The Ford Maverick is a breath of recent air, a welcome reprieve from the hulking, high-priced vehicles which are all too widespread as of late. Ford’s pint-sized pickup isn’t any greater than a compact automotive and it solely prices about $25,000 out of the field. However this can be a truck, tiny as it might be, so it does must be rugged.
Enter the Tremor, which seems like a Maverick went on a spending spree at REI. It is lovable. The Tremor has orange accents on the wheels and grille, Tremor stickers on the tailgate, further cladding, and orange tow hooks within the bumper. Nevertheless it’s greater than only a visible bundle.
The Maverick Tremor will get most of the identical goodies as its massive brother, the F-150 Tremor. Ford’s smallest Tremor has a 0.8-inch carry, knobby Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires, a metal skid plate, an up to date suspension with higher articulation, and devoted off-road modes bolstered by an digital locking rear diff.
However is it really succesful? To an extent. A not-too-technical wildlife administration space close to me with some rutted grime roads felt like a great place for the Maverick Tremor to stretch its legs.
The up to date suspension absorbs bumps higher than the bottom setup and helps preserve the physique beneath management. It is good and compliant on a rock-littered highway. If you happen to rise up beneath the truck’s physique, you may even see the hydraulic bump cease shocks at every nook for when the going will get actually robust.
The 9.4 inches of floor clearance places the Maverick Tremor increased than the bottom Bronco Sport (8.8 inches) and better than Subaru’s Forester Wilderness (9.2 inches). And the strategy angle is fairly darn good at 30.4 levels. However the 19.9 levels on breakover and 22.2 levels on departure are simply okay. You will must sacrifice some off-road prowess within the title of an extended wheelbase and a 4.5-foot mattress.
Professionals: Off-Highway Upgrades With Real Functionality, Cute As Heck, Snug Journey
However when mixed with a entrance skid plate and additional cladding, the Maverick Tremor has sufficient clearance for me to dip the unibody truck into deeper ruts confidently. The all-terrain tires are grippy as heck and the locking rear diff in any of the devoted off-road modes presents sufficient traction for the Mav to maintain from getting caught in shallow obstacles.
I used to be nonetheless hesitant to take the Maverick Tremor by among the deeper puddles and softer mud, although. The Maverick is unusually lengthy at 199.7 inches. That lends to its poor breakover and departure angles and makes it a main candidate for scraping the underbody and mattress on the way in which out of a trickier impediment. Or not making it out of mentioned impediment in any respect.
The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine feels punchy. It makes 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque and provides off a cute whoosh on heavy throttle—however it’s not an exhilarating powertrain in any other case. The identical goes for the eight-speed computerized. It is nameless at finest however at the least it is not a CVT.
Frankly, the Maverick is far more enjoyable on the grime than it’s on the pavement. The experience is snug on the freeway however physique actions are obscure, the cabin is loud, and the driving force’s seat ergonomics are all out of whack. I had a tough time getting snug with the weirdly offset fuel and brake pedals and the restricted steering adjustability.
Cons: Expensive With Lariat Trim, Low cost Inside, Loud On The Highway
The fake leather-based seats are fairly comfortable, at the least, with eight-way energy adjustability and lumbar assist on this Lariat trim—one of many few “premium” options in the complete cabin. In any other case, the inside isn’t house to upscale supplies.
Arduous plastics cowl most surfaces and far of the trim seems and feels low-cost. However the inside structure is good, with loads of pockets for bigger water bottles, sun shades, and such. And for a sub-$30,000 beginning value, cheaper inside supplies are to be anticipated.
However this is the place it will get tough—this Maverick Tremor prices $40,125 as examined. Not precisely low-cost.
The Tremor bundle is a $3,495 possibility and you may get it on the XLT or the Lariat. However on the XLT, Ford forces you into its Co-Pilot 360 security system and tacks on the worth of four-wheel drive, bringing the full value of the Tremor bundle to $6,365 on the XLT. The most cost effective Maverick Tremor XLT is $34,275 and that comes with material seats.
The Maverick Tremor is even much less of a discount at $40,000, particularly if you bear in mind the body-on-frame Chevrolet Colorado Path Boss exists, which is now considerably cheaper for 2024. The Path Boss begins at $39,390 and it has a punchier powertrain (310 hp) and extra off-road functionality.
However for the occasional weekend warrior, the Ford Maverick Tremor is lots succesful. It’s arguably extra snug than the Chevy on the highway, too. It seems cute too, and when you go for the XLT mannequin, you’ll be able to nonetheless sneak in beneath $35,000, when you’re prepared to half methods with fake leather-based seats.