Test Drove a XLT AWD 4k Tow the good and bad!

[Fotomoto]

Another bad... MPG never got better than 20-21mpg in the 8 miles I drove it(I saw more 18-19mpg) where the Bronco Sport stayed in the 28 mpg range pushing up to 32mpg in a 45 mph area on the same drive

Well I'm basing it on my needs....My work is 14.5 miles round trip daily stop and go.......... Others who have more 45+ mph stretches will see better mpg..
I'll probably be lucky to see the 22mpg rating.

If MPG is the key factor and you city drive, stick with the Hybrid model. No need to settle and you can still get the truck you want at a decent price.

Well like I said... the MPG is based on my inexperience with the throttle...stop and go and my daily drive.

My 2016 Escape, AWD, 2.0 gets 22 mpg in town and 28mpg on the road; expect to get about the same or better (6spd vs 8spd trans) with 2.0 Maverick

As has been mentioned, the driver makes a HUGE, HUGE difference on MPG.

Numerous things affect mileage. In town, two critical criteria are engine temperature and length of trip. If one does primarily short trips (under 10 miles), the ICE spends the majority of the trip in its most inefficient phase: the warmup phase. This will even affect hybrids but to a much lesser extent.

A plug-in hybrid eliminates a HUGE number of the gas warmup phases and those owners can go months or thousands of miles on a tank of gas. A short-range battery can make a HUGE difference in real world gas usage for most trips. We''ll see more and more hybrid drivetrains get the plug-in option in the next few years.

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[CASD57]

The Lariat seats are very comfortable although pretty narrow. XLT seats are fine but the rear bench was pretty stiff compared to the cushier Active/X seats

Okay great! this is what I've been waiting for.. Lariat Active-X are a little more comfortable!! .. Can't wait for my Lariat Hybrid to get scheduled

 

[Nw_adventure]

Okay great! this is what I've been waiting for.. Lariat Active-X are a little more comfortable!! .. Can't wait for my Lariat Hybrid to get scheduled

Yes they are more comfortable - Wish the Lariat interior was more to my taste -

 

[Down]

Numerous things affect mileage. In town, two critical criteria are engine temperature and length of trip. If one does primarily short trips (under 10 miles), the ICE spends the majority of the trip in its most inefficient phase: the warmup phase. This will even affect hybrids but to a much lesser extent.

A plug-in hybrid eliminates a HUGE number of the gas warmup phases and those owners can go months or thousands of miles on a tank of gas. A short-range battery can make a HUGE difference in real world gas usage for most trips. We''ll see more and more hybrid drivetrains get the plug-in option in the next few years.

Yeah, the virtues of hybrids (especially plug in) have been discussed pretty ad nauseum around these parts. Nifty tech for certain applications, especially for the types of folks that really value squeezing a few more MPG out of their vehicles.

 

[Down]

Okay great! this is what I've been waiting for.. Lariat Active-X are a little more comfortable!! .. Can't wait for my Lariat Hybrid to get scheduled

The demo that I sat in was a Lariat and I found the seats to be even more comfortable than the interior was ugly, so pretty damn comfy!

 

[MaverickMando]

Yes they are more comfortable - Wish the Lariat interior was more to my taste -

I have a Lariat and I didn't love the brown and blue in pictures but after seeing it in person, it looks much better. I still would prefer a different color though.

 

[Fotomoto]

Nifty tech for certain applications, especially for the types of folks that really value squeezing a few more MPG out of their vehicles.

The beauty part is with pure EV driving one doesn't have to "squeeze" anything, just drive (and try not to speed/accelerate hard as it's soooo tempting).

Fuel economy is going to be a huge and constant topic for MAV's as it appears from the forum traffic here that nearly everyone is either getting a hybrid or moving "down" from a larger truck/vehicle where even the EcoTurbo makes sense/cents.

 

[ColoradoShooter]

This is ‘Merica. Get both and have your cake!

 

[ReddWulf]

Well, like the saying goes you can only choose one, ECO or BOOST...can't have 'em both. Plus if it is a dealer demo, I'd say most drivers are checking out the boost more than eco. Unless driven like a street demon, you MPG would likely be much better for normal driving.

 

[Down]

The beauty part is with pure EV driving one doesn't have to "squeeze" anything, just drive (and try not to speed/accelerate hard as it's soooo tempting).

Fuel economy is going to be a huge and constant topic for MAV's as it appears from the forum traffic here that nearly everyone is either getting a hybrid or moving "down" from a larger truck/vehicle where even the EcoTurbo makes sense/cents.

No doubt on pure EV but I think it's gonna be awhile before we see a nicely performing, pure EV vehicle anywhere near this price point.

I shoulda been more clear but the hybrid Mav is what I was referring to when I mentioned "squeezing". My application is mostly highway driving, all of it "spirited". So for someone like me, I believe the hybrid Mav would've taken away a good chunk of the fun of driving so that I could save enough money in gas each day to buy coffee from a gas station.

As I said, great for certain applications but for me? Sacrificing driving experience for that tiny of an amount of savings is the dictionary definition of "squeezing". Once I see an EV pickup priced in the $20s that has great performance and enough range that I won't feel nervous driving through 100s of miles of wasteland deserts of AZ, NV and CA? Sign me up. Man, I feel like that is a long ways away though.

I'd also slightly disagree on your interpretation of demographics. From what I've seen, there are far more folks coming from SUVs with similar MPG ratings to the Mav (like me) than people downgrading from large trucks with abysmal MPG. Not sure which is true but Ford's marketing has seemed to be aimed more at folks like me than than big truck owners, so if I'm wrong, Ford was too.

I do agree that MPG will be a constant topic here but the more I read, the more I think it's because folks really overestimate how much of a difference a few MPG will make on your pocketbook.

 

[CASD57]

No doubt on pure EV but I think it's gonna be awhile before we see a nicely performing, pure EV vehicle anywhere near this price point.

I shoulda been more clear but the hybrid Mav is what I was referring to when I mentioned "squeezing". My application is mostly highway driving, all of it "spirited". So for someone like me, I believe the hybrid Mav would've taken away a good chunk of the fun of driving so that I could save enough money in gas each day to buy coffee from a gas station.

As I said, great for certain applications but for me? Sacrificing driving experience for that tiny of an amount of savings is the dictionary definition of "squeezing". Once I see an EV pickup priced in the $20s that has great performance and enough range that I won't feel nervous driving through 100s of miles of wasteland deserts of AZ, NV and CA? Sign me up. Man, I feel like that is a long ways away though.

I'd also slightly disagree on your interpretation of demographics. From what I've seen, there are far more folks coming from SUVs with similar MPG ratings to the Mav (like me) than people downgrading from large trucks with abysmal MPG. Not sure which is true but Ford's marketing has seemed to be aimed more at folks like me than than big truck owners, so if I'm wrong, Ford was too.

I do agree that MPG will be a constant topic here but the more I read, the more I think it's because folks really overestimate how much of a difference a few MPG will make on your pocketbook.

LOL...I did the numbers
My commute based on two weeks 140 miles total
My Chevy will use 10.3 gals @ $3.89gal = $40.35 every two weeks
XL AWD will use 6.36gal @ $3.89= $24.75
Lariat Hybrid will use 3.5gal @$3.89 =$13.61

I think your pocket book is deeper than mine...because I think $36 saving every two weeks is great
and even $16 every two weeks will be nice.........The $16 will be more about seeing 21-23mpg and will be the most important thing over the $

 

[ThisWas]

My application is mostly highway driving, all of it "spirited". So for someone like me, I believe the hybrid Mav would've taken away a good chunk of the fun of driving so that I could save enough money in gas each day to buy coffee from a gas station.

Thinking about what Jason (Down) wrote... in the 9 months we've had our RAV4 Hybrid I don't think I've ever driven it in a "spirited" fashion. The 2.5L Atkinson-cycle engine in the RAV4 (similar to the engine in the Maverick hybrid) has a pleasant growl at low rpms but is not at all musical when I stomp on the gas pedal. The sound it makes (and the side-eye from the lady in the passenger seat) discourages "spirited" driving and contributes to the economical fuel consumption, which has averaged 48mpg without hyper-miling and drops to 40mpg when I do a lot of highway miles.

Driving our hybrid is not exciting; what it is is "smooth," as there are no gearshifts. Jason knows what he likes, and he has made the right choice for his personal driving style.

 

[CASD57]

Went and looked at a over priced Santa Cruz SEL AWD $36600 Didn't drive it
But sat in it and looked it over..
It is a nice build..feels expensive..
Didn't like the 12in steering wheel (Looks like 12in probably 14in lol) looked kind of funny
Gloss Black Polished finger printing plastic on dash...around knobs you'd be touching
Overall Hyundai did a decent job but it's the stealerships that are hurting the Cruz
plus the MPG sucks.

Can't wait for my Lariat Hybrid

 

[Down]

LOL...I did the numbers
My commute based on two weeks 140 miles total
My Chevy will use 10.3 gals @ $3.89gal = $40.35 every two weeks
XL AWD will use 6.36gal @ $3.89= $24.75
Lariat Hybrid will use 3.5gal @$3.89 =$13.61

I think your pocket book is deeper than mine...because I think $36 saving every two weeks is great
and even $16 every two weeks will be nice.........The $16 will be more about seeing 21-23mpg and will be the most important thing over the $

I definitely don't feel like my pockets are too deep ( AT ALL, haha) but automobiles are one of a handful of areas where my general thriftiness typically takes a back seat. To further my previous "cup of coffee" analogy, $36 every couple weeks is still about a cup of coffee a day. For me, that seems absolutely nutty but $36 in extra gas just makes me shrug my shoulders. It's still the same amount of money each day and objectively, probably equally frivolous. It really does amaze me how situational each person's tolerance for "wasting money" can be.

And in fairness, in this particular situation? I was seriously considering a BMW X3 or X5 before the Maverick caught my eye, so I've already "saved" upwards of $30k or more already just by going with the Mav, assuming I still like it once I get to drive one. I'm sure that makes a grand for the EB upgrade here and some extra gas there seem much easier for me to swallow, too.

 

[Fotomoto]

No doubt on pure EV but I think it's gonna be awhile before we see a nicely performing, pure EV vehicle anywhere near this price point.

Ahh, the modern EV developers dilemma: Fast, Light, Cheap. You can only pick two.


Speaking generally: adding a charger (plug) and a larger battery to an already electrified HEV is really all that’s needed (the big parts anyway) to get a “pure EV” drive. This has been done now for over the past decade. One doesn’t need a very large and very expensive battery to enjoy the benefits of a “pure EV” drive. My PHEV is lighter and cheaper than a comparable BEV but it’s not as fast. Most folks want those two choices of the three options.

I suspect and hope the MAV will get the plug next year (if they have enough batteries).

I do agree that MPG will be a constant topic here but the more I read, the more I think it's because folks really overestimate how much of a difference a few MPG will make on your pocketbook.

Hybrids show folks how important both the vehicle and driving conditions affect one’s pocketbook. Typically the higher costs of the hybrid power plant takes years to overcome in gas savings but with the MAV it will be the opposite since the EcoBoost is the higher $1,000 option.

Folks that primarily drive long trips at high speeds may be better served with an ICE only. Although hybrids don’t “suck” in these conditions, it isn’t their strong suit.

Some comparison points using the matching Escape drivetrains (hybrid vs ecoboost numbers from fuelly.com ):

2020 Escape EcoBoost avg: 27mpg x100k miles= 3700 gallons x $3.50 gal=$13,000
2021 Escape Hybrid avg: 38.9 mpg x100k miles= 2560 gallons x $3.50 gal= $ 8,960

$4100 diff + $1k ecoboost option= $5,000 hybrid savings over the first 100k miles.

The Escape’s earlier 2017-2019 2.0L EB are even lower at only 22mpg. Although that’s only 5 mpg less than the 2020’s 27mpg rating, the difference is even bigger: $8,000. If the comparison vehicle is achieving less than 20mpg’s, the differences can become quite large.

My guess is the MAV’s hybrid EPA’s average will be around 37mpg. That would be about a total savings of about $4500 over the EB.

FWIW

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