2024 Ford Maverick Review: All-American Trucklet

The Ford Maverick compact truck has been selling up a storm in the USA since its release here two years ago. Ford sold more than 74,000 of them in 2022, which is more than twice as many as its closest competitor, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, so it seems to have this niche mostly to itself. It's of unibody construction like the Escape on which it's based, and combined with coil suspension, makes for a truck that drives more like a car and is far more economical than the full-size F-150 and mid-size Ranger. The Maverick and Santa Cruz stand alone in this market sector, and the only other rival of unibody construction is the Honda Ridgeline, although that falls in the mid-size category and is significantly more expensive. The Maverick powertrains also come from the Escape, and the standard arrangement is a sprightly 2.0-liter turbo-four with 250 horsepower, though a thrifty 191-hp hybrid is available too. The XL is a bit bare-bones, and the ride is rather stiff, while the Santa Cruz can tow more, but this hasn't stopped buyers from queuing for the Maverick, which fights back with high-value pricing and traditional truck looks.

New for 2024

The 2024 Maverick carries over mostly unchanged, except that the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with FWD is now the base powertrain on all the trims in the range, instead of the 2.5-liter hybrid FWD with the CVT. The latter is now a $1,500 option, while AWD is still available on the turbo engine at extra cost. The starting price of the 2024 Ford Maverick is now $23,400 - $805 more than last year.

2024 Ford Maverick Price: Which One to Buy

The price of the new Ford Maverick starts at $23,400 for the XL, followed by the XLT at $26,315 and the Lariat at $34,855. These prices are with the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and front-wheel drive in the case of the two base trims. Adding all-wheel drive - standard on the Lariat - will cost you an additional $2,220. Adding the FWD-only hybrid powertrain to the XL or XLT costs $1,500; however, it drops the Lariat's price by $720 because the AWD is deleted. These prices are MSRP and exclude the $1,595 destination charge.

The bare-bones XL with its steel wheels comes across more like a work truck than one fit for family duty. The Lariat is by far the nicest trim, but it's also a lot more expensive than the XLT. While the XLT doesn't have that many more features than the XL, it looks a lot smarter on its alloy wheels, and it has access to a ton of extras, so you can treat it like a blank canvas and kit it out to your heart's content. For going off-road, it's the best trim, because it's the only one eligible for the FX4 and Tremor off-road packages. We'd at least add the $650 Co-Pilot360 package to fit the missing driver assists, while the $2,275 XLT Luxury package with its heated front seats, power driver's seat, extra USB and power ports, bedliner, and trailer hitch specs the truck with many of the things most owners would like, while still keeping the price below $30k.

Interior and Features

The XL is very basic and the Lariat a lot more expensive, so the XLT provides the best blend of features and can be specced up with many available extras and packages.

The cabin isn't plush, but it's hardly expected at the price. It doesn't feel cheap either, and Ford has done a great job creating a modern, welcoming cabin that's solidly screwed together from materials that are durable and serviceable. The dashboard has pleasing textures and interesting planes, and retains proper buttons for various features, such as the climate control and basic infotainment functions. Said infotainment system is a modern smartphone-enabled system with a clear centrally mounted touchscreen. There's enough space inside for five people, and Ford hasn't skimped on oddment storage, offering various cubbies and bins for odds and ends, including rear under-seat storage. You get ordinary cloth on the seats, but they're comfortable enough. At the top of the range, the finishes and materials are more upmarket.

Space

Ford says that interior space amounts to a total passenger volume of 100.3 cu-ft, which is similar to what was on offer in the erstwhile Fusion sedan, so there's enough space for five adults, with an inch more legroom in the second row of the regular gas trims as opposed to the hybrids, which lose a touch to the hybrid gubbins packed into the compact truck. Thanks to a generous 121.1-inch wheelbase, the maximum legroom in the non-hybrid Mavericks exceeds that of the Santa Cruz, which has around three inches fewer between the axles.

Cargo

The Maverick offers more bed space than its Hyundai rival, though the total bed volume of 33.3 cu-ft is 10 cu-ft less than the outgoing Ranger. More importantly, it's more than the Santa Cruz offers, if not by much. Ford reckons you'll be able to fit 37 bags of 40-pound mulch in the load box, or 18 sheets of 4x8-foot three-quarter-inch thick plywood. You can make the most of the space by selecting options such as a bed-divider kit, a toolbox swing case, a bed net, a bed extender, bed tie-down locking rails, and more. You can also protect the bed contents with various tonneau-cover options. The standard Flexbed storage system makes it easy to add DIY dividers, a bike rack, and more, and comes with configurable slots and six tie-downs. The multi-position tailgate is lockable - electrically on the two top trims.

Interior storage spaces are unexpectedly varied and practical. You get a glovebox, but that's only the start, as the door pockets are big and have slots for accommodating tall bottles and flasks, both front and rear. The lidded center-console bin is large, and ahead of it, you'll find more places to store wallets and phones, as well as two cupholders. There's a lot of storage space underneath the flip-up rear seat base, and this compartment will accommodate a laptop bag and sports kit. The second row has a Ford Integrated Tether System (FITS) slot in which you can fit all manner of 3D-printed accessories, such as cupholders. Only on the two top trims do you get a rear fold-down center armrest with cupholders. An optional console vault is available.

Materials and Colors

There aren't many interior colors on the palette, and the XL comes with a Black Onyx/Medium Dark Slate interior and cloth on the seats. The XLT gets upgraded cloth upholstery and a Navy Pier/Medium Slate color scheme, though this is swapped for a Black Onyx interior with either the Black Appearance or XLT Luxury packages. The Lariat's seats are trimmed in ActiveX leatherette, and it comes with a Desert Brown color scheme, or again Black Onyx with the Black Appearance package. On the XL and XLT, the steering wheel is a plain black urethane item, but the XLT has access to the XLT Luxury package, which trims the wheel in soft vinyl and heats it. Only the Lariat gets a leather-trimmed steering wheel. The Tremor Off-Road package (optional on the XLT) adds Tremor Orange stitching, logos, and accents.

Features and Infotainment

The XL is rather basic and comes with remote keyless entry, manual operation for the seats (six-way for the driver and four-way for the front passenger), a tilting/telescoping steering column, single-zone manual air-conditioning, two 12V power points, and power windows and side mirrors. The driver gets a basic 4.2-inch information display in the gauge cluster and cruise control. Higher up in the lineup, more features become standard, including heated front seats, upgraded upholstery, an eight-way power driver's seat, dual-zone climate control, and push-button start. Extra-cost options include items such as a power sunroof and center-console safe.

The same basic eight-inch touchscreen is used on all trims, but the XL and XLT use a more basic version of the infotainment system. Nevertheless, it incorporates Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, two front USB ports, and an AM/FM radio with six speakers. The 6.5-inch driver-information display that is standard on the Lariat is optional on the XLT. The Lariat gets Sync 3 infotainment software and also adds SiriusXM, voice-activated navigation, and an eight-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.

Performance

Performance is strong with the turbocharged engine and only adequate with the hybrid setup. AWD is only available with the EcoBoost engine, enabling a good towing capacity of 4,000 pounds.

The base engine in the Ford Maverick is a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost inline four-cylinder with 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. In terms of the drivetrain, an eight-speed automatic transmission is standard, and it comes with front-wheel drive, though all-wheel drive can be added optionally. The upgrade powertrain is a naturally aspirated Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder that produces 162 hp and 155 lb-ft. It has hybrid assistance and, with its electric motor added to the equation, total system output is 191 hp, although Ford doesn't say what the total torque is. The hybrid sends its power through a CVT automatic to the front wheels only. With this powertrain, the Ford Maverick's 0-60 sprint takes just under eight seconds - by no means quick, but perfectly adequate and more than sufficient around town. The 250-hp gas powertrain does, of course, offer significantly stronger performance, cutting the benchmark sprint to around six seconds. Top speed is limited to 110 mph. With the EcoBoost engine, trailering is a strong point, with up to 4,000 lbs of towing capacity if you tick the 4K Tow Package box and opt for AWD. As an added bonus, the Maverick with AWD can manage more difficult terrain, courtesy of improved ground clearance and approach, ramp, and departure angles.

Trucks aren't usually FWD, and the hearty EcoBoost engine can quickly send the Maverick's front wheels spinning when setting off, so we recommend the AWD drivetrain. The engine remains quiet, even when extended, and the little truck exhibits that typically solid unibody feel on the move. The steering is, unfortunately, a little imprecise, as trucks' tend to be, but handling has more in common with an Escape than a Ranger, with an agile feel and strong brakes to back it up. The stability control - which cannot be fully switched off - quickly reins in excessive enthusiasm. The ride is rather firm but not harsh, enabling the Maverick to take loads well. The hybrid is slower, and the CVT emits some tell-tale drone under power, but it's mostly muted and refined, unlike many other CVTs. Brake feel is a bit artificial and unpredictable at times due to the regenerative braking being blended in, but this is a minor complaint and you get used to it.

Fuel Efficiency

Gas mileage is one of the selling points in this market segment, and the Ford Maverick's mpg figures are significantly better than those of the average mid-size truck. The most economical configuration is, of course, the hybrid, which returns EPA city/highway/combined estimates of 40/33/37 mpg, giving it a range of around 511 miles, despite its small 13.8-gallon fuel capacity. The regular gas Maverick's tank can hold 16.5 gallons but it's also heavier on fuel, returning 23/30/25 mpg with FWD or 22/28/24 mpg with AWD, so the expected range of 396 to 412 miles is well short of the hybrid's. With the Tremor package fitted to the AWD, all the off-road equipment and all-terrain tires take their toll, resulting in 20/24/21 mpg and a range of just 346 miles. Like for like, the Maverick edges out the Santa Cruz (23 mpg combined for both FWD and AWD).

Safety

The Lariat is the only trim to get a suite of driver assists. The XL and XLT get the bare minimum, but various features can be added optionally at a reasonable cost.

The NHTSA's safety review of the Ford Maverick produced reasonable results, with various tests receiving the full five stars, but notably not the rollover or overall ratings, which both garnered four stars. The IIHS has not fully tested the Maverick, evaluating only the side impact ("Good") and headlights ("Acceptable").

Besides its seven airbags, ABS brakes, traction and stability control, tire-pressure monitoring, and a backup camera, the XL and XLT don't offer many driver assists. These are limited to automatic LED headlights with auto high beams, front-collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. The Ford Co-Pilot360 safety suite comprising blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-centering, and lane-keep assist costs $650 on the two base trims but is standard on the Lariat, which is also the only trim to get the Co-Pilot360 Assist package, which includes rear parking sensors, evasive steering assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop & go.

Reliability

JD Power has rated the Ford Maverick's Quality & Reliability 81 out of 100, which is a good score, if not quite as good as last year's Santa Cruz, which received a score of 83. Quality seems to be improving, as the 2024 Maverick has not been recalled at all yet. The 2023 Maverick was recalled twice for inoperative trailer taillights and a potential hybrid engine failure, but this was far better than the 2022 Maverick, which was recalled seven times for many more issues with the brake lights, trailer brakes, airbags, and seatbelts, as well as for a damaged fuel tank.

The basic warranty of the 2024 Ford Maverick is valid for three years/36,000 miles, while the powertrain warranty runs for five years/60,000 miles. Hybrid components are covered for eight years/100,000 miles.

Warranty

Design

Totally unlike the futuristic and swoopy Santa Cruz, the square-cut Maverick banks on Ford's current truck family look with its high nose, straight lines, and C-Clamp headlights. It's not a thing of beauty, and it doesn't even attempt to do curves the way the Hyundai does, but the sales figures say this matters little to truck buyers, who probably prefer the more muscular and boxy truck look. That said, the XL looks rather drab with its 17-inch steel wheels and black door handles. The XLT gains a contrasting grille bar and 17-inch alloys, which jazzes it up a bit, while the Lariat goes all the way with 18-inch machined alloys and body-color handles. A power moonroof is optional on the XLT and Lariat, but LED headlights are standard across the board. The Tremor Off-Road package comes with a high-clearance front bumper, front tow hooks, all-terrain tires, Black Chrome head- and taillights, and various Tremor Orange accents and Tremor badges.

Verdict: Is The 2024 Ford Maverick A Good Truck?

American buyers have already decided that the Maverick is their favorite small truck, buying them in a roughly 2-to-1 ratio to the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Perhaps it's the boxy F-150-like looks, the nifty storage and load-bed solutions, the keen pricing, or traditional truck buyers' faith in a long-time truck maker like Ford to produce the best small truck on the market. In reality, it's a far more close-run thing than that, with the Hyundai Santa Cruz offering more power, better towing ability, higher reliability ratings, and a truly modern form factor, though it's more expensive and doesn't offer a hybrid. We rate them even-stevens, so you really can't go wrong with either in this class of two. That said, if you're just a traditional truck fan and would love to park a Ranger or F-150 on your driveway, but cannot justify - or don't need - the excess, inefficiency, or cost of a bigger body-on-frame truck, the sweet-handling and economical Maverick might be just what the doctor ordered.