Rants and Raves after 3,000 miles

[skadizzle]

After waiting 17 months for my Maverick, I finally picked it up on 3/18 and have put about 3,000 miles on it. Here are my comments on it so far.

Build: Lariat Lux Hybrid BAP- Atlas Blue

Pros:

• Looks - I love the look of this truck especially with the BAP. I didn't think it would make much of a difference but it all adds up.
• Sound System - While I agree it could be louder, it is much better than my 2018 Rav4
• Gas Mileage - I am averaging about 37-38mpg so far which is about 10 mpg better than the Rav4 and the range is better also.
• EV Coach - This has helped me increase my MPGs and be a better hybrid driver.
• Truck bed - While it isn't the largest bed, I haven't needed anything larger so far.

Cons:

• Road Noise - With the music up it isn't an issue, but the brake system and road noise is loud when the radio is low or off
• AC System - I've seen some say that it gets cold quickly, but I've experienced the opposite. It takes forever to cool down and the AC vents are terrible. The locations of the vents make it hard to really get a comfortable setting and the fact that the left/right adjustment is also the open/close is a dumb design decision.
• Rear Legroom - I was expecting more legroom based on what people have said, but I'm 6'2 and in order for someone to fit behind me while driving, neither one of us would be comfortable. My Rav4 had more legroom as well as my wife's Camry.
• Gas Mileage - Yes I listed it in the Pro's but while 37-38 is great, I was expected to regularly do 40mpg+ and I've never hit 40 on a tank, just for a trip or two. My driving is 80-90% city so I expected a lot more MPG and total range.
• Seats - The Active X seats are soft and initially very comfortable, but not for long trips. After about an hour or so of driving, my lower back starts hurting and my leg goes numb. I've tried to adjust the height and lumbar but can't seem to find a good position for long-term comfort. Not sure if its the seat angle or just the size of it which is a little narrow and shorter than my previous vehicle.

Overall, I like the truck but the seat discomfort is causing me to consider selling it and going back to a Rav4 or CRV hybrid. I like having a hybrid truck but the biggest selling point initially for me was being the cheapest hybrid on the market, the truck part was just a bonus.

If anyone has some tips to help with the seat, I'd love the input. I considered seat covers, but I don't know if that alone will solve it. I also wanted the Active-X seats because I have two dogs and its easier to clean the hair off of them vs cloth.

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[Sembazuru]

Gas Mileage - Yes I listed it in the Pro's but while 37-38 is great, I was expected to regularly do 40mpg+ and I've never hit 40 on a tank, just for a trip or two. My driving is 80-90% city so I expected a lot more MPG and total range.

What driving mode do you usually use? (Remember, these Mavs default to Normal at ignition.)

 

[atomguy245]

Rear seat legroom, I'd agree. Less room back there than my Chevy Bolt EUV. As for the gas mileage, my short around town trips haven't been as high mpg as I expected. But my trips are very short - about 3 miles. I figure that sometimes the hybrid battery doesn't have enough charge to kick in and on the short trips there isn't enough time to recharge it. That's my guess. On a recent 40 mile highway drive I got 40.9, which way exceeds the EPA rating. So it's a wash.

 

[bgn]

Front seat adjustment is absolute trash and my legs go numb after 2 hours or less. Not offering an ability to adjust the bottom cushion independently is moronic, especially on the 35-40k units.

 

[skadizzle]

What driving mode do you usually use? (Remember, these Mavs default to Normal at ignition.)

I usually just drive in Normal mode. I occassionally put it in Sport on the highway, but I don't use Eco mode very much. I was expecting to get 40mpg in my sleep and ocassionally 50 if I really start to baby it and use Eco mode. Seemed like most people on here were hitting 40 just using Normal.

 

[colinl]

I'm 6'0" and find the seats comfy and I just did 11.5 hours in the truck yesterday from Dayton OH to Wichita KS. (BTW my ecoboost awd 4k truck got 31mpg going there and 30 coming back until turning into a south headwind at KC, then dropped to 28mpg that tank.)

I normally prefer my seat as low as it'll go, but in the Maverick the height adjustment is linked to seat cushion angle. When it's down all the way the seat cushion will be tilted up in the front which I do find very uncomfortable. So instead of all the way down, I have mine a little low, but still keep the seat bottom relatively flat. OP and anyone else experiencing discomfort might try that.

Active X is definitely hotter than cloth in the summer but I don't have problems with swampass. I had the climate control set on 75 most of the drive but I do have dark tinted windows. Anyone without tint definitely will be warmer.

 

[Edge Haley]

Can't solve the 6'2" issue but at least on my Mav' seat you can jack the driver's seat up or down....took a week to finally adjust the driver seat to a comfort level. Just for protection I added very attractive seat covers for the front that came with roughly 3/8th inch padding that greatly helped the comfort level ($70) well spent. Rear seats I added the Costco seat covers for my 120# Doberman. Never have rear seat passengers.

 

[Connect]

After waiting 17 months for my Maverick, I finally picked it up on 3/18 and have put about 3,000 miles on it. Here are my comments on it so far.

Build: Lariat Lux Hybrid BAP- Atlas Blue

Pros:

• Looks - I love the look of this truck especially with the BAP. I didn't think it would make much of a difference but it all adds up.
• Sound System - While I agree it could be louder, it is much better than my 2018 Rav4
• Gas Mileage - I am averaging about 37-38mpg so far which is about 10 mpg better than the Rav4 and the range is better also.
• EV Coach - This has helped me increase my MPGs and be a better hybrid driver.
• Truck bed - While it isn't the largest bed, I haven't needed anything larger so far.

Cons:

• Road Noise - With the music up it isn't an issue, but the brake system and road noise is loud when the radio is low or off
• AC System - I've seen some say that it gets cold quickly, but I've experienced the opposite. It takes forever to cool down and the AC vents are terrible. The locations of the vents make it hard to really get a comfortable setting and the fact that the left/right adjustment is also the open/close is a dumb design decision.
• Rear Legroom - I was expecting more legroom based on what people have said, but I'm 6'2 and in order for someone to fit behind me while driving, neither one of us would be comfortable. My Rav4 had more legroom as well as my wife's Camry.
• Gas Mileage - Yes I listed it in the Pro's but while 37-38 is great, I was expected to regularly do 40mpg+ and I've never hit 40 on a tank, just for a trip or two. My driving is 80-90% city so I expected a lot more MPG and total range.
• Seats - The Active X seats are soft and initially very comfortable, but not for long trips. After about an hour or so of driving, my lower back starts hurting and my leg goes numb. I've tried to adjust the height and lumbar but can't seem to find a good position for long-term comfort. Not sure if its the seat angle or just the size of it which is a little narrow and shorter than my previous vehicle.

Overall, I like the truck but the seat discomfort is causing me to consider selling it and going back to a Rav4 or CRV hybrid. I like having a hybrid truck but the biggest selling point initially for me was being the cheapest hybrid on the market, the truck part was just a bonus.

If anyone has some tips to help with the seat, I'd love the input. I considered seat covers, but I don't know if that alone will solve it. I also wanted the Active-X seats because I have two dogs and its easier to clean the hair off of them vs cloth.

Thanks for the input. I like the Atlas Blue a lot but was not able to see myself in it, however I have now seen a couple with the BAP and wow it looks great!

I looked at both a Maverick and a new Colorado on Monday, and while the Colorado was obviously bigger outside I really think the inside felt tighter in it than the Maverick. The other thing that kind of struck me since I had just seen them back to back was that the bed on the Colorado is supposed to be bigger (4' vs 5') but just casual glancing it was not noticeably bigger. Obviously that would not be the case if you were to load stuff in them but just something that I was surprised at when checking them out.

Will have to spend more time in the Maverick to see if I notice the seats thing... the last purchase I made I was really leaning towards a Forester but the seat hit my mid thigh in a weird place and that sealed that it was out.

 

[colinl]

... The other thing that kind of struck me since I had just seen them back to back was that the bed on the Colorado is supposed to be bigger (4' vs 5') but just casual glancing it was not noticeably bigger. Obviously that would not be the case if you were to load stuff in them but just something that I was surprised at when checking them out.

Maverick bed is 4'6" (54") vs 5'1" (61.2" officially) for the Colorado.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz does have only a 4' bed.

 

[JBryant]

I usually just drive in Normal mode. I occassionally put it in Sport on the highway, but I don't use Eco mode very much. I was expecting to get 40mpg in my sleep and ocassionally 50 if I really start to baby it and use Eco mode. Seemed like most people on here were hitting 40 just using Normal.

Try slippery mode. I am doing a solid 44 driving around town in short, 4-8 mi trips, and consistently do 42+ on highway driving, with one 1,200+ mi trip. It takes a while to learn the shortcuts to get better mileage, and it helps to have some hilly terrain so you can let off going downhill. I am often cruising at 72-73 in electric mode going down hills. Good luck and congrats on your Maverick.

 

[WNYEscapee]

I'm 6'2" also and have multiple lower back issues and I've not experienced any problems with my legs yet at all. My issues w/the seats are that they don't feel like they have much bolstering and with the way I normally drive it feels like I'll roll out of the seat. I often find myself bracing off of the door for right hand turns on entrance/exit ramps. Otherwise, I feel the seat back is comfortable but the seat bottom could use a little better foam. It feels like it's a bit thin or something. All said and done, I'm okay with it for the price point, but I question how it will hold up over time.

 

[Ponchsox]

I agree with your points but I bought my Maverick to be a commuter/city driver not a long road trip vehicle.

 

[Cubican]

You need to learn how to drive a hybrid eco mode helps big time the rest is on your right foot, I own 9 hybrids for my business and they are all getting 600 miles to the tank full about 14 gal 80% expressway and 20% city

 

[tired comet]

I've only put ~ 160 miles on my Mav since I got it last week but the dash info is showing +/- 40 mpg. Those miles are city and highway.
No offense but if you are getting anything between 35 - 40 mpg you should be smiling all the way around town. I talked with a guy this morning at Menards who asked me about the Mav. When I told him the est. mpg I saw his face sink. He said his Silverado gets 13 mpg. I've had a lot of trucks like that.

In terms of the seats have you thought about buying an air hawk cushion. Those things are great. You could also think about going to an auto upholstery shop to get the seats beefed up for your needs. You'd want a shop that knows about seating. Sort of like day long saddles for motorcycles. Well worth the money.

Sound system, yeah could be better, mine will be better.
Noise level, I don't know, much better, quieter than expected
AC controls, what moron decided the left right slide should also be the open/close. I agree with you that is so stupid. I bet that gets changed next couple years.

Someone brought up a couple other trucks. I looked at those last August before I ordered my Mav.
Screw the Colorado, even more basic than the Mav and way over priced, at least what was at dealers around here.
I have to say I really liked the Santa Cruz. Nicer interior, nice overall, good features, definitely a step up from the Mav in terms of design implementation. If it wasn't for the dealer mark ups and a Hyundai I probably would have bought it. I've never owned a Hyundai but know lots of people who have. They don't seem to age well or take a beating well.

We'll see how well the Mav takes a beating.
Good luck

 

[skadizzle]

I'm 6'2" also and have multiple lower back issues and I've not experienced any problems with my legs yet at all. My issues w/the seats are that they don't feel like they have much bolstering and with the way I normally drive it feels like I'll roll out of the seat. I often find myself bracing off of the door for right hand turns on entrance/exit ramps. Otherwise, I feel the seat back is comfortable but the seat bottom could use a little better foam. It feels like it's a bit thin or something. All said and done, I'm okay with it for the price point, but I question how it will hold up over time.

Yeah the seat bottom is definitely thin. I can squeeze through the while thing like one of the stress relief balls which is something I could never say about another car. Maybe one of the places they cut corners.

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