The Ford Maverick is a breath of recent air, a welcome reprieve from the hulking, high-priced vans which are all too frequent lately. Ford’s pint-sized pickup is not any greater than a compact automotive and it solely prices about $25,000 out of the field. However it is a truck, tiny as it might be, so it does have to be rugged.
Enter the Tremor, which seems like a Maverick went on a spending spree at REI. It is lovely. 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 similar 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 filth roads felt like a very good 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 underneath management. It is good and compliant on a rock-littered street. If you happen to stand up underneath the truck’s physique, you will 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 larger 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 identify of a protracted 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 further 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 way of 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 chief candidate for scraping the underbody and mattress on the way in which out of a trickier impediment. Or not making it out of stated 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 exciting powertrain in any other case. The identical goes for the eight-speed automated. It is nameless at greatest however at the least it isn’t a CVT.
Frankly, the Maverick is far more enjoyable on the filth than it’s on the pavement. The experience is comfy on the freeway however physique actions are obscure, the cabin is loud, and the motive force’s seat ergonomics are all out of whack. I had a tough time getting comfy with the weirdly offset gasoline and brake pedals and the restricted steering adjustability.
Cons: Dear 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 your complete cabin. In any other case, the inside isn’t dwelling to upscale supplies.
Exhausting plastics cowl most surfaces and far of the trim seems and feels low cost. However the inside format is sweet, with loads of pockets for bigger water bottles, sun shades, and such. And for a sub-$30,000 beginning worth, cheaper inside supplies are to be anticipated.
However this is the place it will get difficult—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 value of four-wheel drive, bringing the overall price of the Tremor bundle to $6,365 on the XLT. The most affordable 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 loads succesful. It’s arguably extra comfy than the Chevy on the street, too. It seems cute too, and if you happen to go for the XLT mannequin, you may nonetheless sneak in underneath $35,000, if you happen to’re prepared to half methods with fake leather-based seats.
