Small pickups like the Maverick are becoming a new trend.

Maverick, the cheapest car in the Detroit automaker’s portfolio

2024 Ford Maverick XLT FWD

There’s an outdated axiom that says if you drive a pickup truck, you’re everyone’s friend. Especially when it comes time to buy out your friend’s belongings across town. Remember last year when Ford’s smallest pickup truck was introduced? Available in three trims: XL, XLT, and Lariat, the Maverick is based on the Ford Escape crossover.

All Mavericks are crew cabs with four full-size doors and a nearly spacious back seat. Even better news: Ford has lovingly given the Maverick an abundance of storage boxes and trash cans throughout the cabin and under the rear seats.

It’s no surprise to learn that the XL barebones model, the least expensive of the three trim levels, is an undeniably superior work truck. Although far from luxurious, XL models feature a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with audio controls, remote keyless entry, an onboard Wi-Fi hot spot, and adjustable lumbar support for the front seats. Notable options include SiriusXM satellite radio, an upgraded B & Play stereo system, and wireless smartphone charging. An 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard on all his Maverick trims.

Stepping up a trim level, the flashier XLT has 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, a power lock on the tailgate, and a flashing icon that lights up like a Sunday church whenever a passing vehicle approaches. Power exterior mirrors have been added. your blind spot. Additional features available as standard equipment or part of option packages on XLT and Lariat trims include dual-zone automatic climate control, interior ambient lighting, and power front seats.

Upgrading to hybrid costs just $1,500, positioning the Maverick as the least expensive hybrid on the market, offering the fuel economy of a hybrid compact SUV and the handling of a tall hatchback.

The standard power package is Ford’s turbo 2.0-liter EcoBoost with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. The I-4 engine’s elapsed time from 0 to 60 mph is 5.9 seconds. Equipped with an optional towing package, the turbocharged, gas-only Maverick workhorse trailer can haul payloads up to 4,000 pounds, or with the compact bed he can carry a payload of 1,500 pounds.

A 2.5-liter hybrid (FWD only) with automatic continuously variable transmission is optional on all trims. Estimated mileage is an enviable 42/33 mpg city/highway. The elapsed time from 0 to 60 mph is measured at 7.6 seconds. The Maverick Hybrid’s bed weight is rated at 1,500 pounds, but reduced towing weight takes it to 2,000 pounds.

The Maverick’s 4.5-foot-long cargo bed can hold up to 18 4-foot by 8-foot 3/4-inch sheets of plywood without stacking them diagonally. The bed has a 12-volt DC power outlet with the option of adding a 110-volt AC outlet.

Granted, the Maverick’s suspension is stiff. In its defense, it’s a truck after all. But when you load a few hundred pounds into the bed, the shock absorbers and springs are under tension and become quite slick. All-wheel drive is optional, but only with the gas engine. His AWD will be needed at the boat ramp for better traction on slippery surfaces.

Limited warranty coverage is 3 years or 36,000 miles, and powertrain coverage is 5 years or 60,000 miles. Finally, the hybrid component warranty covers eight years or 100,000 miles.

Automotive journalist Tim Vance wrote the Gazette’s car review column from 1989 to 2013, and has also published articles in Popular Mechanics and Yachting magazines. He toured factory sites for American and Japanese automakers and raced cars at press events at Riverside, Watkins Glen, and Michigan International Raceway. He once stood so close to a crash test that he felt the shockwaves reverberate through his chest. His first car was a vintage ’56 Chevrolet Bel Air.