Ford Maverick debut

Has anyone listed the bed height yet?  Bed height is what's made modern trucks absolutely useless for doing truck things and why vans/wagons/minivans are better stuff haulers most of the time.  We borrowed a P415 generation F150 last month to help our daughter move.  Effing thing was a pain, the bed was so high off the ground it made loading, unloading and strapping down a colossal issue and probably cost us one round trip in time throughout the day.  This thing actually looks practical and isn't trying to push a subdivision down the road, that's got to help practicality and mpg a ton right off the bat.  

I was still at Ford when this started.  After the announcement that Ford were existing the sedan market in North America, the dealers were absolutely begging for something under $20K to get young customers into the showroom.  We may think that the days of brand loyally are over, but the dealers kept talking about the number of customers they'd put in a Fiesta, Festiva, Escort, Ranger back in the day who still came back every 1-3 years to get a new vehicle and were now buying $100K pimped out Superfruities.  When a small compact FWD pick up was brought up they about all orgasmed in unison.  

Mr. Peabody said:

Most people who own trucks don't need trucks. They'll never use them for real truck things, that is, use the truck's capabilities. And this is more practical, cheaper, smaller, and capable of light truck things, pretty much what most people need. It's a midsize sedan with a little bed on the back and it looks like a truck to avoid the stigma of a car-truck. It's practical and sensible. Unfortunately people don't seem to value either of those properties the way they used to so it'll be interesting to see how the market accepts it.

Barring a Focus/Fiesta DCT level reliability issue, I suspect this will be a hit on price alone.  When the current Colorado/Canyon and Ranger came out, they weren't so much smaller and cheaper than a full size to make a big difference.  Plus, at release, they weren't discounted anywhere as much as the full size trucks, so actual selling prices were too close.  The Maverick has a low enough MSRP to draw in people who can't afford a full size truck, but still want a new truck. And if not, at least all the parts stores will be able to retire their remaining old Colorado and Ranger parts haulers with this instead of leftover Chevy Sonics.

I'm very curious to see how first batch of them is equipped.  I know the manufacturers like to send out loaded models first, but they really should sprinkle in some base or near-base models for this one, since Ford killed all their cheap stuff, except for the Ecosport (which I've noticed is still getting serious discounts, even in this market).

Let's be honest Ford is going out Ridgeline Honda with this thing, and that's their market goal.  Honestly I think this has great potential as a DD in crowded cities.  I stepped down from a gargantuan full size truck to a Colorado partly because parking spaces in Dallas are a nightmare in a full size truck.  Full size trucks are too long and too wide for cities, no matter how many Dallasites are backing them into spots where they don't fit.  I can parallel park my Colorado downtown reasonably well not so much for the bigger brothers.  This truck will blend into a city perfectly, and hybrids excel in cities economically.  My aunt had one of the first C Maxs and she drives about 100 miles a day around the DFW metro area for work.  It served her really well.  It's the first vehicle she bought for her job that didn't end up losing money. 

It's obvious everyone on GRM wants a truck that gets 40mpg, seats 6 comfortably, can tow a vehicle and still get 30mpg and have a range of 300+ miles while towing.  No truck does that.  Oh and they want to go to Jeep events in Moab and dominate too; probably.  Any vehicle will always be a compromise.  Look at all the people trying to make a great track car out of a DD.  It rarely works out perfectly. 

I like this truck and Ford is going to sell a ton of them.  Smyth is selling a lot of Ute kits for a reason.  This is Fords production version that does all the UTE things better with more seating and a warranty. 

It also has an IC engine option for those that want it and the IC engine option tows more.  I'm really interested in seeing the Ecoboost mileage numbers.  Based on aero and weight it should be a good improvement over the Ranger in fuel economy.  Smaller bricks get better mileage. 

Other than being a unibody and FWD based 4 door pickup, this really isn't in the same class as a Ridgeline.  It's considerably smaller and cheaper.  The Ridgeline is more in competition with the mid-sized trucks, although I seem to recall some Honda insider didn't even consider them competition, and suggested it was mainly for Honda diehards who wanted a pickup truck.

I agree with you that Ford is going to sell a ton of these, again barring any major reliability issue.  I am kind of wondering if this is the next Buick Encore, and if it'll kick off another subcategory of cars in the US?  I would assume other manufacturers have something similar in other markets they could adapt for sales here, instead of starting from scratch.

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

Let's be honest Ford is going out Ridgeline Honda with this thing, and that's their market goal.  Honestly I think this has great potential as a DD in crowded cities. 

Ding, ding, ding! I'll take it one step further. They're going to have an Element situation on their hands. They'll market it to the kids, but the kids still are in love with macho sensibility and need their "real trucks". Whereas guys like me -  active, late 50s empty nesters who mainly need a small SUV but  also want something to transport their dirty hobby stuff with will scoop these suckers up right and left.

One other thing of note IRT cities. While the truck isn't much shorter than a Ranger, it's a lot narrower, and that matters.

Colin Wood said:

Let me know if anyone has any specific questions that I might be able to answer from Ford.

In addition to the inevitable Maverick Raptor, ask about Maverick ST and/or Maverick RS.

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:

Has anyone listed the bed height yet?  Bed height is what's made modern trucks absolutely useless for doing truck things and why vans/wagons/minivans are better stuff haulers most of the time.  We borrowed a P415 generation F150 last month to help our daughter move.  Effing thing was a pain, the bed was so high off the ground it made loading, unloading and strapping down a colossal issue and probably cost us one round trip in time throughout the day.  This thing actually looks practical and isn't trying to push a subdivision down the road, that's got to help practicality and mpg a ton right off the bat. 

One of the promo videos that I saw, pointed out that you can reach the bottom of the bed easily from the side.  So, it looks like a typical small SUV floor height, just with the added bed sides.  I agree with your assessment of the truck height and it's not just Ford's.  When I bought my '14 Sierra 2wd, I had to put nerf/step bars on the side just to get in comfortably.  Putting things in the bed was a chore, although it was the perfect height for a kart stand. 

Driven5 said:

In addition to the inevitable Maverick Raptor, ask about Maverick ST and/or Maverick RS.

Maybe the Maverick Static Electricity?  Only thing I could think of smaller than lightning.

-Rob

Drop it a bit, throw a bowtie on the front, and it sure looks a lot like the S-10 from a couple decades back. That grille does not scream Ford to me. 

Like Adrian, I wish these were a bit lower. I think the size and length are right, but the bed height really is too dang high for my taste and use. Make it a plug-in hybrid, drop it by 4+ inches factory, and I'd be preordering it now. 

Maybe Chevy can make a competitor. Call it the El(ectric) Camino?

RE: Bed loading height

This is Gabrielle Union. Google tells me that she's 5'7" tall. The tailgate/bed floor are well below her hips:

Kreb (Forum Supporter) said:

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

Let's be honest Ford is going out Ridgeline Honda with this thing, and that's their market goal.  Honestly I think this has great potential as a DD in crowded cities. 

Ding, ding, ding! I'll take it one step further. They're going to have an Element situation on their hands. They'll market it to the kids, but the kids still are in love with macho sensibility and need their "real trucks". Whereas guys like me -  active, late 50s empty nesters who mainly need a small SUV but  also want something to transport their dirty hobby stuff with will scoop these suckers up right and left.

One other thing of note IRT cities. While the truck isn't much shorter than a Ranger, it's a lot narrower, and that matters.

The narrower is how I ended up in a Colorado.  I think it's 3 to 4 inches narrower than a full size Ram and parking in Dallas that makes a huge difference.  The doors are also correspondingly shorter which gives much more favorable angles to open, enter and exit the door.  The Colorado isn't much shorter, but it is short enough to help a bit too. 

In reply to earlybroncoguy1 :

There won't be any need for laughing lots of things get put on pallets engines, transmissions, 500 lbs of stuff, a pallet can make things easier to move. The base Maverick with a topper giving 4.5 feet of enclosed height could be very interesting as an in town delivery vehicle.

Just a quick check/summary in this thread:

1. Ford has replied to Hyundai's Santa Cruz that looks more like a truck than a CUV with the back cut off
2. On paper, it seems like a winner as it's inexpensive and is a bit of catch all (good MPG, 4 door and seating for 5, open bed for hauling stuff).  I doubt Ford intended this to compete with a BOF truck and while it doesn't do anything perfect, it does a lot of things very well
3. I doubt anyone on this board (or otherwise) would see it replacing someone who needs a full size truck for towing hauling.  But, it would eat into the market of people who want a truck for the open bed, but don't need it for other things
4. Some folks on this board really like it (me included)
5. Some folks on this board don't.  Either for looks, what it doesn't do, the fact that it's a Ford, etc.
6. Will someone try to push it beyond what's it's meant to do?  Sure, but that would apply to, practically, anything.

All of the opinions are valid.  Let's try not to call out each other for liking/not liking it.  If you think it's silly, that's totally cool, just as long as that's not aimed at someone who does like it.  If you think it's the best thing made it years, that's cool too, but understand it's not for everyone.

GRM is the BEST car forum on the web.  Hands down.  The bulk of that is because we all respect each other.  Just a simple request to keep that in mind before hitting the post button.

To quote Bill and Ted: "Be excellent to each other"

-Rob

In reply to earlybroncoguy1 :

It's got a 1500lb payload capacity. That's waaaaay more than enough for most people. I doubt you can fit that much mulch in the back of it. 

I'm not the target buyer.  It's not going to replace my truck.  But that doesn't mean it's not a good vehicle. 

It seems like it addresses all of the complaints about current trucks being to large, expensive, fancy, tall that people mention whenever trucks are discussed.  As far as the single cab is concerned the simple fact is that not enough people buy them to make it worth building them

I think it would be perfect for my Dad's usage.  He does a ton of volunteer construction work.  He currently drives a Yaris and borrows a truck when he needs to haul something large or stinky. 

For us, there are fiberglass 5th wheels that are light enough to be pulled by it.  And that would give us more space in a very small camper.

STM317 said:

Mr. Peabody said:

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Regarding the dirt bike thing, I have a 6' bed in my truck. When I load my bike in straight, I can only bring the tailgate up 45 degrees.

So as long as you were willing to leave the tailgate down, this Maverick would haul your dirtbike. And you wouldn't even have to load it at an angle.

But then you'd have to deal with all your E36 M3 falling out the back.

I don't care, I was only give my experience as reference

earlybroncoguy1 said:

Awww, it's so CUTE!

 

Truck? No.

 

Unibody, FWD, 4 doors, 4 cylinder, CVT....it's a really small minivan missing a chunk of roof. Having a "bed" does not make a vehicle a truck. (I'm looking at you, Ridgeline.)

 

First time somebody loads a pallet of anything in that, please take video. I love a good laugh. 

Meh, it's all relative. I once transported 1000 lbs of plywood in an air cooled beetle convertible. I see all these full-sized double cab trucks running around with their 5' beds and think that they are basically Suburbans with the back cut off. OTOH the 8' bed 1/2 ton trucks that I grew up with are puny compared to some others. I find truck snobs tiresome. They are tools. Some times you need a sledge hammer and sometimes you need a finish nailer. One is not more legitimate than the other, only different. 

earlybroncoguy1 said:

Awww, it's so CUTE!

 

Truck? No.

 

Unibody, FWD, 4 doors, 4 cylinder, CVT....it's a really small minivan missing a chunk of roof. Having a "bed" does not make a vehicle a truck. (I'm looking at you, Ridgeline.)

 

First time somebody loads a pallet of anything in that, please take video. I love a good laugh. 

Good thing I never haul pallets. How often do you?

Kreb (Forum Supporter) said:

They're going to have an Element situation on their hands. They'll market it to the kids, but the kids still are in love with macho sensibility and need their "real trucks". Whereas guys like me -  active, late 50s empty nesters who mainly need a small SUV but  also want something to transport their dirty hobby stuff with will scoop these suckers up right and left.

Those bros call themselves "Alphas" whereas the actual men are people like you.

I showed the pictures to my wife and we both agree we find it butt ugly. We also agree that if we we're in the market it would be very handy for what we do. I think it's a great concept, we fit squarely in the market for this. The most I tow is 2600lbs, and we occasionally need to haul stuff from the garden store. We are also cheap and I find the thought of a $60,000 truck for what I do to be insanity.

Kreb (Forum Supporter) said:

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

Let's be honest Ford is going out Ridgeline Honda with this thing, and that's their market goal.  Honestly I think this has great potential as a DD in crowded cities. 

Ding, ding, ding! I'll take it one step further. They're going to have an Element situation on their hands. They'll market it to the kids, but the kids still are in love with macho sensibility and need their "real trucks". Whereas guys like me -  active, late 50s empty nesters who mainly need a small SUV but  also want something to transport their dirty hobby stuff with will scoop these suckers up right and left.

One other thing of note IRT cities. While the truck isn't much shorter than a Ranger, it's a lot narrower, and that matters.

Given the range of trucks available, I think the marketing is just about filling a size request, and perhaps a FE request.  It does not have to be marketed like a Ridgeline at all- which is a single truck for a non truck making company.  This is just a small truck in a massive truck making company.

For me, I hate the way trucks ride and handle so I have to have both a truck and a daily driver car currently. I also do not like large size things -- it's embarrassing taking up all that space when the truck is empty. I also hate truck mileage. But it would be nice not to deal with both a car and a truck over 3-4 days a month of truck stuff.

GCrites80s said:

earlybroncoguy1 said:

Awww, it's so CUTE!

 

Truck? No.

 

Unibody, FWD, 4 doors, 4 cylinder, CVT....it's a really small minivan missing a chunk of roof. Having a "bed" does not make a vehicle a truck. (I'm looking at you, Ridgeline.)

 

First time somebody loads a pallet of anything in that, please take video. I love a good laugh. 

Good thing I never haul pallets. How often do you?

You and 95% of truck owners.  Also, is there a reason this couldn't?  It's got a 1500lb payload capacity.

It's perfect for moving the occasional piece of furniture, general homeowner Lowes Depot runs, going somewhere with mountain bikes + gear, etc.

 The biggest downside it has as a do it all vehicle is that its so long, but it's hard to get around that with this kind of capability.

Also, does is the highest tow rating found on any CVT vehicle so far?  I wonder how it handles the mountains.

I like it and I think it makes a lot of sense for most people. Not every truck has to be a dually with a Cummins. 

I grew up on a farm. We had a variety of vehicles to do different jobs. My Dad's 3/4 ton GMC camper special with granny gear manual was used for towing. We also had a late 80s Isuzu 2dr standard bed that was used for a lot of jobs the "big" truck wasn't desirable for. I spent a lot of time sitting on the tailgate spraying herbicide on fence lines and around long chicken houses. It was also a great economical parts runner when we had to go 40 miles one way for bearings, hydraulic parts, etc.

Rancheros and El Caminos have been doing real work for decades. People responding to the introduction of a vehicle like it's a personal affront to their manhood should seek professional counseling. 

If I were a fleet buyer I'd definitely have my eyes on these. My sister works for the state department of agriculture and they are saddled with 20+ year old Rangers that are totally ragged out for their fruit fly trap rounds. Seems like a fleet of these would be perfect.