

Not having Sync has opened my eyes to the best feature of this truck and I think the most overlooked(Other than the bottle openers). Using AA has made me never want sync again. Hit the voice and tell it to call the closes Lowes and it does. Ask it for the weather or new updates and it does. Tell it to take you to a random restaurant and it does. Even ask it what is 3+6/2 and it will tell you 6 every time. It has become more helpful than any OEM software could ever be. (AA even has some stupid games for when you are stuck waiting somewhere in your truck on the screen)

Power in the truck is NOT an issue. It hits 80 mph with ease and more than quick enough to help you avoid the other idiots on the road(I say other because we all have our idiot moments).

This truck is STABLE on wet roads. I have now driven on the interstate in torrential downpours twice. It handles it WELL. I have gotten it to hydroplane twice. Once at 74 and it came off plane in about 25 yards and did not get squirrely. I hit a bad puddle when it happened. My only issue was the cruise did not disconnect. Another was on a back road at about 60. I felt it and it went away just as fast. Just keep your speeds consistent with the weather and enjoy the ride.

The materials on the exterior are thin. I do think this truck will be easy to dent. The hood has a little shake at highway speeds, but that is due to how thin it is. This truck could not survive having struts. The hood would pull the same thing an old square body chevy does....

The storage in this truck is amazing. It takes this small cab and makes it unreal. Ford knocked it out of the park with this. It is setup perfectly. Put your phones up front, your cups in the cup holder, your pistol on your side, your credit card in the card slot(it fits perfectly) and your wallet in the spot next to that. Cant give Ford enough praise for the cabin setup. I wish they put that much thought into every cabin. It is ironic that they made every thing they could out of the cheapest cabin because they needed it to be desirable unlike the Lincolns where they know the owner is happy just to have a Lincoln.

Regular cleaning of the interior plastics will be needed. They seem to hold smudges and dirt easily. Just the downfall of the textured surfaces. Nothing a little Armor All cant fix. As all the reviewers said, even though it is cheap plastic it is done very well.

The lane keeping does have a weak vibration. It could be stronger but its still noticeable. The BLISS is the BEST I have seen yet. It tells you early and holds until the other vehicle is well within view. If you hit your turn signal it blinks rapidly to let you know not to change lanes. Those two things are done better than any other brand I have driven including Fords. I just wish the mirrors were bigger.

The reverse camera is fine. It works well and has decent lighting at night. LED reverse lights will make it even better.

I am surprised the XLT had auto for the climate control. I use it often and it works. It even lets you choose the max speed for the fan. That was new too.

I changed the oil at 1019 miles. It was clean. Looked almost like new. If the percentages hold the truck will get over 10k miles between changes. I had 95% life left at that change. Just remember the oil filter is Motorcraft 910s as most places do not have the mav hybrid in their system yet.

The auto dim is great except street lights and narrow streets with trees on either side can cause it to dim.

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[Scupking]

You say if you don’t use it for a few days it will run ice until the battery is charged. I wonder if I will run into an issue. I typically only drive maybe 10 miles a week all on one day. We usually use my wife’s mini van when we go places. Sounds like the hybrid battery might be dead all the time in my case.

 

[OldSoulNewMaverick]

First the bad things.
1. There is a rattle that has developed when I hit bumps. Potholes, railroad crossings, ect. I will be taking it back to the dealer to get them to locate that.
2. The radio is definitely buggy. Luckily I have found a fix for mine that has yet to fail, unplug or plug my phone into it. So far that has worked every time it has locked up.
3. There is no way to leave the truck in default eco mode. I am getting that muscle memory to change that at startup.
4. No indication of battery charge percentage. Not a biggie, but would like to have it.
5. Every so often the Ford Pass Start function misbehaves. A restart fixes that.
6. To open the hood you have to open the door. Major oversight in the design department. On the flop side, I love that you pull it twice to unlatch the hood. That makes it easier than looking for it on the grille. Also gives me a laugh when others go to looking for it!

Now to the general review/how to's
I have figured out how to manipulate the truck to get it to Electric only. The prerequisite is that the HVB have enough charge and you not be at highway speeds. 55 or less. Change the mode to Eco. Let off the gas and let the charge needle dive deep and then just ease back on it. Boom, you are in electric only mode.

The truck runs in ICE only more than I thought. The ICE is also WAAAAYYYY more fuel efficient than I thought. Highway speeds where I am hitting 37+ is straight ICE.
The EV coach shows you what is running. Gray only bar is ICE only. Gray/blue is true Hybrid. Blue is Electric. Charge can have either electric motor or ICE running depending on charge status of HVB.

If you let the truck sit a few days it will run ICE at the beginning. The HVB definitely drains while sitting. It will click randomly changing relays on various items. After a few miles it charges (this battery seems to charge really fast) and runs as advertised.

As far as mileage goes, I am averaging 39 on the dot combined with 80% Hwy. The last 800 I am averaging 40. My shortest trip has been 30 miles one way. This truck demands a different driving style. I am braking much sooner and letting the engine slow me down so I can charge as much battery as possible. I am easier on the throttle when I start up or I get to speed quickly and let off. The cruise is much better at fuel mileage than I am. In town this thing is killer. 45+ mpgs is normal.

The ride is the best truck ride I have ever had. It is even better than our Escape. It makes long trips much easier.

Not having Sync has opened my eyes to the best feature of this truck and I think the most overlooked(Other than the bottle openers). Using AA has made me never want sync again. Hit the voice and tell it to call the closes Lowes and it does. Ask it for the weather or new updates and it does. Tell it to take you to a random restaurant and it does. Even ask it what is 3+6/2 and it will tell you 6 every time. It has become more helpful than any OEM software could ever be. (AA even has some stupid games for when you are stuck waiting somewhere in your truck on the screen)

Power in the truck is NOT an issue. It hits 80 mph with ease and more than quick enough to help you avoid the other idiots on the road(I say other because we all have our idiot moments).

This truck is STABLE on wet roads. I have now driven on the interstate in torrential downpours twice. It handles it WELL. I have gotten it to hydroplane twice. Once at 74 and it came off plane in about 25 yards and did not get squirrely. I hit a bad puddle when it happened. My only issue was the cruise did not disconnect. Another was on a back road at about 60. I felt it and it went away just as fast. Just keep your speeds consistent with the weather and enjoy the ride.

The materials on the exterior are thin. I do think this truck will be easy to dent. The hood has a little shake at highway speeds, but that is due to how thin it is. This truck could not survive having struts. The hood would pull the same thing an old square body chevy does....

The storage in this truck is amazing. It takes this small cab and makes it unreal. Ford knocked it out of the park with this. It is setup perfectly. Put your phones up front, your cups in the cup holder, your pistol on your side, your credit card in the card slot(it fits perfectly) and your wallet in the spot next to that. Cant give Ford enough praise for the cabin setup. I wish they put that much thought into every cabin. It is ironic that they made every thing they could out of the cheapest cabin because they needed it to be desirable unlike the Lincolns where they know the owner is happy just to have a Lincoln.

Regular cleaning of the interior plastics will be needed. They seem to hold smudges and dirt easily. Just the downfall of the textured surfaces. Nothing a little Armor All cant fix. As all the reviewers said, even though it is cheap plastic it is done very well.

The lane keeping does have a weak vibration. It could be stronger but its still noticeable. The BLISS is the BEST I have seen yet. It tells you early and holds until the other vehicle is well within view. If you hit your turn signal it blinks rapidly to let you know not to change lanes. Those two things are done better than any other brand I have driven including Fords. I just wish the mirrors were bigger.

The reverse camera is fine. It works well and has decent lighting at night. LED reverse lights will make it even better.

I am surprised the XLT had auto for the climate control. I use it often and it works. It even lets you choose the max speed for the fan. That was new too.

I changed the oil at 1019 miles. It was clean. Looked almost like new. If the percentages hold the truck will get over 10k miles between changes. I had 95% life left at that change. Just remember the oil filter is Motorcraft 910s as most places do not have the mav hybrid in their system yet.

The auto dim is great except street lights and narrow streets with trees on either side can cause it to dim.

This review is getting me even more excited for my soon-to-be-delivered Maverick! Thanks for the in-depth commentary. I noticed that you mentioned the interior plastics will need regular ArmorAll cleaning, and I'm totally fine with that. But have you experienced the "easily scratched" dash and interior plastic materials that a couple of others have mentioned? THAT worries me. I don't often drive with my dog, but if the scratched dashboard is a real issue, this might mean that my dog doesn't get to go at all. I'll have to swap cars with the wife... which, while not a huge deal, will still be annoying.

 

[STARCOMMTREY1]

You say if you don’t use it for a few days it will run ice until the battery is charged. I wonder if I will run into an issue. I typically only drive maybe 10 miles a week all on one day. We usually use my wife’s mini van when we go places. Sounds like the hybrid battery might be dead all the time in my case.

If you put an Eco mode it doesn't take it long to charge so you'll still be good

 

[OldSoulNewMaverick]

You say if you don’t use it for a few days it will run ice until the battery is charged. I wonder if I will run into an issue. I typically only drive maybe 10 miles a week all on one day. We usually use my wife’s mini van when we go places. Sounds like the hybrid battery might be dead all the time in my case.

I believe you'll lose a little efficiency, as the ICE will need to run during your short trips to keep the hybrid battery fully charged. The slight drain is a bigger issue for those that will let it sit for long periods without driving. 2-3+ weeks at a time or longer. Bigger problems for that situation.

 

[Flomounier1]

Does your rattle sound like this?

 

[STARCOMMTREY1]

Does your rattle sound like this?

No. Mine is undercarriage

 

[emptyschmitz]

Good review. Interesting info on the climate control, especially the fan limiter, I really like that. I wish it would stay in whatever drive mode you last commanded until you want otherwise. Oh well. Good news on the cabin, got that sense when I got to sit in one and get a feel for it. Its going to be a mobile office for me so a good layout will be critical.

 

[huunvubu]

You say if you don’t use it for a few days it will run ice until the battery is charged. I wonder if I will run into an issue. I typically only drive maybe 10 miles a week all on one day. We usually use my wife’s mini van when we go places. Sounds like the hybrid battery might be dead all the time in my case.

The 12 volt battery is charged by the HV battery not the ICE engine.

The HV battery is charged primarily by the ICE engine and also by regenerative braking.

 

[casanewt]

Fantastic, real-world, real-miles review. I have to ask, have you tested remote start, and if so, have you noticed the odd issues reported with engine revving, smells, etc?

 

[Rob Cactus Gray]

Hood release inside car is an anti-theft feature. When you have the doors locked nobody can open your hood from the outside when looking to steal a battery, or worse.

You just gave me a horrible thought. With the hybrid battery mounted to the under side of the car. How easy would it be for 2 guys with a couple jacks to steal?

Thanks @STARCOMMTREY1 for the review!

 

[Hdang1980]

You say if you don’t use it for a few days it will run ice until the battery is charged. I wonder if I will run into an issue. I typically only drive maybe 10 miles a week all on one day. We usually use my wife’s mini van when we go places. Sounds like the hybrid battery might be dead all the time in my case.

I too am thinking I'll fall into the same category. I work from home full time now unless I'm traveling on state business of which I'll be flying and/or using car rentals. In the past 2 years since this pandemic, I've calculated that I drive roughly 4500 miles a year.

 

[brnpttmn]

You just gave me a horrible thought. With the hybrid battery mounted to the under side of the car. How easy would it be for 2 guys with a couple jacks to steal?

Thanks @STARCOMMTREY1 for the review!

With out access the the power supply cut off under the hood, I'd say they'd be in for a 450 volt surprise when they went to detach it.
Check out this video if you want to see a video of the battery underneath. It looks pretty secure.

 

[Jrpink13]

Hold on, I am not aware of a single vehicle on the face of the planet you don't need to pop the hood from the inside. Unless you want some random people to be able to get into your engine bay whenever, I would say that is perfectly normal feature.....

Also, of course the oil is clean at 1k miles because you aren't supposed to change it for thousands of miles. Especially when the ice isn't even running all the time like a "normal" car....

 

[Rob Cactus Gray]

With out access the the power supply cut off under the hood, I'd say they'd be in for a 450 volt surprise when they went to detach it.
Check out this video if you want to see a video of the battery underneath. It looks pretty secure.

Thanks I can rest assured that any crook will win a Darwin Award.

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