Def's 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid AWD

[Grant Lamontagne]

Rather than continue to detail the hybrid thread I figured I'd create a thread specifically about my Maverick and the stuff I am doing with it.  You never know, something interesting might actually come of it!

I'm going to start this off with this pic of the dash, showing a trip that was at 4.1L/100kms. 

For those of you not familiar with that measurement, here is ChatGPT converting it to mpg.

To convert 4.1 L/100 km to miles per gallon (mpg) (U.S.), you can use the formula:

mpg = 235.214 / (L/100 km)

So:

mpg = 235.214 / 4.1 ≈ 57.37 mpg (U.S.)

If you're looking for Imperial mpg (UK):

mpg (UK) = 282.481 / 4.1 ≈ 68.89 mpg (UK)

Fifty seven miles per gallon in a freaking pickup truck is absolutely mind blowing

Now, in fairness, I don't always get that- in fact that was the lowest I have seen on it so far (except for a drive today that I did 100% on electric) and some of the trips have been much worse than that, but the fact that it actually did it, in real world driving conditions just blew my mind.

This is going to be a long thread.  I have a lot more to say but as I am pretty exhausted it will have to wait till tomorrow!

Def

[Farmer X]

Seems like you're enjoying it so far! What options do you have for customizing the display? I worked on one Ford of recent manufacture (an Expedition, if memory serves me correctly) that had a "customize gauges" setting. Being able to change one of the gauges to an oil pressure gauge was kinda cool. Of course, I switched it back before I returned the truck to its driver.

[Barry Rowland]

Def, that's great!!  I had a Subaru Baja for awhile and loved it.  It was small enough to go almost anywhere, but could haul a bike or kayak with no problems at all. 

[powernoodle]

Glamour shots, please.   

I mentioned it in the hybrid thread, but the Maverick was on my short list when I ended up with a Sienna.  So I am muchly interested in seeing what transpires here.  I'll be seeing my alternative timeline.

 

[ThisAlarm7]

Very nice...I"ve admired those trucks since they've come out, so handy and economical. Now I just wish they'd make it in a manual.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Glamour shots, please.   

I mentioned it in the hybrid thread, but the Maverick was on my short list when I ended up with a Sienna.  So I am muchly interested in seeing what transpires here.  I'll be seeing my alternative timeline.

 

Maybe once I have washed it!  I work on a construction site so it's a lot less black than usual right now!

Here are a few shots from last week, including a couple of pics of the tonneau cover.

And for those paying attention, I strongly recommend NOT installing a tonneau cover when you have some cracked ribs.  It is not a pleasant experience.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

When I said we had a variety of weather last week, I meant it!

I've also gotten some ribbing about my "cute little trucklet" so I decided to fire back by telling people I hauled an entire month's worth of animal feed in the back, and didn't even come close to maxing it out.

If you've spent any time around animals, this is hilarious, because that's a month's supply of food for my tiny dog, and therefore technically correct.  But calling it "animal feed" conjures up images of a farm or ranch truck!

That was before I got the tonneau cover, in the next picture, and this morning I got a trailer hitch.  It won't haul much, given that it is limited to 2,000 pounds, but I do need to move my trailer around a bit, so it's an absolute necessity.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Also, inside the bed on the right side, just a head of the tail light is a small storage cubby.  It isn't huge, and I think it maxes out at around 20 pounds, but I think it is an ideal spot for a first aid kit. 

It's covered by a panel so nothing inside will get wet, plus with the tonneau cover on top it should stay safe and clean.  It's also super accessible when needed- just drop the tail gate (or more accurately, let the tailgate down slowly!), twist the knob to release the panel and the kit is right there.

I'll get pics of that shortly- as I mentioned before, it's crazy how much thought has been put into designing this little truck.

Def

[powernoodle]

Sweet.   

[Barry Rowland]

 

[PitCarver]

You know,  I haven't followed the hybrid thread for a while, but that's a nice looking truck.
I'm hoping that my 20+ mpg Dodge will outlast me. 
It's got less than 50,000 miles on it which is less than 1/4 of the miles I had on my last vehicle.

[powernoodle]

Yeah, I don't feel like get my money's worth if I don't pass 200K miles.  I've driven a Ford Mustang, BMW 325e, Ford Explorer and Chevy Suburban each over 200K.

Def, we expect your 320,000 km report in due course.   

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'd be very happy if it lasted that long but most cars here rust out long before getting to that point.

Here is the storage area in the bed with a brand new first aid kit in it.

Def

[Farmer X]

Just drop the tail gate (or more accurately, let the tailgate down slowly!).

That's probably a lot easier with the Maverick than it was with my '93 F-150. I'm guessing its tailgate probably weighed at least 40 pounds, maybe closer to 60.

As for the rust, maybe you'll get lucky and the Maverick makes extensive use of composite material or the Big Three have stepped up their rustproofing game. Or you could do what I plan on doing: moving someplace that's away from the ocean and doesn't see much snow.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I would love to move away from the ocean, but getting away from the snow is a lot less likely.

One accessory I keep looking at is a shock absorber for the tailgate.  Basically when you pull the handle and drop the gate the shock lets it down slowly.  I am really interested in it, but in order to install it you have to remove one of the factory tie down points.  I worked in shipping for 17 years and the idea of removing a built in tie down really bothers me.

I will keep considering it and see if it's something that I need- there are lots of tie downs, so is the loss of one that significant?  Time will tell.

These particular tie downs (one on either side of the tailgate) also make this truck a multitool, at least from a technical standpoint as they are also bottle openers.

I suppose I could get by with just one...   

Def

[Barry Rowland]

   

I'd be very happy if it lasted that long but most cars here rust out long before getting to that point.

Here is the storage area in the bed with a brand new first aid kit in it.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

The center console from the factory is just a cavernous hole and you can buy inserts on Amazon for a multi layered storage compartment.

I really lucked out because the one I bought had a slot that was exactly the right size for my Maxpedition Mini Organizer.

That's really handy as it allows me to keep a pen, Sharpie, flashlight, notebooks, a lighter and some other stuff in here without it all bouncing around.  It actually fits so well that I have to wonder if the guys that designed this insert had the same Maxpedition pouch.

Def

[Barry Rowland]

 

[Farmer X]

I'm guessing it's just a coincidence that your organizer fits in the tray. Still, it's pretty cool that does...and it's a great fit!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Definitely a coincidence, but a very cool one.  I am very happy with how well it fits!

I have another doodad coming that may be even cooler, if you can believe it.

I mentioned in the Hybrid thread about something called the FITS system, which stands for Ford Integrated Tether System.  As it doesn't really involve tethers I think someone stretched the definition for the sake of a cool acronym.

In reality it's kind of like the automotive version of MOLLE- it's a universal mounting system for whatever gear you want to attached to it.  Even though it's not universal as I think the Maverick is the only car with it.   

At any rate, long story short, I have some MOLLE panels coming that fit in the FITS slots.  This will allow me to mount some MOLLE stuff in the storage area under the rear seat, which will go a long way to helping to keep it all organized.

I'm really looking forward to it!

Def

[Farmer X]

MOLLE for a Maverick...should be interesting! Sounds as if you're really enjoying it so far.

[Grant Lamontagne]

The MOLLE panels arrived yesterday and I got some quick pics last night.

There are two different sizes panels, some extra screws, a wrench (got to love things that come with tools!), the FITS attachments and some shock cord and Velcro strapping.

I'm at work now and once the sun comes up and things get a bit warmer I'll start fitting things together and see how they actually work.

So far I've managed to put a Maxpedition organizer on one.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

There is some padding around the handle as you can see.  It's not a lot but it definitely makes them easier to grab than the basic laser cut steel would have been!

These are the bits that fit into the FITS slots.  They have an octagonal attachment where they slot into the panels, so you can alter the angle the panel sits at, which is pretty cool.  I hadn't anticipated that, but I'm also not sure what the benefit of that would be.  Still, I suppose they could be used as shelves rather than hanging panels, which could have its uses. 

Or put it on a 45 degree angle to hold longer items?

The instructions aren't overly detailed, but these things are not overly technical so I don't think they need to be.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Here is a Maxpedition organizer and another random MOLLE pack I had laying around attached to the larger frame.  I took front and back pics to show how they are mounted.

The Maxpedition Fatty Organizer is attached with Tac Ties and the generic bag is attached with its own built in straps.

Tac Ties:  https://www.maxpedition.com/products/5-tactie-pack-of-4?variant=27894377105

I have a MOLLE first aid kit that I may put on this frame instead as it's a bit bigger and I believe needs the bigger frame.  That said, I am also liking the idea of keeping my existing FAK in the bed as it's easier to access for outside use.  That having been said, you can never have too many first aid kits in an emergency, so having one inside and one outside isn't a bad idea either.

A few years ago a concrete worker cut himself on some jagged steel.  The site foreman grabbed the FAK out of his truck to help bandage the worker up, but his FAK had been used heavily and not replenished, so he had another worker grab one out of the equipment shed.  It also had no gauze, and so was also useless.

Fortunately I was there with yet another FAK and I managed to get what we needed out of mine and patch him up well enough for a trip to the hospital.

Moral of the story- you can never have enough first aid kits.   

I will say one issue I seem to be noticing is the MOLLE is a standard and yet these MOLLE panels don't line up as well as they should, and even more so when you put them sideways, as pictured below.

My understanding is that it should all fit regardless of which way you want to put it, so this is a bit disappointing.

I will keep playing and see if it's really their mistake or if I'm doing something wrong.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

This is what the FITS system looks like.  It's basically just a slot and accessories with a compatible plug find in the slot.

There are matching slots on either side of the under seat storage compartment in the back, and one on the back of the center console.

These MOLLE panels fit into the slots under the back seats, and each panel takes two slots, which are directly across from each other.

There are two different sizes panels as they have different sizes areas they can fit.  The small panel fits in the slots closest to the door, but they are so close to the edge of the storage area that there isn't much room for attaching anything with any significant size on that side of the panel.

For all intents and purposes you can only put stuff on one side of this panel.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

You can see from this pic how close it is to the side of the storage compartment.

Like I said, you could put something very slim on that side, but I don't know that it would be worthwhile.  Better to stuff something in there that doesn't attach to the MOLLE panel.

The way the slots work, the panels don't lock in or anything, they just sit in there with friction, making them easy to pull out when you want. 

Unless you keep the seat up when you drive, I doubt very much there would be much of a chance of things jumping out as I imagine they would hit the underside of the seat before they came out of the slot.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Drill batteries are getting really expensive, but I didn't expect to have to pay $45,000 for one!   

I used my drill to put the permanent license plate on it.  I had to be careful because that drill is way too powerful for driving a couple of screws into a plastic bracket, but I really wanted to try the outlet in the bed. 

I also achieved a new milestone in fuel efficiency!

That's almost 62mpg!

Def

[Vidar]

That is quite amazing for such a big car!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm working this weekend from 0400hrs to noon to install some girders to support a new overpass.  We are doing it early in the day on weekends to minimize the impact on traffic. 

But more importantly it has given me an opportunity to have a look at how effective the in-bed light and the jellyfish launcher is.

As you can see, the in bed light is more of a white LED and the jellyfish launcher seems to be a more yellowy incandescent, but both light everything up well. 

I took these pics with the tonneau cover closed so it would be easier to see the differences between them. 

The in bed light has its own switch and can be turned on any time, whether the truck is running or not, and the jellyfish launcher is controlled by a switch on the dash.  When you turn on the jellyfish launcher the in bed light also turns on.

I might not want to spend a lot of time reading fine print under these lights but checking or securing cargo would be easy to do with these lights, as would searching out the right socket or drill bit.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

For those who may not know what a jellyfish launcher is, it's a running joke.  Pictured below is the icon on the switch.

Some time ago someone posted a similar icon on a forum and asked what it was. The internet, being the smart assed place that it is, responded with everyone saying it was a a jellyfish launcher, because it looks like a jellyfish being launched out of the bed.

It's supposed to be a little ght shining down on the bed, because that's what it actually is.  But for many people, myself included, the term stuck and it has been unofficially renamed a Jellyfish Launcher, or occasionally a squid launcher..

Either way it amuses me about that I am going to keep calling it that.   

Def