Big news from Ford land: The configurator for the 2023 Maverick is now live. This genuinely compact pickup truck is an absolute peach, just the right combination of rugged and comfortable for most people who need to do light truck stuff occasionally. Let’s run down some of the changes for 2023 (including a base price jump of over 10 percent from the debut price) and build what I deem to be the perfect Maverick for me.
More Money But More Standard Features
Let’s start with the big yet entirely expected news: another price bump. While the Maverick launched with a very asterisk-y starting price of $19,995 before freight and other fees, it was quietly increased to $20,995 before freight mid-way through the 2022 model year. For 2023, starting MSRP jumps $1,200 to $22,195 and freight clocks in at $1,495. While a $23,690 hybrid truck is still very appealing, it’s not quite the screaming deal it once was. Aside from the base XL trim, the XLT model now starts at $25,950 including freight, while the range-topping Lariat now starts at $29,450.
However, that jump in base price comes with some additional kit. The Maverick XL gains standard cruise control, a notably absent feature on 2022 base models. While it doesn’t seem terribly difficult to add cruise control to a 2022 Maverick XL, gaining cruise control while maintaining a full factory warranty doesn’t seem to shabby.
For those who stay rugged, the Tremor package adds a ton of desirable kit for a reasonable price $2,990. Granted, it requires selecting the two-liter Ecoboost engine and all-wheel-drive, but it gets a locking rear differential, extra cooling, skid plates, unique suspension tuning, and a reshaped front bumper designed to boost approach angle. Our own David Tracy did an excellent write-up on this Tremor package that I urge you to check out. [Editor’s note: Let’s call it a “locking” differential, in quotes, since it’s clutch-based and thus could slip in certain conditions whereas a true mechanical locker can’t. -DT].
Other notable equipment changes include a new Atlas Blue color in place of the 2022 model’s bright Velocity Blue, a black appearance package that, um, adds more black to XLT and Lariat models, and a Tremor appearance package to stack on top of the Tremor package for when you really want to shout “Hey everyone, I camp super hard.”
While the Maverick XL is no longer the twenty-grand hybrid bargain it once was, David Tracy is still absolutely right that ordering a base Maverick XL Hybrid is likely the best choice in the range. It’s just so much vehicle for the money. However, I have slightly different priorities. Allow me to present how I’d build a 2023 Ford Maverick.
How I’d Build The 2023 Ford Maverick
Since the Maverick XL has a rather short options list, I’m starting with the mid-range XLT trim. In addition to a much funkier interior color scheme, it also gets an expanded color palette. Seriously, look at the base XL’s color options:
And see how the XLT expands that:
For paint, I’m going with the optional $495 Hot Pepper Red. Not only is it a decent match for the XLT’s orange interior accents, it’s pleasingly dynamic.
For power, I’m eschewing the hybrid option completely and going with the two-liter turbocharged Ecoboost engine. It makes good power, runs well on regular gas, and still gets pretty reasonable fuel economy. Oh, and I’d option all-wheel-drive to spit torque down in the snow. While the turbocharged engine doesn’t come with a surcharge [Editor’s Note: This is worth highlighting. The more powerful motor is now free. -DT], all-wheel-drive is an extra $2,220 well-spent. Plus, all-wheel-drive unlocks the $745 4K Tow package. Not only will this let a little Maverick tow a light car on a dolly, it comes with upgraded cooling and a shorter final drive ratio, useful performance upgrades for a rather reasonable price. You bet I’m ticking that box.
Speaking of performance upgrades, I’m stacking the FX4 package on top of the 4K Tow package. It adds a 6.5-inch screen in the gauge cluster, a tow/haul mode that sharpens up the gearbox, and a set of all-terrain tires along with the typical skid plates and uprated suspension. Think of it as an $800 set of all-terrain tires with all sorts of goodies thrown in for free. Unfortunately, it also comes with black alloy wheels. Black wheels are undeniably crap, but they’ll do for winter use.
When it comes to creature comforts, I’ll fully admit that I’m a bit soft. After all, why not work to experience the finer things in life like a potent heated steering wheel and a built-in power inverter? As the proverb goes, give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, give a man a big-body Lexus with a fridge in the back and he’ll figure out how to use every single feature on the regular. The Maverick’s XLT Luxury package is an expensive way of gaining a power inverter, a heated steering wheel, heated seats, heated mirrors, and heated wiper wells, but I’m spending the $1,730 to be comfy. In addition, I’d spend $995 on the sunroof since I used sunroofs all the time, plus $155 for the sliding rear window to get a proper cross-breeze going.
Sure, this means that my ideal Maverick costs $33,090, but what’s $7,140 in options between friends? [Editor’s Note: A lot, that’s what. I’m still feeling the bare-bones $22,195+delivery Maverick, please. Even if I can’t have a fun color. Area 51 gray will do, I guess:
Also, the steel wheels are perfection. -DT].
Besides, it’s not like $33,090 including freight is hideously expensive anymore. That’s only $735 more than a base-model front-wheel-drive Honda CR-V and thousands of dollars cheaper than a specced-out poshed-up Lariat version of the Maverick. So, how would you spec your 2023 Ford Maverick?
Lead photo credit: Ford
Is there still no AWD hybrid? Yawn.
I’d have to step up to the XLT due to living in MN and since this will definitely be parked outside, heated mirrors are a must. 4WD is nice but not necessary but towing 4K is certainly higher on the nice to have list.
I’m a bit disappointed you can’t order them in green.
I splurged a little on mine, XLT hybrid with the luxury package, orange paint, and Co-pilot. With a spray on bedliner and a couple of other little things it came out to $30,500. It’s still a very good deal for what you get. Dealer shenanigans could easily push the cost to a point where I end up looking elsewhere however.
I really wanted to buy one of these. An XL hybrid with steelies, nothing fancy. First new car, ticks most boxes for my family.
Then I went to a couple of dealers in my area this spring, all of them wanted a 10K markup. On a 20K car. Oh, and a yearlong wait.
Even now, there is a multiple months wait and 5K markup.
I signed up for info as soon as the Maverick was announced. Thought the base model hybrid would be perfect for me.
On launch day, I stopped into the Ford dealership ready to place a deposit of half of full MSRP for the hybrid version. I was told that Ford wasn’t going to make them for a long time.
When the first trucks arrived on dealer lots, I went to two other local Ford dealers (three total), and all three refused to take large deposits on base model hybrid Mavericks when I made it clear that they couldn’t upsell me to a non-hybrid model.
I’ve come to the conclusion that Ford has no interest at all in selling base model Mavericks. So I put a deposit on a RAV4 Hybrid with a tow hitch, and it should be here a few weeks after Halloween.
I’m sure the Toyota’s a better vehicle anyway. And I’ll get a great red or blue color. (Sadly, no yellow, orange, or bright green RAV4s without using a vinyl wrap.)
I don’t think it’s Ford. I think what you experienced is dealership.
With less than 20k miles on my seven year old real/body-on-frame truck, I can afford to wait. But for what? Supply chain issues to be sorted? Corporate auto world to regain their reason and sense of long term planning? Capitalism to end? The $econd Coming? Tesla’s truck, now with nautical and near-orbital capabilities?
The Maverick at $30k is the same lunacy the industry is currently locked into. I’ll wait for Tesla’s truck. That one, at least, makes me laugh.
After the Accent died, I pushed the dealership hard to get info on ordering for this year. Took a bunch of effort on my end figuring everything out, Ford released information terribly prior, and in the end, ordering was only open for hybrids for a week before closing…and I had to call my dealership to order one, because I guess it wasn’t worth a guaranteed sale? Like, come on–I know it’s not giving them a ton of margin, but on the off chance I canceled, it’s a 5K markup and it’ll be off the lot in a week, easy.
The whole process was a bit of a mess, and I really hope dealerships die before I have to do it again. For all the problems that could come along with direct ordering from the manufacturer, I hate having to trust the clearly uninvested people at the dealership. Theoretically it all was correct, but even weeks later Ford’s confirmation system is utter crap, so fingers crossed.
That said, if it all goes through, and I receive the vehicle in under a year, it’ll be fantastic. We did the XLT Hybrid in Atlas Blue, with the XLT lux package because screw it, my partner and I have stable jobs and I deserve a toasty warm butt in the winter.
It’ll be the perfect vehicle once we have ahold of it. I won’t be towing, but do need an easy way to transport a soaking wet inflatable kayak, pick up bark mulch or trees/plants for restoration work, store dirty shovels and pick-axes, or throw multiple people’s back-packing gear. Lots of mixed city-highway driving, so the low-speed electric will be appreciated.
Hopefully y’all get the opportunity to do some comparison reviews between the hybrid/exo-boost/fx4 models!
10% price bump for the cruise control I already had a plan to install on my own. Boo. Most importantly though:
Other notable equipment changes include a new Atlas Blue color in place of the 2022 model’s bright Velocity Blue
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
As others have said… PHEV or EV with AWD please. Or a short cab. Or both.
Mine would be an orange XLT with a sunroof
Also, it’s a shame that Ford killed off their cars. Now that they no longer sell the Focus and Fiesta here, they went back to a regular automatic transmission. Almost as if they sabotaged them on purpose for the US.
We need more cars that are inexpensive. Bring back the Focus, Fiesta, and they should even sell the Figo over here.
Now that everybody left the cheap car segment wide open, there is now room for a Chinese car to fill the gap.
and I’d order the hybrid FWD, not the turbo
Deposit in!
2023 Maverick XLT
Hybrid; Atlas Blue
XLT Lux pack
Tonneau, Spray-in
Rear window, moon roof
Remote start
I’d option it exactly like you did except for the color, I’d go with the blue. Just to compare an Escape with the same options will run you about $10K more. The Maverick is still a screaming good deal 🙂
XL Hybrid
Oxford White (taking it to be repainted by my paint guy immediately after purchase, then have the bed bedlined, or hell, I might have the whole thing bedlined.
Trailer Hitch
Engine Block Heater
First aid kit
Smoker’s package
In cab inverter
Console Vault
In cab inverter
Buying an actual full size spare from the dealer and installing it myself, Ford’s “full size” spare is still smaller than the stock wheel size.
What I really want though is a 3 cylinder Maverick with a 6 speed manual, 3 seats at the minimum (including the driver’s seat) and a 6ft bed. I’d settle for a Regular Maverick with a 3 Cylinder and any manual transmission though.
Honestly, I would spend a bit more on a Ranger XL extended cab to get a longer bed and higher tow rating to replace my F150
Realistically I wouldn’t even buy a new truck, because my current truck does about 2500 miles a year. $1000 on tires and minor parts gets me 10 more years of cheap driving
That’s where I’m at, although I daily my truck. It just keeps going, and being reliable. It’s an ’06 Sierra crew cab 2wd that I bought new. Rolled 170k miles on it this weekend. It’s never let me down, and other than some rust repair last year (I live in the rust belt, not the truck’s fault), I’ve never had a repair bill north of $600.
A base model Maverick that gets 40mpg is awfully tempting, but until my paid off truck gives me a reason to question it’s reliability, I can’t justify a payment for a lower fuel bill for 9k miles a year. Even at $4.50/ gallon, it’s still cheaper to just buy more gas.
The $19,995 price was always marketing BS because for 2022 the freight charge was (IIRC) $2495. That was an egregious amount, more than the freight charge on an F-150.
So while they’ve increased the base price by $2k, the freight went down by $1k, netting a price increase of only $1k. And if you want an XL Turbo, the base price is more or less identical to last year now that the Turbo engine is free. So make mine an XL Turbo with no options and Area 51 paint. If you could order one, which you can’t. The 2023 order books closed before the configurator went live. Duh.
This blatantly demonstrates that freight charges have always been a shell game. Just another way to manipulate the numbers. Those charges have never, ever been rooted in reality and anyone who argues to the contrary is full of shit.
That’s obvious as well by comparing freight charges of vehicles built overseas (often $995) vs ones built in the center of the country ($1500+). It has no basis in reality.
The freight charge is unchanged; it was $1495 last MY as well. Somewhat surprising since the Bronco Sport from the same factory went up to $100 more.
I really, really don’t like Area 51. I don’t know why Ford insists it’s a trademark color – they seem to be painting everything the damn shade – but it looks gross, like it was painted with a melted creamsicle.
It’s a rare color I’ve had a real-life conversation with someone about how much it sucks.
At the new price point it would be hard for me to even consider the maverick. The NA santa cruz, if smallish trucks were my thing, starts at $24,440 has a NA 4 cylinder with no history of coolant sneaking into the 2 or 3 cylinder and is not known to leak oil so bad it catches fire. it can tow 3,500 as is and if need be with a turbo option motor can do 5,000 lbs. it gets 27MPG on the road and is FWD, so even if you don’t opt for the AWD variant, you can still get around in winter without a lot of sand in the back.
It gets 23 MPG average whereas the hybrid Maverick gets 37 MPG average and I’m not aware of that engine having that issue. The Maverick is also FWD-based.
Ecoboost 2.0 had the engine issue. It probably exists to some extent on the N/A engines, but I haven’t heard of that. Source: TSB for 2.0 Ecoboost, the blown engine in my stock ST, and my ‘12 Focus SE that weirdly ate a little coolant from new, just as the ST did, but never got worse before it was totaled at over 200k (about 1/2 gallon total coolant use in its lifetime—not a lot, but it didn’t have any external leaks, so it went somewhere). I don’t know if the 2.5 does that or not. The 2.0 Ecoboost is closed deck, the 2.3 is open. Too lazy to look up the N/As, but I would think the open decks wouldn’t have this particular problem, though I haven’t been able to find out the exact nature of it, just that it’s a mfg issue with the head and/or block cooling passage between cylinders 2&3 and the TSB remedy is engine replacement. Supposedly 2018+ fixed it, but I am highly suspicious with Ford’s track record.
From personal experience on my 2012 Focus, I think the radiators were not built that well from the factory. Mine lost small amounts of coolant over the years until the leak from a seam became bad enough to see.
Replaced it at 110,000 with a Chinese-made radiator that O’Reilly had in stock. No more losses afterwards, now at 155,000 miles. No drain plug on the new one though (boo!).
I like the look of the Santa Cruz better and I’m sure the powertrain is fine day to day, but I don’t think I’ve seen a review of the standard NA 2.5 in the Santa Fe, Tucson, or Sportage that had any praise for its performance, even by the standards of their classes. (Which could also be a ploy to push those models to the 1.6T hybrids, but still)
I second what you say about the Santa Cruz. I own one. 22mpg in town, easily 30 on the highway. Bought off the lot for msrp ($30,000) plus dealer fees of $500. My wife was deciding between it and the Maverick. We saw one Maverick on the lot that was already sold so we couldn’t even sit in it. Despite the price advantage we wouldn’t order a vehicle without a test drive, plus they told us to expect to pay over msrp. I’m not insulting the Maverick. I think it’s great. Still haven’t gotten the opportunity to drive one. FWIW, when my wife saw the Santa Cruz it was all over anyway.
I drove one earlier this year. I’m not a fan of how the hybrid system drives (though that is true of any hybrid I’ve driven), but my biggest gripe was the shift knob. Unlike the knob in our Pacifica, which has limits that make you feel like you’re somehow still connected to the act of gear selection, in the Maverick you can just spin the knob. I don’t think the shift knob is used for any other functions, so having it be infinitely spinnable seems like an oversight.
Otherwise, I really liked it. If prices and inventory were a bit more normal, I would have gone with that instead of the pre-owned GTI I just picked up. I’ll enjoy manual driving for a few years until I can get myself into one of these Mavericks. They did a pretty good job on it.
If you’re not considering the hybrid Maverick…
That being said if Hyundai made a manual transmission Santa Cruz I’d place an order as soon as they made the announcement.
Wait… the Maverick is getting a reputation for coolant and oil leaks?
Maverick is FWD or AWD. There is no RWD.
I ordered an XLT in Area 51 with only receiver for $100. My wife wanted it as she really liked the one we checked out at CarMax (date night. My wife for the win). BTW, the one we saw at CarMax was pretty similar for $39,990 which is $13,825 more than my order.
The Maverick prices at CarMax are ridiculous. Before I picked up my GTI from Carvana a few weeks ago (another interesting transaction), I was looking hard at Mavericks, and with ordering and inventory being what they are, I looked at CarMax. Maverick is on my short list the next time in the market, but for now I’m back in the VW club and back with a manual for the first time in six years.
I’m just glad that my Maverick is a 2022 XLT and I ordered it before the price increases and the interest rate is still low.
I would order it as a two-door, like trucks used to be. Oh wait, you can’t. I guess I don’t need a new truck.
Oh no. I hope Ford can still sell enough of them to stay afloat.
“You Can No Longer Buy A Ford Maverick For Under $20,000”
I never really believed I could. Dealers would never allow me to burn an allocation on a loss leader. They’d make up some lame excuse why they can’t order it for me or try to pull off an upsell.
These days, an actual bona-fide new car becomes further and further from reach. Over the past decade, I’ve had a few and I’m glad to have experienced that, but at this point, I’ll continue happily driving my 10 year old Jeep for which “I am the warranty.”
I feel like the current economic situation was aptly described as a self-fulfilling prophecy, and that’s exactly what it’s become. I don’t know where it started, but somewhere along the line, someone with legitimate supply chain issues for a legitimate reason, passed their costs onto the next guy. Somewhere along the line, it became an easy, blameless way to mark up your product (wholesale or retail) in which you shrugged, the customer rolled their eyes and grabbed their ankles. Now everyone is fleecing everyone for the most part and it’s become nothing more than a race to the bottom.
So your basic argument is that supply chain issues, and spikes in commodity prices aren’t real?
In the end, things are priced to what the market will bear, but supply side inflation is real too, man.
My family-owned business is in a commodity industry. Although we can sell for more, we do our best to follow the market and undercut it slightly, which allows us to make a solid profit without alienating customers. From what I’ve heard from other folks in related industries, there’s a lot of passing the buck on prices. I’m not saying everyone is doing it for nefarious reasons, but I am saying that it is self-fulfilling, at least to a degree. This stuff doesn’t just happen in a vacuum.
Companies are definitely using it as cover to price gouge. Same with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Oh, that caused the gasoline ALREADY IN YOUR GAS STATION TANK to go up $0.30 over night? Sure bud.
Gas is and always has been priced based on what it takes to refill the storage tank, not what it took to fill it in the first place.
It’s a “rocket and feather” market. Price shocks cause prices to go up like a rocket, but limited real competition causes prices to fall like a feather. They take much longer to adjust coming down.
This wouldn’t be the case if we had more competition in the market, but the vast sums of money it takes to build refineries, distribution and retail sales points means gas will stay this way, and all the complaining in the world won’t change it. Oligarchies form when such large obstacles prevent more players in the market.
Or you could have either government control of the market, or government limited market share of each company, and neither is desirable.
Just like birds, inflation too is not real. /s
What?
No: no /s!
Birds AREN’T real!
[that was about the best lighthearted trolling ever—especially since Peter just made it up on the spot to highlight crazy people spouting crazy shit]
Maybe not on dealer lots, but most Mavericks were custom orders so you could order a base model one if you wanted to and your dealer isn’t a complete a-hole.
My local Ford dealer had a white XL parked prominently on their lot for an entire two weeks.
We only get XLT or higher here and they’ve got no incentives. If they’re not sold off the truck, they don’t last long even in the mid-high 40s.
I’m actually pretty sure they didn’t want to sell this one, since it was near launch and they didn’t think they’d get another for a long time – the salesman pivoted immediately to what they could bring in. But it didn’t last long anyway.
Call me when Ford adds a PHEV version preferably with AWD. Of course I think the Hybrid Maverick is all smoke and mirrors; Ford wants you to pony up for the larger non-hybrid motor.
Probably around 2025. I know that there is one in development and it’s been spotted while being test driven.
There’s an editors note in the article, looks like the butter engine is a no cost upgrade for 2023.
Exactly the same way as I would have the 2022 version. Them removing Velocity Blue makes the color choice easier.
a Maverick XLT Hybrid in Cyber Orange, XLT Luxury Package, Co-Pilot 360, Splash Guards, Hard Trifold Tonneau Cover, Manual Rear Window, Moonroof, Remote Start (I thought this was standard on the 22 but I could be wrong), Floor Liners (with Carpet Mats)
$32,325. I only wish I could get an AWD hybrid or PHEV AWD Maverick.
Not standard but remote start was part of the XLT Lux package. I’d hope it’s still integrated with the fob and not a separate one then.
The option says available on XLT and Lariat with their respective Lux packages, but the Lariat Lux pkg still shows it as included. Now that I look, the XLT Lux was $2500 and also had bed tie down rails and drop in bedliner last year. Lariat Lux package was $3750, now $2610 but doesn’t look like it’s any different from last year’s equipment.
Ford didn’t fully update their site but I did find a packaging guide because it was bothering me. Drop-in or spray-in bedliner, remote start, and the tie-down rails moved to standalone on both Lux packages, Lariat Lux also moved the parking sensors, adaptive cruise with stop and go and lane centering to a CoPilot 360 Assist package
Thanks for the info. I was actually planning to go looking tonight because it had been bothering me too. Saved me a step.
Welcome! A Maverick forum had the order guide and such linked/shared without having to be a member if you’re still curious and go digging.
XL
AWD / 2.0
4k tow package
Splash guards
$26,835 including delivery.
I call that color “Primer Gray” because it looks like it didn’t get the last 5 coats.
If you see it in person, it isn’t quite primer colored. I’m not great with colors, but it’s got a bit of blue or green in it separates it from primer.
I’m so torn on the hybrid Vs the AWD. I want both options.
I’d probably end up with the AWD and the turbo, but the rest would end up very similar to yours.
Personally not a huge fan of the paint color you chose, though. Personal preference. Getting a white truck to sit next to my other white truck would be weird, though. Blue? Black is a non-starter.