Hybrid XL received. First Impressions.

[User5485754]

Received my Hybrid XL on Thursday! I put about 75 miles on it in the last 24 hours. Mostly highway miles. The mpg is right around 36 so far. I bought and installed the $300 tonneau cover from the realtruck website. Tonneau barely reaches the length of the bed so I plan to add some weather stripping to make a watertight seal where it meets the tailgate.

This is my first hybrid so here's a list of my first impressions:

1. No engine noise on startup. It just shows 'ready to go' on the instrument cluster. Once in drive, it whirrs out a simulated engine sound for pedestrians. In reverse it adds a little chirping noise.

2. Great adjustability in the seat. The one lever pushes the seat higher and forward, the lever behind it reclines the seat. Together with the telescoping steering wheel there is sure to be a perfect seating position for everyone.

3. Pleased with the audio. I like that the back speakers are raised up to ear level in the cab pillars. There are 'driver' and 'all seats' modes which adjust the front to back volume ratio. There is also high, mid, and bass eq adjustment.

4. Ride is smooth and probably more quite than the average sedan.

5. Instrument cluster is clean, it would have been nice if they put digital speed, compass, realtime mpg, and realtime battery charge/use on one screen. Instead I find myself toggling back and forth between the menus using the buttons on the steering wheel. I like that you can access most of the vehicle settings/features via the instrument cluster screen, so you don't have to fiddle with the main touch screen.

6. The back seats aren't bad, definitely not as spacious as an SUV, but I really like the modular 'fits' concept for the back seat. I can slide in the cup holder module if I have passengers, or put in the trash can module if I'm going on a long drive, or take it out if I need the floor space for groceries.

7. Truck bed is sturdy and the tail gate is pretty light. I wanted to install a drop in liner, but it seems like they are out of stock right now. I plan to cut some 2x6's to make a compartment for groceries using the built in diy slots in the sides of the bed. The XL doesn't come with floor anchors, but the holes are there already. Not sure if they are pre tapped.

It definitely has more power than my old 96' manual ranger that barely could get up to 70 mph. More powerful engine aside, the maverick does take me back to the feeling of the good old days.

That's all for now.

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[BDennis]

You can set the center display next to the slog speed display to show digital speed, well at least according to videos posted. Great to hear about ride quality of a hybrid, so thx.

 

[DeeZee]

Enjoy the new ride! Fo far it sounds like the hybrid is a hit.

 

[WannaMav]

Received my Hybrid XL on Thursday!

 

[Meintc]

Not until I can feel it and touch it myself. Until then , they are still unicorns.

 

[nunucello]

Received my Hybrid XL on Thursday! I put about 75 miles on it in the last 24 hours. Mostly highway miles. The mpg is right around 36 so far. I bought and installed the $300 tonneau cover from the realtruck website. Tonneau barely reaches the length of the bed so I plan to add some weather stripping to make a watertight seal where it meets the tailgate.

This is my first hybrid so here's a list of my first impressions:

1. No engine noise on startup. It just shows 'ready to go' on the instrument cluster. Once in drive, it whirrs out a simulated engine sound for pedestrians. In reverse it adds a little chirping noise.

2. Great adjustability in the seat. The one lever pushes the seat higher and forward, the lever behind it reclines the seat. Together with the telescoping steering wheel there is sure to be a perfect seating position for everyone.

3. Pleased with the audio. I like that the back speakers are raised up to ear level in the cab pillars. There are 'driver' and 'all seats' modes which adjust the front to back volume ratio. There is also high, mid, and bass eq adjustment.

4. Ride is smooth and probably more quite than the average sedan.

5. Instrument cluster is clean, it would have been nice if they put digital speed, compass, realtime mpg, and realtime battery charge/use on one screen. Instead I find myself toggling back and forth between the menus using the buttons on the steering wheel. I like that you can access most of the vehicle settings/features via the instrument cluster screen, so you don't have to fiddle with the main touch screen.

6. The back seats aren't bad, definitely not as spacious as an SUV, but I really like the modular 'fits' concept for the back seat. I can slide in the cup holder module if I have passengers, or put in the trash can module if I'm going on a long drive, or take it out if I need the floor space for groceries.

7. Truck bed is sturdy and the tail gate is pretty light. I wanted to install a drop in liner, but it seems like they are out of stock right now. I plan to cut some 2x6's to make a compartment for groceries using the built in diy slots in the sides of the bed. The XL doesn't come with floor anchors, but the holes are there already. Not sure if they are pre tapped.

It definitely has more power than my old 96' manual ranger that barely could get up to 70 mph. More powerful engine aside, the maverick does take me back to the feeling of the good old days.

That's all for now.

Thank you for the review.

 

[Hybrid Nut]

I like the color. I ordered the silver . Good review Thanks

 

[Shelby1962]

In response to the post, does anyone know how to eliminate the fake engine sound and backup beeper? I don’t want to just start ripping wires out when mine arrives.

 

[MortyHooper]

In response to the post, does anyone know how to eliminate the fake engine sound and backup beeper? I don’t want to just start ripping wires out when mine arrives.

Why would you want to make it less safe for pedestrians, kids, visually impaired etc?

 

[Alientrk]

Received my Hybrid XL on Thursday! I put about 75 miles on it in the last 24 hours. Mostly highway miles. The mpg is right around 36 so far. I bought and installed the $300 tonneau cover from the realtruck website. Tonneau barely reaches the length of the bed so I plan to add some weather stripping to make a watertight seal where it meets the tailgate.

This is my first hybrid so here's a list of my first impressions:

1. No engine noise on startup. It just shows 'ready to go' on the instrument cluster. Once in drive, it whirrs out a simulated engine sound for pedestrians. In reverse it adds a little chirping noise.

2. Great adjustability in the seat. The one lever pushes the seat higher and forward, the lever behind it reclines the seat. Together with the telescoping steering wheel there is sure to be a perfect seating position for everyone.

3. Pleased with the audio. I like that the back speakers are raised up to ear level in the cab pillars. There are 'driver' and 'all seats' modes which adjust the front to back volume ratio. There is also high, mid, and bass eq adjustment.

4. Ride is smooth and probably more quite than the average sedan.

5. Instrument cluster is clean, it would have been nice if they put digital speed, compass, realtime mpg, and realtime battery charge/use on one screen. Instead I find myself toggling back and forth between the menus using the buttons on the steering wheel. I like that you can access most of the vehicle settings/features via the instrument cluster screen, so you don't have to fiddle with the main touch screen.

6. The back seats aren't bad, definitely not as spacious as an SUV, but I really like the modular 'fits' concept for the back seat. I can slide in the cup holder module if I have passengers, or put in the trash can module if I'm going on a long drive, or take it out if I need the floor space for groceries.

7. Truck bed is sturdy and the tail gate is pretty light. I wanted to install a drop in liner, but it seems like they are out of stock right now. I plan to cut some 2x6's to make a compartment for groceries using the built in diy slots in the sides of the bed. The XL doesn't come with floor anchors, but the holes are there already. Not sure if they are pre tapped.

It definitely has more power than my old 96' manual ranger that barely could get up to 70 mph. More powerful engine aside, the maverick does take me back to the feeling of the good old days.

That's all for now.

Thanks for the review.

 

[Snax]

Why would you want to make it less safe for pedestrians, kids, visually impaired etc?

I second this. Quiet cars are especially dangerous in places like parking garages. If you disable the warning signals, and then hit someone, I expect that you could face some extra-stiff penalties for negligence. Not to mention having to live with the knowledge that your choice resulted in someone else’s suffering. For me, this is one of those golden rule moments.

 

[Old Ranchero]

Received my Hybrid XL on Thursday! I put about 75 miles on it in the last 24 hours. Mostly highway miles. The mpg is right around 36 so far. I bought and installed the $300 tonneau cover from the realtruck website. Tonneau barely reaches the length of the bed so I plan to add some weather stripping to make a watertight seal where it meets the tailgate.

This is my first hybrid so here's a list of my first impressions:

1. No engine noise on startup. It just shows 'ready to go' on the instrument cluster. Once in drive, it whirrs out a simulated engine sound for pedestrians. In reverse it adds a little chirping noise.

2. Great adjustability in the seat. The one lever pushes the seat higher and forward, the lever behind it reclines the seat. Together with the telescoping steering wheel there is sure to be a perfect seating position for everyone.

3. Pleased with the audio. I like that the back speakers are raised up to ear level in the cab pillars. There are 'driver' and 'all seats' modes which adjust the front to back volume ratio. There is also high, mid, and bass eq adjustment.

4. Ride is smooth and probably more quite than the average sedan.

5. Instrument cluster is clean, it would have been nice if they put digital speed, compass, realtime mpg, and realtime battery charge/use on one screen. Instead I find myself toggling back and forth between the menus using the buttons on the steering wheel. I like that you can access most of the vehicle settings/features via the instrument cluster screen, so you don't have to fiddle with the main touch screen.

6. The back seats aren't bad, definitely not as spacious as an SUV, but I really like the modular 'fits' concept for the back seat. I can slide in the cup holder module if I have passengers, or put in the trash can module if I'm going on a long drive, or take it out if I need the floor space for groceries.

7. Truck bed is sturdy and the tail gate is pretty light. I wanted to install a drop in liner, but it seems like they are out of stock right now. I plan to cut some 2x6's to make a compartment for groceries using the built in diy slots in the sides of the bed. The XL doesn't come with floor anchors, but the holes are there already. Not sure if they are pre tapped.

It definitely has more power than my old 96' manual ranger that barely could get up to 70 mph. More powerful engine aside, the maverick does take me back to the feeling of the good old days.

That's all for now.

Beautiful color. I also ordered my XL in Carbonized Grey and plan to keep the Steelie wheels- it really seems to be the best looking stock combination to me You mentioned no tie down anchors in the bed floor? The literature says 4 tie down locations are standard in the XL, and I thought the front 2 were D-ring style? I can't tell from your picture but is there 2 of the Marine clete style tie downs on your bed wall instead of D-rings? Another member here posted a thread with DIY videos and part numbers for installing OEM Ford D-rings in the bed. The holes in floor should be pre-tapped to accept the OEM bolts.

 

[uh50]

Received my Hybrid XL on Thursday! I put about 75 miles on it in the last 24 hours. Mostly highway miles. The mpg is right around 36 so far. I bought and installed the $300 tonneau cover from the realtruck website. Tonneau barely reaches the length of the bed so I plan to add some weather stripping to make a watertight seal where it meets the tailgate.

This is my first hybrid so here's a list of my first impressions:

1. No engine noise on startup. It just shows 'ready to go' on the instrument cluster. Once in drive, it whirrs out a simulated engine sound for pedestrians. In reverse it adds a little chirping noise.

2. Great adjustability in the seat. The one lever pushes the seat higher and forward, the lever behind it reclines the seat. Together with the telescoping steering wheel there is sure to be a perfect seating position for everyone.

3. Pleased with the audio. I like that the back speakers are raised up to ear level in the cab pillars. There are 'driver' and 'all seats' modes which adjust the front to back volume ratio. There is also high, mid, and bass eq adjustment.

4. Ride is smooth and probably more quite than the average sedan.

5. Instrument cluster is clean, it would have been nice if they put digital speed, compass, realtime mpg, and realtime battery charge/use on one screen. Instead I find myself toggling back and forth between the menus using the buttons on the steering wheel. I like that you can access most of the vehicle settings/features via the instrument cluster screen, so you don't have to fiddle with the main touch screen.

6. The back seats aren't bad, definitely not as spacious as an SUV, but I really like the modular 'fits' concept for the back seat. I can slide in the cup holder module if I have passengers, or put in the trash can module if I'm going on a long drive, or take it out if I need the floor space for groceries.

7. Truck bed is sturdy and the tail gate is pretty light. I wanted to install a drop in liner, but it seems like they are out of stock right now. I plan to cut some 2x6's to make a compartment for groceries using the built in diy slots in the sides of the bed. The XL doesn't come with floor anchors, but the holes are there already. Not sure if they are pre tapped.

It definitely has more power than my old 96' manual ranger that barely could get up to 70 mph. More powerful engine aside, the maverick does take me back to the feeling of the good old days.

That's all for now.

Thanks for the write up and taking your time to post. Your impressions are very similar to mine, except I have a VB XL EB. You have a great looking truck and the black trim looks great with the Carbonized Gray paint job and sometimes I regret the VB. It looks like a much more expensive truck than we know it is. Great job.

 

[7Litre]

Congratulations on your new hybrid, and thanks for the refreshingly upbeat review. Looking forward to getting mine sometime in the new year.

 

[Shelby1962]

Why would you want to make it less safe for pedestrians, kids, visually impaired etc?

People should put their phones down and watch where they are walking…every close call has been an idiot staring at their phone. Besides I am hearing impaired and back up alarms are very painful when I have my hearing aids in.

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