Ford Maverick and the small overlanding pickup truck

  • HTML tutorial

Enthusiast I

231
Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
First Name
Clay
Last Name
Coombs
So the inevitable question: what are some thoughts on new small pickups coming back to the US/NA market? I feel like it would be a great weekend overlanding rig. Haven’t seen anything about departure, approach, or break over angles. I do know it’s being offered with Ford’s FX4 off road package. So what do y’all think?
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: M Rose

Billiebob

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,835
earth
First Name
Bill
Last Name
William
Member #

18893

I hear they will have a base truck at $20K !!!
I say right on, about time. I just hope ticking the 4WD box ONLY adds 4WD.

But even as a FWD, there is a massive market for a small AFFORDABLE pickup
Hoping it comes as 2 door regular cab.

If their target is the old Courier market from the 1970s, well the Courier was only 2WD.
 
Last edited:

socal66

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate I

1,421
Covina, CA, USA
First Name
Carl
Last Name
Sampson
Member #

24109

I don’t know if this would be one of my first choices for overlanding but if I just needed a smaller 4-passenger truck for on road use and was ok with the bed size this truck for $20K or so with a 40 MPG city rating would certainly get my attention.
 

Boostpowered

Rank VI

Member III

4,879
Hunt county, TX, USA
First Name
Justin
Last Name
Davis
Member #

14684

I'd stay away from it and get a real truck if you need a truck. I see no use for a chopped up mini van same as the honda Ridgeline.
Even if you can get it in 4wd it has ifs on the rear so you'll be doing alot of cv axle replacements front and rear and those axles are tiny so expect it to be normal to break if you take it on even a mild trail.

And good luck towing anything bigger than a jon boat.
 

slightNine

Rank IV
Member
Investor

Enthusiast III

1,210
Yukon, OK, USA
First Name
Bryan
Last Name
Hutton
Member #

28923

The axles may indeed be tiny, but the optional turbo engine bumps towing to 5k. Pretty big Jon boat.

The only potential problem I see is it having a single speed transfer case. No low range. (This probably comes right back to the CV axles)


Ford is going to sell these as fast as they can build them though. 40 mpg pickup starting at 20k, hard to argue with for the average weekend Home Depot hero.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ThundahBeagle

Sparksalot

Rank VI
Launch Member

Influencer III

4,312
Bastrop County, TX, USA
First Name
Rex
Last Name
Drake
Member #

19540

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KI5GH
Service Branch
Air Force
The axles may indeed be tiny, but the optional turbo engine bumps towing to 5k. Pretty big Jon boat.

The only potential problem I see is it having a single speed transfer case. No low range. (This probably comes right back to the CV axles)


Ford is going to sell these as fast as they can build them though. 40 mpg pickup starting at 20k, hard to argue with for the average weekend Home Depot hero.
As fast as they can make is a key point. Maybe 3 per month.
 

MidOH

Rank IV

Off-Road Ranger I

1,298
Mid Ohio
First Name
John
Last Name
Clark
Ham/GMRS Callsign
YourHighness
There will be a 4x4 option as well and they’re offering it with their basic FX4 off road package.
Front wheel drive, with 4x4 including the rear drive when 4x4 is selected.

Like a Mitsu Evo 8. (if it was 4wd, not Awd. But you get the idea)






If you're into that, rock on. Don't expect it to be a Ranger or truck.
 

egilbe

Rank IV
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,146
Biddeford, Maine, USA
First Name
Earl
Last Name
Gilbert
Member #

22993

Ham/GMRS Callsign
GMRS: WRFT263, HAM:
This is targeted directly at the same people who are still driving old Rangers. They are everywhere! A small pickup that would be easy to drive around town, seats 5, has more backseat room than the 5g Ranger. For those who want or need a small pickup and think the 5g Ranger is too big. 40MPG? amazing!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Billiebob

Boostpowered

Rank VI

Member III

4,879
Hunt county, TX, USA
First Name
Justin
Last Name
Davis
Member #

14684

This is targeted directly at the same people who are still driving old Rangers. They are everywhere! A small pickup that would be easy to drive around town, seats 5, has more backseat room than the 5g Ranger. For those who want or need a small pickup and think the 5g Ranger is too big. 40MPG? amazing!
Actually by ford's own account they are directly targeting city people the same city people who think that a Honda Ridgeline is a real truck. A El Camino or Ranchero is more truck than this thing. Heck a Subaru brat has more clout than a maverick not much but it does.
 

Padams7

Rank V
Investor

Advocate II

2,114
34601
First Name
Phillip
Last Name
Adams
Member #

27114

Why not call it the Courier.
I agree. Sorry, but I will always associate the name Maverick with a smaller, cheaper, less powerful version of the Mustang. Which honestly, wouldn't be a bad thing right now.

View attachment 201328
My thought was whomever is in charge of naming messed up.

Bronco Sport should have just been Bronco 2.

The Mach-E Mustang should have come back as a Mav-E-Rick, or even the Mustang MavErick.

And the pick up should have been called the Ranchero.
 

LostWoods

Rank IV
Launch Member

Member III

1,116
Phoenix, AZ, USA
First Name
Andrew
Last Name
lastname
Member #

12360

Had some stuff I wanted to say about elitism. But I'll just say it's a cool little truck and id probably buy one.
I mean a lot of it is warranted. It won't be as off-road capable as the Ranger or other mid-size pickups by any stretch of the imagination but that really only applies to like 10% of the market at best.

So that's entirely fine because it makes up for those shortcomings by being a pickup that gets car-level MPG while still being able to do weekend Home Depot runs with its 1500# payload that beats most of that same mid-size market. It's FWD or AWD which handles great in snow while having large enough tires you have your choice of excellent AT options if you need them. It's a great small everyday truck for people who don't need the size or strength of a full-size.

This would never in a million years replace my Gladiator but in concept it would absolutely be a candidate for a supplementary daily driver. I just can't get over that front end and frankly I'd like it to be a PHEV or fully electric.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ThundahBeagle

ThundahBeagle

Rank V

Advocate I

1,548
Massachusetts
First Name
Andrew
Last Name
Beagle
Member #

0

It's front wheel drive. Like a Honda.

Get a Ranger instead.
By the way, i saw some schematic type drawings in an article somewhere, with some measurements. It's not much smaller than the Ranger. That's what surprised me. I expected it to be much smaller. So it's not really a smaller truck. That's a little disappointing. See the difference in size between the original Colorado and today's? Or original 90's Ranger and today's. I liked the idea of a smaller truck. This doesn't seem to be that. Just less capable but more economical and efficient, which is good in a different way.

Seems like the main differences are:
.unibody
.hybrid as standard engine type
.front wheel drive
.only made in Mexico
 

Boostpowered

Rank VI

Member III

4,879
Hunt county, TX, USA
First Name
Justin
Last Name
Davis
Member #

14684

By the way, i saw some schematic type drawings in an article somewhere, with some measurements. It's not much smaller than the Ranger. That's what surprised me. I expected it to be much smaller. So it's not really a smaller truck. That's a little disappointing. See the difference in size between the original Colorado and today's? Or original 90's Ranger and today's. I liked the idea of a smaller truck. This doesn't seem to be that. Just less capable but more economical and efficient, which is good in a different way.

Seems like the main differences are:
.unibody
.hybrid as standard engine type
.front wheel drive
.only made in Mexico
Yup chopped up mini van is what I've taken from it