Cars.com road test editor Brian Normile wants to know, once and for all, which engine option makes more sense in the Maverick pickup. In terms of fuel economy, the clear winner is – of course - the hybrid variant.
Previously separated by a slight difference in retail price, the hybrid and turbo-four option currently go for $22,195, excluding destination charge for the 2023 model year. The best Cars.com squeezed out of these pickups is 41.5 and 32.8 miles per gallon (5.7 and 7.2 liters per 100 kilometers). As expected, the trip computers of the hybrid- and turbo-powered trucks were off by a few MPGs compared to the pump-calculated fuel economy.
Cars.com also tested acceleration and quarter-mile times at the Great Lakes Dragaway in Wisconsin, an IHRA drag strip that should do the trick in both evaluations. To spice things up, Brian decides on testing the front-driven Lariat Hybrid and front-driven XLT EcoBoost with and without payload, namely 1,180 pounds (535 kilograms) worth of orange sandbags.
With nothing more than the driver, the hybrid needs 8.38 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), crossing the quarter-mile finish line in 16.17 seconds at 88.17 miles per hour (141.89 kilometers per hour). By comparison, the force-fed sibling reaches the big Six-Oh in 6.40 seconds, onto a quarter mile of 14.58 seconds at 95.27 mph (153.32 kph).
That’s nearly 2.0 seconds between them from zero to 60, and nearly 1.6 seconds over 440 yards. Loaded up with the aforementioned bags, both pickups are noticeably slower. 10.66 versus 8.63 seconds to 60 and 17.78 versus 16.33 seconds are the numbers of interest. You might notice that the 60-mph gap is nearly 2.0 clicks once again, but the hybrid pickup truck is an idea quicker in the quarter mile, closing the gap to just 1.45 seconds. Most likely, the instant torque of the electric motor made the difference.
“Is the EcoBoost engine worth it overall?" According to Brian, “on its own, in a front-wheel-drive Maverick, I would say no” despite being more fun to drive. On the other hand, the 2.0-liter turbo is the way to go if you want AWD and slightly better ride comfort due to its independent rear suspension.
Other advantages of the EcoBoost are that it unlocks the towing package, FX4, and Tremor packages. “If you’re just going to drive your Maverick around, if you’re not worried about going off-road, if you’re not gonna tow a lot, go for the hybrid. Save the money on gas,” signed off Normile.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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