LIKES
- Great fuel economy
- Clever bed design
- Will fit in your garage
- Still a good value…
DISLIKES
- …even though Ford hiked prices
- Limiting bed design
- Small back seat
- Low-buck interior
- Automatic can be indecisive
BUYING TIP
- The optional turbo-4 unlocks 4,000 lb of towing capability, but many buyers will do just fine with the base hybrid.
The 2023 Ford Maverick is the high-efficiency pickup many buyers actually need.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Ford Maverick? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Ford Maverick is a crew-cab pickup with a small bed, a standard hybrid powertrain, and a low base price. It compares reasonably well to the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Honda Ridgeline.
Is the 2023 Ford Maverick a good truck?
Even with a big price hike this year, the Maverick remains an appealingly, highly rational small pickup with a solid feature set, a good design, and spectacular hybrid fuel economy. It’s a 6.6 out of 10 on the TCC scale.
What's new for the 2023 Ford Maverick?
After its 2022 debut, the Maverick adds a new Tremor package this year with a raised ride height and skid plates for more serious off-road use.
The Maverick blends crossover underpinnings with chunky, trucky looks. It comes only in a crew-cab configuration with an integrated bed, though it’s brimming with smart touches to help expand its cargo-hauling capacity. The blunt front end and huge headlamps give it truck-lite credentials, unlike, say, the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Inside, it’s fun, creative, and not particularly elegant, but at these prices, who’s complaining?
Power comes in two forms: a hybrid with 191 hp sent forward via a continuously variable automatic transmission or with a turbocharger that zips 250 hp to either the front or, optionally, all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid is probably enough, especially when you consider its 40-mpg EPA estimates.
The Maverick rides and handles smartly, as it should since it’s basically a Ford Escape with a long pickup body. It’s easily the best-driving pickup on the market, and it can still lug as much as 4,000 lb of trailer.
Inside, you’ll find decent space for humans, while the 4.5-foot-long bed adds oh so much utility.
Limited crash testing has been performed, but the Maverick does come standard with automatic emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control show up on the options list.
How much does the 2023 Ford Maverick cost?
The 2023 Maverick starts at $23,690, about $1,200 more than last year’s model. That money buys cloth seats, 17-inch steel wheels, a basic 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and the hybrid powertrain.
XLT versions cost $2,260 more, though they add alloy wheels, upgraded interior trim, cruise control, and the ability to step up to a power-adjustable driver’s seat and adaptive cruise control.
Where is the 2023 Ford Maverick made?
In Mexico.
Styling
The 2023 Ford Maverick is a styling standout, at least by pickup truck standards.
Is the Ford Maverick a good-looking car?
It’s interesting, if not exactly a show-stopper. The 2023 Ford Maverick wears distinctive lines that marry its three-box pickup profile with modern design cues. It’s playful and unique inside, too, though close examination will reveal Cozy Coupe-grade plastics. We rate the 2023 Maverick at 7 out of 10.
In profile, the Maverick is all truck with its crew-cab body and proportional bed. It’s not small, stretching nearly 200 inches long, but it’s shorter than any other pickup on the market. Flat sides and squared-off corners give it a purposeful look, while the busy front end has big lights and plentiful chrome that tie it to its Ranger and F-Series siblings.
Performance
If any pickup truly drives like a car, it’s the Ford Maverick.
With its comfortable ride and quick, responsive steering, the 2023 Ford Maverick performs more like a mid-size sedan than an SUV. That’s no surprise since, underneath, it has more in common with cars than SUVs.
Our 6 out of 10 rating comes thanks to its good road manners.
Is the Ford Maverick 4WD?
How fast is the Ford Maverick?
Base trucks include a 2.5-liter inline-4 paired with an electric motor and big battery pack good for 191 hp net and 155 lb-ft of torque sent to the front wheels via a CVT. This setup is smooth, slick, and frugal, if not exactly rapid. For around-town use, it’s the perfect setup—and nearly 40 mpg in typical driving is icing on this low-guilt cake.
The optional 2.0-liter turbo-4 ups the ante to 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, and it’s required for all-wheel drive. This year, the turbo-4 is a no-cost option, too. This powertrain delivers far quicker acceleration, though it’s not as refined and the standard 8-speed automatic transmission can confuse its way through low-speed shifts.
The Maverick has a softly tuned suspension paired with quick-reacting steering that helps it snake through traffic or down a winding road like a smaller, even lighter vehicle than its fairly lithe 3,600-lb curb weight would otherwise suggest.
Front-drive models use a simple twist-beam rear suspension, while all-wheel-drive versions use a more sophisticated multi-link setup. Either way, they both ride better than many other SUVs and every pickup on the market, with terrific control over choppy roads and none of the slop you might find from a bigger truck. Mid-size pickups including Ford’s own Ranger are comparatively intolerable.
As for towing, the base hybrid can lug 2,000 lb of trailer, while the turbo doubles that to 4,000 lb. All versions max out at a 1,500-lb payload. No, you won’t be able to tow your race car, but a small utility trailer or U-Haul will be just fine.
Comfort & Quality
Utilitarian to a fault, the 2023 Ford Maverick can probably handle whatever you need it to do.
The Ford Maverick may be small for a pickup, but this 200-inch-long vehicle is still plenty big. That affords it with a decent blend between interior space and exposed bed, with plenty of smart touches helping elevate it. We rate it at 7, with points for its seats and its bed.
The Maverick’s base seats are just that—fairly basic. XLT versions can come with power-adjustable front seats with lumbar support, which is worth the up-spend to us. Rear-seat space starts at a scant 34.9 inches in hybrids due to their battery packs, though non-hybrids and an extra inch. Wide doors help, but the second row is best for two adults of moderate stature.
More impressive is small-item storage space thanks to myriad bins and cubbies. Ford’s designers carved out a massive number of slots—and they offer free 3D-printing instructions for even more compartmentalized needs.
The short 54.4-inch bed out back won’t measure up to a Super Duty, but how much do you really need, anyway? Two covered bins keep items out of sun and rain, while as many as 10 tie-downs, interior rails, and a power outlet help increase flexibility. The adjustable tailgate can hold as much as 400 lb on its own, which is a boon for both tailgating and hauling plywood sheets.
Safety
The 2023 Ford Maverick checks the basics when it comes to safety tech, but we’re still waiting for crash tests.
How safe is the Ford Maverick?
Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS have weighed in yet, so we can’t assign the 2023 Maverick a safety score.
All models come with automatic emergency braking and automatic high-beam headlights. Higher-end versions can be had with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and rear parking sensors, though Ford’s trick Bluecruise system has yet to make an appearance on this model.
Features
Even with a price hike this year, the 2023 Ford Maverick can be a great deal.
If you can find a dealer willing to sell you a 2023 Ford Maverick at list price, you won’t have to shell out too much cash for a well-equipped truck.
Base XL versions now start at $23,690. They include 17-inch steel wheels, power features, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A basic 3-year/36,000-mile warranty comes standard. All-wheel drive means opting for the no-cost turbo-4 first before paying a somewhat hefty $2,200.
The Maverick is still cheap, which earns it a point. There are plenty of trim levels, which nets it another. And its big infotainment screen is easy to use, bringing it to an 8 on the TCC scale.
The base truck is just fine, so long as you can live without cruise control. That’s an oversight to our eyes, so we’d opt for the XLT, which also includes alloy wheels, more bed tie-downs, and upgraded interior trim.
Blind-spot monitors, active lane control, and a rear sliding window cost $650 more, and we’d probably add the $1,730 Luxury Package that doesn’t quite live up to its name but includes a power driver’s seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, and a trailer hitch.
How much is a fully loaded Ford Maverick?
Fuel Economy
The 2023 Ford Maverick Hybrid is a study in frugality.
Is the Ford Maverick good on gas?
It’s easily the greenest pickup truck on the market, even if Ford doesn’t actually offer green paint.
The Maverick hybrid is rated at 42 mpg city, 33 highway, 37 combined, and real-world testing has revealed even better results. Turbo models are much thirstier but still not bad at 23/30/26 mpg with front-wheel drive and 22/29/25 mpg with all-wheel drive. This year’s new high-riding Tremor versions may be a bit thirstier, so we’ll update this space when the EPA releases figures for the 2023 model year.
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