FordMaverick

　　

2024 Ford Maverick Review

byAlex NishimotoCorrespondent

　　Alex Nishimoto has worked in the automotive industry since 2007. He was a staff writer for MotorTrend for 10 years and since then has contributed to CNET, PRI, AutoWise and other publications.

　　, rating written byAlex NishimotoReviews Editor

　　Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.

　　The 2024 Ford Maverick is a compact pickup truck and the most affordable vehicle the Blue Oval brand sells. Like the other entrant in the emerging compact truck category, the Maverick forgoes the traditional body-on-frame construction of larger trucks in favor of a unibody setup — in its case, one derived from the Bronco Sport's platform. It might not be a truck your grandfather would approve of, but it has a reasonably sized bed and impressive towing and payload figures for a small trucklet.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2024 Ford Maverick XL 4dr SuperCrew SB (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$181/mo  for Maverick XL

　　Maverick XL

　　XL 4dr SuperCrew SB (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $23,400 MSRPXLT 4dr SuperCrew SB (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $26,315 MSRPLariat 4dr SuperCrew AWD SB (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) - $34,855 MSRP

　　vs

　　$219/mo

　　Avg. Compact Truck

　　

zzdcar spotlight: Changes for 2024

Introduced in 2022, the Maverick still feels pretty fresh. Last year, Ford added a Tremor Off-Road package to bolster the four-wheeling chops of the XLT and Lariat. The small truck continues to be offered exclusively as a four-door crew cab with a 4.5-foot bed. For this year, Ford has taken the unusual step of switching the roles of the Maverick's powertrain offerings. The same turbocharged 2.0-liter that was optional last year is now standard, and the same 2.5-liter hybrid that was standard last year is the added-cost option now. Regardless, your choice still comes down to whether you want the extra grunt of the turbo engine or the higher fuel economy of the hybrid.

　　

Competitors to consider

The Ford Maverick currently has only one direct competitor, the similarly car-based Hyundai Santa Cruz. However, depending on configuration, the Maverick might also go toe to toe with midsize trucks like the Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, Chevrolet Colorado, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. Take a look at our Expert Rating below to see how the Maverick stacks up against those larger competitors.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the Maverick drive? We tested both Maverick engines: the base engine 2.5-liter hybrid as well as the optional turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. Our test truck, equipped with the latter, zipped from zero to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds. That's quicker than any midsize pickup truck and just a smidge quicker than the Hyundai Santa Cruz. The automatic transmission shifts quickly when you're accelerating, and it doesn't hunt around for gears on long uphill grades thanks to abundant power from under the hood. The Maverick with the base hybrid powertrain is a bit slower to 60 at 8.4 seconds, but it's a trade-off we'd make given the improved fuel efficiency.

　　Steering and handling aren't as satisfying, however. The Maverick feels more like a traditional truck in this sense. You don't get much feel for the road through the steering wheel, and there's a significant amount of body roll when going around turns. The Maverick is a bit stiffly sprung so midcorner bumps will upset its handling a bit too.

　　Off-roading isn't a strong suit for the Lariat trim level, which is what we tested, but there's a decent 8.3 inches of ground clearance and all-wheel drive to be had. Plus, you can get the optional FX4 package if you want to go even farther off the beaten path.

　　

Comfort

6.5/10

　　How comfortable is the Maverick? When it comes to comfort, the Maverick embraces more of the truck vibe than its Hyundai Santa Cruz rival. Over broken or bumpy roads, it has a choppy ride quality that never seems to go away. The seats are firmly padded but supportive, and they hold up over long trips. But there are hard plastic door panels right next to your knees, and they're uncomfortable to brace against when navigating down curvy roads.

　　There isn't much noise from the engine on the highway, but it's a bit unrefined at idle and under full-throttle acceleration. We also noticed a strikingly loud drivetrain noise coming from beneath the rear floor that we couldn't identify. These traits are a bit of a harder pill to swallow on the top-trim Lariat.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below