Def's 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid AWD

[Grant Lamontagne]

I agree.

The only reason I got the hybrid is because it was half the price of either the Lightning or Silverado EV, which were what I really wanted.

I’m glad they released the AWD version with the hybrid power plant.  I really didn’t want the gas version, but I also really didn’t want a two wheel drive truck. 

I’m also seriously considering a two inch lift and some more aggressive tires. I know this will affect the mileage, but I’m concerned about bottoming out on job sites.  I don’t know that two inches will make much of a difference, but I’ll feel better about it.

Def

[Farmer X]

Two inches doesn't sound like much, but it may help. According to Mrs. FX, fitting tires that were about 0.25 inches larger than stock really helped out on her Saturn. I'm just wondering if one can find a lift kit for a Maverick.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yes they are available, up to 4 inches but with 2 inches being the most common.  There are a lot of YouTubers that have done it and other than fuel consumption there hasn’t seemed to be any significant issues.

I do wonder if the less powerful hybrid would suffer significantly.

Def

[Farmer X]

That's a good question. I can see reduced fuel economy when accelerating, but assuming no other changes, larger tires would should actually reduce engine speed on the freeway. I don't know what solutions there are for mitigating the hybrid's lower power. Further research would be needed.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have had my first problem at around 10,000kms.

It started throwing a bunch of error messages at me last week- Hill start assist error, antilock brake error and forward collision warnings all went offline, the steering suddenly got heavy (as of the power steering was working at half capacity) and it wouldn't select a different drive mode.  I usually drive on Eco mode, but I couldn't switch out of normal mode, which was all very frustrating.

Megan and I had a bit of a road trip planned for the weekend (two hours away) and I didn't feel comfortable driving the Maverick that far so I rented a vehicle instead.

The only vehicle the rental place has early on Saturday morning was a full sized GMC pickup, which was a nice truck, but the big truck are $72 in gas to make the trip.

The Maverick would have made the trip and back several times on one tank of gas, and won't even take $70 worth of gas when empty.

Yesterday I dropped the Maverick at the dealership for warranty service and an oil change and they gave me an F-150 as a loaner vehicle.

I really like it too, but I think the interior of the GMC was nicer, even though the GMC also felt a lot bigger.

The dealership called me late in the day yesterday to tell me that I needed a new ABS sensor and that should be in sometime today, so I kept the F-150 overnight.

Hopefully the Maverick will be fixed.  I can't tell you how angry I am that my brand new truck failed this quickly on me, but that is what a warranty is for, right?  Even monkeys fall out of trees....

I hope the issue is fixed and I can get back to enjoying the Maverick.   

Def

[stuntzombie]

I know the pain. I've spent the past few days drying out my passenger side floorboard because the drain for the A/C evaporator clogged, and it started dripping water in the cabin. Thankfully I caught it somewhat early.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence!   

Def

[stuntzombie]

I have a 2022., so it’s likely that it’s only an issue among the early ones. I do t know that I’ve seen any posts about the same issue among the newer models.

Still, doesn’t hurt to check now and then just to make sure you see it leaving puddles when you’re running your ac.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I absolutely will keep my eye on that, and anything else that may pop up.

I am getting a bit nervous if I'm honest.

I'm sure I am overreacting though.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I tried to pick up the Maverick yesterday afternoon and made it mere minutes before the service lady left for the day.

I handed in the keys to the F-150 and they handed me mine, I signed the work order so the dealer can get paid for the work from Ford, got into my Maverick, hit the start button and drove away.

Except that I didn't.

I hit the start button and all the errors came back up on the dash, so I walked right back into the dealership as the nice service lady was putting on her jacket.

She smiled and asked if I'd forgotten anything and I told her the error messages were still all over the screen.

She responded with a resounding F word that carried through the entire service area.

Not overly professional maybe, but I have to say, I agreed with the sentiment. 

So, I handed her back my key, she handed me back the key to the F-150 and off we went in our separate directions.

I just got off the phone with her and apparently they have now decided that the problem is my brake booster, and they have ordered the part, which is in Edmonton and won't be delivered here until Wednesday.

As the tech said the Maverick wasn't safe to drive without a brake booster, they asked if I minded keeping the F-150 until next week.   

So, I have an F-150 until at least Wednesday now.

I was kind of planning to take my teeny dog out for a hike in the woods but I can't take a dog in a rental, so that may be out of the question now.

Also, given that Megan's Volvo is dead and my Jeep has been off the road since November, and now the issues with the Maverick, I have to wonder how many smurfing cars I have to own before I'm able to drive one of them?   

Oh well. 

Def

[Vidar]

I have to wonder how many smurfing cars I have to own before I'm able to drive one of them?   

I think that has been answered long ago by wiser and more frustrated people than me: "Three cars. One out of order, one currently in the workshop, and one to drive. Rotate frequently".

We had ours in the workshop earlier this month. Some battery work and some campaign work. Three days in total. On the plus side the car power consumption per km is lower and the range has increased a bit. And we got it back all washed and cleaned up! (I like to think good service, but on second thought might just have been caused by them not wanting to bring such a dirt layered car into a nice workshop...  I'm sure climate scientist could have told historic climate conditions by digging back through the layers.) 
 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well, Megan made much the same joke.  She reminded me that when you have three or more of something, you have a collection. 

Currently I have:

1x Jeep with a transmission issue that no one can diagnose
1x Jeep with a rotted frame
1x Volvo with a knock sensor issue
1x Maverick with who knows what's wrong with it.

That makes a total of four cars and therefore I guess I am collecting derelicts?   

Def

[Farmer X]

One of them is bound to be sorted out soon. I have faith in that.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm sure the Maverick will be.  I'm just a bit frustrated is all.

Honestly, I hold on to cars too long, and I really shouldn't.

In the meantime mind you, I've had a good chance to play with the F-150 and, for the most part o have been enjoying it.  The Maverick will feel like a sports car after driving a full sized truck for a while!

The F-150 is a great truck, but this one was optioned a bit weird.

It has the column shift, which I like, versus most of the ones I see with the floor shifter that can lay flat so the center console can be used as a laptop desk. 

Since this one has a bench front seat, the middle seat folds down to create a center console, which worked well fory laptop.

But, it has one standard USB port, five USB C ports and two 12V sockets in the cab, but no 110V outlet to plug said laptop in.   

I can customize the color and brightness of the interior mood lighting but I can't plug my laptop in?

That doesn't make much sense.

Also, this one doesn't have heated seats, a feature I greatly enjoy even when the weather isn't cold.  I used the heated seats in my Jeep to help dry out wet clothes on the way home from the beach or kayaking

Also in my Jeep, and in the Maverick I have back seats big enough for real, adult sized people.  As I have been relegated to many back seats in my life that were more for decoration than use, I appreciate proper sized back seats.

The rear seats in the F-150 are large enough for three full sized adults..... To play tennis in!   

And if you fold those seats up (not down as every other pickup) you get as much floor space as in the bed of the Maverick!

That might be an exaggeration, but not by as much as one would think.  I've attached a picture below, showing 2/3's of the seat up, which means I have this giant, cavernous space and there's still room for a person to sit back there!

I also bought about 200lbs of gravel yesterday and the truck didn't even notice the weight in the back end, although I did!  Still, for a truck this size with a payload of 1500lbs, you wouldn't expect a mere 200 pounds to be noticed.

What makes that more impressive is that my tiny Maverick will also take 1500 pounds in a bed half this size, on a vehicle half this size.

I really like the F-150, but I imagine I will get over that quickly when I get it to the gas pump.   

Def

[Vidar]

I've never seen seats folding up before. Seems like a good solution. (Maybe even better if it had folded up forwards where the seats might help contain any objects put in there from coming forwards?)

We can't plug in the laptop either, but yes there are adjustable mood lights hidden everywhere. I guess we're all supposed to have small fancy laptops that charge from USB C?

[nate j]

At least around here, small 12 VDC to 120 VAC inverters are inexpensive, easy to find, and work just fine for laptops etc.

It is more convenient when the vehicle has at least one built-in inverter, though.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I don't take my laptop with me very often, but when I do it would be nice to have somewhere to plug it in.  My twelve year old Jeep and my significantly cheaper Maverick both have household outlets for laptops and any other devices you want to plug in. 

I do have a Kindle Fire 10 tablet with a bluetooth keyboard that I use for most mobile computing.  It was cheap (around $350 CDN) and it does the job well, although it is a bit underpowered.  Still it does pretty well anything except editing video, and that I do on my iPad if I am not near my laptop.

As for the seats folding, I noticed this a while ago when I started looking for pickups, and I still had a very large dog.  She was no spring chicken, and so having space on the floor, 6-7 inches lower than folded seats seemed like a pretty good idea.  At 140 lbs, she was not dainty and anything that made life easier for her was of interest to me.

But as she is no longer a factor, and my current dog is a whopping 12 pounds, none of that is a significant concern anymore.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

At least around here, small 12 VDC to 120 VAC inverters are inexpensive, easy to find, and work just fine for laptops etc.

It is more convenient when the vehicle has at least one built-in inverter, though.

Yeah, I could, but this is a rental truck.  If I was going to buy one you better believe it would have a proper outlet in it!   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

As I hadn't planned for a week long service I had left some work stuff in the Maverick that I needed this morning, so I stopped by the dealership on my way in to work to get some things out of it.

I was amazed at just how small it seemed next to the F-150, and I'm guessing it is going to feel like a sports car compared to this beast!

Also, I filled the F-150; up this morning. It was just under 3/4's of a tank and it cost $45 to fill.

$45 for a quarter of a tank...... 

The most I've ever put in the Maverick at one time was about $56 and that was when it was down in the red! 

And the computer was telling me I still had over 200kms of driving before it was empty!

I like this F-150. It has a lot going for it, and to be fair, the mileage is still better than that of my Jeep, but in the end, I think I will stick to my hybrid Maverick.

It may fall down a bit on towing capacity, but it has the same rating in the bed as this much larger, much thirstier, much more expensive beast, and that counts for a lot.

If I was a landscaper, rancher or something where I was regularly hauling heavy loads I'd definitely opt for something like this F-150 (or more likely a bigger, heavier truck like a Super Duty), but considering my truck needs are relatively simple, I'm happy with the fuel sipping nature of the Maverick.

Def

[powernoodle]

A full size truck was #2 on my short list of vehicle purchases.  But after driving a Suburban for 13 years at 222 inches/ 5.6 meters, I was ready for something a little smaller.  Giant trucks are fun and utilitarian, but not so great to parallel park or navigate through a crowded Chic Fil A parking lot.  And as you noted, the gas mileage is poor.  My Suburban got 13 mpg.  My Sienna was getting 35 mpg this weekend with 4 people and luggage going 80 mph.  And I think your sweet, sweet Mav Mav does even better.

As with everything in life, its a cost/benefit analysis.

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Absolutely correct.

I need a truck and truck functions from time to time, but I need fuel efficiency every day so it had to win out.

And the Maverick offers a significant amount of truck function for a small, efficient vehicle.  I won't be towing a 35 foot camper with it, but with a payload of 1500 pounds in the bed it's still quite capable.

And yes, a little better than the Sienna at 36-37mpg, but that's very impressive for the Sienna!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I am still waiting for the brake booster apparently.   

I'll be in the F-150 for a little while longer yet.

Maybe next week I'll get to drive my own vehicle.

Def

[Vidar]

Keeps the mileage and wear down, and the value up, on your vehicle..

I've never had a replacement vehicle from any workshop, but I've sometimes gotten odd rental cars when the one I actually had booked wasn't there anymore. A brand new Holden 8 cylinder 300-400hp was the best replacement I got. It was great in a straight line. (It did prefer the curves somewhat straight as well though). No complaints about that exchange!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Still no word on the Maverick.

I called Ford today and actually spoke to my service advisor, who insisted that it's only been a week and a half and not two weeks.  I dropped it off two Tuesdays ago- you do the math.

But I wasn't going to argue semantics with her.  I asked what the status of my Maverick was and she said they are getting a new brake booster for it- very similar to the one they ordered last week, but I guess didn't actually solve the problem.  So now they are ordering a slightly different brake booster, this time from Ontario.

The last one they ordered was coming from Edmonton (the other side of Canada), but then they found out that one wasn't available and had to order another one from the US, and that is why it took so long to get it in.  Supposedly this one is coming from Ontario and should be here in the next day or two, so I guess I should keep holding my breath.   

This weekend is a long weekend here and we are going to New Brunswick, the next province over for the weekend.  I don't want to feed the F-150 for that road trip, but I also don't want to get my sort of repaired but maybe not, untested Maverick back right before taking a road trip on a long weekend.  If it's not as fixed as they think I could have a heck of a time getting service for it and/or another rental car.  Not to mention, I could have this issue 300 kms from home, which would be exceptionally inconvenient.

Anyways, I am trying not to worry about it too much.  Whatever happens will happen, and getting my undies in a bunch before hand won't change anything.

Def

[Vidar]

..I don't want to feed the F-150 for that road trip..

Over here I've heard that if you have a warranty repair on an electric car, and you get a ICE car as temporary replacement, you can keep the receipts for the fuel and get those refunded. Logic being that electric is next to free fuel at home, and that fuel cost is due to having to use a replacement car. Not sure if the same logic could be used in your case with just different fuel usage.

(You might end up with a 3 cylinder mini replacement car instead, and have them charge you for any saved fuel instead...  )

[Vidar]

Over here I've heard that if you have a warranty repair on an electric car, and you get a ICE car as temporary replacement, you can keep the receipts for the fuel and get those refunded. Logic being that electric is next to free in comparison at home, and that fuel cost is due to having to use a non-electric replacement car. Not sure if the same logic could be used in your case with just different fuel usage.

(You might end up with a 3 cylinder mini replacement car instead, and have them charge you for any saved fuel instead...  )

[Grant Lamontagne]

Nowadays dealerships don't even offer replacement vehicles while yours is being worked on.  I had to push to get something, and I am glad that I did.  I need a vehicle for work and being off the job for more than two weeks would have significantly compromised my ability to make the payments on the Maverick.

Def

[Vidar]

Different practices it seems. Over the years I've had two offers for long term repairs/ long time waiting for parts. I did turn down both though. One time I had another car available anyway. The other time the offer wasn't gracious enough to include proper insurance so if I crashed it I owned it.. They would happily sell me a proper short term expensive insurance though but they couldn't say what was then covered. I literally walked out on that. (And kept walking for an hour of that walking to get back to civilization. And then another hour back there when the car was done. Probably needed some hiking anyway).

[Grant Lamontagne]

I finally got my Maverick back yesterday around lunch time.  The invoice is three pages long with all of the things they had done, but mostly it centers around brake boosters and ABS sensors.

I drove it around a bit yesterday and there didn't seem to be any issues so I am reasonably confident that I will be able to make our trip this weekend to the next province over for the long weekend.

But, as they say, time will tell.

I will say that after driving the F-150 for two and a half weeks the Maverick feels like I am driving a Miata or something because it is so tiny and nimble!

As nice as the F-150 was, it's nice to be back in my own vehicle.

Def

[powernoodle]