The Ford F150 has officially been the best-selling truck in America for the last 45 years in a row. And it’s not just riding on its reputation; the Ford F150 continues to dominate the market. It was the best-selling new vehicle in 2021, the best-selling used vehicle in 2021, and it was named 2021 North American Truck Of The Year by automotive journalists. It’s good to be king.
Now, meet the fresh prince: The all-new, Ford Maverick compact truck. The Maverick was just named the 2022 North American Truck of the Year. Ford had received over 100,000 orders before the first Maverick rolled off the assembly line last year, and the small truck has proven so popular with consumers that Ford recently stopped accepting retail orders for the 2022 model. Sold out! If you want a Maverick now, you’ll have to order a 2023 model.
So which Ford truck should you buy?
If you already own a truck, then the Ford Maverick is probably not the truck for you.
The Maverick wasn’t really made for people who drive trucks. Ford conceived the Maverick as the truck for people who never knew they needed a truck. Less than one out of five Maverick buyers are replacing another truck with it, and one out of three new Maverick owners have never owned a truck before.
“I’ve never really been a truck guy,” says Ronnie Scruggs from Olathe, Kansas. “I normally drive a hatchback.”
Ronnie says he never could justify owning a truck before because of:
- Price
- Fuel Economy
- Size (he likes being able to easily find parking spaces)
In the past, if he needed to move a couple of pieces of furniture or carry any junk to the dump, he would just rent a truck for the afternoon, but now he’s got his Maverick for that.
Is bigger really better (at least when it comes to trucks)?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the F150 is a bigger truck. A much bigger truck. It’s taller. It’s wider. And it’s up to three feet longer. You’re going to have to work harder to find a parking spot for it especially if you live or work downtown. Be sure and measure your garage too.
Bigger trucks are harder to get into for those of us in the sub-6-foot category. It’s not completely unheard of for folks to keep a tiny step ladder in their truck to make getting in and out a little easier. If that’s a problem for you, take a look at the Maverick.
But bigger is definitely better when it comes to moving stuff around Kansas City. The F150 can carry more stuff, bigger stuff, and heavier stuff than the Maverick can. There’s no doubt about that.
If you need a couple of pieces of plywood from Home Depot for one of the kids’ science projects, the Maverick can get the job done thanks to the Flexbed and its adjustable tailgate, but hauling great big stacks of plywood to the jobsite every single day just isn’t the Maverick’s cup of tea. It is exactly what the F150 was built for, though.
If you need to carry truckloads of anything – gravel, mulch, manure, then the F150 is going to be your best bet. With some plastic tarping and a little duct tape, the F150 is going to make a much, much roomier hillbilly hot tub.
The Maverick is the truck for you if you need to occasionally get large appliances home from the store, help some buddies move dorm rooms, or make a significantly smaller hillbilly hot tub.
Can I tow stuff with the Ford Maverick?
You bet your sweet bippy, you can tow stuff with the new Ford Maverick – up to 4,000 pounds if you get the tow package. That means there are a lot of things that the Maverick can tow.
- Canoes
- Kayaks
- Jon Boats
- Jet-Skis
- Motorcycles
- Pop-up Campers
- Tear-drop Campers
But the F150 is a towing machine. You can hitch up to 14,000 pounds (7 tons!) to the rear of your properly equipped F150 and tow it clear across the country without ever breaking a sweat.
- Ski Boats
- Livestock Trailers
- Fifth Wheels
- Car Trailers
- Flatbeds
- Dump Trailers
- Parade Floats
Frank and Ruth Bigsby of Overland Park are retired and spend their summers crisscrossing the country in their F150 with a 30-foot travel trailer following behind them. They looked at the Maverick hoping to save money on fuel, but they couldn’t do that without switching to a smaller camper and they couldn’t do that because Frank snores like an angry bear.
Gasoline costs a little over $3 a gallon around Kansas City these days. The Ford Maverick drinks less of it.
The Maverick is the first pickup truck in America with a standard hybrid drive train, and it’s the most fuel-efficient hybrid truck on the market clocking in at up to 42 miles per gallon. It can get you around town, back and forth to Mizzou, and out to the country for a quick mountain biking trip saving you money every time you drive past a gas station. Cha-ching!
The F150 offers the Powerboost Hybrid option which can get up to 24 miles per gallon making it the most fuel-efficient full-size gasoline-powered vehicle on the market. A full tank of gas in the F150 can get you 700 miles down the road before you need to stop for a refill. Frank and Ruth could hit the Gulf of Mexico without ever having to stop for a fill-up. They still need snacks though.
If price is your main concern, the Ford Maverick is the least expensive new truck in America.
Starting under $20,000 the Maverick is the least expensive new vehicle for sale at Gary Crossley Ford about $10,000 under what a new F150 will set you back. That’s about a year’s worth of tuition money at Mizzou.
So which Ford Truck is best for you?
That’s not really a fair question to ask us. Here at Gary Crossley Ford, we love all our trucks. That’s like asking parents which child is their favorite, but here’s the Crossley Difference:
We know it ain’t about us.
We’re here to help you get the right truck for you, your budget, and your lifestyle so stop by the store. Let’s have a conversation about you. Then we’ll talk truck.
