2022 Ford Maverick - Review by Larry Nutson +VIDEO

By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Nineteen-nine-nine-five! $19,995, that is. This is the base price of the completely new 2022 Ford Maverick compact pickup.

The new Maverick is the lowest priced new vehicle offered by Ford today. It’s also well equipped. There is no more stripped-down, 2-door sedan or coupe that no one wants to drive but exists as a price-leader for advertising purposes.

Along with the low price the Maverick is equipped, unexpectedly as standard, with a hybrid powertrain that is EPA-rated at 42 city mpg. Maverick is the first standard hybrid pickup in America.

Having been around when Ford made the Courier and Ranger compact pickups back in the 1970s and 1980s I thought the new Maverick would similarly be bought by younger folk along with the commercial users who need an open bed yet smaller vehicle. It looks like I was right.

I reached out to Ford and they confirmed that many customers are coming out of sedans or small SUVs to get into a Maverick. They’re seeing a ton of first-time new vehicle buyers as well as first time truck customers. Ford has stats that show buyers are younger than typical Ford truck customer with more than a quarter of them between the age of 18 to 35 years old.

When Ford revealed the Maverick in early June, they also started taking reservations and opened the order bank. There was a significant amount of interest and Ford captured more than 100,000 reservations between the reveal in June and mid-August. Customers completing Maverick reservations were not asked to place a deposit and were able to immediately begin placing a retail order with their preferred Ford dealer. Many who were interested in Maverick went ahead to order exactly what they wanted early rather than wait to see if they could find it on a dealer lot.

As a result and due to stronger than expected demand, Maverick Hybrid production is now fully reserved for the entire 2022 model year. Ford dealers did order hybrids for inventory stock, but these are selling very quickly and often before they actually hit the dealer lot.

Maverick is a unibody design built on its own version of the architecture also used for Ford’s Escape and Bronco Sport. Ford has done a wonderful job of building three very distinctly different vehicles off of one basic platform.

Maverick rides on a 121 inch wheelbase and is 199.7 inches long. That’s about 10 inches shorter than the midsize Ford Ranger pickup. The only body style is a 5-passenger, four-door “SuperCrew” crew-cab. Maverick is offered in front-wheel or all-wheel drive (AWD). The standard hybrid engine is only offered with front-wheel drive.

The hybrid powertrain uses a 162-HP 2.5-L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder combined with a 94kW electric motor delivering a total of 191-HP and 155 lb.-ft. of torque mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels.

Maverick Hybrid payload is 1,500 lbs. and can tow 2,000 lbs. A standard ATV will fit in the truck bed or you can tow a pair of personal watercraft or a good-sized pop-up camper trailer. EPA fuel economy ratings for the Maverick Hybrid are 42 city mpg and 33 highway mpg, with a combined rating of 37 mpg.

The optional engine, and the engine required if you want AWD, is a 250-HP 2.0-L turbo mated to an 8-speed automatic. Equipped with the optional 4K Tow Package, conventional towing doubles to 4,000 pounds – enough for an average 21-foot boat.

EPA fuel economy ratings for front-drive models are 23 city mpg and 30 highway mpg, with a combined rating of 26 mpg. All-wheel drive models are one mpg lower in both city and highway ratings.

Maverick is offered in XL, XLT, and Lariat trim levels. Standard is an 8-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, standard FordPass Connect with embedded modem and Ford Co-Pilot360 technologies like Automatic Emergency Braking and Automatic High Beam Headlamps.

Available safety tech options include Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Centering and Evasive Steering Assist. Five standard drive modes include Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Tow/Haul to enhance performance and confidence in various driving conditions.

The Maverick pickup bed is 54.4 inches long and 42.6 inches wide between wheelhouses. A FLEXBED system provides organization and cargo solutions to fit owners’ lifestyles, with a multi-position tailgate, slots to use lumber to subdivide the bed, 12 available anchor points, two 12-volt 20-amp prewired sources at the back enabling DIY electrical solutions, plus two available 110-volt outlets for powering a laptop or tailgate party.

Driving range is all the conversation these days….you know, those battery electric vehicles. With its 13.8 gallon fuel tank the Maverick Hybrid has a theoretical 510 mile range based on the combined EPA rating. I’ll bet you can go even further with slower speed driving. Cost conscious small business owners and frugal upper-class high school or college students take note please. With the optional 2.0-L engine the fuel tank is a bit large at 16.5 gallons.

The $19,995 price is for the XL. Base price is $22,280 for the XLT and $25,490 for the Lariat. Destination charge is an additional $1,495.

My recent drive experience in the Maverick was with a XLT Hybrid finished in Hot Pepper Red Metallic with an option group that included a spray-in bed liner, full size spare tire, and additional Co-Pilot360 features. I also had a brief drive in a Lariat Hybrid back in early October at the Midwest Automotive Media Association rally in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

During my drive in the area around my Chicago home I was getting 40 mpg in the Maverick Hybrid. The Maverick XLT has remote keyless entry but not push button start. I had to get used to inserting the key in the ignition switch to start the engine. The Lariat trim does have push button start along with additional premium features.

The smaller size of the Maverick is a big plus in a densely populated crowded city. It’s easy to park with its short turning radius. The ride is firm but still comfortable. The Hybrid delivers good all-around dynamic performance. The cabin is nicely appointed. The rear bench seat flips up and has available under-seat storage. Three different tonneau covers for the bed are offered. An FX4 Off-Road package is available for the more extreme-sports minded.

Check out the new 2022 Maverick at www.ford.com. Ford is no longer taking orders for the 2022 Maverick Hybrid. You might find some in stock at dealers. You can still order a 2022 Maverick with the 2.0-L EcoBoost engine. Act fast. Don’t delay if you are serious about getting one. New orders for 2023 Maverick Hybrid will open next summer.

Happy motoring!