Maverick vs. Ranger

[Lugnut]

Ranger

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[Tbolt]

We had an SXT show up on the base the other day, but I did have to think twice about it. Good looking truck. For me I want a little bit of truck with the better fuel economy, but buy what you need and sounds like the Ranger is the better fit.

 

[staryoshi]

Mav has better interior cabin space/utility. Ranger has more truck capability across the board. If you plan on regularly loading up the bed and/or towing I'd go Ranger.

 

[Nighowl2000]

Another vote for ranger. Maverick is more for weekend use/light duty.

 

[pxpaulx]

Mav has better interior cabin space/utility. Ranger has more truck capability across the board. If you plan on regularly loading up the bed and/or towing I'd go Ranger.

Towing yes, regular bed use... I'm not so sure.

The side walls of the ranger were up to my arm pit. Want something from the front of the bed? You're in for a climb. The bed is unreachable from the sides, I'm 5'10, not tall but not short either.

I can touch the bottom of the Maverick from the sides, can basically reach anywhere in the bed easily. For a landscaper, that could be critically better for every day use. Unless you need the extra 6 inches (assuming crew cab), the ranger bed is not the better choice here for regular use.

 

[vezpa]

Buy the Ranger.

 

[Old Ranchero]

you want a smoother car-like ride with SUV inspired interior and more back seat room but still decent towing capability for all but the largest trailers and good enough bed space for your daily driver? Or do you trade all that for max towing up to 7k lbs as needed?

IMO, it's simple either or...

 

[JASmith]

I'd buy a Maverick or an F-150, but not a Ranger. I'm not impressed by it, feels quite dated, which isn't surprising this is a last model year for it before a total redesign.

While some warn against buying a first year model, I also wouldn't buy a last year model either. I think you're going to have buyer's remorse when you see the new Ranger in just a few months that is likely to be much nicer.

There's a lot of overlap with Ford trucks, and you can spec a F-150 to be the same price as a Ranger, and the Ecoboost in the F-150 is not only more powerful but almost identical on fuel economy to the Ranger and the F-150 is going to have a lot better resale lowering your cost of ownership (Intellichoice which calculates depreciation rated the Ranger its lowest "poor" rating while the F-150 got its highest "excellent" rating).

 

[MakinDoForNow]

This will be my first ever major vehicle purchase, so I want to get it right.

On one hand, I have an AWD XL Maverick with a deposit on it that will be here in just a couple weeks, and in the other, I have the opportunity to get an XL SXT 4WD 2021 Ranger with just 2500 miles on it for just $30,000. I’m quite stuck on which to pick, so I’m hoping maybe you all can help.

I do haul quite a lot, as I do a lot of landscaping and have a lot of animals, but I would also eventually like to get a boat or camper to tow around.

I’m 23, so I need something that will be reliable, as I do not have a huge flow of cash. This was the main reason I started considering the Ranger over the Maverick.

I‘d like good fuel efficiency, but it seems both the 2 liter and 2.3 liter turbos range in the low-mid 20s in efficiency.

I drove the Ranger and the Maverick, and I loved the way the Ranger drove. I felt like the king of the road. The Maverick drove more similarly to my Kia Soul, which I love, but it didn’t impress me much. Maybe I just didn’t drive the Maverick long enough, though. I drove the Ranger 40 miles, and only 10 in the Maverick.

Can anyone help me make a decision, put my fears of reliability to rest, or disagree with any of my statements?

I would seriously consider the maverick and pulling the lightest weight dropped axle for easy loading and largest diameter, for less rolling resistance, wheel. If you got the 4k tow pkg, which I doubt since you did not mention it, you could haul a couple calves to auction. I did have 1960's Nissan pickup which would haul whatever you could figure out how to load it. It had a couple reinforced heavy duty donuts that served as cushions between the bed and the top of the rear axle housing when you were over loaded. And for a small truck it had a large clutch plate so never had problem with that. I referred to it as "street legal wheelbarrow". I would not ever consider doing those thing again!
I do think that the Ranger is oversized,rushed down to see one when they came out but was immediately turned off by it's gigantic size. Remember pulling a trailer is not near as big a problem as stopping it is! I think trailer brakes on a trailer that weighs over 35% of the towing vehicle weight is a functional necessity. So the maverick towing 2,000 lbs needs a brake controller and 7pin plug and ford says no we will not sell it!

 

[Old Ranchero]

I'd buy a Maverick or an F-150, but not a Ranger. I'm not impressed by it, feels quite dated, which isn't surprising this is a last model year for it before a total redesign.

While some warn against buying a first year model, I also wouldn't buy a last year model either. I think you're going to have buyer's remorse when you see the new Ranger in just a few months that is likely to be much nicer.

There's a lot of overlap with Ford trucks, and you can spec a F-150 to be the same price as a Ranger, and the Ecoboost in the F-150 is not only more powerful but almost identical on fuel economy to the Ranger and the F-150 is going to have a lot better resale lowering your cost of ownership (Intellichoice which calculates depreciation rated the Ranger its lowest "poor" rating while the F-150 got its highest "excellent" rating).

from what I have read and been told by my dealer- it's not a total redesign. Using same existing platform (I think it's a T6?) and "retuning" the suspension. Same base engine. Yes, all new bodywork and improved ergos inside to bring it more in line with USA designed F-150, etc. Sounds very similar to what Nissan did with new Frontier. Take it for what it is worth until official unveiling or credible leaks

 

[Bn1970]

I don't think anybody buys a Maverick to feel like the king of the road. try an f250. should be high enough to get the royalty feeling.

Ask this guy, sounds like you're buying his old truck.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/5g-ranger-vs-maverick-real-world-review.4167/

 

[staryoshi]

Towing yes, regular bed use... I'm not so sure.

The side walls of the ranger were up to my arm pit. Want something from the front of the bed? You're in for a climb. The bed is unreachable from the sides, I'm 5'10, not tall but not short either.

I can touch the bottom of the Maverick from the sides, can basically reach anywhere in the bed easily. For a landscaper, that could be critically better for every day use. Unless you need the extra 6 inches (assuming crew cab), the ranger bed is not the better choice here for regular use.

The ranger bed is quite a bit wider, too. For me, accessibility into the bed is not a factor and I wish Mav sat quite a bit higher, but I get that some people love it. Lots of tie downs and thoughtful details in the Mav box, too.

 

[dalola]

Well, it is all about the drive. So, get the one you enjoy driving. Simple.

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