Torn Between Killer MPG and Building a Killer Truck

[Hoosier25]

54.1 MPG on the way home

4.7 of 6.7 miles driven on electric. Love what this Maverick Hybrid can do!

But man… I keep going back and forth — do I lean into this insane gas mileage and keep it stock, or go full send with new tires, a lift, and all the mods?

Anybody else battling between efficiency and building a beast?

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[Toddman45]

Do what makes you happy and whatever you can afford, anything else is just somebody else's opinion.

 

[Hoosier25]

Do what makes you happy and whatever you can afford, anything else is just somebody else's opinion.

oh i know that. Just kind of posting my own internal debates from within. Haha

 

[Toddman45]

Me personally, unless you're really going to use it off road and mudding. I wouldn't bother lifting it because usually it causes more issues with axles and other suspension parts then it's worth just for a pavement Queen if it's not being used to off-road.

While I think lifted trucks look great I have no use for them as I've never taken a truck off-roading/mudding in my life. That's coming from a guy that's owned seven to eight trucks in my life

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

Here is a picture of an axle, on a bone stock 2023 Maverick hybrid on a flat surface.
How much more of an up angle would a lift actually create, versus the stock angle pictured below?
Increasing wear??
It looks like lowering the vehicle would actually straighten out the axle.

 

[MattTX]

I've had 7 vehicles before the Maverick and it is my first truck. I've taken every one of those other vehicles on dirt roads, including driving a Toyota Celica on lightly maintained dirt roads in Vermont during the winter. I also did some real (but not too challenging) off roading with a stock 2001 Ford Escape in the dunes outside Las Vegas, the dirt roads of Mount Charleston, and various dirt roads in Death Valley and while I couldn't compete with the real trucks in the more challenging areas it still did pretty well. I just had to be a little extra cautious and I did get stuck in the sand dunes a few times, but that's why I had friends with older Land Rovers and Broncos there too.

Anyway, if you're just going to drive on dirt roads and do some light off roading I'd say the Maverick in (mostly) stock form is fine for that. The one thing I'd strongly recommend are adding some skid plates, the only serious damage I ever did to my Escape was hitting a rock that punched a hole in my transmission casing. We were on a fairly smooth dirt road driving at about 15-20mph, I was following a friend in his Land Rover and there was a decent sized rock in the road that he drove over fine but my Escape didn't have enough ground clearance. I saw it coming up but since he cleared it fine I thought I would too, my bumper cleared it but then the underbody caught it and rolled it up into my transmission casing. If I'd had a skid plate it would have been noisy and bumpy but probably wouldn't have done more than put a dent in the plate. I don't plan on doing any serious off roading in my Maverick but will likely be on dirt roads from time to time, and maybe some that are a little rougher, so just for piece of mind a skid plate is on my list of eventual upgrades.

In regards to your dilemma here's my thought. You have a hybrid truck that gets great gas mileage, if you want to make some modifications (maybe not full send!) that cost you a few MPG, you still have a hybrid truck that gets great gas mileage. Like others have said I'd be more concerned about doing anything that further stresses weak points like the axles. From what I've read even just driving on rougher / dirt roads is probably not the best for the axles, but at least for me, I'm going to keep that in mind but not worry too much about it at the moment.

 

[Hoosier25]

I've had 7 vehicles before the Maverick and it is my first truck. I've taken every one of those other vehicles on dirt roads, including driving a Toyota Celica on lightly maintained dirt roads in Vermont during the winter. I also did some real (but not too challenging) off roading with a stock 2001 Ford Escape in the dunes outside Las Vegas, the dirt roads of Mount Charleston, and various dirt roads in Death Valley and while I couldn't compete with the real trucks in the more challenging areas it still did pretty well. I just had to be a little extra cautious and I did get stuck in the sand dunes a few times, but that's why I had friends with older Land Rovers and Broncos there too.

Anyway, if you're just going to drive on dirt roads and do some light off roading I'd say the Maverick in (mostly) stock form is fine for that. The one thing I'd strongly recommend are adding some skid plates, the only serious damage I ever did to my Escape was hitting a rock that punched a hole in my transmission casing. We were on a fairly smooth dirt road driving at about 15-20mph, I was following a friend in his Land Rover and there was a decent sized rock in the road that he drove over fine but my Escape didn't have enough ground clearance. I saw it coming up but since he cleared it fine I thought I would too, my bumper cleared it but then the underbody caught it and rolled it up into my transmission casing. If I'd had a skid plate it would have been noisy and bumpy but probably wouldn't have done more than put a dent in the plate. I don't plan on doing any serious off roading in my Maverick but will likely be on dirt roads from time to time, and maybe some that are a little rougher, so just for piece of mind a skid plate is on my list of eventual upgrades.

In regards to your dilemma here's my thought. You have a hybrid truck that gets great gas mileage, if you want to make some modifications (maybe not full send!) that cost you a few MPG, you still have a hybrid truck that gets great gas mileage. Like others have said I'd be more concerned about doing anything that further stresses weak points like the axles. From what I've read even just driving on rougher / dirt roads is probably not the best for the axles, but at least for me, I'm going to keep that in mind but not worry too much about it at the moment.

Thanks for the in depth response!

 

[colinl]

respectfully, no, I would not lift a fwd hybrid. very little point in that and you give up a lot for very little real gains.

I would, however, use a real all-terrain tire if that's your goal. the firestone wilderness at2 is extremely popular amongst hybrid owners.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

Unless you "need" it lifted, you're just asking for CV axle issues, as well as making it more work to reach over the side to get stuff in or out of the bed. I personally love the fact that stock height is the absolute perfect step in/out height and stepping up onto the tailgate is pretty easy too.

Any "all terrain" tire is going to make a negative impact on your gas mileage.

 

[hdave]

I agree with the other posters here, you bought a hybrid to be efficient, it's a FWD unibody vehicle anyway, so it's not like lifting will functionally do much.

If you want to go more rugged, maybe just put slightly larger tires on there (that's what I did, it only cost me a few mpg but looks good and gives me more ground clearance for high curbs)
If you are set on changing the ride height, you could lower it and put some 19s on there. It would look nice and also not kill the mileage if you don't go for some crazy wide tires.

 

[Sticks]

These trucks are pretty forgiving mpg-wise. Mild mods are fine. Obviously, a roof rack and mud boggers would be a problem.

I have upsized On-Road A/T's and a "heavy foot" -- I still get the EPA rated 33 mpg (highway) with 90-95% highway driving.

As others said, lifts tend to kill axles on these.

 

[daddio211]

I still get great mileage and think mines pretty killer.

 

[RussCantrell]

I'd go street truck. Keep it low and make her look sharp.

(Tremor EB might go the other way, if you actually did some off-roading. But for Hybrid FWD? Nah.)

 

[Surly Old Bill]

modifying cars is a fun and interesting hobby, but in my opinion trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear is a waste of time (and money). This was designed from the ground up to be an economy car, to be driven on developed and maintained roads. If you're interested in driving actual offroad (not gravel and dirt roads), just save time and money and get a Bronco.
How come you see all kinds of people trying to turn a pickup into a racecar, but no one trying to turn a corvette into a pickup or offroader, anyway?


oops, I stand corrected:

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