Only 1 Pickup Truck Gets 40 Mpg
With gas prices skyrocketing, many pickup truck drivers are dreaming of better fuel mileage. While some trucks leave owners hoping for 20 mpg, the Ford Maverick earned an EPA-estimated 42 mpg. But only one configuration of this compact truck returns such enviable fuel economy.
The Ford Maverick offers a hybrid drivetrain
Ford unveiled its new compact truck–the Maverick–back in June 2021 for the 2022 model year. It slots in below the F-Series and Ranger in Ford’s pickup truck lineup. The Maverick actually shares a unibody chassis with the Ford Bronco Sport. At launch, Ford offered the Maverick with two engine options.
The Maverick’s premium engine is a 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline four-cylinder. This premium engine option makes 250 horsepower.
Ford’s entry-level Maverick–starting at $19,995–actually comes with a 2.5-liter gasoline hybrid engine. It also has a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Finally, it makes 191 horsepower and only comes in FWD.
Ford’s Maverick hybrid gets 40 mpg
The AWD Maverick with the more powerful EcoBoost engine earned an EPA fuel economy rating of 22 city/29 highway mpg (25 combined). This is not a bad rating for a vehicle with a full-size rear seat and 33.3 cubic feet of cargo space in its pickup bed.
If you want even better mpg, configure your Ecoboost Maverick with FWD. The EPA granted this truck 23 city/30 highway mpg (26 combined). But it is still not the best Maverick mpg.
The cost-effective Ford Maverick XL with its FWD, hybrid powertrain uses regenerative braking for excellent city mpg. For this reason, the hybrid Maverick actually gets better mileage in the city than on the highway. The hybrid 2022 Ford Maverick won 42 city/33 highway mpg (37 combined).
The Ford Maverick is exploding in popularity
Henry Ford supposedly claimed he never asked his customers what they wanted because if he had, they would have requested “a faster horse.” Instead, he made an automobile and they bought that instead.
Today’s “faster horse” might be a larger, more powerful, and less efficient full-size pickup truck. True to its unofficial motto, Ford decided to design America’s most fuel-efficient compact truck instead. The company’s timing was impeccable.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced gasoline prices sky-high. With many drivers hurting at the pump, those due for buying a new vehicle are taking a second look at the little Ford Maverick.
According to the Good Car Bad Car automobile sales statistics site, the Ford Maverick is having a great first year. In the first four months of 2022, Ford sold 34,871 Mavericks. Contrast that with the 14,701 Hyundai Santa Cruzs and 16,837 Honda Ridgelines U.S. drivers bought. Even the Ford Ranger only moved 28,732 units. The Ford Maverick is the runaway success of the truck market. But wherever the Maverick runs, it will do so efficiently.
See the Ford Maverick’s fuel efficiency tested in the video below:
