[Palmer8]

Ford just released a new compact pickup truck that makes things very interesting in the compact truck/sedan segment.

The new 2022 Maverick has a starting price of $21,490 ($19,995 plus $1,495 delivery), and it features a standard hybrid powertrain! I gotta admit I didn't know Ford had this in them.

I wonder if non-enthusiasts are going to be drawn to this rather than a Civic.

2022 Ford Maverick: Is this pickup a Honda Civic and used-car rival?

Commentary: With base price of around $20,000 and an estimated 40-mpg rating, Ford's small hybrid pickup may invite some unusual cross-shopping.

www.cnet.com

I'm here to offer an alternative way to look at this truck. I think the 2022 Ford Maverick will actually end up frequently cross-shopped against econoboxes like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla by customers who never thought they'd be interested in a pickup truck in the first place. After all, the Maverick will actually be less expensive and more efficient to run in the city than either of those popular compacts. Additionally, lower-end, FWD Mavericks will likely also be cross-shopped by people -- especially young folks and first-time buyers -- who might otherwise look to the used-vehicle market for a traditional passenger car that's new enough to still be under warranty.

Perhaps more than most new-car shoppers, entry-level vehicle buyers tend to be a lot more pragmatic than those in other segments -- often because their limited finances and credit status mandate such practical, focused decision-making. Rather than inherently limit themselves to vehicle type, such shoppers look at factors like monthly payment, fuel efficiency and where they can get loan approval as key factors to getting a spot on their shopping lists.

 

[St00k]

I SERIOUSLY doubt the truck will get anywhere near 40 mpg. Ford is notorious for having cars that come nowhere close to their claimed MPG.

Also, Ford's are just filled with issues. I can't see trading a handsome and sporty Civic that will last forever, with no problems, for a Ford.

 

[dxdxto]

I SERIOUSLY doubt the truck will get anywhere near 40 mpg.

It's a hybrid, so it may get there in city cycle. That 4-5' bed is a nothing but a silly gimmick though. Now. If new HR-V or Corolla Cross were available today, I'd have had a hard time convincing my wife that Civic is a better option.

Re: issues. Does anyone remember those eco-shaped Tauruses that came out around 1995? Think - when did you last see one? They've gone completely extinct years ago. Yet Accords and Camrys of that period are fairly common.

 

[hondapwr]

What's interesting about the Maverick is its Civic-sized, at least with width:

"On paper, the eigth-gen Civic is 69 inches wide, 56.5 inches tall, and 176.7 inches long. The Maverick is not much wider at 72.6 inches, but significantly taller and longer. It's got nearly two feet on the Civic front-to-back at 199.7 inches, and it's a little more than a foot taller at 68.7 inches.

So the old Civic is only 3.6 inches wider, or just 1.8 inches per side. And width, of course, is the vital dimension for parking in tight spaces or narrow garages. If you're wondering how the Maverick stacks up against the brand new 2022 Civic, well, we did too. The new Civic is still narrower, but not by much at just 70.9 inches—a difference of only 1.7 inches total and .85 inches per side.

So width-wise, the new Maverick is roughly Civic-sized. Length and height is a different story, but unless you park in a tight tandem parking spot or are extremely worried about parallel parking, you should be fine. Despite being roughly Explorer-sized in some dimensions, the Maverick is, and we say this with a grain of salt, at least a little bit like a Civic with a bed on the back. Almost."