The Maverick, Ford’s entry-level pickup, debuted in 2021 and since then has been sold in over 120,000 units in the United States alone. Presumably, some buyers got a Maverick as their first-ever pickup, but others chose Ford’s unibody truck because it promises decent fuel economy and lower maintenance costs compared to the bigger pickups out there.
However, as the video embedded at the top of this page shows, it’s not a perfect vehicle, especially if you like to wander off the beaten track frequently.
YouTuber Overland Florida explains in the 5-minute long production that the biggest gripe he has with his 2022 Ford Maverick Lariat FX4 is the low ground clearance and low-hanging front bumper, which isn’t ideal when going off-road.
He says that because it’s an FX4-equipped pickup, it should have a higher ground clearance from the factory, seeing how the optional package comes with goodies like all-terrain tires, exposed front tow hooks, hill descent control, and skid plates as standard.
Ford released the Tremor pack for the 2023 model year, which comes with a lot more off-road-oriented features, like an electronic lockable rear differential, skid plates, and – more to the point of this article – different front and rear shocks that increase the ride height by one inch (25 millimeters), compared to the base variant Maverick.
Unfortunately, cooler and more feature-rich variants usually come later in the life of a new vehicle – an issue early adopters have to live with.
But the low ride height isn’t the only problem noticed by the YouTuber. He mentions in the video that the little storage cubby right next to the infotainment screen is practically useless because you can’t fit a smartphone and can’t hold coins.
Moreover, there are no lockable storage spaces anywhere in the pickup, which means he can’t leave valuable items or even cash in the Maverick while he’s out walking in the woods or exploring a new area.
Another FX4-related gripe is the lack of an “Eco” driving mode, which he says would improve the fuel economy of the pickup even further. Without it, he gets between 26 and 30 mpg, which is arguably much better than his previous Toyota Tacoma which got about 13 mpg or worse.
There are some other niggles that Overland Florida discovered over his one-year ownership of the Maverick. So head over to the video embedded at the top of this page to see what’s what.
And as always, let us know in the comments section below what you think.
