Warning! This may be sexist!

[Old Ford Guy]

My husband passed away September, 2024. In July we had taken possession of a new 2024 poppy red Maverick hybrid. Until then, I had been driving a series of Priuses and the one I had then was showing wear. He was driving his old Tacoma, and had fallen in love with the Maverick. Now it is my only vehicle and I am an old urbanized woman (living in a rural area) and had very little truck driving experience. Since I am working with a home health agency part-time, truck is great for the back roads I use a good deal, but it isn't so flexible for parking and maneuvering. My poor pretty truck has an inaugural set of ugly dents caused by my parking deficiency. Also, it was easy to stay straight on the road with the Prius, much harder with the truck. (Definitely doesn't like me steering with my knees).

All that being said, if I try to be a better driver (and not so easily distracted) and hone my parking skills, it will all be ok. My question is (yes, I do have one!)--any women Maverick drivers out there, with or without issues?

My deepest condolances for your loss.
i am a male Mav driver who has had the pleasure/pain to teach 2 daughters how to drive & park different vehicles and i feel the key is WIDE open spaces and repitition. think the back lot of big box stores or other empty lined parking lots.
next practice backing into and pulling into the lined parking spots over and over and over again. ensure that hey have the needed spatial awareness to know where the rear end and front end are when they park or pull into the garage. 1st do this while you're in the truck with them. next have them 'fly' solo and make them get out and check their success or lack thereof after EVERY attempt, they will be suprised how often the vehicle isnt where they thought it was. a 1/2 hour or so of that along with learning about the pros and cons of rear cams and they will be good to go. lastly advise them to avoid the 'tight' spots, there's nothing wrong with walking a few more steps instead of trying to squeeze into the closest spot.

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[carolynann831]

My wife doesn't have any trouble driving hers, either.

She just sticks her husband behind the wheel and relaxes in the passenger seat . . .






I had a girlfriend in high school whose father tried to teach her to drive a manual in his truck (so probably a 70s model, or even a 60s).

I didn't go so well--she was short, and just didn't weigh enough to put the clutch!

She wa strong enough, but instead of it going up, she went down!



knees?

Wow. I think it would be my upper thighs . . .

I am short and barely weighed 100 pounds driving that one ton with a heavy clutch. However, I was very string due to growing up doing farm work.

 

[Kenv24]

My wife doesn't have any trouble driving hers, either.

She just sticks her husband behind the wheel and relaxes in the passenger seat . . .






I had a girlfriend in high school whose father tried to teach her to drive a manual in his truck (so probably a 70s model, or even a 60s).

I didn't go so well--she was short, and just didn't weigh enough to put the clutch!

She wa strong enough, but instead of it going up, she went down!



knees?

Wow. I think it would be my upper thighs . . .

Knees…thighs….you get the gist….

 

[kevinmccune]

Barbara, your dealing with a 121 inch wheel base now.
The Prius over the years has been 100 inches to a 109 inch wheel based.
The Maverick needs more room and will react slower to your inputs, that's a good thing.
At home practice with rubber garbage cans. two should do it.
Overall length Prius, 181 inches, Maverick 200 inches. You'll learn it.

I noticed the Maverick didn't park a lot easier then the Frontier I replaced,looking forward to the upcoming "Telo"(which will never happen) because I cannot get an EV Maverick.

 

[kevinmccune]

I am short and barely weighed 100 pounds driving that one ton with a heavy clutch. However, I was very string due to growing up doing farm work.

guess those haybales would make one a bit"stringy"( sorry proofread)

 

[rclee]

OP, sorry for your loss. I drove a Honda Element for 17 years. I could put that vehicle anywhere I wanted. I have had my Maverick almost 4 years and still have issues getting it in the middle of the parking spaces. My wife jabs at me when we go to the local market that has diagonal lined parking spaces. I can never get the angle right seems like the driver side rear tire is always touching the line. One of these days I will get it right.

Practice, practice, practice!

 

[carolynann831]

guess those haybales would make one a bit"stringy"( sorry proofread)

Yes, and a thousand other things. LOL

 

[Billy2mav]

Hello OP, my soon to be 60yr old wife has been driving her 24 HPR hybrid for two yrs and 31k miles with no problems. We both drive Mavericks and think they are great.

 

[sprubs]

My wife doesn't like driving my mav.

Female driver here. No issues in the 6 months I’ve had it. You can do it!

yeah, gender has nothing to do with it. anyone can drive anything.

 

[urwatuis]

My husband passed away September, 2024. In July we had taken possession of a new 2024 poppy red Maverick hybrid. Until then, I had been driving a series of Priuses and the one I had then was showing wear. He was driving his old Tacoma, and had fallen in love with the Maverick. Now it is my only vehicle and I am an old urbanized woman (living in a rural area) and had very little truck driving experience. Since I am working with a home health agency part-time, truck is great for the back roads I use a good deal, but it isn't so flexible for parking and maneuvering. My poor pretty truck has an inaugural set of ugly dents caused by my parking deficiency. Also, it was easy to stay straight on the road with the Prius, much harder with the truck. (Definitely doesn't like me steering with my knees).

All that being said, if I try to be a better driver (and not so easily distracted) and hone my parking skills, it will all be ok. My question is (yes, I do have one!)--any women Maverick drivers out there, with or without issues?

I'm so sorry for your loss, that's very painful. As a woman I would say this is not sexist, driving a vehicle that is larger than what you are accustomed to is not a gender problem. My Mav is the largest vehicle I have ever owned and it takes time to be come comfortable with it. As for using your knees to steady the steering wheel, I have done that for several decades when I take long drives on the highway. Push the seat back and drop the steering column down but keep your eyes on the road and be ready to grab the wheel if needed. I used to eat a McD's 1/4 Pounder w/cheese meal at 75mph on the interstate. Burger in one hand, drink in the other, fries between my legs but I don't do that any more. Stay safe and be well.

 

[Pointyears]

I'm so sorry for your loss, that's very painful. As a woman I would say this is not sexist, driving a vehicle that is larger than what you are accustomed to is not a gender problem. My Mav is the largest vehicle I have ever owned and it takes time to be come comfortable with it. As for using your knees to steady the steering wheel, I have done that for several decades when I take long drives on the highway. Push the seat back and drop the steering column down but keep your eyes on the road and be ready to grab the wheel if needed. I used to eat a McD's 1/4 Pounder w/cheese meal at 75mph on the interstate. Burger in one hand, drink in the other, fries between my legs but I don't do that any more. Stay safe and be well.

LOL, I used to do that also throwing in a cigarette and a manual transmission....

 

[dochawk]

I am short and barely weighed 100 pounds driving that one ton with a heavy clutch.

But if it takes 110 to move it, you need to be able to brace against the back of the seat. And as it goes past that . . .

a couple of years ago at an auction, I had them screaming at me as I was going too fast back down the ramp.

If they would have played the camera view, though, they would have seen that I was by that point off of the seat, literally standing on the brake as I fought for control.

Power brakes had let it get that far without the incredibly bad brakes being caught, but going down the ramp around the crowd was done with a push in neutral.

 

[carolynann831]

But if it takes 110 to move it, you need to be able to brace against the back of the seat. And as it goes past that . . .

a couple of years ago at an auction, I had them screaming at me as I was going too fast back down the ramp.

If they would have played the camera view, though, they would have seen that I was by that point off of the seat, literally standing on the brake as I fought for control.

Power brakes had let it get that far without the incredibly bad brakes being caught, but going down the ramp around the crowd was done with a push in neutral.

It diesnt take 110 pounds to move a clutch. I learned to drive on manual transmissions and tractors. Ive owned several vehicles with manual transmission. It sounds like you are talking about messed up brakes in this reply.

 

[kevinmccune]

It diesnt take 110 pounds to move a clutch. I learned to drive on manual transmissions and tractors. Ive owned several vehicles with manual transmission. It sounds like you are talking about messed up brakes in this reply.

depends on the clutch,get in a Mack truck without a seat back and try to depress the clutch

 

[carolynann831]

depends on the clutch,get in a Mack truck without a seat back and try to depress the clutch

The point of my original post was not about difficulty using a clutch. It was to point out it is her experience rather than being a female causing her difficulties driving the maverick. It usually doesn't take 110 pounds of pressure to push a clutch in an 18 wheeler. My dad was a truck driver most of my life. He is not a huge muscular man. At one point he owned several trucks. He would drive one and he hired drivers for the others. One of his drivers was a relatively small female, which adds more to the original point being female has nothing to do with inability to drive a small pickup. Mostly to let her know she has the ability to learn this with practice.

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