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More people are now trading in Hondas and Toyotas than Fords to buy a new Maverick pickup. While the term “conquest sale” isn’t a term most of us throw around. But, to a dealer or a manufacturer, those words are golden. A “conquest” is when someone trades in a competing vehicle for a new one, instead of the same model. Usually, people trade a Honda for a Honda or a Ford for another Ford.

Are trucks just cooler than SUVs? Now, more folks are trading in their reliable, popular, SUVs or compact cars for Ford’s new Maverick pickup.

More than 60% of Maverick buyers trade in another brand’s vehicle

A blue-gray 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XLT compact pickup truck driving past palm trees
2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XLT | The Ford Motor Company

Ford recently released its newest sales figures, and it noted that a Maverick’s conquest rate is over 60 percent. That means that 60% of the vehicles traded in on a new Maverick were not Fords. The three most traded-in vehicles for the new 2023 Maverick were the Honda Civic, Honda CR-V SUV and Toyota’s RAV4, which is the best-selling SUV on the market today. That’s unusual because most small car buyers don’t often trade up to a pickup truck. Many of us would expect someone to trade in another small truck, like the Hyundai Santa Cruz, instead.

How does a Maverick compare to a CR-V or RAV4?

​​Front angle view of new blue 2023 Honda CR-V crossover SUV, highlighting how much a fully loaded one costs
2023 Honda CR-V | Honda
A gray 2023 Toyota RAV4 is parked.
The 2023 Toyota RAV4 | Toyota

All three, the Maverick, CR-V and RAV4 seat five and have fuel efficient motors. The Maverick, though, because of its open 54.4-inch bed can carry infinitely more stuff than either SUV. The 2023 CR-V can carry 76.5 cubic feet of stuff, and the RAV4 69.8, but that’s only if you put all the seats down, limiting these to two-passenger vehicles. All three come as front-wheel drive vehicles, but all-wheel drive is optional.

The Maverick does earn great fuel economy, especially with the base hybrid motor. Sure, the RAV4 Hybrid gets a combined 40 mpg, but it starts at $30,225. The base RAV4 only gets a combined 30 mpg, according to the EPA. The all-new CR-V for 2023 has a new three-cylinder motor, and it can achieve 40 mpg, as well. But, it starts at $32,000.  A new base Maverick can be bought in the low $20,000 range. But, that base truck comes with a hybrid motor, making it the cheapest hybrid you can buy today, and it gets a stunning 37 MPG combined rating from the EPA. That’s about three times what some full-sized trucks get.  

Why is the Maverick a hot-selling truck?

Dashboard and seats in 2023 Ford Maverick
2023 Ford Maverick | Ford

The Maverick seems to be bucking regular sales trends. Ford’s hot-selling Maverick truck turned on dealer lots in just 6 days last month with sales up 123%. The upcoming 2023 model is not much different from the outgoing 2022, so it seems there’s pent-up demand for a small truck like the Maverick.

Though Ford opened its 2023 order banks online for the Maverick, it quickly got all the orders it could process, and closed them. Then, in August, it announced some new packages for the Maverick, including an off-road Tremor version, and re-opened ordering. Dealers will soon be getting 2023 Mavericks, and they are quickly selling out of leftover 2022 Mavericks.

The New Tremor brings some off-road cred to the Maverick

Speaking of the new Tremor, it’s expected to boost Maverick sales even more. It comes with the 250-horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, instead of the base 2.5-liter hybrid engine that has 162 horsepower. The Tremor package also adds all-wheel drive, a 1-inch lift, and a unique suspension to handle the trails.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.