Maverick use in off road conditions

[710-oil-614]

That maverick was acting like it did not have any clutches but had a simple differential with no limited slip at all.

Because that’s exactly the set up!

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[ice445]

True true, I try to remember to use "soft road" for situations that are an actual intended road albeit with a suboptimal to horrible surface.

Don't tell the Tremor and FX4 dudes, but what half of them post as pics and vids for trails they drove, I think "I drove a Tempo/Escort/Voyager on worse than that." ... despite caring least about the Tempo it was the worst at off road, did a one tire fire too easy on anything with slightly unequal traction. Escort was limited by ground clearance, but you could drive it like a rally Subaru otherwise, Voyager actually did pretty decent when the alignment was good, but didn't have very low gearing so even on asphalt was kinda struggling on a steep grade. Escort had a low gear I've no clue what for, but it would scream up anything I came across, though I dunno if I met anything more than 35%. But yeah these were all old enough that I wouldn't worry about a branch scratch, though I wouldn't be happy about actual dents. Worst I did was many years back when I managed to squish an exhaust closed at the bottom of the downpipe, so I learned not to try to ram rocks

This is exactly it though, isn't it? Most vehicles can get anywhere with enough effort, the whole point of "offroad capable" is that you're more comfortable doing it and have fewer struggles. There's a wide spectrum of ability, and as someone else said, people focus way too much on comparing to the often modified, absolute top dogs that can handle the Rubicon trail with ease. Even a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, one of the most capable factory equipped vehicles, will scrape constantly on the Rubicon trail, lol. It can do it, but who's going to want to do that to a brand new vehicle?

Pretty much any CUV or Maverick can handle dirt or gravel roads and most things that people classify as offroading. In my opinion, the main advantage the Tremor has is that it's less likely to get stuck because you have more options to avoid wheel spin, so it's less stressful to take out of one's comfort zone. You also are unlikely to overheat the AWD system due to the extra PTU cooling and the locking feature keeping slippage to a minimum. In actual real practice, none of that stuff will be apparent for most people, but when it IS apparent, you will be forced to notice should you not have those advantages. If you want to regularly leave pavement, I think those features will pay off eventually, but it's not like the FX4 or regular AWD can't get to 90% of the same places.

One thing I will say too, is that the Maverick is hilariously light for a pickup. The crawl ratio isn't good, but it can almost get away without having a low range because it weighs so little. Being narrow is also nice for so many forest roads.

 

[Surly Old Bill]

True true, I try to remember to use "soft road" for situations that are an actual intended road albeit with a suboptimal to horrible surface.

Don't tell the Tremor and FX4 dudes, but what half of them post as pics and vids for trails they drove, I think "I drove a Tempo/Escort/Voyager on worse than that." ... despite caring least about the Tempo it was the worst at off road, did a one tire fire too easy on anything with slightly unequal traction. Escort was limited by ground clearance, but you could drive it like a rally Subaru otherwise, Voyager actually did pretty decent when the alignment was good, but didn't have very low gearing so even on asphalt was kinda struggling on a steep grade. Escort had a low gear I've no clue what for, but it would scream up anything I came across, though I dunno if I met anything more than 35%. But yeah these were all old enough that I wouldn't worry about a branch scratch, though I wouldn't be happy about actual dents. Worst I did was many years back when I managed to squish an exhaust closed at the bottom of the downpipe, so I learned not to try to ram rocks

My first car in HS was a '74 Fiat 128. It was FWD, and I could almost lift it up by the rear bumper. It was a mountain goat; I took it literally offroad through the woods a lot, like a UTV. I used it to pull a roomate's lifted Blazer 4x4 out of our steep driveway in the snow in college. Don't tell the offroad bros, they'd suffer a lot of imposter syndrome.
But that said, the several Tacoma 4x4s I had later were more capable and comfortable on washboard, deep snow, and sand. Same for the Samurai (except you HAD to be in 4wd on slick roads or it would swap ends immediately due to the short wheelbase).
I haven't had the Mav anywhere tricky yet, but I suspect it will be excellent on the snow/ice with the FWD. Ground clearance leaves a lot to be desired, but being unibody there's not too much you can do about that without messing up the CVJ and other drivetrain stuff in order to run taller tires. Even then, the size of the wheel wells limits how much extra clearance you can get. Maybe an extra inch before you run into clearance problems (2" taller tires).

 

[TwoTone]

It's a hell of a lot better than simple open diffs F&R. The off-road modes would also help here...

And still falls very short of other AWD vehicles. Ford needs to poach a software engineer from Subaru or Honda.

 

[dalola]

Sometimes, "on-road" & "off-road" don't even accurately describe your environment... it's best to understand/describe the conditions you expect to traverse.

Example, this is Schoolie Rd., a township road in Vinton Co. Ohio, in the Appalachian foothills. It's on Google maps, completely legit. It's a dead end road that descends into Bison Hollow, a beautiful nature preserve. Near the end, after a shallow creek crossing, it switches from narrow one lane gravel, to even narrower rocks & dirt, with some 20 degree slopes. Way worse than many "off-road" trails I have been on. And this is a township "road". My Maverick *might * make it down, very carefully, but would not get back out without a winch. My Sasquatch Bronco, with a proper low range transfer case, 35" tires, and Fr & Rr lockers, walks in & out with no drama.

So, the moral of the story, know the actual conditions you want to navigate, then decide how to do it.

 

[710-oil-614]

And still falls very short of other AWD vehicles. Ford needs to poach a software engineer from Subaru or Honda.

A lot of Honda's magic in AWD is their torque vectoring rear diff (ie - Ford's Advanced AWD system) but the Ridgeline is pretty awesome in that regard.

Subaru isn't so much software as the system itself is a full-time AWD system that is pushing between 45-50% of power to the rear wheels at all times. Subarus would perform much like our standard Mavericks before they got X Drive - which to your point - is a much more aggressive software/drive mode that will limit will slip through aggressive braking and power transfer.

Is that Maverick a good off road vehicle? No.

Can the Maverick off road? Sure, absolutely as other commenters have pointed out.

I personally found even my Tremor compromised for what I would want from it in the areas I would take it (Western NC mountains) where the lack of low gearing made sure it would require you to send it in some situations and it doesn't have the underbody protection or front and rear fascia to do that effectively.

Even now my Hybrid AWD will slip a little just getting to my property on washboard gravel roads (up to 15 percent incline) where the Tremor with 4WD lock (and sometimes for kicks the rear locker) would climb it like a billy goat. Same with my Model 3.

So now for me - the Maverick AWD is just the vehicle that can get me to the offroad/outdoor fun but I won't be pushing it much beyond that. Some trucks are made to do work on the road mostly, and that is the Mav for me.

 

[Tbone289]

And still falls very short of other AWD vehicles. Ford needs to poach a software engineer from Subaru or Honda.

Does it?

What's Subaru's excuse here? Jump to 15:45, where the Outback falls "very short" of the FX4. Do you think the Maverick would fall short of the Subaru if they both had the same tire? It's hard to say, isn't it?

This video further illustrates, along with the TFL video above, how Slippery mode in the Maverick is not the right choice off-road, and how much better the off-road modes are at transferring power in comparison.

 

[Bguy]

My daily driver and camping vehicle before I bought the Tremor was a full size seven passenger 2003 Ram Van 1500 that I partially converted for camping. It was just rear wheel drive with open diff and no traction control whatsoever. The only way you could get over difficult obstacles with that thing was to pray and send it!

I can understand that. My issue with all is that manufacturers keep making them bigger when small is the key to navigating difficult spaces. Space is a trade off depending on your goal but the ultimate off road vehicle is still the original jeep military CJ5. It could weave around rocks and trees while bigger rigs stood around trying to figure out what to do. In 2012 I used my vw golf TDI to explore the desert by the Mexican border and it managed with caution and my off road experience very well. I even slept in that tiny car with a lady friend and we were quite comfy. That car had no ground clearance but it still got the job done.
Where there is a will there is away

 

[Bguy]

Does it?

What's Subaru's excuse here? Jump to 15:45, where the Outback falls "very short" of the FX4. Do you think the Maverick would fall short of the Subaru if they both had the same tire? It's hard to say, isn't it? This video further illustrates, along with the TFL video above, how Slippery mode in the Maverick is not the right choice off-road, and how much better the off-road modes are.

I don't care for the idea that i must choose a stored program to climb a little hill or go over a small pot hole. I would much rather have full control myself and let my brain determine the amount of throttle necessary to negotiate an obstacle....Would be nice to see the same coarse negotiated in a Maverick not using any control except for an experienced off road driver.

 

[Tbone289]

I don't care for the idea that i must choose a stored program to climb a little hill or go over a small pot hole. I would much rather have full control myself and let my brain determine the amount of throttle necessary to negotiate an obstacle....Would be nice to see the same coarse negotiated in a Maverick not using any control except for an experienced off road driver.

What gave you that idea?

You must have missed the first run, where the FX4 goes over the obstacle in normal mode. In other words, he didn't have to "choose a stored program to climb a little hill or go over a small pot hole", nor did he need an experienced off-road driver.

I guess you've never driven a part-time 4x4, where you have to shift a transfer case into 4WD to gain traction? How is that different than selecting a mode?

 

[Frenchy]

I'm trying to make up my mind if the Maverick will work for me. I love the size and features but i also need to be able to negotiate off road tracks in the back country. Does anyone have any experience using their Maverick off road?

I have been using mine on gravel/unimproved/forest roads and it does Ok.
I installed AT tires.
The issue is ground clearance.
You have to be very careful to not touch any rock.
I am waiting for skid plates to be delivered.
If you want to do serious off roading, this i not the truck for as the ground clearance will be even less after you load it with all your gears.

 

[ZABSMAV]

The individual automated brake actuation overcomes much of the traction limitation of open diffs for light off-roading, but limited slip is certainly a better, more reliable, alternative if you don't need a 4K tow package. I've been very impressed with my FX4 on trails, especially considering the generally poor suspension articulation of IFS front and rear. I've traveled many moderate-rated (OnX ratings) trails in the Rockies with little issue. The approach angle is the limiting factor for my uses, and I will likely install front levelling springs and larger AT tires for some improvement eventually, keeping in mind that I'm fully capable of replacing worn CV axles myself. I'll likely install Tremor CVs when it comes time to do so.

For the more difficult stuff, I take my Bronco or Jeep.

The Maverick will never be an off-road vehicle. Like you said, if I am navigating a difficult section of an off-road trail in Baja Mexico to support an off road race team in the Baja 1000 race (which I have done for years), I would never consider using a passenger car like our Maverick. My Bronco is the go to vehicle.

 

[Frenchy]

I use mine off road a decent amount.
I added sand mode to mine and mud mode. Different tires and a skid plate.
it’s been a very capable and even and overachiever imo.

How did you added " sand mode " ?

 

[Frenchy]

I have been using mine on gravel/unimproved/forest roads and it does Ok.
I installed AT tires.
The issue is ground clearance.
You have to be very careful to not touch any rock.
I am waiting for skid plates to be delivered.
If you want to do serious off roading, this i not the truck for as the ground clearance will be even less after you load it with all your gears.

Read the manual: it keeps telling you" this not an offroad vehicle"

 

[Tbone289]

The Maverick will never be an off-road vehicle. Like you said, if I am navigating a difficult section of an off-road trail in Baja Mexico to support an off road race team in the Baja 1000 race (which I have done for years), I would never consider using a passenger car like our Maverick. My Bronco is the go to vehicle.

Again, that depends on what your definition of off-road is. I wouldn't use a Maverick for that role either, but I take it off-road.

I drive off-road with all of these vehicles along with my Maverick. None of them are dedicated off-road vehicles--all daily drivers. They all have their own limitations. Know those limitations and you'll know what the vehicle is capable of.

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