The New Maverick Mentality

[colinl]

I hear you. Seems like some people come on here just for an echo chamber of their opinions on their purchase. That can’t be good for anybody.

I’m just a peasant XL driver though

I don't see many people looking for validation for their economic decisions but at the same time I almost never venture into the ordering sub forum where some of that might indeed happen. I do see people criticize others who have spent more - almost never for spending less, it's quite a one way street.

I see people asking questions about functionality, modifications, appearance, performance and a lot more. people can talk about autos with anyone, but if you talk to people that have the same vehicle you have or want to buy, it's much more useful and meaningful.

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[Houndmav]

I don't see many people looking for validation for their economic decisions but at the same time I almost never venture into the ordering sub forum where some of that might indeed happen. I do see people criticize others who have spent more - almost never for spending less, it's quite a one way street.

I see people asking questions about functionality, modifications, appearance, performance and a lot more. people can talk about autos with anyone, but if you talk to people that have the same vehicle you have or want to buy, it's much more useful and meaningful.

huh? I’m referring to the OG post, no one in particular.

 

[GyroRon]

I'm not in the F series discussions but I see this same thing with Broncos. It's mostly about the people who choose to participate in forums and Facebook groups, and the amount of money they choose to, or are able to, spend on their vehicles. Both new purchases and modifications. It took a really long time for the Maverick ecoboost tuning community to really get rolling and it's still not at all like the Focus community became after the ST was first launched. In almost every single thread about any kind of modification you're going to get a reply asking about warranty and a reply asking about fuel economy.

I believe it's because of the demographics of Maverick owners. There are simply a lot of people who buy Mavericks who either don't have the funds to spend, or are very frugal and choose not to spend it.

Mavericks appeal to so many different people, so many uses cases that are very different.
- cheapest Ford you can buy. cheapest new truck you can buy.
- prius with a bed, urban fuel efficiency matters most.
- off-road/soft-road.
- towing and hauling.
- street trucks.
- outdoor recreation.

At least 2 of those common interests are about saving money. People don't buy F series or Broncos to save money.

I think you nailed it. It's clearly a different kind of buyer that buys a maverick over the typical F150 or F250 buyer.

It's funny to me and semi hard to relate to, because I am a F150/F250 buyer type of person, but I am also thrifty with my money and most always try to get the best bang for my buck...

I can agree that the base XL maverick only needs a set of aftermarket or factory takeoff alloy wheels to be on nearly the same level as a XLT model and I can also agree that most of the stuff that comes additionally on a lariat is just fluff that I could easily live without. And from a resale perspective, the XL is the smartest choice.

But the thought that no maverick is worth more than 20-25 grand crossed my mind when deciding to sell the XLT I originally bought and get a lariat to replace it. The only thoughts that I was concerned with was, are these additional features worth the extra couple grand the lariat is going to cost me. And for me it was worth it...

I can't even remember all the upgrades, but I think it was.... spray in bedliner, electrical plug in the bed, sliding rear window, acoustic glass windshield, upgraded radio / speaker system and the ability to get XM radio and navigation, push button start, one touch windows, heated seats and wheel, bigger digital screen in instrument cluster, SLIGHTLY more upscale interior trim pieces, fake leather seats ( I still would have preferred cloth... ), power adjustable seat, adaptive cruise and lane centering, bigger wheels and tires, different headlights, plus got the BAP with the smoked lenses on the lights...

I could have lived without all those upgrades but for a few grand more it was worth it to me. Makes the truck nicer, and makes it feel more upscale / more usable / more comfortable.

 

[CaptScott5]

I haven't kept up with all they added/subtracted. I only knew about the key pad, because I didn't care about it in '22 but wanted it in '25.

What is CoPilot? Lane keeping assistance? I didn't ask for that but have it. Is there more to CoPilot than that?

My point from the beginning was that inflation at around 20% makes up for most of the Maverick's increase. Those other things you pointed out along with the bigger screen & Sync4 are definitely upping the base price, but only by about 10%.

If inflation had been 2% a year for 3 years (6.12% over 3 years) instead of 8%, 4%, & 6% (20% over 3 years), we're looking at an inflationary increase of $22,280 to $23,643 instead of $22,280 to $26,736. That's a $3k difference between 6% & 20% inflation.

At 20% inflation the '25 Maverick would have been $26,736 if they had added nothing to it. But (as you pointed out) they added CoPilot, 2k Trailer hitch, painted wheels, a bigger screen, & Sync4 and only added an additional $2,000 to get it to $28,795. $2k for all that seems reasonable. BUT as to the OP, is that getting away from the inexpensive "trucklet" many of us fell in love with in 2021 when we ordered our first Maverick?

We haven't seen 2% inflation since 2020. Inflation has been over 8 percent. Honestly it was much more than this, but the government changed the way they calculate it to make the numbers lower.
Based on these calculations, Ford has increased their prices very little.

 

[colinl]

But the thought that no maverick is worth more than 20-25 grand crossed my mind when deciding to sell the XLT I originally bought and get a lariat to replace it. The only thoughts that I was concerned with was, are these additional features worth the extra couple grand the lariat is going to cost me. And for me it was worth it...

any vehicle is financially terrible, but yet at the same time in the vast majority of the united states a reliable vehicle is required, and for many of us that spend a lot of hours in the vehicle, features and comfort can make a big difference. why spend $25k on something I hate to drive, when I could afford $40k for something I love to drive? and why would I get an incentive-laden leftover F150 for $45k when I don't want or need a truck that big, and wouldn't enjoy driving it and parking it outside my garage?

I use the hell out of ACC. When I'm doing 6 boring hours on 2 lane highways in western Kansas, hell yes I want something to steer into the crosswind for me and radar cruise is a huge benefit when you can't pass for a while. ACC is far from perfect, but I'd have a hard time buying a vehicle without it. Others, based on their local traffic (surely you could not use ACC in NYC), fear of the technology (I was wary of it at first and I definitely do not try to drive hands-free), or just preferences won't use it even if they bought a lariat for other reasons. Like maybe trailer assist, or even just pleather seats. It's their money.

I think some folks who have vehicles that lack those features have never used them before and literally do not know what they're missing. we often don't really know - and for me, I don't care - if someone bought an XL because that's all they could afford, they assume they wouldn't value the features in a lariat, or any other reason. for some people, autos are just a tool to them. people that enjoy driving and enjoy modifying their vehicles are much, much more likely to buy high trim levels.

 

[papaacer]

Looking at these replies has me kinda thinking about other companies now. My wife's base model 23 Camry LE is sitting at I want to say 40k with less features standard than my XLT which was 35k. It's an econobox if I've ever seen it and it's had wayyyyy more issues with quality control than most Mavericks I've seen. 40k out the door for a base model. My father in-law bought it with an 805 credit score, and 12k down which had the loan at 28k. Even now though, I checked the online build price of a base Camry LE, and you're looking at 30k with no extra options whatsoever. XLT is still sitting at about 29k no extra options. Kinda puts things into perspective. I feel like you're getting more vehicle with a Mav.

 

[ClemsonU88]

We haven't seen 2% inflation since 2020. Inflation has been over 8 percent. Honestly it was much more than this, but the government changed the way they calculate it to make the numbers lower.
Based on these calculations, Ford has increased their prices very little.

That's what I'm saying. For decades inflation was around 2%, and we got used to it. Inflation being between 6%-8% annually would drive the price of any vehicle/product up 20% or more.

I was being conservative with 20% over 3.5 years. If inflation really is 25%, then the Maverick has only gone up 2% and added a bunch of neat features. If it's gone up 30%, the Maverick is LESS expensive than it was 3.5 years ago when adjusted for inflation.

 

[710-oil-614]

Looking at these replies has me kinda thinking about other companies now. My wife's base model 23 Camry LE is sitting at I want to say 40k with less features standard than my XLT which was 35k. It's an econobox if I've ever seen it and it's had wayyyyy more issues with quality control than most Mavericks I've seen. 40k out the door for a base model. My father in-law bought it with an 805 credit score, and 12k down which had the loan at 28k. Even now though, I checked the online build price of a base Camry LE, and you're looking at 30k with no extra options whatsoever. XLT is still sitting at about 29k no extra options. Kinda puts things into perspective. I feel like you're getting more vehicle with a Mav.

That was my honest question to someone earlier in the thread - what exactly are you getting for less than $30k that makes the Maverick feel like a $20-25k vehicle? I just got done driving a $29,000 Honda Civic for 10k miles and I can tell you while it had some nice features the fit and finish and build quality was on par with the Maverick and if I went for a Hybrid Sport Touring it would cost every bit as much as a Lariat without AWD and the truck capabilities that I want.

 

[colinl]

That was my honest question to someone earlier in the thread - what exactly are you getting for less than $30k that makes the Maverick feel like a $20-25k vehicle?

many people will respond with various used vehicles. to them it's reasonable because they're really considering it, which is fine and all but the questions aren't really that hard.

what *new* truck is cheaper than a Maverick? a better value? has higher resale?

 

[710-oil-614]

many people will respond with various used vehicles. to them it's reasonable because they're really considering it, which is fine and all but the questions aren't really that hard.

what *new* truck is cheaper than a Maverick? a better value? has higher resale?

Let’s just say *new vehicle*.

I am critical of Ford where they deserve it but I just went through this exercise last April when I sold my Tremor at its peak value.

I wanted the cheapest possible vehicle that I could tolerate driving on a daily basis and it ended up being at $28,500 Honda civic that the only options were heated seats, dual zone climate, and moonroof.

When people say “nice” they really just mean the interior but these are the same folks that pan spending anything above base trim on a vehicle.

 

[MN123]

It's astonishing how disappointing the infotainment systems in the 2022-24 Ford Mavericks are. For a mere $140, I upgraded my 2006 Ford Ranger with a wireless Android Auto/CarPlay system that utterly eclipses the factory unit in the Mavericks.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time with the Maverick, and I'm sure I'll own another one someday. It was like a free two-year test drive! But for now, I'm relishing the simplicity and surprising fuel efficiency of my "Danger Ranger" – I'm getting a remarkable 30-32 mpg with the 2.3L engine. also, I missed driving a stick transmission. so much fun.

 

[MavMeister25]

I got my 2025 XL for $29,500. And that included spray in bed liner, Copilot 360 1.0, and trailer hitch. I didn’t see the sense in buying any of the higher trims.

 

[MN123]

I got my 2025 XL for $29,500. And that included spray in bed liner, Copilot 360 1.0, and trailer hitch. I didn’t see the sense in buying any of the higher trims.

You're absolutely right, the price is indeed attractive and the truck offers most of what someone would need. I actually had a Lariat on order, and when it arrived, it looked fantastic. But then reality hit – $42,000 out the door! Even though I could have paid cash, it just felt exorbitant for what amounted to a slightly upgraded XLT with a better screen and all-wheel drive. It's essentially the same truck I owned in 2022 xlt...

Ultimately, I decided it wasn't worth the premium. I'll hold out for a completely redesigned model instead.

 

[Montana]

It's posts like these that give companies justification for jacking up prices.

YOU feel the upgrades are worth it, not everyone agrees. Lots of them are great updates, but some are certainly not considered upgrades.

And none of it justifies the price increase. None of it. That happens for one reason and one reason only and if you don't know by now, then you were probably dumb enough to vote for it recently. Greed, in case you missed it or need it written in your favorite flavor crayons.

 

[colinl]

It's posts like these that give companies justification for jacking up prices.

maybe a little bit, but I'd say the price increases are much more heavily affected by sales and competition. the sales are high, and the competition very low because there isn't anything that matches or exceeds the features and capabilities.

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