The Ford Maverick has officially changed the pickup truck world for the foreseeable future. Americans are once again interested in compact trucks, not only for daily use but for work truck use as well. 

However, there is one reviewer that does not have the Ford Maverick as its top pickup truck choice, even going so far as ranking the polarizing Jeep Gladiator as a better choice than the Maverick. Here is everything you need to know about the one pickup truck list where the Ford Maverick was beaten by the Jeep Gladiator.

2023 Jeep Gladiator: specs, price, and features

According to U.S. News, the Jeep Gladiator ranks as a better pickup truck when compared to the Ford Maverick, coming in 3rd place overall in the pickup truck market. The Gladiator started production in April 2019 for the 2020 model year and instantly became a hit among Jeep fans. The Gladiator is essentially a Jeep Wrangler with a truck bed, making it the first Jeep product with a truck bed since the Comanche.

The 2023 Gladiator is a Jeep through and through, which is both a good thing and a bad thing for some owners. On the plus side, the Gladiator is incredibly capable offroad, with all of the freedom you’d find in a typical Wrangler, with a great towing capacity, open-air driving, and four doors. 

This Jeep truck seats five comfortably and comes equipped with either a 3.6L V6 gasoline engine or a 3.0L turbo diesel V6 producing 285 horsepower and 260 horsepower respectively. The 2023 Gladiator starts at $38,775 for the base model, with some models reaching over the $50,000 mark.

2023 Ford Maverick: specs, price, and features

On the list compiled by U.S. News, the Ford Maverick is just barely beaten by the Jeep Gladiator in overall score, which gives the Ford Maverick the 4th place spot among all available trucks on the market today. 

The Ford Maverick offers a wildly different utilitarian interior that is a great change of pace from the typical bare-bones work truck interiors. It includes a hybrid powertrain as a standard feature. 

The Maverick is one of the best-driving pickup trucks on the market today, thanks to its crossover SUV chassis that keeps this truck feeling nimble and quick around corners and off the line, unlike many other trucks on the market.

The Maverick starts at $22,195 for the base model with a hybrid engine and front-wheel drive, while more powerful four-wheel drive, gasoline engine-equipped Mavericks can easily break into the $30,000 price range, depending on your model. 

The Maverick is a great truck for most people, but if you are looking to tow anything substantial and you want a four-wheel drive powertrain, you will be slowly inching toward the full-size truck price range, and if you are spending full-size truck money, most consumers would opt to simply buy a bigger, more capable truck.

Midsize trucks: the best of the rest

With the Ford Maverick coming in at number four and the Jeep Gladiator reaching the 3rd place spot in U.S. News’ list, which trucks took the top spots? Well, the winners may surprise you. 

In 2nd place, the compact Hyundai Santa Cruz took the silver medal, which beat just about every other compact and midsize truck on the market, and beat the Ford Maverick in a head-to-head competition for the best compact truck. 

This compact truck is also built on a crossover SUV platform and offers all of the handling and convenience found in the Maverick with a slightly different style and a little more power.

The 1st place truck in this list compiled by U.S. News is the 2023 Honda Ridgeline. The Ridgeline takes all the reliability and drivability found in a typical Honda car and brings it to the pickup truck market with a solid V6 engine and an interior that rivals the comfort and convenience found in most SUVs. 

While it may not be the best vehicle for offroading, the all-wheel drive Ridgeline offers a great towing capacity and a drivetrain that will outlast just about anything on the road today.