More of a Good Thing: 2025 Ford Maverick Driven

It was clear from the very beginning that the Ford Maverick was going to be a hit. As soon as this affordable, fuel-efficient, maneuverable compact pickup hit the market for the 2022 model year, order books filled up and sales quickly exceeded both expectations and Ford’s manufacturing capacity. We’ve named it to our 10Best Trucks and SUVs list every year since its debut.

Now that the supply and demand curves have finally started to normalize, Ford is attempting to keep the momentum going by updating the truck for 2025. That means the usual visual updates and bigger screens, but the Maverick also offers a few new configurations—namely the highly requested combination of a hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive—and a “street truck” model called the Lobo that features a few notable performance upgrades to back up its sleeker styling and lowered stance.

The Maverick isn’t really facing any increased competition, as it still has only one real rival, the Hyundai Santa Cruz. But Ford says that many Maverick buyers so far have been pickup-truck converts, coming from cars such as Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas. That made sense when the Maverick was priced like a compact car, but now that prices have risen to the point where it’s more closely aligned with compact crossovers such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, can the Maverick continue to bring in new customers?

Expanded Lineup

Though the Maverick’s hybrid powertrain bounced between standard and optional equipment over the first few years, the constant was that you could only get it with front-wheel drive. Springing for the optional nonhybrid turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four was the only way to get all-wheel drive, which meant taking a significant fuel-economy penalty and spending a lot more money. Buyers continually called for an all-wheel-drive hybrid model, so Ford answered the call for 2025 by making all-wheel drive a $2220 option on the hybrid’s XL and XLT trim levels (it’s standard on the Lariat).

The 191-hp hybrid powertrain, which uses a 2.5-liter inline-four, doesn’t change otherwise, and it still offers reasonably responsive acceleration. The AWD version is slightly less efficient, as you’d expect, but it still gets an EPA-estimated 37 mpg combined. The off-road-oriented Tremor continues on, and it comes only with the 250-hp nonhybrid turbo four.

How Does the Lobo Drive?

The Lobo’s lowered suspension, quicker steering, and upgraded brakes don’t transform the Maverick into a hot hatch. But they do sharpen its responses enough to have a bit of fun. The turbo four is a willing powertrain in this relatively light truck; in our test of a 2022 model, it hauled an XLT AWD model to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. Despite its seven-speed gearbox—Ford says it has the same ratios as the eight-speed from other 2.0-liter Mavericks but skips third gear and serves up quicker shifts—the Lobo isn’t likely to be noticeably quicker than other Mavericks.

Ford also gave the Lobo the Tremor’s torque-vectoring rear differential, which means you can get a hint of a rear-end slide when you put it in the “track-only” Lobo mode, which recalibrates the tuning and lessens stability-control intervention. We can’t imagine many Maverick owners autocrossing their trucks, like we did on a course that Ford set up for us in a parking lot, but it’s a fun idea nonetheless.

The Lobo comes standard with a body kit, a different front fascia, and 19-inch “turbofan” wheels. We dig the look, but if you’re not a fan of the monoblock-style rollers, there’s a different black 19-inch wheel option that’s a bit more conventional. Inside, the seats feature contrasting stitching and embossed Lobo logos.

Starting at $36,850, the Lobo is offered with two levels of equipment. The base setup comes with all the performance enhancements, while the uprated one adds lots of extra creature comforts. We find the street-truck vibe less appealing at the high-trim Lobo’s $42,345 sticker though. Plus, one Ford employee pointed out that the standard Lobo likely weighs a bit less than the loaded version, given that the higher-trim model sports baubles such as a sunroof, an upgraded sound system, a power inverter, a power-sliding rear window, and a inductive device charger. Do without these, and you can think of your truck as a sort of Lobo Superleggera, if you will.

Is the Maverick Still a Good Buy?

Like so many other things these days, the Maverick isn’t nearly as affordable as it used to be. The bare-bones XL model was a nice idea when it started under $25,000, but now it’s nearly $30,000. It does come with more standard equipment than before, including a larger infotainment screen, but as soon as you start adding options like the towing package and driver-assistance features, the Maverick lands firmly in the mid-$30,000 range.

That said, the Maverick is still a highly likable little truck. As a utilitarian tool, it makes a lot of sense, and the improvements for 2025 both add configurability and spice up the lineup with some exciting new trims. We’re still fans of its simple and honest approach, and these changes are poised to bring new buyers into the Maverick fold.

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