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The order books will be opening soon for the 2023 Ford Maverick compact pickup truck. We’re not expecting many upgrades, but we are expecting dealers to try and get rid of what little bit of their 2022 inventory they have soon. The order books will open in August for the new 2023 Maverick, so is it worth it to buy a 2022 Maverick today – if you can find one – or wait?

The hotter Maverick ST is expected in 2023

If you like the Maverick but want just a bit more shove from the truck, it looks like Ford is introducing a Maverick ST, or sport, version soon. We don’t have any specs on the ST version yet. Twitter, however, is full of images that show a Maverick with twin exhaust pipes and wider fenders. Yes, please!

When are the order books opening for the 2023 Maverick?

Ford is opening the order books for its 2023 Mavericks soon. But, you may be able to find a 2022 at a good deal.
2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XLT | Ford

As you may have heard, Ford is moving to an online ordering model for selling vehicles instead of only relying on dealers to sell its vehicles. Local dealers are still getting allocations of Mavericks, but you will be able to order a new 2023 Ford Maverick beginning August 15, according to Ford Authority. The online ordering system allows you to pick almost everything from the color to the floor mats online. Ford will deliver the truck to your dealer for you to pick it up there.

You can still buy a 2022 Ford Maverick at local dealers

You can still buy a 2022 Ford Maverick at a local dealer, but maybe you should wait for a 2023?
2022 Ford Maverick | Ford

Yes, the Maverick is super popular, and Ford probably underestimated the truck’s initial popularity. But dealers do have some 2022 Ford Maverick trucks. There aren’t many. But, if you’re willing to look, you can find them. A local dealer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for example, has two 2022 trucks left, and they’re both well-equipped Lariat Mavericks. Buyers, however, have accused some Ford dealers of asking several thousand dollars above MSRP for the 2022 trucks.

Or, should you forget about trying to buy a 2022 Ford Maverick and grab another compact truck?

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz parked in front of a lighthouse.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz | Hyundai

The compact pickup segment was dead just a couple of years ago and everyone who wanted a truck wanted the biggest truck they can buy, or a Toyota Tacoma. Today, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the Maverick, the new 2022 Nissan Frontier, as well as the Ford Ranger and the GM twins, the GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado all round out the smaller truck space. Some even consider the Jeep Gladiator and the Honda Ridgeline to be small trucks because they’re not full-sized.

But in the true compact pickup space, the Maverick and the Santa Cruz go head-to-head. They are both unibody pickup trucks, which means they’re more like five-seat SUVs with a useful bed. The Maverick starts at $19,995 and comes with an excellent 2.5-liter hybrid motor that gets more than 40 mpg. The Santa Cruz starts at $24,440 with a 191-horsepower engine that gets up to 26 mpg on the highway.

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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.