2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid | Talking Cars with Consumer Reports  

Dude... The CVT in this vehicle is an electronic CVT... It's not a belt driven CVT... Are you confused? The drive motor and the engine both drive the wheels depending on the required torque. You guys aren't doing your homework... Check our the weeber auto RU-vid video on the Ford hybrid transmission...

Wait a minute, so 3 guys here talk for 18mins and NONE of them know that the Maverick uses an eCVT instead of CVT? I mean, that's, very bizarre.

I own an XLT hybrid Maverick. For people like me who need a truck a handful of times per year, this is a perfect vehicle. I can throw my mountain bike in the back, pick up mulch, run to the dump or the hardware store, etc. and not dirty my wife's SUV. I also average 46 MPG for getting to work and back every day. It was really a no brainer for an urban user like me. Also, it's easier to maneuver and park in urban spaces than a full size truck. Ford had a market in mind and they delivered.

Gents, Ford's e-CVT is unlike most others so you should have gone deeper. It's a true planetary GEARset with electric motors. Not belt and pully based. That also makes it more durable and reliable for truck use.

As an owner of a nearly 10 year old Ford C-max, I can say I'm happy with Ford's hybrid engine and eCVT. I'm sure the newer, slightly larger engine in the Maverick is even more refined than the one in my car. I am averaging 40 mpg year round in Chicago...so I have four seasons of driving conditions. The Maverick hybrid will be my next vehicle for the practicality, affordability, and efficiency. I don't plan on taking this off road but it would be nice to have awd in the Chicago winter.

This review of the Hybrid front wheel drive is way off base - not even close. The CVT is excellent period. The fact it does NOT have simulated gears is a huge bonus to those stupid fake gears. The tranny is smooth as butter. The engine droning that many many people complain about is a real thing but the truck pulls strongly when needed with no lag. Some people hate the CVT because it's boring - ok fine. The rear suspension is great the twist beam is firm and can carry the load no bouncing or skipping. The front wheel drive is just fine too. No additional complexity of additional drive train to maintain or to fail or get in the way of spirited driving. The front drive is excellent in all weather - not as good as AWD but who needs it? Hauling up-hill with 2K is real - if you don't feel you can handle that - get the turbo 2L. This a commuter truck, a city friendly, fun to drive, inexpensive people's truck. That's how I would have reviewed ( my ) Maverick XLT Hybrid

I'm slightly dissapopinted around the commentary about the transmission. This isn't a conventional CVT a la Nissan, subaru etc, read cones and belts. The trans in the maverick and escape hybrid are eCVT -it's effectively marketing. It uses a similar system to the Prius iirc with a planetary gear system, a motor-generator and traction motor. If I'm not mistaken, the engine acts as a generator at low speeds and does direct-drive at higher speeds,

Where I live in Canada, the government requires that the advertised price for vehicles include the delivery charge (and anything else you have to pay other than tax) to avoid burying cost in a hidden fee. Markups are also criminal, because they can't charge over the advertised MSRP.

7:08 CVT or eCVT that have simulated shift points are very silly. They were designed to deliver power continuously, but because people don’t like the sensation, car makers are now putting fake shift points in 😂

I bought a FE Lariat Hybrid and have absolutely loved it. It works for everything I want to do. Loving the gas mileage as well. Especially, as these prices are getting out of control. The truck is worth every penny.

I at one point was towing a boat with a front drive minivan. Actually never had a problem with wheel spin, as the front tires were never in the water. Also no algae that far up the boat ramp.

Im amazed at all the reviewers on these trucks. I have my order at my dealer waiting for the next ordering window to open. I am not buying one for towing. I am not buying one for all the goodies. I wanted a base truck that has the basics, ac, cruise, durable interior and economical to drive. If I wanted to tow, I would buy a bigger truck. IF I wanted to off-road, id go with a bigger truck. I want a dependable, cheap truck that I can throw my tools in, maybe some crap in the back and not spend $40k, $50k or more. The Maverick is awesome for the person who just wants a cheap, basic truck to carry the oddball stuff that doesn't fit in an SUV.

"Tiny" is not a term I would use to describe the Maverick. "Compact" is a more appropriate term. The mini trucks of the 1970s and 1980s were much smaller than the Maverick...they were indeed "tiny".

i use my car only to drive to work....i dont off road....instead of getting a compact car, i think this maveric is more practical.....i dont care about the front wheel drive only, and the non-independent rear

What would be the value of a CVT that emulates a transmission that shifts? Isn't the point of a CVT that it maintains the most efficient engine RPM for performance and fuel burn?

Your explanation on regenerative braking was kind of convoluted. When you lift the throttle, the drive motors convert to generators. Producing power for the batteries and drag/resistance on the wheels.

Thing is - the Ford Maverick Hybrid IS the perfect vehicle TODAY.. much more if they introduce a PHEV with at least 32-40 mile range. It is a fuel miser, cheap point A to point B transportation plus 90% of what "trucks" are used for.... FWD? So what - I live in Michigan and all my vehicles have been FWD and they perform much better on snow than 4WD ones sans the added maintenance and potential breakables with the RWD components...

I have a brand new hybrid maverick first edition package. I get really good milage, (39 avg).

I just got my xlt hybrid, in Florida I'm getting 39mpg in the first 200 miles, is weird to get used to to the breaking in the beginning, I haven't regret a bit of ordering this truck.

Love my Hybrid Xlt luxury package Maverick. Interior is usable and comfy. Gotta love 3.9-5litres/100 km also.

Wow! Best part of the show… you all back together again in-person.

Glad to see you back together! WE MISSED THIS! The webcams were awful.

Love my XL Maverick, no complaints. I've owned 3 Rangers, 3 F-150s, super cab and crew.

I don’t find the Fwd Maverick a hindrance at all. You know what’s worse in the snow than a front wheel drive car is an empty rwd pick up truck.

Great Vlog . Keep them coming.

It's strange that Ford isn't offering AWD with the hybrid Maverick. It's definitely doable since it's available on the Escape hybrid which is on a similar platform. I think they will offer it in the future and I'm hoping they will have a plug-in hybrid too, that would be a great addition. Overall, it's a great size and price. I think people are realizing full sized pickups have grown too big (with high load heights) to be convenient for commuting and their running costs are just too high with the current price of gas.

the Maverick reminds me of the former Ford Ranchero. A "pickup" in name but mostly a car with a bed.

Love the vehicle, love y'alls humor, stay true!

I’m a member of a fairly large group of car buyers who bought their first truck being the Maverick. Had a nice Lux small crossover-suv getting 21 mpg and about to come off of the factory warranty coverage…..so I got to thinking what to get next….a compact truck with 42 mpg and a hybrid as the base model, and a very competitive price with decent equipment, and the new truck size was manageable and rarely used my rear cargo compartment anyways with my crossover…..it was a no brainer. * I don’t give a rat’s @ss if folks are debating if it’s a real truck.

All back in the office ! Awesome guys !

Hmm, I bought a 2016 Fusion Hybrid new, I still drive it now, and I've never had any issues at all with the brakes or the cvt transmission.

The full electric versus hybrid is interesting. For example, some people are mad that the new postal fleet won't be all electric. I think they should all be hybrid. I would have invited Toyota to bid, they've got hybrids nailed down. No need for new infrastructure/charging stations.

"XLT" doesn't mean "turbo". The "XLT" trim is just the intermediate trim between "XL" and "Lariat". You can get either the 2.5L hybrid (non-turbo) engine or the 2.0L turbocharged engine at the "XLT" trim level.

Not everyone has a boat. But they want an economic to drive truck.

The holy Trinity of hosts. So glad to see you back together in person

As someone who's put over a hundred thousand miles on a Chevrolet Volt with an eCVT, I can honestly say the eCVT is one of the most pleasant attributes of that vehicle. The engine does have a tendency to rev high and hold those revs for a long time just as you said, however the power delivery is basically perfect as the electric motors remain the primary source of propulsion throughout the entire rev range, essentially eliminating dead spots in the engine's power band. It's a true 1:1 connected feeling.

I've seen a few on the road.... like 3, it is bigger than what I was expecting.

Being an EV engineer it was really painful listening to you guys explaining how coasting and regen braking works. John and Ryan you guys were complete off in your explanation ... Mike you were on the right track. The electric motor does not spin in the opposite direction during regen! A simpler anolgy is of an electric motor and a power generator/wind turbine.

its important to point out that it has an ECVT. not a CVT. it makes innovative use of a planetary gear set. it is not belt driven.

Hauling stuff "to the dump" was mentioned more than once. Do people have to transport their household trash to the dump on a regular basis in that part of the country?

An eCVT is similar to what the Prius and others like it have used for years -as long as it's reliable that's the only concern really. Fake gears are to ease transition for folks that don't get it - luckily so far for full EVs we've only been subjected to simulated noise (99.9% of EVs have no gear switching)

Glad the posse is back in studio together!

You guys nailed it! Hybrids are being overshadowed by EVs. I have a deposit on the rivian b/c its a marvel of engineering but is in no way green. Hybrids are WAY more "green" and more people need to say so

is it still the toyota setup? i have a 13 cmax and love it, i'm just waiting for my local dealer to get base model maverick on the lot....

I heard it does do simulated gear changes in sport mode.

We have three guys here complaining that a $25K truck doesn't do the same things or feel the same way a $60K truck does. Here's a clue guys, this is a new model that fits a desperately empty hole in the truck market, a small fuel efficient truck for street use. When the smallest truck on the market, is huge compared to this and costs at least twice as much, there is a big gap that needed filled. Ford came up with the Maverick. If you want a brute 4WD truck for off road use or towing a 5th wheel, this ain't it and they never claim it to be.

I got both 2 litre turbo and recently i got my hybrid as per fuel economy hybrid is amazing fuel economy i got my truck 2 weeks old i put around 1100 kms on it with one full fuel tank. This kind of fuel price main thing for me is fuel economy.

16:20. It’s not the breaking that regenerated the motor. It’s the slowing down of the motor. The brakes just make it slow down faster. Because even just coasting the motor is being regenerated

finally back to in person, thank god

My gosh, it's Manny, Moe & Jack! Welcome back to the set, guys.

The editors put the wrong photo of an Accord Hybrid in the video. Jon referred to the 2005-‘07 V6 hybrid that nobody bought but the split second picture showed a 2014-‘15 hybrid which is light years ahead in technology

The Maverick is only affordable if you ordered one when it came out. I saw the gas price increases and new car shortages coming a year ago (it had already started). I ordered my base Maverick XL within a week after it was announced. I am not a truck person, but I figured I could make 3 to 4 thousand reselling the Maverick. I did not expect this type of markup. Out the door price for my Maverick XL is $23,405 with taxes and fees. Right now on KBB trade in is $32,000! I should get me Maverick by 7-1-22, I hope the bubble doesn't burst before I get it.

I drive a Prius C. Regarding the braking, once you adapt to driving with momentum and keeping your speed basically constant, the stopping really never comes up. It's such a smooth experience now with the CVT, hybrid/electrification and gentle braking all working in tandem. After about a week, you stop driving like the brakes are an on/off affair and let the mechanics do most of the work.

Nice to see you guys together 👍. Thanks for all the great content.

So is it worth spending $3500 more for the 4cyl turbo, AWD with the towing PKG for 3 or 4 times a year towing a trailer with kayaks that is probably 2400 LBS?

On the subject of Maverick, which is worse the film or the pickup?

Wow, back in the studio…

Hybrid tech is at the top of its game

17:22 In summary: The rotating motion applied to the motor turns it into a generator, creating electricity that charges the battery.

totally disagree for the front wheel drive complaint, for city dwellers, work commute rush hour traffic, the front wheel drive is the absolute best choice, there's 4 mavericks around my office complex, all hybrid front wheel drives. Who in their right mind would pick the heavier AWD for daily rush hour stop and go when gas cost almost double. This mini truck is a sedan replacement, city people arn't buying it for hauling or offroad duty, hence the low base price. There's a reason why hybrid front wheel drive has a 1+ year wait time where the ecoboost turbo has only 3-4 months wait time

HYBRIDs are training wheels for people still unsure about BEVs. Their first electric will be a HEV where they can familiarize themselves with living with an electric, BUT, they're next vehicle will be a BEV. By that time BEVs will be all that will be available. !

I'm still waiting for my mavericks build date. Ordered in October, I never expected it would possibly be a year before I get my order.

the Maverick is a great truck for probably half of the people that buy F-150s and almost everyone that buys a Ranger. I live in Austin, TX, and I don't think I've ever seen an F-150 (outside of the WT models) towing anything. Rangers, definitely never. The Maverick is a vehicle that acknowledges that the average buyer uses a truck for these days: everything family sedans did 15 years ago. towing won't be an issue because I firmly believe less than 5% of buyers will *ever* tow with one of these.

I think we’ve been needing a truck for the average homeowner for a long time.. those big monster size trucks that take up your hole driveway that cost 80,000 is overkill, people need to move couches ,refrigerator and stuff.. the everyday average home owner does not need a construction truck

Come on people. “It does not lug in too high a gear” then “it doesn’t pretend to shift gears…” you’re arguing for mutually exclusive things here. Plus it’s not a CVT it’s an eCVT like the first Escape Hybrid which was available with AWD by the way.

insurance will run about $1500 per year for the used truck for dump runs and that would be on top of the insurance for the maverick which would be $2000 per year!

Ford needs to look into in-wheel motors. Light in-wheel motors in the back wheels, even if they are only 30hp each, would make everyone happy. And that is what they should do with the Ford Transit. That way they can lower the floor like the European one and still have 4-wheel drive. It is also the way to go for the electric Ford eTransit, in my opinion. With the need for efficiency/electric range, we have today, trying to make the mid-height insufficient to upsell people into the tall one just is not viable. The tall is just too inefficient and cripples the range of the eTransit. They need the mid-height to be 6' 3-4" inside, and if anything lower outside than the current mid-height.

Destination charge...if your far from factory it's a steal of a deal no matter the size of vehicle. If you are close its awful. It's an average of distances and sizes and weight. Simply put it is an averaged out transport charge.

Order a Maverick and expect it to be delivered when the next year model rolls out.

Regenerative braking is nothing new to electrically driven vehicles. Subway trains are driven by 400 volt motors that use a large bank of resistors to take the momentum of the train when braking is needed and converting the motors to generators that feed their generated electricity while coasting to the resistor banks which convert those colts to heat and slow the train down dynamically. Cars use the motor as a braking tool in a similar method to bleed off volts supplied by the momentum driven electric motor but to a battery instead of the resistor bank on a subway. Question is heating in that process and how does the battery contend with the influx of volts all of a sudden without overheating.

I'm still surprised that no one builds a hybrid that is an electric vehicle with an on board generator. A gas engine, of low hp, specifically designed to run a generator, wouldn't need 4 valves / cyl, variable cams, etc. I know that Toyota and Lotus have designed such engines, yet none are in use.

Toyota Hybrid system is the KING nobody even comes close. Every Toyota owner knows that.

My Dad ordered a non hybrid in January and still hasn’t gotten it yet so hopefully they start moving them out to buyers.

Turn around ability not too good on the Ford Maverick Maniac video saw. Otherwise I like it!

Very interesting they are back in the office. I can completely understand how it will change weekly, because people all have different tolerances to risk. Some are more willing to take the chance of meeting and potentially getting COVID while others are not. My company has being in the office optional, and we are located in CT as well. I like sedans, tolerate SUVs, and detest trucks. I own a sedan and SUV and the SUV is good enough for carrying things. A truck I know is popular but I can do without one. Living on a mountain in the winter where we are not allowed to use chains or studs, and FWD with snow tires won't work to get home in snow, hard pass on this vehicle.

My thoughts on destination charges: They are selling a product, in order for me to buy it they need to get it to me.

This truck would be great with a 2.5L Duratec engine and 8 speed transmission. No hybrid, no cvt, no turbo, and it would sell like hot cakes.

Ford needs to bring this to Europe. The imports are 3x the price here. Ranger owner.

The EPA rates the AWD turbo Maverick only 3mpg better than a F150 with 2.7 EcoBoost.

not a cvt and the high revving engine is not connected to anything but the battery aka a generator. you guys really phoned this one in.

You said it doesn't simulate shifts. It does in sport and tow mode.

You know you can put grippier tires on this if you think youre getting slippage on boat ramps. Lots of pickups have 2wd so I don't get your argument that a pickup should be 4wd

Hay guys, why could you just not say for braking, the electric motor switches over to generator mode and converts braking energy into electrical current to recharge the battery? Like water through an electric dam generator?

Thanks for the nice video! I do have an answer on the destination charge. 1. I shipped a used Escape from Michigan to Southern CA, and the price was $1700. Some quotes were over $2K. The price from that perspective is fair. My Bronco on the other hand, my Bronco was shipped 9 miles from factory to dealer for $1500. So it is "average" that is spread out for all buyer in NA, and it does not give an advantage to people close to the factory v. far away. 2. It does make sense to tacked it on separately, because then is should not be included in the deprecation of the vehicle when it is time to resell it.

Great Talking Cars. Too bad the hybrid doesn't have e-AWD similar to the Toyota RAV4 hybrid.

If all the Trucks are the same just big, gas guzzling across all brands we all would complain because everything is the same. this is like the small knife in a Swiss army knife. Not everyone needs a Ford F-250... or a RAM 1500...

Incorrect guys….The Hybrid does do simulated shifts in sport mode.

GM had hybrid 1/2 tons in the late 2000s. Mav isn’t first hybrid pickup.

I would like to know more about what you guys thought of the interior.....cramped?

Many people in the south have RWD and slimy greasy boat ramps and do just fine.

Thanks for sharing. The front-wheel drive is why it gets the fuel economy it does. If you want AWD, then the mileage will go down. Some of us want the mileage, which is why the Maverick exists. Don't call it a big caveat when you're not speaking for everyone that wants it. Remember, this is NOT a typical pickup. The base model is what is the best for the Maverick. Need more trucks? There is the Ranger and the F150, etc.

Ordered one from ford but their customer service was do bad I told the dealer to keep it

You guys are missing the point of why Ford designed this truck. It was designed for urban use. The CVT is an eCVT. I am surprised at your level of competency. Evaluate for what it was designed to be, not what you want.

Don’t quite understand why you want a “truck” with a bed only big enough for a sack lunch. A truck is a work/utility vehicle. Those who think they need a truck with a bed you can’t put a sheet of plywood or some 6-8 foot lumber in ought to stick to suvs or what we use to calling a station wagon. That’s what a number of the suvs are just renamed

So the tiny truck, as a lariat, when you can spend the same amount and get something better from someone else!! The base model is the one most people will be able to afford!!

I will never understand using a pickup truck to haul mountain bikes with those silly mats. If you're okay with your bikes exposed to the elements, just get a hitch-mount bike rack and put it on a small and efficient car. If you want the bikes to be protected from the elements...get a Van.

I remember Max! Catch the wave, coke!

That same truck here.....sit for this one.....46,000

Two questions: does a hybrid with regen have brakes that last a lot longer than a conventional ICE car? And do all hybrid makers still pay royalties to Toyota for inventing the hybrid system?

ARGH!! Like some other folks commenting here, the Maverick hybrid system is an eCVT! There is NO chain/belt and variator in the Ford hybrids' system. Ford has been using the same basic eCVT design since model year 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid. Furthermore, CR reviewers, I think you were saying the eCVT (not CVT!) was just average. Well, Ford's eCVT design is very similar to Toyota's Synergy eCVT design. Though developed independently from Toyota both were so similar, i believe that Ford and Toyota entered into some sort of cross patent sharing agreement to avoid a corporate "food fight". So Ford's eCVT's performance shouldn't be any worse than Toyota's Synergy eCVT! To learn more and actually see the actual Ford hybrid system components and how they work, watch the RU-vid channel of Professor John Kelly of Weber University in Salt Lake City. Professor Kelly is an expert in hybrid and EV technology. His channel covers Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Toyota and even Tesla technology. I don't pretend to understand most of the tech. But watching Kelly's videos will be well worth it if you want anything from a good overview of the technology to a pretty deep dive. I bought a '14 Ford C-Max SEL hybrid with 44k miles. I've had it 5 years and believe it's about the best vehicle I've owned in 50 years. The regenerative braking takes a.little to get used to but no more than going from non powered brakes to power (assisted) brakes (showing my age here😄). The FWD of a hybrid in wet or snowy conditions can cause wheel spin if you have a heavy foot from a stop. But that's because the torque is instantaneous from the electric motor. CR, I think you guys really need to redo this review or an update. You didn't tell us much if anything about the vehicle itself. I don't think you really prepared for your oral report. Also, the Maverick is not an F-150. It's designed to create a new market, a niche product albeit a rather large one Ford hopes. Ford designed a base vehicle that was a hybrid STANDARD for about 21500 give or take sticker [including destination]. Not too shabby for a small jack of all trades vehicle that gets great gas.mileage, probably won't need a brake job for 75k-100k (regen braking benefit) and can seat 4 comfortably (as long as they're not basketball players)