2025 Ford Maverick

Anything that wins our Best Buy Award three years in a row demands respect. Even if the competition is just one other vehicle, the Hyundai Santa Cruz. The thing is, Ford has a lot of history and expertise in making trucks and it shows in the Maverick, but on a smaller scale than usual. It’s comfortable, sufficiently powerful, has off-road talents, and packs many of those little details that truck owners appreciate.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of fuel-efficient trucks, including the Ford Maverick.

All-wheel drive is now offered with the hybrid powertrain, and this configuration can now tow up to 4,000 pounds (twice as much as last year). Formerly a package, there’s now a separate Tremor trim topping the lineup, which is also joined by the Lobo version. There’s a new grille design, with each trim offering its own variation on the main styling theme. Output of the gasoline-only engine drops slightly. In tech terms, a bigger infotainment touchscreen, wireless phone integration, and remote software updates all become standard across the board. A new 360-degree camera system has a split-screen view. Lariat and Tremor models also gain an adaptive cruise control system with stop/go, lane centering, and predictive speed assistance.

We recommend going for the popular Lariat if the funds allow. There isn’t enough of a difference between the XL and XLT to recommend the latter.

The only compact truck rival is the Hyundai Santa Cruz, starting somewhat higher but with more equipment than a base Maverick.

Before buying a new Maverick truck, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values are stronger than those of the Santa Cruz. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

A turbocharged 4-cylinder engine propels most Maverick variants with 238 horsepower (a drop of 12 horses over last year), which falls between the two engines offered in the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Its acceleration time is similar to the larger Hyundai unit, though, taking just over six seconds to sprint from standstill to 60 mph.

The optional hybrid drivetrain comes with 191 horsepower, enough muscle to get up to freeway speed without stress. It gives up a couple seconds in the 60-mph sprint, but acceleration is still perfectly adequate. Whenever the gasoline engine chimes in, we’ve found that it does so smoothly. All-wheel drive is available with either drivetrain, and we find them both eminently recommendable.

Although it’s a compact truck, the Maverick feels as easy, agreeable, and comfortable to drive as a small SUV. No surprise, considering it shares a platform with the Bronco Sport.

Payload and Towing

The Maverick’s maximum payload is 1,500 pounds, although the Tremor version is limited to 1,140 pounds. The Santa Cruz can handle up to 1,411 pounds.

Gasoline-only versions can tow up to 4,000 pounds with the right equipment. Using the Tow/Haul or Sport modes allows the driver to stay in one gear (it’s an 8-speed automatic transmission) for longer, in order to access the most power. The hybrid configuration is updated this year and is also rated at 4,000 pounds when equipped appropriately. For comparison, the Santa Cruz is rated to tow 5,000 pounds.

Fuel Economy

Both engines are fine with regular gasoline. The turbo unit returns 25 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Subtract a mile or two per gallon with all-wheel drive, and then a couple more for the Tremor version. The front-drive hybrid achieves 37 mpg combined, or about 36 mpg combined when all-wheel drive is in the picture.

Driving 15,000 miles a year, the hybrid will use 16 fewer gallons of gas every month. At $3.50 a gallon, that’s a monthly saving of about $56.

The base engine in the Santa Cruz manages 22 mpg combined, while the more powerful option is only thirstier by one mile per gallon.

Two rows of seating make this compact pickup accommodating and versatile. The doors can take large water bottles and the rear seat cushions flip up to reveal storage areas beneath. Except that the hybrid version commandeers one of these areas for its battery.

Compared with the combustion-only variant, the hybrid results in a one-inch reduction of rear legroom as well: 35.9 inches. Tall people will want to sit up front.

Every new Maverick now comes with a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, replacing last year’s basic 8-inch unit, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto phone integration becomes wireless. The Tremor Off-Road package includes orange stitching in the upholstery, plus all-weather mats. The new Lobo has sneaker-inspired blue/lime stitching.

We’ve noticed how comfortable the front seats are, even for those who look in the extra-extra-large sections when shopping for clothes. Apart from a couple of gripes in our owner reviews about the standard radio, the Maverick’s cabin gets a thumbs-up. The base XL is really basic, however. Acceptable for a work truck, but buyers aiming to spend some qualty leisure time in their new Maverick should look at the Lariat.

Ford calls it a Super Crew, but the 2025 Maverick compact pickup has what most of us would call a crew cab, since it has four doors. This is complemented by a 4.5-foot bed. There are no options in this regard.

The bed is part of the overall body, not separate, because the Maverick has a one-piece (or unibody) construction. Extras for this cargo section include tie-down locking rails and a spray-in liner. With a lift-in height of only 30.1 inches, we found loading and unloading the Maverick’s bed noticeably easier than its big brothers in the Ford truck family. The bed is also short enough on the sides to make it possible to reach in there without lowering the tailgate. Shorter drivers will especially appreciate this accessible bed.

Minor styling revisions this year bring a redesigned grille, looking cleaner than before and without the horizontal bar that used to hold the Ford badge. A new Black package this year adds exterior elements (such as 19-inch alloy wheels) finished in, you guessed, black.

XLT and Lariat versions are eligible for Black Appearance and Tremor Off-Road/Appearance packages. The standard Maverick with all-wheel drive has a useful ground clearance of 8.6 inches (fractionally less with front-wheel drive). But the Tremor’s higher ride height provides clearance of 9.4 inches. Looks-wise, there are orange accents on the grille and fenders, while the Tremor Appearance package puts the roof, hood, lower doors and side mirror housings in Carbonized Gray.

Hybrid powertrain
With this Maverick and the all-electric F-150 Lightning, Ford is really bringing trucks well and truly into the 21st century. Now it’s available in tandem with the all-wheel-drive system, which addressed our only gripe.

Bedside manners
As well as being 4.5 feet long, the load-in/load-out height is a back-friendly 30 inches. There’s also the option of closable compartments at either side, plus a 110-volt outlet.

Tremor
The Tremor takes the 2025 Maverick further off-road than the FX4 package. As well as the suspension setup, other additions include a reshaped front bumper for a better approach angle, under-body protection, locking all-wheel-drive hardware, and Trail Control — a cruise control for tricky terrain where the driver just has to steer and the system takes care of the throttle, brakes, and gears.

Lobo
This new-for-2025 variant pays homage to the street truck sub-genre, with a lowered ride height, bespoke suspension and wheels, black roof, and a special Lobo driving mode.

4K Tow package
This optional array includes a trailer hitch receiver with a 7-pin connector, transmission oil cooler, and a higher-capacity radiator with an upgraded fan.

B&O audio
OK, not the poshest sound system made by the famed audio wizards at Bang & Olufsen, but we’ve found it pleasing to the ears all the same. This 8-speaker setup is a feature in the Lariat’s optional Luxury package.

A combustion-only drivetrain is the default setup. This consists of a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making 238 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque (12 fewer horses and a couple of pound-feet shy of last year), linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available as an option.

The optional hybrid drivetrain employs a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and an electric motor for a total of 191 horsepower. Ford doesn’t give a total torque figure, but the engine makes 155 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm and the electric motor develops 173 lb-ft. It’s not as straightforward as adding the two figures together, but we never felt this drivetrain was short on thrust. Output goes either to the front wheels or all four through a continuously variable automatic transmission.

The new-for-2025 Maverick Lobo has the gasoline-only engine connected to its own 7-speed automatic transmission, and comes with all-wheel drive as standard.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Ford’s new-vehicle warranty is three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains have a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty. These are typical terms for mainstream manufacturers, but the Hyundai Santa Cruz does better with five years/60,000 miles (bumper to bumper) and 10 years/100,000 miles (powertrain).

Safety Ratings

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given the Maverick four stars overall out of a possible five. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) liked the standard forward collision warning system with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, but hasn’t performed a full set of tests so far.