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It’s been a little more than 24 hours since I drove my Maverick off the lot. I took delivery a little over 8 months after my order date. Here are my initial thoughts:
1. Driving this hybrid in rush hour traffic puts a smile on my face. I creep along at 25 mph in all-electric mode, watching my average mpg climb. The 10 year-old crossover this vehicle replaced elicited the opposite reaction to rush hour traffic. This evening’s commute home wasn’t any faster than in my old crossover, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The best part was getting home, turning off the engine, and registering 54 mpg for the trip.
2. The interior is fantastic! Comfortable seats and spacious leg room in the front and back. I’m 6’1” and could comfortably sit for extended periods behind the driver’s seat adjusted to my liking. In comparison to the old crossover, everything is a step up: seats, interior materials, touch screen, backup camera, Carplay, climate control (literally took my breath away when I cranked it all the way up on cold for the first time). The audio quality is also an improvement over my old vehicle, with the exception of the Bluetooth. When I take calls over Bluetooth, the audio is pretty distorted and it can be difficult to understand what the other person is saying. CarPlay works great, though, so it’s not an issue. Ford probably figured most people wouldn’t use Bluetooth for calls so they cut corners there.
3. The ride is a significant improvement over the stiff suspension of my old crossover. Between the seats and the suspension, I would be comfortable driving this on all-day road-trips.
4. The price was unbeatable. I had price protection at MSRP and got the farm bureau discount so there wasn’t really anything to negotiate. I looked at a Bronco Sport at the dealership that was $33k msrp according to the window sticker, but asking price was just under $50k due to the “Market Value Adjustment” that was added. MY22 buyers have really gotten in on the ground floor. I’m sure Ford will increase the price significantly on the MY23 due to demand and inflation.
5. Visibility is great. Once I adjusted the mirrors I didn’t notice any blind-spot issues. It took me a little while to become accustomed to the small blind-spot mirrors.
6. The power! I realize that comparing it to a 10 year-old base model crossover from a manufacturer which sacrificed power for as much fuel efficiency as possible isn’t really a fair comparison. But dang, the Maverick can scoot when you want it. I haven’t really put my foot down yet, but it’s quick off the line and has no difficulty passing at any speed. It leaves my old crossover in the dust but also gets way better mileage. It really is the best of both worlds.
There are a few items that will take some getting used to.
1. The dial shifter. It seems like it’s all to easy to accidentally bump it and it feels like it’s missing a tactile element of shifting, like when you transition from a manual to automatic transmission vehicle.
2. The electric parking brake. It just feels odd, as if there should be more resistance when you engage it, so I always wonder if it’s actually engaged.
3. The door pulls. I like the aesthetics of the gap, but I’ve totally missed the handle a couple times when closing the door
I realize these are minor issues that I probably won’t notice in a month. All in all, I’m very impressed with my first Ford vehicle and hope it holds up for years.
1. Driving this hybrid in rush hour traffic puts a smile on my face. I creep along at 25 mph in all-electric mode, watching my average mpg climb. The 10 year-old crossover this vehicle replaced elicited the opposite reaction to rush hour traffic. This evening’s commute home wasn’t any faster than in my old crossover, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The best part was getting home, turning off the engine, and registering 54 mpg for the trip.
2. The interior is fantastic! Comfortable seats and spacious leg room in the front and back. I’m 6’1” and could comfortably sit for extended periods behind the driver’s seat adjusted to my liking. In comparison to the old crossover, everything is a step up: seats, interior materials, touch screen, backup camera, Carplay, climate control (literally took my breath away when I cranked it all the way up on cold for the first time). The audio quality is also an improvement over my old vehicle, with the exception of the Bluetooth. When I take calls over Bluetooth, the audio is pretty distorted and it can be difficult to understand what the other person is saying. CarPlay works great, though, so it’s not an issue. Ford probably figured most people wouldn’t use Bluetooth for calls so they cut corners there.
3. The ride is a significant improvement over the stiff suspension of my old crossover. Between the seats and the suspension, I would be comfortable driving this on all-day road-trips.
4. The price was unbeatable. I had price protection at MSRP and got the farm bureau discount so there wasn’t really anything to negotiate. I looked at a Bronco Sport at the dealership that was $33k msrp according to the window sticker, but asking price was just under $50k due to the “Market Value Adjustment” that was added. MY22 buyers have really gotten in on the ground floor. I’m sure Ford will increase the price significantly on the MY23 due to demand and inflation.
5. Visibility is great. Once I adjusted the mirrors I didn’t notice any blind-spot issues. It took me a little while to become accustomed to the small blind-spot mirrors.
6. The power! I realize that comparing it to a 10 year-old base model crossover from a manufacturer which sacrificed power for as much fuel efficiency as possible isn’t really a fair comparison. But dang, the Maverick can scoot when you want it. I haven’t really put my foot down yet, but it’s quick off the line and has no difficulty passing at any speed. It leaves my old crossover in the dust but also gets way better mileage. It really is the best of both worlds.
There are a few items that will take some getting used to.
1. The dial shifter. It seems like it’s all to easy to accidentally bump it and it feels like it’s missing a tactile element of shifting, like when you transition from a manual to automatic transmission vehicle.
2. The electric parking brake. It just feels odd, as if there should be more resistance when you engage it, so I always wonder if it’s actually engaged.
3. The door pulls. I like the aesthetics of the gap, but I’ve totally missed the handle a couple times when closing the door
I realize these are minor issues that I probably won’t notice in a month. All in all, I’m very impressed with my first Ford vehicle and hope it holds up for years.
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