Why Is The Maverick So Cool? My Take.

[Clifdawg]

"Oh dude, a Ford Maverick! You got one!" my neighbor exclaimed. "Those things are so cool! Can I check it out?" About that time, a pizza delivery guy showed up and handed a steaming hot pie to my neighbor. "Aw, well, maybe next time then? I'm really thinking about ordering one."

I'm 32 years old. I grew up in a period of distinctively exciting automotive advancement - the "200mph" wars, if you will. I lusted after such greats as the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, The Lamborghini Diablo SV and the Ferrari F50, the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the Corvette C5 Z06, and yes - the unparalleled cool of the legendary McLaren F1. I played the Need for Speed games; I played Gran Turismo; I played Forza. I didn't play Test Drive (did anybody play Test Drive?). All that hype and lust for speed came to a head in 2005 with the Bugatti Veyron - the undisputed king of speed.

At the time, I didn't realize that was the end.

Not of speed, mind you - Hypercars were and still are designed and built, and they put almost unimaginable performance numbers down. No, it was the end of the excitement. The hype. The sheer thrill of competitive vehicular engineering. It's not that I wouldn't act like a kid at Christmas to take the latest and greatest by McLaren or Bugatti or Porsche or Ferrari out for a spin - I absolutely would - but the truth is that even the most ideal of locations and conditions are too restrictive for the raw power of these vehicular monstrosities. And once every manufacturer has a car that can lap the Nurbringring faster than a Kirk Hammett guitar solo, then who (besides the engineering team) really cares?

But that's when I noticed something interesting happen - and it's something I've noticed in the tech world, too. As the technology and capability of the high-end of a certain market has so far exceeded the demand of the average consumer that it no longer holds any legitimate appeal, the low-end of that market starts to rise. It's not interesting that your 1.2 million-dollar hypercar does 250 mph, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, and holds 1.05 G's in the corner. What is interesting is when your $20,000 bread-and-butter family car raises the bar for what you should expect from that side of the market.

Enter the Ford Maverick. I've been saying for years - my first car was a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT, 4-cylinder, a 5-speed, and all the luxury features of a Fisher Price tricycle - that the market was screaming for a stripped-down, no-nonsense, DIY-weekend-warrior, genuinely little truck. The midsize truck market has long been the "entry point" into the pickup truck market, and yet many of those are still oversized bro-dozers that could fit a '95 Ranger in the bed in case of a breakdown. I was surprised when Ford announced the exact vehicle I had been complaining that we needed all along. In September of 2021, I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one.

The little blue XL turbo that arrived cost me about $23,600 before all applicable taxes and fees (and the questionable addition of "nitrogen" in the tires for a cool Benjamin). Accounting for inflation, that's just about $1,500 more than the '95 Ranger I ground my first gears on. What did that money get me? It got me a powerful motor putting out 250 horses and 277 lb-ft of twist, but got a whopping 27.9mpg on it's maiden voyage in mixed driving - measured at the pump. It got me a cavernous cabin with enough space for my family to travel in comfortably. It got me excellent road manners and surprisingly engaging driving dynamics. It got me a smaller-than-standard but still very usable and spacious bed. It got me technology that would have been a wishlist for luxury vehicles just 12 years ago (and manual mirrors, but you can't have it all, I guess).

But the Maverick is more than the sum of it's parts. Sure, it's "cool" that it can zero-to-sixty faster than a Mustang GT from 20 years ago. Sure, it's "cool" that it's a truck that will get you small-car fuel efficiency. Sure, it's "cool" that it has car-like handling and will navigate a backroad with eagerness and athleticism rather than the typical laziness of a traditional pickup. But it's also not exactly a zero-compromise vehicle - the audio system is almost shockingly low-fi, the dash has zero soundproofing, the suspension and ride is firm, and the materials - while cleverly designed to be both cheap and cheerful - definitely communicate its low price tag.

No, it's cool because it raises the bar for its market position. It's a vehicle that's actually attainable to most people with a little bit of elbow grease and financial discipline. It's a vehicle that gives people the versatility and practically they really need without sacrificing the driving characteristics and fuel efficiency they really want. Is it for everybody? Of course not! A vehicle's "practicality" can only be measured by the driver, and if that driver needs to tow a horse trailer or cart 4 small children around, the Mav just ain't it. But when literally everything in the same price bracket looks like it's not even trying when compared to the Maverick? It starts to look really, genuinely "cool."

Do you want a brand new mid-trim Elantra or a ten-year-old Tacoma? Now, you can just choose the Maverick. That's cool.

Oh, and it's a ute. Utes are cool, and anyone who says otherwise is a Baja owner with a head gasket problem.

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[Hoagus]

Even cooler yet is the hybrid version @ $21500!

 

[LeersMav]

Love your story. Made me laugh at times because us BB created some of that Need For Speed. Now we just want great gas mileage with power getting on the freeway without getting a Semi up our butt. My Mav Hybrid does it.

 

[T McG]

Think about this…

Let’s say you started researching the Maverick before order banks opened. Then after debating a bit, you place a June order for a hybrid. Sure you have to hurry up and wait but, after all, you just preordered the North American Truck of the Year without even knowing it. Congratulations is in order.

Now, why the hell didn’t I/we order a Lightning as well??!!??

 

[Dun4791]

It’s new and it’s cheap. In about three years when the new wears off and the price trends upward they won’t be as in demand and will fade into the landscape along with the sea of other offerings.

When a vehicle is all new there is always an initial rush for people to want them which usually wanes around the third year of production. Maverick is unique also in that it holds incredible value so that increases demand as well. Maverick is Ford’s Corolla only with more practicality (towing and bed) for about the same money.

 

[rclee]

"Oh dude, a Ford Maverick! You got one!" my neighbor exclaimed. "Those things are so cool! Can I check it out?" About that time, a pizza delivery guy showed up and handed a steaming hot pie to my neighbor. "Aw, well, maybe next time then? I'm really thinking about ordering one."

I'm 32 years old. I grew up in a period of distinctively exciting automotive advancement - the "200mph" wars, if you will. I lusted after such greats as the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, The Lamborghini Diablo SV and the Ferrari F50, the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the Corvette C5 Z06, and yes - the unparalleled cool of the legendary McLaren F1. I played the Need for Speed games; I played Gran Turismo; I played Forza. I didn't play Test Drive (did anybody play Test Drive?). All that hype and lust for speed came to a head in 2005 with the Bugatti Veyron - the undisputed king of speed.

At the time, I didn't realize that was the end.

Not of speed, mind you - Hypercars were and still are designed and built, and they put almost unimaginable performance numbers down. No, it was the end of the excitement. The hype. The sheer thrill of competitive vehicular engineering. It's not that I wouldn't act like a kid at Christmas to take the latest and greatest by McLaren or Bugatti or Porsche or Ferrari out for a spin - I absolutely would - but the truth is that even the most ideal of locations and conditions are too restrictive for the raw power of these vehicular monstrosities. And once every manufacturer has a car that can lap the Nurbringring faster than a Kirk Hammett guitar solo, then who (besides the engineering team) really cares?

But that's when I noticed something interesting happen - and it's something I've noticed in the tech world, too. As the technology and capability of the high-end of a certain market has so far exceeded the demand of the average consumer that it no longer holds any legitimate appeal, the low-end of that market starts to rise. It's not interesting that your 1.2 million-dollar hypercar does 250 mph, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, and holds 1.05 G's in the corner. What is interesting is when your $20,000 bread-and-butter family car raises the bar for what you should expect from that side of the market.

Enter the Ford Maverick. I've been saying for years - my first car was a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT, 4-cylinder, a 5-speed, and all the luxury features of a Fisher Price tricycle - that the market was screaming for a stripped-down, no-nonsense, DIY-weekend-warrior, genuinely little truck. The midsize truck market has long been the "entry point" into the pickup truck market, and yet many of those are still oversized bro-dozers that could fit a '95 Ranger in the bed in case of a breakdown. I was surprised when Ford announced the exact vehicle I had been complaining that we needed all along. In September of 2021, I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one.

The little blue XL turbo that arrived cost me about $23,600 before all applicable taxes and fees (and the questionable addition of "nitrogen" in the tires for a cool Benjamin). Accounting for inflation, that's just about $1,500 more than the '95 Ranger I ground my first gears on. What did that money get me? It got me a powerful motor putting out 250 horses and 277 lb-ft of twist, but got a whopping 27.9mpg on it's maiden voyage in mixed driving - measured at the pump. It got me a cavernous cabin with enough space for my family to travel in comfortably. It got me excellent road manners and surprisingly engaging driving dynamics. It got me a smaller-than-standard but still very usable and spacious bed. It got me technology that would have been a wishlist for luxury vehicles just 12 years ago (and manual mirrors, but you can't have it all, I guess).

But the Maverick is more than the sum of it's parts. Sure, it's "cool" that it can zero-to-sixty faster than a Mustang GT from 20 years ago. Sure, it's "cool" that it's a truck that will get you small-car fuel efficiency. Sure, it's "cool" that it has car-like handling and will navigate a backroad with eagerness and athleticism rather than the typical laziness of a traditional pickup. But it's also not exactly a zero-compromise vehicle - the audio system is almost shockingly low-fi, the dash has zero soundproofing, the suspension and ride is firm, and the materials - while cleverly designed to be both cheap and cheerful - definitely communicate its low price tag.

No, it's cool because it raises the bar for its market position. It's a vehicle that's actually attainable to most people with a little bit of elbow grease and financial discipline. It's a vehicle that gives people the versatility and practically they really need without sacrificing the driving characteristics and fuel efficiency they really want. Is it for everybody? Of course not! A vehicle's "practicality" can only be measured by the driver, and if that driver needs to tow a horse trailer or cart 4 small children around, the Mav just ain't it. But when literally everything in the same price bracket looks like it's not even trying when compared to the Maverick? It starts to look really, genuinely "cool."

Do you want a brand new mid-trim Elantra or a ten-year-old Tacoma? Now, you can just choose the Maverick. That's cool.

Oh, and it's a ute. Utes are cool, and anyone who says otherwise is a Baja owner with a head gasket problem.

Bravo!!! You nailed it @Clifdawg. I almost thought I was reading an article from Motor Trend (but better written) about this "cool" little truck.

 

[Dochatley]

Cool? I don’t know about that. It has a certain appeal to a certain group of people. Like us on this forum. But little trucks have been around for a long time. Back in the 80s I loved the little Toyota trucks, four wheel drive. That was cool, to me. As was said above, Maverick will fade into the crowd in a couple of years and all the guys and gals that paid 5-15k over sticker will be having second thoughts.

 

[WesM]

Cool? I don’t know about that. It has a certain appeal to a certain group of people. Like us on this forum. But little trucks have been around for a long time. Back in the 80s I loved the little Toyota trucks, four wheel drive. That was cool, to me. As was said above, Maverick will fade into the crowd in a couple of years and all the guys and gals that paid 5-15k over sticker will be having second thoughts.

I think that was kinda part of the OPs point, at its MSRP price point, its a steal with no real competition. Price it up $10k and all of a sudden there is some real competition.

 

[ITSATRUCK]

I thought it was because the owners were cool!

 

[XLTLUXCG]

"Oh dude, a Ford Maverick! You got one!" my neighbor exclaimed. "Those things are so cool! Can I check it out?" About that time, a pizza delivery guy showed up and handed a steaming hot pie to my neighbor. "Aw, well, maybe next time then? I'm really thinking about ordering one."

I'm 32 years old. I grew up in a period of distinctively exciting automotive advancement - the "200mph" wars, if you will. I lusted after such greats as the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, The Lamborghini Diablo SV and the Ferrari F50, the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the Corvette C5 Z06, and yes - the unparalleled cool of the legendary McLaren F1. I played the Need for Speed games; I played Gran Turismo; I played Forza. I didn't play Test Drive (did anybody play Test Drive?). All that hype and lust for speed came to a head in 2005 with the Bugatti Veyron - the undisputed king of speed.

At the time, I didn't realize that was the end.

Not of speed, mind you - Hypercars were and still are designed and built, and they put almost unimaginable performance numbers down. No, it was the end of the excitement. The hype. The sheer thrill of competitive vehicular engineering. It's not that I wouldn't act like a kid at Christmas to take the latest and greatest by McLaren or Bugatti or Porsche or Ferrari out for a spin - I absolutely would - but the truth is that even the most ideal of locations and conditions are too restrictive for the raw power of these vehicular monstrosities. And once every manufacturer has a car that can lap the Nurbringring faster than a Kirk Hammett guitar solo, then who (besides the engineering team) really cares?

But that's when I noticed something interesting happen - and it's something I've noticed in the tech world, too. As the technology and capability of the high-end of a certain market has so far exceeded the demand of the average consumer that it no longer holds any legitimate appeal, the low-end of that market starts to rise. It's not interesting that your 1.2 million-dollar hypercar does 250 mph, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, and holds 1.05 G's in the corner. What is interesting is when your $20,000 bread-and-butter family car raises the bar for what you should expect from that side of the market.

Enter the Ford Maverick. I've been saying for years - my first car was a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT, 4-cylinder, a 5-speed, and all the luxury features of a Fisher Price tricycle - that the market was screaming for a stripped-down, no-nonsense, DIY-weekend-warrior, genuinely little truck. The midsize truck market has long been the "entry point" into the pickup truck market, and yet many of those are still oversized bro-dozers that could fit a '95 Ranger in the bed in case of a breakdown. I was surprised when Ford announced the exact vehicle I had been complaining that we needed all along. In September of 2021, I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one.

The little blue XL turbo that arrived cost me about $23,600 before all applicable taxes and fees (and the questionable addition of "nitrogen" in the tires for a cool Benjamin). Accounting for inflation, that's just about $1,500 more than the '95 Ranger I ground my first gears on. What did that money get me? It got me a powerful motor putting out 250 horses and 277 lb-ft of twist, but got a whopping 27.9mpg on it's maiden voyage in mixed driving - measured at the pump. It got me a cavernous cabin with enough space for my family to travel in comfortably. It got me excellent road manners and surprisingly engaging driving dynamics. It got me a smaller-than-standard but still very usable and spacious bed. It got me technology that would have been a wishlist for luxury vehicles just 12 years ago (and manual mirrors, but you can't have it all, I guess).

But the Maverick is more than the sum of it's parts. Sure, it's "cool" that it can zero-to-sixty faster than a Mustang GT from 20 years ago. Sure, it's "cool" that it's a truck that will get you small-car fuel efficiency. Sure, it's "cool" that it has car-like handling and will navigate a backroad with eagerness and athleticism rather than the typical laziness of a traditional pickup. But it's also not exactly a zero-compromise vehicle - the audio system is almost shockingly low-fi, the dash has zero soundproofing, the suspension and ride is firm, and the materials - while cleverly designed to be both cheap and cheerful - definitely communicate its low price tag.

No, it's cool because it raises the bar for its market position. It's a vehicle that's actually attainable to most people with a little bit of elbow grease and financial discipline. It's a vehicle that gives people the versatility and practically they really need without sacrificing the driving characteristics and fuel efficiency they really want. Is it for everybody? Of course not! A vehicle's "practicality" can only be measured by the driver, and if that driver needs to tow a horse trailer or cart 4 small children around, the Mav just ain't it. But when literally everything in the same price bracket looks like it's not even trying when compared to the Maverick? It starts to look really, genuinely "cool."

Do you want a brand new mid-trim Elantra or a ten-year-old Tacoma? Now, you can just choose the Maverick. That's cool.

Oh, and it's a ute. Utes are cool, and anyone who says otherwise is a Baja owner with a head gasket problem.

Well written! This should be a published article!

 

[RebellaE]

I LOVED my little 1996 S10 despite all of the drawbacks - tiny cab, single sliding seat (a problem when I'm only 5'2" and my passengers are tall), underpowered motor. I never fell in love with the full size truck I owned a few years ago. There's just something appealing about the usefulness of a truck without having to deal with parking and gassing up a full size beast. The price Ford is selling the Mavericks for is just one more thing to love. It has so much to offer for the price.

 

[olderbudwiser]

Cool = Eye of the beholder.

I was all set to purchase a Kia Soul. Aways thought these were kinda cool.

Maverick little truck has a bed serves me better. Hybrid don't care. Thought I would try it though. If I get bent over by dealer (hope not) Kia Soul it will be.

 

[Maverickman74]

So first off Test Drive was the best game that you mentioned when I was a kid. But the one I spent the most time perfecting as a teen was Rally Championship. Also Test Drive was preceeded by another game called Test or Test Driver, but it may have just been a beta version I got ahold of. Anyway old racing games were awesome.

Secondly the Maverick is cool for a couple reason that just tickles everyone in the right spot.

It fills a void, everyone loves that. It fits a niche that is needed. Every year there are more and more poor people in this country while every year there are more and more ways rich people get to show off(this internet/non talky-phone/social media thing everyone is so jazzed about). We dont have rich people money any more and honestly the future is so bleak that there isnt much drive to get rich. So we got realistic and decided we wanted a cheap truck that does everything most people need. We hadnt had that for more than a decade really.

The other reason its so cool is heritage. People may make fun of the 70s Mavericks, but they sure did buy a ton of em in their day. They were one of the most popular US cars of all time. Nippin at the heals of the Mustang in numbers. Everybody and their grandma had one. Including the only car my Grandma ever owned a early model coupe. They were perfect for drag racing and even good enough for fleet service for cheap operations. Ohh yeah and they would do this without much more than a big block swapped in.

Thirdly the reason the maverick is cool is because it took lessons learned from other platforms and put them into one single vehicle, with one single body style, in 2 simple flavors. Fuel miser or rugged AWD hot hatch with a helluva lot more room than a hatchback. Its a combination of cars we know and loved. Maverick, Ranger, Sport Trac, Escort, Fusion, Transit. The DNA is all there and it all works.

 

[rclee]

So first off Test Drive was the best game that you mentioned when I was a kid. But the one I spent the most time perfecting as a teen was Rally Championship. Also Test Drive was preceeded by another game called Test or Test Driver, but it may have just been a beta version I got ahold of. Anyway old racing games were awesome.

Secondly the Maverick is cool for a couple reason that just tickles everyone in the right spot.

It fills a void, everyone loves that. It fits a niche that is needed. Every year there are more and more poor people in this country while every year there are more and more ways rich people get to show off(this internet/non talky-phone/social media thing everyone is so jazzed about). We dont have rich people money any more and honestly the future is so bleak that there isnt much drive to get rich. So we got realistic and decided we wanted a cheap truck that does everything most people need. We hadnt had that for more than a decade really.

The other reason its so cool is heritage. People may make fun of the 70s Mavericks, but they sure did buy a ton of em in their day. They were one of the most popular US cars of all time. Nippin at the heals of the Mustang in numbers. Everybody and their grandma had one. Including the only car my Grandma ever owned a early model coupe. They were perfect for drag racing and even good enough for fleet service for cheap operations. Ohh yeah and they would do this without much more than a big block swapped in.

Thirdly the reason the maverick is cool is because it took lessons learned from other platforms and put them into one single vehicle, with one single body style, in 2 simple flavors. Fuel miser or rugged AWD hot hatch with a helluva lot more room than a hatchback. Its a combination of cars we know and loved. Maverick, Ranger, Sport Trac, Escort, Fusion, Transit. The DNA is all there and it all works.

Kil-Kare Xenia????

 

[Maverickman74]

Kil-Kare Xenia????

Im not sure, I wouldnt be suprised. I pulled that from google. Could be George Montgomery. This is my nephews Miata. I think he ran 15s. My maverick never made it out of the 14s. It had 3:1 gears and 28" tires when I ran. I did have it over 140mph down by Cemex though. I once took a 84 Econoline with a 302 2bbl down the track in 18.96s.

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