Hybrid cars- anyone have one?

[Farmer X]

Being upside down in a car once was enough for me.

I have said the same thing about the breathalyzer.

Oh, and my favorite Maverick quote is: "Sorry, Goose, but it's time to buzz the tower!"

[Grant Lamontagne]

Guess what showed up at the dealership today?

Hopefully I can pick it up later this afternoon.

Def

[Farmer X]

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

When I went to pick it up it was getting the bedliner sprayed in and so it wasn't ready.  I will pick it up tomorrow afternoon instead.

I did get most of the paperwork out of the way today though, so there's that at least.

Def

[Farmer X]

Sign your life away, eh?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Indeed. 

Still, it will be nice to be back in my own vehicle like a big boy.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

This is a pretty cool video about the Maverick.  These are older models though.



The model has been refreshed for 2025 with a bigger screen (the little storage hole beside the touch screen is gone in favor of a bigger screen), the front grille has been redesigned a bit and the hybrid now has an AWD version.  Oh, and the orange bits the designer talks about are blue on mine. 

I think.

I still have not actually seen the vehicle I am buying.   

Def

[Farmer X]

Hopefully you will have it in your driveway (or, better yet, garage) as of this post. And the orange bits sprinkled throughout the interior are one Maverick feature I didn't really care for. Blue would probably be an improvement.

[Grant Lamontagne]

The blue bits inside look really good.  I’ll get some pics up ASAP, but I’m really impressed with it.

It wasn’t supposed to have a trailer hitch or heated seats.  I was already pricing those things out, but the sales guy told me yesterday when it arrived that it had a hitch on it.  Since it wasn’t on the spec sheet, I don’t pay extra for it. 

On the drive home from the dealership I noticed my arse was pretty toasty, and sure enough, it has heated seats too!  Also not a feature I paid for, although I certainly would have.

That’s when I also noticed that it also has a heated steering wheel too!

I’m really quite thrilled with it.  I immediately drove it to the hardware store and bought a new recycle bin that I’ve been wanting to get for a while but had no way to get home. 

Def

[Vidar]

It seems very practical. Congrats! May it drive long, safe and without technical griefs! 

[Grant Lamontagne]

As promised, here are a few pics.  I'll get some shots inside tomorrow.

I have never owned a pickup truck before.

I have never owned a Ford before.

I have never owned a black vehicle before.

I have never owned a hybrid before.

All of this is new to me.   

Def

[nate j]

Very nice!  As Vidar says, here’s to many years of trouble-free service!
 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I sure hope so!

It is very tiny which is great for parking lots, and it's lower than my Jeep so it's easier to get in and out of, which is nice. 

It also uses the FordPass system, which means I can do things like lock and unlock the doors or remote start it from my phone, or track it if it goes missing.  This is a really handy system and I see myself using it a lot.

I always said that when/if I ever got a Ford I was going to spring for the extra $$ to get that combination lock that they put on the doors.  It always seemed so handy to be able to unlock the doors without a key- for example, if I go paddling I hate taking the keys with me as I am always concerned they may end up at the bottom of the lake (right next to a certain digital camera and/or Bear Grylls knife!   ) and I wouldn't be able to get home.  With the combination doodad on the door I could leave the keys locked in the vehicle and not have to worry about losing them.

Even if I did get it back, it might not be useful after submersion.

With the FordPass system I get the same thing (provided I don't lose my phone) which is handy. 

Def

[Farmer X]

I have never owned a pickup truck before.

I have never owned a Ford before.

I have never owned a black vehicle before.

I have never owned a hybrid before.

Let's see: I have owned a black pickup truck, a black Ford, and two Ford pickup trucks. I can't see myself ever owning a hybrid...and I'm surprised that this is Def's first pickup.

Hope it treats you well, and let me know if you'll be doing the oil changes yourself. I can give you some helpful advice.

[Whoey]

Assuming as it's new, probably mandatory to do at dealership.

[Farmer X]

Some dealerships offer complimentary oil changes for a specified period of time, but I've never heard of that being mandatory. The oil filter is at the bottom of the engine, and it'll have to be elevated for at least the first oil change.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I bought the service package, so for the first couple of years anyway I have prepaid for oil changes and the like. 

i know, I know, I am a sucker....

Def

[Farmer X]

One thing I dislike about the Maverick is the silly little pan (AKA "plastic smurfhole") under the engine. If you cover a lot or rough terrain, it may not hold up very well.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I will have to keep an eye out for that one.  I haven't really looked under it yet.

Oh, and the dealer oil changes aren't mandatory, but not having them done by a dealer or factory authorized place can affect your warranty.  But, the Ford dealer I bought this from is just a couple of blocks from my house, so I don't see that as a problem anyway.

Def

[old Lefty]

Congrats on the new truck!
It does look pretty good!

Lähetetty minun SM-T515 laitteesta Tapatalkilla

[Grant Lamontagne]

Thanks man!

I am a bit excited about it if I'm honest.

Def

[powernoodle]

We would be too, sir.   

[Farmer X]

Dealer oil changes aren't mandatory, but not having them done by a dealer or factory authorized place can affect your warranty.

A little over 50 years ago, Ford encouraged owners to do basic maintenance on their vehicle. I wonder why the change? Aside from the obvious, of course.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Because too many people are drinking the battery acid, and the dealership doesn’t make money when you do it yourself.

Def

[Vidar]

Our car crossed 5 years, and as electric cars also have 12v batteries that might fail after some years I figured I'd change them. (There are two). Should be basic I thought. But according to the manual I can't do that myself - the car needs recoding something, window stop programming, calibrating something else, balancing (should be easy on four wheels?  ), and a special techno dance performed by certified mechanics.

Turns out I got all of that jazz for about USD 120 so it could have been worse. Still, I think cars should be made so common well known service tasks can be done by anyone? (Now I truly fear the financial impact if any of those lovely front lights should decide to go dark!))

[Grant Lamontagne]

Here one battery alone would have been close to $120 USD so I think you have done well!

I am very concerned about all the computer stuff in this truck as well, but then I had the same concerns about my Jeep 12 years ago.

Def

[Farmer X]

Because too many people are drinking the battery acid, and the dealership doesn’t make money when you do it yourself.

The dealership not making any money off the DIY ethic was painfully obvious. But is there a big problem with human consumption of battery acid north of the 49th parallel?

I think cars should be made so common well known service tasks can be done by anyone?

That's the other obvious thing: new vehicles are very complicated and tend to be aggravating to work on. Personally, I think every battery should be user-replacable. And that applies not only to vehicles.

[Vidar]

Here one battery alone would have been close to $120 USD so I think you have done well!

I am very concerned about all the computer stuff in this truck as well, but then I had the same concerns about my Jeep 12 years ago.

Def

If only the battery was included in the price.. I did source the battery myself though for half the "branded" battery price.

I got an old excavator where the electronic brain keeps giving up every few years. Apparently a known problem with the model. So I've changed it two times before without issue. The third time around I either got a defective new part - or there is something else wrong that kills these as I put them in. (And last time very quickly indeed). But without this small part the rest is effectively a 13 ton paperweight. (Luckily it happened to parked at a decent long term spot at the time). Seriously considering replacing all the control electronics with something else if it wasn't for the diesel engine control which I'm clueless about.

That's the other obvious thing: new vehicles are very complicated and tend to be aggravating to work on. Personally, I think every battery should be user-replacable. And that applies not only to vehicles.

I can only agree with that. Cell phones and notebook computers have degraded for example - they used to be user replaceable, and I sometimes did just that.

[Farmer X]

Cell phones and notebook computers have degraded for example - they used to be user replaceable, and I sometimes did just that.

The battery in my present laptop can be replaced easily enough. All that's needed is removal of a few screws. My dearly departed HP was even easier; if I slid the latch, the battery popped right out. Unfortunately, the last cell phone I owned that had a user-replacable battery was purchased in 2017.

[Vidar]

I still have a fully working Fujitsu-Siemens P7120 (a tiny subnotebook) from 2005. It had two batteries, plug and play from the outside, which would keep it chugging along for some 10 hours or so. (In 2005!). Add a set of extra batteries and it was my work/ entertainment for those really long flights. The build quality of that thing is impressive. It still looks like new despite having been around the block quite a few times.


So how is the new car working out so far? Any favourite surprises?  (Well, I guess that might have been the heated seats and the trailer hitch).