Def's 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid AWD

[Farmer X]

That is quite amazing for such a big car!

I don't think the Maverick is a big vehicle. The new F-Series trucks, on the other hand, are unnecessarily bloated. Same for the new Rangers. Though by European standards, a Maverick may be on the large side.

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

I've never heard that one before, but it's a good smart-ass answer!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yes the Maverick is very small in comparison to other pickup trucks. 

This is a drone shot I took this morning as I was parked in between an F-150 and an F-250. 

If I was going to feel emasculated in my little truck it would be at a time like this!   

Def

[SteveC]

    that's a small truck.

[nate j]

The Maverick would be classified as a compact pickup truck, not a full-size pickup truck.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that, if it meets your needs!
 

[Farmer X]

  A compact truck (think of the original GM S-Series or an old Toyota Hilux) does <95% of what I need a truck to do.

[Grant Lamontagne]

The Maverick would be classified as a compact pickup truck, not a full-size pickup truck.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that, if it meets your needs!
 

So far it does.  I really wish the 4K towing package was available when I needed to buy, but beggars can't be choosers.

It also drinks a lot less fuel than my Jeep, which I appreciate as well.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I installed the window visors today.  Not a huge deal, but nice to have.

These are the Weathertech ones that fit inside the window slot rather than attaching outside with double sided tape.

I think they look very slick, which is what I was hoping for.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I've posted some pretty amazing fuel economy screens a few times, but those are the really good days.  Some days aren't so good, especially since I idle a fair bit just to keep warm at work.  Unlike my Jeep, the Maverick only runs the engine occasionally and uses the battery to keep the heater running, so even at idle it's a lot more efficient.

This is the overall average since I got the truck, which isn't too bad at all.  For those that don't understand l/100kms, that's about 31mpg, which is pretty good for a truck.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oh yeah, and one thing that annoys me a bit is that all of the graphics of the truck show it with a sunroof and I don't have a sunroof.   

It's a little thing, but it torments me a little!   

Def

[powernoodle]

These are the Weathertech ones

I have installed those on several vehicles.  They are great in hot weather, as you can leave the windows down just a little to allow air circulation but they are still protected from rain.

Weathertech is good stuff, though a little spendy.  But I buy their floor and trunk/boot mats, and front windscreen shades as they are high quality and made to fit individual vehicles.  I have also used Weathertech's warranty, when the velcro glue on the window shade melted off.

Experiment with the Maverick's Eco and Sport modes if it has them which I think it does.  My Sienna has those settings, and while I don't see much difference in MPG, the Sport mode certain affects throttle response.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I like to use Eco mode because I am kind of cheap, and as I'm not a street racer I don't need massive acceleration.  Unfortunately the Maverick defaults to Normal mode and I don't always remember to switch it to Eco.

In Normal mode the truck accelerates well.  Not great, but enough to get the job done.  It really won't win any races or other awards for its 0-60 time, but I also don't feel like I'm holding up traffic or anything.

Drop it into Sport mode however and it's a different story indeed.

In Sport mode the speedometer turns red and when you step on the gas it takes off like a scalded rat.  I probably still won't be a featured extra in the next Fast and Furious movie, but it really does move in Sport Mode.

For reference, in Normal Mode the speedometer is a nice blue color, in Eco Mode it turns green, in Slippery mode it turns to an ice blue and in Tow/Haul mode the speedometer is grey.  It's a nice indication of which mode you are in, even though there is an icon below that tells you as well.

Def

[powernoodle]

[stuntzombie]

I like to throw mine into Sport mode now and then when I'm on the back roads. Makes the ride home a bit more fun.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I like to throw mine into Sport mode now and then when I'm on the back roads. Makes the ride home a bit more fun.

That would be fun indeed!

I'd love to hear about your Maverick, what you have done to it, which version you have, what you think of it etc if you would be willing to share?

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Some thoughts on the lane keeping feature:

I generally hate the lane keeping crapola, despite signaling at least 95% of the time. 

That having been said, I find the lane keeping system in this vehicle quite reasonable and not overbearing.  I can also steer over the line if need be, and while it does get upset with me, it doesn't really stop you from doing what you want.

It also works well when you take your hands off the steering wheel, although the truck gets very upset and gives you all kinds of warmings to put your hands back on the wheel.  I only tried this once and isn't something I generally make a habit of doing.  As I am still here to tell you about it, the system obviously steers itself well enough.  I wouldn't want to trust my life to it, but it works well enough that I probably could.

If you should decide that you don't want the lane keeping system, the stalk on the left side of the steering column has a large button sticking out of it.  Press that and lane keeping shuts off, and stays off until you turn it back on.  Even if you shut the vehicle off and restart it later on, the lane keeping function stays off until you deliberately turn it back on.

I like that- I hate it when everything resets after you restart it, so it's quite nice that this one turns off and stays off.  That having been said, it is so benign that I generally leave it on, and I don't find it intrusive in the least.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

One detail I like about this is that there are no indications that it's a hybrid.  There is no special badging, no special markings, no dead giveaways like hybrid specific body panels etc.

There is no way you can tell by looking at it that it's a hybrid, and I like that because then I don't have to be like this:

https://youtu.be/ecnS1Ygf0o0?si=_L_KePUbfG0v69cv

Def

[Vidar]

Yes, some of those types kept me away from electric cars for years! 

I do wonder if I accidentally have joined a cult or something because random people in the same car model insist of waving as we meet on the road. I didn't even know that was a thing. (I guess I should get out more as social conventions seems to need updating? Alternatively, just stay under this rock and there would be no need?)

[nate j]

Yes, some of those types kept me away from electric cars for years! 

I do wonder if I accidentally have joined a cult or something because random people in the same car model insist of waving as we meet on the road. I didn't even know that was a thing. (I guess I should get out more as social conventions seems to need updating? Alternatively, just stay under this rock and there would be no need?)

I think it depends on how common the car is, and also how brand loyal the individual is.

[Grant Lamontagne]

There is a thing called The Jeep Wave, where everyone in a Jeep waves to other Jeeps.  Motorcycle riders generally wave to other motorcycles as well, except Harley Davidson riders tend to only wave to other Harley riders.

I have heard it can be common in other cars as well, but I haven't really encountered it in a Maverick, although after almost twenty years of driving Jeeps it's a hard habit to break not waving to Jeeps!

Def

[Vidar]

The lady and I borrowed a mobile home a few years ago to drive on vacation. Most other mobile homes did wave. After a while of meeting lots of other mobile homes (tourist season) it started to feel like a traffic hazard, so we decided whoever was in the passenger seat was also on wave duty. It still counts? 

[Grant Lamontagne]

In less than an hour Megan and I will be embarking on the Maverick's first serious road trip- we will be on the road for the next two days pretty well solid as we drive 1500 miles (ish) to my father's place.

Along the way we will drive through the Appalachian mountains and across some very flat, straight roads, and I am looking forward to seeing what the mileage looks like and how well the little truck holds up.

Prior to leaving my overall fuel economy is currently 7.0L/100kms or just a bit better than 33 and a half miles per gallon.

I'll report back from tonight's stop over in Montreal and let you know what happens!

Def

[SteveC]

Safe travels !

[Farmer X]

Safe travels. Maybe a stop in my area on the way back?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'd consider it because one of my best friends is on the right side of the border in Windsor, but even so, Motown is a ten or eleven hour drive from where I'm going!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Sorry to leave you all hanging- I arrived safe and sound and I will tell you all about my trip in another thread.  Meanwhile I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting to hear about my fuel economy! 

About three hours after we left I tested the brakes (and HARD) when a deer wandered out into the road immediately ahead of us.  I had the cruise control set at 115km/hr (110 zone, and yes I was speeding but only just ) and was sailing along nicely until the deer wandered out onto the highway and I hit the brakes as hard as I have ever hit brakes in my life.  I heard the tires squeal even with the ABS.

The deer was so startled it turned to run back off the highway and tripped on it's own feet, falling flat on the road, which now meant I had to actually stop rather than just slow down enough for it to get out of the way.  By now the Maverick was going quite slow, so that wasn't a problem, and I am glad that other cars around me were also paying attention and didn't run into me.

It would have really sucked writing off my new truck on it's first road trip and the first day of my vacation.   

But, it handled well in a panic stop and the deer wasn't harmed, so all is well.  The other drivers that had been stopped by my incident all smiled and waved as we all set off.  Welcome to life in Canada. 

So, on to the mileage.  As I have two Trip meters I reset Trip 1 before I left and at the end of the first day, and used Trip 2 to record the overall trip.

Sorry I used different screens to record the info, but on Day 1 I drove a total of 1,263.4 kms (785 miles), and out of that 187.3 kms (116 miles) were driven entirely on electric power, and my fuel economy was 6.3L/100kms, which translates to 37.3mg (US) or 44.8MPG (UK).

Not too shabby, especially with two occupants, a tiny dog and luggage.

The second day wasn't as good, but I expected it to be worse.  The first day we were on mostly highways with a limit of 100-110kms/hr and much of Quebec between Quebec City and Montreal is straight and flat, while much of New Brunswick is hilly and mountainous (the Appalations mountain range) which meant there was a lot of downhill driving.  While a regular gasoline vehicle burns fuel on both sides of a mountain, a hybrid charges up on the downhill side.

By comparison, the highway ends just after Ottawa, and goes down to a 90km/hr zone overall, but slows down to 50km/hr as you pass through towns.  This constant slowing down and speeding up, done many, many times for about 6-7 hours really changes the fuel economy as you can imagine.  I have been convinced for years that this major corridor stays this way to ensure that road transport always takes a back seat to the railways, but for whatever reason, that's the way it is.

The second day we covered 801.5 kms (498 miles) and 139.5 kms (86.7 miles) were on electric alone.  Fuel economy dropped to 6.8L/100 kms, which is 34.6mpg in the US and 41.5mpg in the UK.

Even that is pretty darned good, again, for a pickup truck-- and yes, I realize it isn't really a pickup truck, it is just cosplaying as one.   

Overall the trip took over 23 and a half hours and 2,065 kms (1284 miles) with 326.9 kms (203 miles) done entirely on lightning, with no dinosaur juice used.

That gave me an overall fuel economy of 6.5L/100kms or 36.2mpg in the US and 43.5mpg if I was in the UK.

We made more fuel stops than needed along the way largely because our bladders required it a lot more than the fuel tank did, and since we were stopped anyway, I topped up the tank each time.  What can I say, I hate using a rest room at a gas station without buying something, so I bought gas each time.  I would say that given the small amounts of fuel I bought each time, the station probably lost money after a couple of flushes than they made off me!   

I am impressed with the fuel economy of this tiny trucklet, and I am wondering if it will get better for the ride home,

Ford says the fuel economy improves after the the engine is broken in at around 4,000 miles, or 6,400 kms, and I just passed that milestone getting here.

I don't expect to see much better on the ride home, but I wouldn't be upset if it did get better! 

(For some reason my images aren't attaching, so I will try again later as proof of the above numbers!)

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

How is this for mileage?

Fifty litre tank equals over nine hundred kilometers.

 

Def

[Vidar]

That is surprisingly good!

[stuntzombie]

That would be fun indeed!

I'd love to hear about your Maverick, what you have done to it, which version you have, what you think of it etc if you would be willing to share?

Def

I've got a 2022 XLT in Chili Pepper Red. It was one that an acquaintance ordered but wasn't able to take possession, so I didn't have a choice on the options. I wish it was AWD and had a hitch, but at least I can get the latter installed. Other than that, I love driving it. It does well on gas, handles well, and is a comfortable ride. I'll post a shot of it soon.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Very cool!

I have been drooling over the green they also have, but I'm unlikely to take the financial hit to switch!   

Is yours the 2.5L?  I believe that has a bit more power over the hybrid version.  If I recall correctly, the 2.0L turbo puts out around 250hp while I only have 191hp in the hybrid. 

It's not the heaps of power I have gotten with other vehicles I have driven but it certainly is enough to the job done.

Def

[stuntzombie]

It's the 2.0L EcoBoost. Hopefully the model sticks around, because I'd like to get the AWD Hybrid at some point.

I'm kinda hoping they come out with an all electric variant down the road. It seems like the perfect platform to be all electric.