Unibody don't matter as long as we're not talking payload capacity or crash safety. It's the dual ifs suspension that tells me it's not worth it.
Yeah Napa, auto zone etc all used to use Ford rangers no worry though they use chevrolet colorados now and I doubt they are going back.
Let's all be real this ain't the first unibody ford has made, ford tucks in the 60s had uni body too, this thing though is more like a ford explorer wildtrack with all ifs it's literally a minivan underneath with the rear reformed to a bed shape.
If folks want to get excited about it fine just don't expect this to actually do truck things and don't expect it to perform off road. ford makes trucks specifically for that as does chevy and dodge now. No reason to buy something lesser and expect more of of a people mover with an open cargo area
Good point about Napa moving to the Colorados -- that shows their taste improved, right? :D -- but they are a bit more expensive and will have higher operating costs (fuel efficiency). I can't say of course what NAPA will do, but the point I was trying to make is that as a fleet vehicle, there are a lot of companies that find mini trucks super useful, and this Maverick shows a lot of promise in that category based on price, efficiency, and capability (1500 lbs payload is as good as the mid-sized and well beyond what a lot of people need for urban business use). So, it won't just be for City-bound consumers who currently buy the Ridgeline - I think it will appeal to some commercial users as well.
I think whether this does "truck things" depends on how you define that. Nobody's going to be chopping the tub and replacing it with a deck and welder setup for a Tradesman, and you won't see these replacing the 1/2 ton truck that is ubiquitous in rural areas. But for both consumers and professionals in cities (which is the majority of human beings since about 2007), this thing checks a ton of boxes and will likely be popular, and that's where the majority of the market for this will be. The Ridgeline is situated similarly, but I think suffers from a terrible failure in marketing and context. The Ridgeline is the best "truck" you can get from Honda, and as trucks go (like you've said) it's not really in the same class as typical "trucks". But with Ford, this thing is coming from the same family as the Superduties and the Lightning and the Raptors, and so even if it has more in common with a minivan than a truck, they will be able to align it in the marketing as a "miniature version of amazing trucks" as opposed to Honda's "best truck we could come up with that is still not really a truck by most people's standards", and I think that will help them outpace the Honda. Not to mention that is nearly half the price of the Honda, which is significant.
As far as off road performance I don't think anyone will be running the Rubicon with one of these off the lot (But for this MSRP, some big YouTuber will probably give it a try!) -- and I agree that I think people need to have reasonable expectations on what kind of vehicle this is. But, performance off road only has a few factors that really make a huge difference, and two of the biggest factors I've found in terms of off-road performance are weight and traction. This thing has 4x4, and so some decent tires should mean reasonably good traction for a lot of conditions, and it's 1,000 lbs lighter than a Ranger which is an advantage almost anywhere. Obviously, it's super limited beyond that in terms of ease of modifications due to IF&IRS, durability of underpinnings, etc. so no - it's not an off-roader, and I wouldn't argue that. But I'd happily take a 4x4 version of this off road for the fun of it, and I think it would exceed expectations in the same way the other poster's story about his Courier and the VW Beetle did. Another great example of this "lighter is better off road" is the "Long Way Round" series; when the cameraman had trouble with his BMW, they replaced it with a cheap, light, tiny, motorbike from the local market. The cameraman was able to drive circles around the Ewan and Charlie's big BMWs which are supposed to be BMW's "off road" touring offering. The smaller lighter bike was just better in the rough stuff, and Claudio was having a lot more fun than the other two. The Maverick isn't designed for off road, and is not the best choice for off road, but I think it will be better than expected and super fun, especially in a few years time when there are used examples on the market.
I think young folks who are short on cash and long on adventurousness will create a lot of memories behind the wheels of their Mavericks. I know 19-year-old me would find this thing perfect as an adventure rig/Daily Driver -- but for me now, I'll stick with my Canyon, because I actually totally agree with you Boost that this is not a "new truck" from Ford in the same way the Ranger was; it's something different and truck-like, and I think it will be uniquely good for a lot of reasons, but it's not in the same category as purpose-built 4x4 trucks.
On the bright side the "mid-size" trucks are now officially "middle" - for years there was nothing smaller so that moniker always seemed strange!
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