Why did you order a Maverick? What are you going to use it for?

[jimmy fitzwell]

This is a great thread! Three reasons I am getting a Mav.

1. I want a cheap compact truck. Had an '80 toyota and it was right sized for me. Sick of the fancy big rigs
2. For a long time I have wanted a Turbo AWD race car.
3. The Mav will fill most of my transportation needs so I can save my fancy big F150 for the real work.
4. I like to garden.

Sponsored

 

[mav_can]

Glad to hear I’m not the only one! To me it seems like it’ll be about as capable as a RAV4 and less capable than a Bronco Sport. Of course that changes if people figure out how to add a lift, etc. bottom line is that it isn’t a Wrangler or a Bronco. I did the math and after add ons and extra taxes because of the poor AWD fuel efficiency, I’m looking at a 16 percent up charge for AWD and FX4 package.

The off roading I’d like to do only consists of gravel fire roads. Absent apocalyptic weather events, I think the hybrid with some A/T tires (which I’m eventually adding for aesthetic reasons) will work just fine

I think it’s also good to keep in perspective that the vast majority of people in other countries, even as close as Mexico, are driving around cheap FWD economy cars in roads way worse than anything I see here, rain and mud be damned. You see pictures of cars in India or just developing countries and you wonder how anyone gets anywhere. People also neglect tires which has a tremendously bigger impact on handling than AWD so good thinking there. Certainly AWD is a huge benefit in the snow and ice and I think I’d get it there for the safety alone. But otherwise I’m probably never going to need it in Texas, snowpocalypse aside.

 

[Rr317]

I'm 28 and I built my first home about 1.5 years ago. Just got married last month and now we are starting to make the home truly ours. With the amount of trips we have been making to our local Lowes and garden center I knew I would need more than my focus to haul goods. I had budgeted for a ranger originally but I didn't love how it felt enough to justify the 40k+ price point based on the shoddy interior quality and lack of usable space. I don't tow anything as of right now either so the ranger was really overkill. My wife drives an escape and I really enjoy how it feels so the maverick made a ton of sense. I also was able to get all of the comfort and safety features I wanted for a much easier to handle price point.

 

[Camodude]

I have owned a Honda Ridge line for the last 11 years and I love the AWD uni-body design. What I don't like are the lack of bed height, off-road package and few accessories available. I have been waiting for another manufacturer to make a capable alternative and the Maverick is perfect for me. The bed height is 3 inches taller, the FX4 package solves my off-road issues. Ford already offers more accessories/options than are available for the ridgeline, and there will be loads of aftermarket goodies to choose from. The Maverick's smaller size also fits better in my garage.

 

[Rr317]

2. For a long time I have wanted a Turbo AWD race car.

Kind of wild to think this fairly low pickup will be able to keep up with a focus st at least to 60. This thing would make a crazy rally truck if you made the right mods. I want to see what some of the tuning shops will do with it, seeing as you can have the 2.0 up to almost 300 hp with a tune.

 

[Old Ranchero]

had small trucks mostly as daily drivers until my last Ranger 2006-2008. Then smaller economy car (2007 Vibe) to conserve money commuting as daily driver, but always had a full size truck in the family for heavy duty stuff as needed. With upcoming retirement, and a big relocation from CA to CO, the Vibe outlived it's usefulness and wanted something better equipped and more comfortable for the many trips between CA & CO and got the Jeep. Still love it and it's paid for so not going anywhere until it dies or I do- but it isn't a truck. Our F-150 is great for all our towing and heavy duty hauling needs, but sits too high for easy ingress/egress for 2 Seniors with bad backs..

So it was time to find another small truck, but current offerings all too big and expensive- not impressed. Then Maverick was rumored and patiently waited until specs released and it meets all my needs for daily driver, low step in height and bed height, capable towing for everything but large travel trailer, better expected MPG than Jeep or F-150, and enough creature comforts/options to satisfy this crusty Luddite. Then the lower OTD price and a brand new warranty for years of expected trouble free affordable driving and it makes sense for me. If it turns out cheap to keep, reliable, and comfortable enough for at least long day trips, I'll keep it. If not, I'll wait on the new 2023 Ranger and probably trade in a low miles, well kept nicely optioned (but not overboard) Maverick for a great deal on the new Ranger

 

[sjJohnny]

So, why did you buy a Maverick and what do you plan on doing with it?

I've been looking to replace my '00 Tacoma for some time... never really liked the 2nd and 3rd gen Tacomas... was waiting to see the '22 Rangers even though i thought they were too big. I live in a 105yr old house, my carport is small, need something that fits. I'm 69, so I now want the safety tech in a modern vehicle. I'll use it for hauling to the dump, home depot, hauling a bike around, DD, and trips to south Texas where I have friends and go often. I put in an order for an XLT, but will switch it to a Lariat for the additional tech.

 

[Oakland]

Chick magnet.... well I hope it helps. However, my wife is going to be driving this truck too. I'm like you sjJohnny, need a smaller, higher tech truck for most of the same reasons.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

I'm 47 years old and I've always driven sedans or SUVs. I live in a 104 year old house in the city. Our garage is much smaller than the standard suburban garage, and I don't have a driveway. I looked at the F150 Lightning, but there's no way I'm parking a $40,000+ vehicle on the street.
My wife and I garden a lot, I've recently gotten into woodworking, and our old house is constantly in need of some kind of upkeep. Throwing mulch, plants, plywood, and pallets in the back of my wife's hatchback is a pain and does some damage. Having a legit pickup truck will alleviate a lot of problems.
There's still room in the back to take my girls to school in the morning, and the hybrid aspect is a bonus for mpg. I've never towed anything in my life, and I don't really intend to start now...although I may add a bike rack on the tow hitch. We get about 3 snow days a year where I live, and everybody just stays home on those days, so 4WD doesn't do anything for me.
We go camping about 2-3 times a year, and it will be nice to pack everything into the bed, instead of loading it on the roof of the car in our cargo carrier.
Basically, I'm the exact target market that this truck was made for. That might as well be me and my family in the ads.

 

[Jukebox Nero]

OK... My turn, I guess.

1. I have driven larger trucks for work most of my life, and always found them useful, but cumbersome. I even learned to drive a stick in an 813 - I doubt I'll ever stall any manual transmission as long as I live. I like the functionality of trucks, but I like driving things that are smaller.

2. The wife has a Lexus hybrid "SUV" that we usually haul stuff in and I am tired of it taking damage. Most everything we haul fits in it, so the bed size will be just fine. In fact, when we have needed to borrow a friend's truck to haul stuff, it has been mostly wood that the Maverick bed can handle with the design.

3. We live close to the city (Salt Lake) and I can't count how many times I've seen larger trucks have difficult times parking in some of the narrow parking spaces and garages around here. A smaller truck makes more sense, since I am not using one for work anymore.

4. As previously mentioned, we live near Salt Lake, meaning we live up on a mountain. My current vehicle is a FWD sedan that struggles a bit in the snow, even with good tires. The AWD version I ordered will be much better for our snow season (which extended into June last year).

5. I'm a fan of James Gardner in the original "Maverick" TV series and even the movie remake with Mel Gibson as well as the most obvious movie "Top Gun" (I used to live in the "Cradle of Naval Aviation"), and I get a kick out of the truck's name. I even ordered personalized plates for my car after I ordered the Maverick so I could transfer them over to the truck at sale. The plates read "GST RDR".

 

[James]

Maverick will fit in my driveway with room to walk behind it, I have 3 wheel bicycles and one will fit in the bed and one on the bike rack, it seems prefect for me. I always had a small trucks; Datsun, Ranger and GMC Sonoma.

 

[JASmith]

Replacing a Ram 1500 Hemi. While the truck is still great and reliable, its 12 years old and 150K+ miles and averages 16mpg most trips barely fits in the garage (too large a lunch and you can't get out), and we simply rarely tow and certainly nothing heavy.

However, we love that its comfortable, actually has *gasp* tire sidewall so you don't panic at the tiniest pothole, decent enough clearance when Houston lightly floods every other weekend, comfortably seats four adults, has a hitch, and has a bed so you can throw in dirty or smelly stuff without worrying about messing up the cab like in a SUV and can just jump up and hose it out at home.

The Maverick should in theory preserve all of those things while being easier to park and maneuver, easier for the folks to climb into since its not body on frame, and get better fuel economy with a full warranty and new car smell.

So planning to go from:

To this:

 

[medgar]

For the reasons above and:

1. Hoping it can be raised 1-2 inches for light overlanding for mountain biking, trout fishing, hiking and off grid camping for the hidden, low traffic spots. Ordering with AWD
2. Have a teardrop camper that needs to be towed and Maverick isn't overkill like midsize trucks and still maneuvarable.
3. Wife enjoys garden and landscaping so the bed will be a plant and yard stuff hauler on weekends.
4. Will be empty nesters in a year and can order something I WANT with no sacrifices because of the kids and can still afford the college tuition bill!!!

 

[GoIllini1996]

Great Thread!!!

46yo suburban dad here. So my reasons for wanting to get a Maverick:

1. My kids are getting their driver's licenses and they need a car. They like my Mazda CX-5, and it now has 70k miles, so I will let them use that, and then I get a new car!
2. I've always wanted a truck, but trucks had just gotten too big for my needs, and the prices were ridiculous for them, given my needs.
3. Maverick gives me the opportunity to go to home center and transport a sheet of plywood or drywall, take my snowblower in to get it serviced, throw bikes/sports equipment in the bed, move things easier than a CX-5, etc.
4. Crew cab still allows for entire family to fit comfortably.
5. It actually looks like a truck!!! To me - the Ridgeline looks like a Honda Pilot with the back end chopped off - it doesn't look like a truck. Hyundai Santa Cruz just doesn't fit my style.
5. Price - I can get a Lariat, FWD Hybrid for $30k - before fees/tax. Cheaper than my Mazda!

My biggest dilemma is FWD or AWD. I have a 25 mile commute daily, so the Hybrid FWD makes sense from that angle. However, in Northern IL, we do get quite a bit of snow/ice. I also have a steep driveway to climb, that if I get home from work and snow is on driveway, good luck getting up the driveway with FWD (I've tried this with my old FWD 2009 Escape - didn't work too well). The bottom line, is AWD for the 10 days a year it really snows/ice, worth the extra 4K for AWD? I could get winter/snow tires with a sweet set of rims for half that price, probably. Decisions, decisions....

 

[Obiewan54]

Daily drive. My first vehicle was a 94’ Ford Ranger and looking forward to getting something larger with a super crew. I have a side photo booth biz that I’ll be hauling an 5 x 8 enclosed trailer. Added the off road and trailer package. Just ordered mine from the dealer this Monday June 21st and can’t wait to get it.

Sponsored