To each their own

[dtech]

I thought about one for a few days. Then I saw it in person. Then realized that for the same price I had my Maverick on order for/what I got my Ranger for (28k).. You only get the naturally aspirated 2.5 at a mighty 191hp... pulling over 4k curb weight and with no real gain in mpg. Ew.

Weirdly enough they did have 4 in my area when I bought my Ranger that could have maybe got my attention if they would have done what Ford did and throw the turbo in all trims. Then I would have seen that front grill again and been a bit sick.

I think I read putting a turbo in it jacks the price over $40k , Hyundai used to be much cheaper than other makes but their prices have increased . As far as those lights on the Tucson and the KIA nightfall edition with the yellow driving lights - those things work to attract a certain buying segment. Many of their vehicles lag the competition in mpg ratings, not by a whole much but it reflects the engineering approach as I don't think they use much if any alloy in the suspension and the have greater drive train losses, esp in their AWD models. I bought my daughter a 2007 Elantra some yrs back and it was reliable and decently equipped but a lot of things were worn out at 90k - suspension parts especially. Against my recommendation she bought a 2017 Hyundai Tucson, it's underpowered, not great mpg, but it has a nice interior and good features for the price - which was slightly less than $22k for the AWD . Many buyers don't care about the engineering, focusing mostly on features like those bling front lights on the newer Tucson and the interiors - which are well done on Hyundais and KIAs.

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[Wytchdctr]

I think I read putting a turbo in it jacks the price over $40k , Hyundai used to be much cheaper than other makes but their prices have increased . As far as those lights on the Tucson and the KIA nightfall edition with the yellow driving lights - those things work to attract a certain buying segment. Many of their vehicles lag the competition in mpg ratings, not by a whole much but it reflects the engineering approach as I don't think they use much if any alloy in the suspension and the have greater drive train losses, esp in their AWD models. I bought my daughter a 2007 Elantra some yrs back and it was reliable and decently equipped but a lot of things were worn out at 90k - suspension parts especially. Against my recommendation she bought a 2017 Hyundai Tucson, it's underpowered, not great mpg, but it has a nice interior and good features for the price - which was slightly less than $22k for the AWD . Many buyers don't care about the engineering, focusing mostly on features like those bling front lights on the newer Tucson and the interiors - which are well done on Hyundais and KIAs.

My 2014 Elantra GT got a mostly new suspension installed by me right around 100k. Struts, shocks and rubber bits all over. Other than wearable stuff the only thing that broke was a window regulator...until

7 years and almost 200k. I fire it up an get a horrible misfire. Before the light I knew it was missing bad.
.. but the Maverick was on order at least... But also not good as it was still months away. The number 2 plug is covered in oil. I clean it off and the misfire vanishes. Yeah that will last I think. Maybe it can wait for the Mav to arrive.... Nope. Lost compression in 2 a few days later and became a rolling mosquito fogging machine. Rings had to have let go on me. I did drive the poo out of it but it also had religious oil changes and quality filters.

It did make it to both Ford dealerships (walked away on the first ranger I test drove). Dunno how long it ran after I left it on trade... Maybe it's running around somewhere killing polar bears and consuming oil like crazy somewhere in Houston.

My next Korean will be my turbo project. Mostly because I have a donor car with mounts for the swap and the LOLs of an Accent with 350/400hp. Right up until it snaps n axle.

 

[DakotaGuy]

So we picked up the new Maverick today. It is an XLT AWD EcoBoost with the FX4 package in Shadow Black. Only additional options were Co-pilot 360 and the upgraded unique 17” wheels with a P235 Falken Wildpeak AT3W tire vs the 17” P225 Pirellis. It has a tow hitch, but just the standard 2,000 lb. package since we were looking more for MPG then towing and 4k tow drops the final drive ratio. Anyhow came in around $29,500 MSRP. No extra charges. Dealer honored X plan as well. It took 8 months to get it.

First impressions are very positive. It drives and rides extremely well. Rides more like a small crossover then my Ranger Tremor does which is to be expected. I’d say it might actually ride a little nicer then a Bronco Sport considering it has a longer wheelbase. Very good performance out of the 2.0 EcoBoost. It’s quick. Low loading height at the tailgate if that matters to you. My salesperson said that about 50 people stopped to look at it while we were waiting a few days to pick it up and they actually featured it in the showroom for a few days. He said if only they could get more they could sell every one in a few days. The interior is what I call cheap and cheerful. The materials are completely acceptable for the price and the design hides the cost cutting. I don’t know who the interior designers were, but give them an award. The countertop looking textured plastics and orange accents look cool. The seats have a very unique look and are just soft enough, but still supportive.

Obviously the Maverick is not a truck like the Ranger, but it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not either. It’s a cute little pickup with a lot of utility and value. It’s comfortable enough to drive a few hundred miles a day in, but convenient enough to be a great little runner around town. If the Ranger sits too high or is too “trucky” for what you need the Maverick is a great choice with excellent fuel economy.

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