Finding an affordable new pickup truck is a challenging endeavor, especially with high inflation these days. It’s even more difficult to find one that combines affordability with quality and reliability. There is a notable exception, though. Only one new truck that costs less than $25,000 seems to get any buzz, the Ford Maverick.

2023 Ford Maverick, which costs less than $25,000, seems to be recommended by everyone

The 2023 Ford Maverick compact truck, with a starting MSRP of $22,195 MSRP, is the cheapest new pickup truck on the market. The low price for the Maverick doesn’t translate to low quality, though, for it earned a coveted recommendation from Consumer Reports. 

Consumer Reports (CR) is one the most trusted authorities for automotive evaluations, so the recommendation for the Maverick carries a great deal of weight. Also, CR doesn’t recommend many pickup trucks, which makes the recommendation for the Maverick especially significant. 

The 2023 Maverick also earned a perfect 10/10 from Car and Driver, it was even named one of their ’10-Best’ and an Editors’ Choice pick.

Highlights of the 2023 Ford Maverick 

So what are all these people finding so impressive about the Maverick? After all, it certainly isn’t the most capable or imposing truck on the market.

A huge strength of the 2023 Ford Maverick pickup truck, along with affordability and reliability, is high fuel economy—especially for the standard hybrid powertrain. The Maverick Hybrid gets an estimated gas mileage of up to 42 city/33 highway mpg, while the fully gas-powered version has a fuel economy of up to 23 city/30 highway mpg. Also, with its unibody chassis, the Maverick provides better handling than most trucks.

Furthermore, the cabin of the Maverick is surprisingly roomy, with a total passenger volume of 100.3 cu-ft. The cabin is also quite stylish, with a level of refinement that one might not expect to see in such an affordable truck.

Another highlight of the Maverick is its unique FLEXBED. The FLEXBED offers versatile configurations for the pickup bed, with 2x4s or 2×6 boards that one can slide into its slots. It also has tie downs, D-rings, and many anchor points, as well as 110-volt outlets and 12-volt 20-amp prewired sources for plugging in tools and accessories. 

While the 2023 Maverick is a carryover model, it offers a new Tremor off-road package. The Tremor off-road package, as the name implies, provides enhanced off-road capabilities with various features and upgrades. This includes a new all-wheel drive system, a trail control feature, a one-inch lift, and a twin-clutch rear-drive locking differential.

So while you aren’t getting the capability of a full-size Ford F-150 or the off-roading chops of a Toyota Tacoma TRD, you are getting a nice little truck that does everything reasonably well. For some potential owners, that’s more than enough and totally worth the more affordable price point.