The *official* mamboman777 Hybrid Maverick XLT owner review

[Astropowell]

All right, so I've finally got some time and mental bandwidth to spare, so here's my review!

I went into Five Star Ford, North Richland Hills, TX to investigate and order a Ford Lightning. After experiencing sticker shock, I was poking around and found out about the Maverick.

I came in a week later to make my order. At first, I was apprehensive about the hybrid due to the CVT transmission. I've had one previous CVT, on a Tiwanese scooter, it was fine, but I could see where people don't like them and why it wouldn't be a good plan on a car. After researching, I learned about the eCVT and how few moving parts out actually has. I learned that it is very similar to the Toyota hybrid transmissions. I watched the guy in the wheelchair show off the different internals of the the transmission. I also googled "NYC Taxi Ford Escape" and was sold.

I placed my order on August 1, 2021 for a hybrid, XLT, with in cab inverter, trailer hitch, and air deflectors.

XLT was a must for me because I use cruise control every day. Nicer rims are a bonus.

The in cab inverter is a great option for me and my two boys, who use the charging in the back. The hitch is a steal of an add on. The air deflectors are great. I've had them on every car I've driven since 2004. In Texas, I can leave my windows cracked and not worry about wet interior; IMHO, worth it.

Sometimes I wish I had ordered a full size spare, but other times I don't. I didn't use the spare in my previous two cars *knock on wood* and I'm rarely in a position where I'd need a full size spare. The doughnut is enough to get me to Discount Tire.

I was told by Five Star Ford, that my truck would arrive sooner if I got the bedliner and floor mats aftermarket. Bedliner is done, but I'm still waiting on the floor mats.

That said, kudos to them, because my truck arrived before many and I believe it's because of their guidance.

I went to pick up my truck on Saturday, April 2nd.

I was so excited to test drive it and remember smiling, a lot.

My previous car was a 2012 Ford Focus. So, much of the driving impressions are compared to that.

The ride is bumpier than I expected, though not bad compared to other trucks I've been in.

The steering is fine. Acceleration is fine. I do miss my 5 speed. I love driving with three pedals. That said, I'd easily trade all of the meh's of driving for the economy.

I like the acceleration, especially between 20-50mph. That's where I spend most of my time anyways. It's responsive and fun. I've never found it lacking. At highway speeds it's not as good, but better than my focus was, so .

Sport mode is hilarious and unnecessary (for me).

I have decided that I'm going to leave my Maverick in "Normal" most of the time.

I'm not going to use Eco for a few reasons: 1. The throttle response is not as good. 2. The economy of Eco vs. Normal is not much different in my experience. 3. (This is conjecture based on what I've learned from videos and the interwebs) I believe that the eco mode allows deeper use of the HVB. Deeper use decreases longevity. If you have an opinion about this, I'd love to hear it, but that's what I think. Time will tell.

The brakes took some getting used to. I do not think they are linear, at all. I also think it's funny that the pedal feels like a traditional hydraulic, because they aren't traditional brakes. I have had the "whump" hard stop happen at low speeds a few times, but I guess at least it's never done the opposite. That said, to get%100 on brake coach I have to feather it until I'm below 20mph, then gradually increase pressure until I've stopped.

The first time I saw the Maverick and some days, I'm surprised at how small it is. Other days I'm surprised at how big it is. All days I've thought, "it's the right size for me."

Plenty of room for me, my wife, and my twin 6 year old boys. I think we're going to buy some neck pillows for them to sleep in the road trip, because that's not great in the back.

The interior storage is ample and awesome.

I like Android auto. I've had to restart it twice (hold power and fast forward), but I don't consider that a major issue.

The sound system is fine. Most of my in car listening is podcasts, which the Maverick does fine. I'm past the days of trying to get good audio in a car. IMHO, a car is NOT the place for that. It's not quiet enough and the only way to overcome that is volume. I like my hearing and I value "rests" (musical silence) in my music, so if I'm going to listen to music, I'm going to do so on some nice headphones or speakers in a quiet environment.

Now, the best part of this truck, no ute, no trucklette, no SUT, no WHATEVER. The best part is the value.

Granted, I saved more down payment, but my car payments are LESS than my 2012 focus! It's so nice to be able to haul stuff. I haven't done any towing yet, but I'm sure that $100 hitch is going to be used. I'm getting >42 mpg lifetime. Current tank is at 45 MPG. Hot tip, if you have the time, change route options in Google Maps to "avoid highways.". Most of the time for me, it adds <5 minutes, but my gas mileage is great!

Kudos again, to Five Star Ford. John Little and Jeff Crabtree. They were honest and as transparent as possible throughout the process. They honored price protection and MSRP. they gave me $1300 MORE than I expected (carvana) on my trade.

There might be cheaper vehicles, there might be more capable vehicles, there might be more comfortable vehicles, but this is the right combination of those for me. It's comfortable enough. It's capable enough, actually more than capable for me most days. And holy moly, the total cost of ownership is a win. Sure, an electric, MIGHT, be a better value, especially if gas prices keep going up, but right now, I don't see it.

Well done Ford. You've kept a customer loyal. Well done Five Star Ford, NRH. You've earned a customers loyalty and maybe won a new customer (my wife). Well done MTC. Thank you for all the information and laughs.

Review done. (Until I think of something to add and edit it later)

Time to meme.

Thanks for the great review! I am still waiting on mine from Bob Tomes in McKinney. Mine is a September order. Glad you like the truck.
I am going from a manual VW Jetta to this, so I know what you mean about missing 3 pedals. I have only owned a couple of cars that were NOT manual. Heck, my 2000 Ranger was a manual.

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[mikellmikell]

The rough ride could be where you live. Here in michigan a graded gravel road is better than most main roads.

 

[jtpc2021]

I gotta say, I don't find the ride to be harsh at all. In fact, the smooth ride was a pleasant surprise for me. There are several rough patches on my drive to work that I always hated going over in my previous car, one of them being on an uphill curve that was particularly annoying....and the Maverick glides over them all without a care. After five months it still makes me smile.

Maybe Ford just used completely different suspensions or something. I’d never call it smooth. I’d wonder whether it is just my truck, but my mom’s Lariat hybrid maverick rides very similar to my XLT, so maybe we just got bad ones or else some think harsh impacts are smooth. Very odd assessment.

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