This has to be some kind of record. You know how normally, unless it’s Porsche, you have to wait a while to build and price most new cars? Well, the configurator for the 2025 Ford Maverick is already live, and I’ve been playing around to see exactly what the perfect updated Maverick looks like for me.
If you haven’t already taken a look at our coverage on the updated 2025 Ford Maverick, I’d recommend giving it a read, because Ford definitely isn’t resting on its laurels. From a hybrid all-wheel-drive model to a new street truck variant called the Lobo to new tech and styling, one of the hottest reasonably attainable vehicles in America just got hotter.
Mind you, the Maverick also got a bit more expensive for 2025. While some of the price increases seem reasonably commensurate with upgrades in equipment (keep in mind, the first model year of the base XL trim didn’t even come with cruise control), most of us are under a bit of a squeeze right now, so bang for the buck is important. With that in mind, let’s begin.
Skipping PE Class
You probably expected me to spec the Maverick Lobo street truck, right? I mean, paddle shifters, torque-vectoring rear differential, lowered suspension, it ticks a lot of excitement boxes. Certainly, and it should be more fun to drive on the street than a modern compact pickup truck ever should be, but I’m not entirely sure about the cosmetic package.
Turbofan-style wheels are good, but black wheels certainly aren’t. Also, I’m really having a hard time loving the vertically fluted grille. There’s just something oddly winga-dinga about it, to the point where I’d recommend swapping it out immediately upon delivery, if possible. Oh, and then there are two bigger potential issues — there’s no way of ordering the Maverick Lobo with the 4K tow package, and this street truck costs $42,090 plus tax. That’s a whole lot of money, and for that sort of money, you could buy a Toyota GR Corolla or a Volkswagen Golf R, both of which are dedicated hot hatches. Hmmm.
The Middle Ground
So, what would it look like if you took some of the Maverick Lobo’s bits and put them into a more usable package? Well, great news: The two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine on the Lobo continues to be available on other Maverick models, so something like this Maverick XLT Ecoboost would be a great middle-ground for a customer looking for a balance of everything.
I immediately ticked the box for $390 Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat paint because who doesn’t like a good shade of red? I also specced the $1,890 XLT Luxury package because heated seats, a 400-watt inverter, a heated steering wheel, and heated mirrors are handy. Is this pricey for heated power seats and some other luxury features? Sure, but heated seats are a luxury many car buyers can’t live without. Oh, and speaking of modern conveniences, I ticked the $795 Ford CoPilot360 1.0 pack for more advanced driver assistance systems, and it comes bundled with the $745 4K tow package.
The wildcard here is the FX4 off-road package, which is a bit of a bargain at $800. Not only does it come with a wicked set of all-terrain tires, skid plates, and all manner of off-road electronic goodies, it also gets heavy-duty suspension. On the previous Maverick, it had the side effect of making the trucklet stiffer and more eager to change direction, both good things. Add in a $495 spray-in bedliner, and the total cost of a Maverick in this spec works out to $36,525 including freight.
How I’d Actually Build It
However, the more that I think about it, the more I realize I’d likely never buy either of those specs. The Maverick is beloved for being a reasonably cheap, undoubtedly cheerful little do-everything machine, so with that in mind, let’s focus on fundamentals. Right off the rip, the XLT’s removal of orange interior accents and placement of the heated-seat controls in the touchscreen quash my desire for anything more than the base XL trim. It has blue upholstery, CarPlay, Android Auto, a decent options mix … it’s the one to go for. Oh, and since Eruption Green paint is free, I’d also go for that.
From there, I’m ticking the box for the hybrid all-wheel-drive powertrain. Sure, it might command an extra $2,220 over the standard front-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain, but it’s still cheaper in the long run than the two-liter turbocharged Ecoboost four-banger, and it unlocks a critical option: the $745 4K Tow Package. That’s enough capacity to tow a reasonably light car on an Aluma 7800-series open deck trailer including ramps and chocks, a nice perk to have.
Mind you, that package to tow 4,000 pounds does require the $795 Ford CoPilot360 1.0 package, but that’s not the worst price in the world to pay for blind spot monitoring and a litany of other advanced driver assistance systems. I’d also add in the $495 spray-in bedliner for the convenience and warranty support of a factory option. The grand total? $32,145 including freight. Not as cheap as you could get a Maverick closer to launch, but not bad at all once you consider the utility and economy of the updated model.
So, how would you spec your perfect 2025 Ford Maverick? Hop onto Ford’s configurator and then let me know in the comments below. The beauty of such a wide range of trim levels is that there’s probably one for you, and that’s before we even get into the crazy world of accessories.
(Photo credits: Ford)
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
-
Why The 2025 Ford Maverick Is Now Virtually The Perfect Truck
-
The 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo Is America’s New Hot Hatch (Because We’re Freaks)
-
The Ford Maverick Might Outsell The Jeep Wrangler This Year, Which Is Nuts
-
What If Famous Porsche Customizer bb-Auto Worked On Some Everyday Fords Like The Maverick?
-
Buy This $85,000 Ford Maverick And Bring Minitrucking Back To Life
Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage.
Configuring tool won’t load.
Those weird growths that metastasize from the front bumper and intrude on the light area? Could we lose those, please? There must be some sort of headlight, turn signal, fog lamp, driving light thing that could fill that space. Because I’m telling you now, it is Ug Lee.
Other than that, the blue one with the grill that the burgers probably won’t fall through, and why the fuck does it need tinted windows? Hybrid and whatever steel wheels and tires get tall sidewalls because curbs are only suggestions. No carpet, and no excess electrical frippery other than the hybrid stuff.
I dunno, there is probably something I haven’t thought of like optional weasel cages or canoe/ladder racks.
My favorite build came out at 30,995$, not bad for a hybrid, can’t go wrong with blue or green.
The best Maverick is a used Maverick XLT
Because buttons, orange accents and un-stupid-looking headlamps.
Here’s another one for the “They fucked up the facelift” club.
Just ordered a green XLT awd hybrid + 4k tow.
Do you have to be a person of a certain age to appreciate those steel wheels? I love them. I think you nailed it. If it can actually be had for $32,000 that’s not bad at all.
I wish they made this in RHD. I want one. This would replace my Subaru Outback. I specced an XLT Hybrid AWD with a sunroof and 4k towing (in green) cos I like a little bit of luxury, this wouldn’t be specced as nicely as my Outback, but its probably all I need.
I’d spec an XL Hybrid in Eruption Green of course. With the only options being AWD and spray in bedliner, Total $30.5K inc. destination.
I went and spec’d one before reading this and ended up with a virtually identical setup (minus the bed spray liner). I think you’re spot on with this configuration!
Here’s my question: CVT or automatic? I’ve heard that CVTs are generally awful and don’t last as long. But I’ve also not seen anything specifically outing this truck’s CVT or eCVT as being bad.
The bad CVTs are the belt ones, usually Honda and Nissan, with Nissans being especially horrid. These are not. Planetary gears if I’m not mistaken. Much more reliable. Toyotas are on a whole ‘nother plane with these LOL.
This is correct. It’s an eCVT transmission, aka planetary gears, and it’s pretty darn good. A new version of it is also being used in the AWD hybrid. I’ve not yet been able to confirm if the HF55 transmission is now used in all the hybrids… or if it’s only being used in AWD models, and FWD hybrids will still use the HF45.
Those planetary gears and electric motors transmissions are the best.
Reason enough alone to get a hybrid.
It would be fun to hack the software on one, there are lots of possibilities there.
Actually, a system with a gas pedal, a electric motor pedal and of course a brake pedal would be entertaining.
Sort of like the Chaparral 2e.
Hmm
Normal gas pedal and a hand lever the electric motor control would be fun as well
Sort of like the spark advance lever on the steering wheel of old tractors and older cars. Adjust the spark till it pings under load then back off a notch. Fun! Of course the throttle was on the wheel too, more fun!
The HF45/HF55 family of eCVT transmissions designed for Hybrid powertrains are based on a patent agreement with Toyota that goes back to 2004. It’s a planetary gearset, nothing to di with a rubber belt nor chain driven CVT. It’s been tested and improved over the 20 years Ford has sold Hybrids and there are many examples of the older iterations (HF35 and older) still working after 400K miles.
The early early HF35s in 2013/2014 were problematic. My understanding was that the Ford eCVT isn’t a “licensed Toyota” design as much as convergent evolution where the Ford eCVT might infringe on a Toyota patent and the Toyota AWD hybrid might infringe on a Ford patent and there was cross-licensing.
That said, our warranty replacement HF35 has lasted > 100k so far, knock on wood.
I think they licensed these cvt from Toyota, they’re the less bad kind.
Regular CVTs drive the wheels through a belt, which is prone to wearing out or snapping in many designs, hence the bad reputation of CVTs.
Hybrids with CVTs work in a completely different way however. The gas engine and electric motor drive separate halves of a planetary gearset. The planetary gearset averages out speeds of the electric motor and gas engine, with the difference between the two controlling the speed of the driven wheels. This allows “infinite” gear ratios for smooth efficient acceleration, and for the engine to sit at its most efficient rev ranges while directly driving the wheels because the electric motor compensates for the needed difference in speed.
It’s an extremely simple, robust, and efficient design, much more simple in fact than a conventional manual or automatic transmission. The only complex bit is in the code controlling it all, but pretty much every new car is drive-by-wire anyway so it’s not much more electrically complex than anything else.
So no, don’t worry about the hybrid CVT drivetrain in this truck, or really any eCVT drivetrain. They’re probably among the most mechanically reliable transmissions in existence. If manuals and the sounds of engines revving up and down weren’t so much fun, I’d say every car should have an eCVT.
Excellent explanation. The only thing that I would add is that the planetary gear set is acting as a differential that integrates the electrical and combustion engines into one output.
I would spec mine as a 2023 model from someone who wants the new version, has a smaller infotainment screen and more buttons for common usage.
And added perk of this spec is I get to add depreciation to lower my TCOO.
That green > the Texas A&M red
You would be shocked as to how much dealerships are gouging customers on these things. $5000 more than sticker. Yikes. I want one, but I don’t feel comfortable with my dog in the back. Giant wagons for me!
Around here, they’ve been going for MSRP since the initial rush wore off. Even in the early days, a special order went for MSRP or less. I haven’t looked into ordering the new one, but I suspect an order would go for MSRP here.
Not in the PNW…
I’m in Idaho. I just checked and Lithia Ford of Boise is even discounting Mavericks on the lot.
…sounds like I’m taking a trip to Boise soon…again…(passed through OMW to SLC not even a month ago…).
Hello fellow Idahoan 🙂
I went with the XLT hybrid, FWD. From there I added the luxury package and co-pilot package. The price including destination charges came to $33,025. That might push it out of the cheap small truck price range that the Maverick was originally hyped for, but it feels like a good value to me. Call the price $33,500 after I pick up an aftermarket tonneau cover for the bed.
The luxury package adds most of the comfort features I have now with my Mazda, so it won’t feel like such a big step down. Same thing for the driver assist features.
That price still undercuts a base 2024 CR-V Hybrid FWD by over $2.5K. It also undercuts every other Hybrid CUV for that matter
That’s cheap in my book
Is the configurator live for 2025 yet? I just want confirmation on their official site that these things can be done…
Oh you put the link at the bottom, fantastic.
Get a Lobo, paint the wheels white and put some proper sports tires on it.
I like the Maverick, I really do. But, I’d buy a 3-4yr old F150 with the 2.7 turbo. A quick look at Autotrader and you can get them for $30-35k with less than 50,000 miles.
For me, I’d go XLT, ERUPTION GREEN (it’s almost criminal not to capitalize that color choice), EB, AWD, lux package, CP360, 4K tow, FX4, tough bedliner, sunroof, and the cargo rails. (checks price…ouch, 40K)… goes back to the drawing board… F-150, STX 4wd, 2.7 EB at a discount for the same price.
There are no new F150 SuperCrew STX 4×4 for $40K. That’s a low $50K MSRP truck. You might snatch one for $45K. Not bad but they are low on features.
I’ve seen them lately as low as 41K with massive dealer and manufacturer rebates.
The way Lightnings are apparently depreciating, that might be the way to go to get a “truck” that doesn’t drain your wallet at the pump. I’d want one for weekend work, and I don’t really see myself towing anything significant, so I’d be OK with it being an EV.
Not everyone wants giant trucks as daily drivers. And the fuel mileage is such a differential, with gas prices well above $3/gallon, there’s no way economically the two are even analogous, even at the same purchase price (apparently you have dealer connections…).
The Maverick gets double the fuel mileage in actual use. For 12K miles, the Maverick (at 40 MPG) would use 300 gallons, and the F150 (vastly overestimating MPG at 25) would use 480. ~$900/year for the Maverick vs ~$1440/year on an F150. This is assuming a very low fuel price ($3) and overly high MPG on the F150. That’s $540/year.
In addition, get a fully loaded maxed out Maverick that will handle 95% of the daily concerns for 95% of the population…vs a bare bones F150 with cruise control (hopefully).
This truly is a specious argument. F150s and full size trucks are more status symbols than the useful tools they used to be for most people (before you @ me, that may not be you, but how many moms have to climb into a mass of steel that will never see even a gravel road?). They are overly large, use way too much fuel, aren’t useful for even hauling groceries, have blind spots that will cause most people to run over Andre the Giant (if he came back, of course), and are way, way…WAY too expensive. They are the Macbooks of the automotive world. Sure, they do things, but you REALLY get em because they show all of the people around you how great you are.
I’m sure SOMEONE is going to @ me with “I do real work…” and that’s fantastic. I’m not talking about you. You are part of the 5-10% that actually require such mountain movers. I also acknowledge that that 5-10% is the group that hangs on this site, natch. But, for almost every use, the Maverick is a perfect all around vehicle, and fully laden, costs the same as a smaller and less useful RAV4, CRV, etc, etc.
/rant
Woah, Nelly. I didn’t mean to poop in your breakfast…
For my use case, the Maverick I am looking at is the Ecoboost. That is rated for roughly 28 hwy with the Ecoboost and the awd. My use case matches the Maverick to a tee… I use it mostly as a daily driver, I tow a small cargo trailer converted into a squaredrop some weekends (up the gnarliest pass imaginable), and I occasionally do some offroading. The Hybrid is out completely, as you can’t option it as a Tremor or even an FX4. Also, I would plan on lifting the truck slightly and throwing 31’s on it, as my weekend adventuring warrants this. Now MPG’s are probably 24-25?
With those options, the F150 with the 2.7 EB is more of a competitor than not. Both come out to roughly 40K (a ton of STX’s on Autotrader for low 40). Both can go offroading within reason. Both will tow my camper. Both would make excellent dailies, as I live in Phoenix, which is very truck friendly (and I have a huge driveway). Both will even get 24ish MPG.
That being said, I actually pick up my 2022 Maverick next weekend. Bought one used, that fits all of my criteria. We shall see how it goes.
My comment above was how I would spec it. The beauty about the automotive landscape is that there are hundreds of cars out there that fit SOMEONE’s use case. For me, my use case would either be a EcoBoost Maverick of a 2.7 F150.
My final thought is that this is freaking America. We (as a whole society) don’t buy things for what we actually use them for, but what we can use them for. Half ton pickups work really good for half of the country (big cities excluded), as they do most things well. Name any other vehicle that can carry your family, tow a 5-10K trailer, use for projects without fear of ruining carpet, and is comfortable, while being relatively safe. They also make excellent luxury vehicles (the replacement for land yachts). Anyone should be allowed to buy any car for sale if they can afford it, and afford to fuel it. You comment that most people need a CRV instead, but let’s be honest… most people could get by with a Honda Fit. The freedom of choice is a wonderful thing in the automotive landscape.
No pooping in breakfast…I’m 6’3″ so size is a thing I understand!
No one’s saying one SHOULDN’T be allowed to have more dollars than sense. Until we run out of gas or summertime temps are 140 degrees in the shade in Alaska (that’s fahrenheit to our European friends…freedom units…).
I also said don’t @ me. You have a use for it. The VAST majority don’t. Why should someone’s choices hinder my kids ability to…you know…live. There used to be something called “the good of society.” Personal choice is great…until it harms others. That’s why murder, theft, assault, etc are illegal, and also restrict personal choice.
There has to be a moment when we really need to start thinking about the common good instead of constantly expanding strips of pavement to cater to larger and larger vehicles when something a little less…prominent…will suit the vast majority of us just fine…or dragging dino leavings out of the ground…or pedestrians being able to cross the street without playing Frogger…
…how about a ginormous EV truck with all the lux fixins that has less of an impact on the environment, even if it comes with more pavement real estate…wait…(except for the Cybertruck, what an UGLY broken thing…).
That being said…I’d drop mine, but I understand the lift and the EcoBoost engine in your use case. I’d love to hear long term ownership reporting. If I don’t go full EV, I’d want the hybrid for the above reasons.
Finally…80% of America lives in or around big cities…our country is extremely urbanized, without the urban planning necessary to make it convenient, but that’s a rant for a different day…not sure where “half” comes from…
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/urban-rural-populations.html
We don’t have freedom of choice though. I can’t go to my local Honda dealer and buy a Honda Fit. We are pushed to a minimum of $40k CUVs and $50k trucks whether we want it or not. We can have a wide range of those limited classes of car, but it’s the only class of car they are willing to sell – anything smaller has packaging issues or just doesn’t exist. And regulations incentivise producing increasingly large vehicles, and pushing people out of a vehicle that meets their needs and into something that doesn’t but is a more profitable sale is a matter of course.
Freaking America is about the illusion of choice, but at the end of the day you’re allowed the narrow range of choices that the current capitalist oligarchy deems appropriate.
Your just not thinking rich enough, start throwing six figures or more out there and you can have custom fabricators make practically anything you want.
I like to park in my garage. My wife has a bigger car, so there is no F150 going into “my side” of the garage. Maverick will fit.
I wouldn’t. I just put some basic options on as was at f-150 prices, I would buy that as I can get what I want for about the same price.
Eruption Green, Lariat Hybrid AWD, 4K tow package (I want that full size spare anyway), power moonroof, bed extender.
I priced out a XLT, but it ended being ~$3k cheaper after options and I like the wheels on the Lariat better. I do prefer the cloth seats on the XLT, but oh well. Lariat has an upgraded stereo as well. I don’t buy cars very often, I’ll spend an extra $3k to get what I want.
I noticed that too. I played around with it this morning at it was $2,500-ish difference between my ideal spec’d AWD Hybrid XLT and a Lariat with spray-in bedliner delete. Plus, the Lariat now has tan (or “Smoked Truffle”) seats, and nothing beats green over tan.
I’m with you (except the moonroof). If I’m spending new car money, I’m going to spend a little more for everything I want.
This is what I’d do but without the moon roof or bed extender. I have a bed extender for my 23 and it’s not as useful as you’d think. Initially we used it mostly as a divider but a 2X6 does a better job and when we did have something longer to haul it was wider than the bed extender allows for so we had to prop the tailgate at 45 anyway.
I’m happy with the 23 but it’s incredibly frustrating that Mavs come in a proper green now.
Base model in blue with steelies and the tow package
Damn maverick is nearly 40k when I spec it… Ranger is nearly 48k when I spec it. Either way, my future truck will be the most expensive auto purchase I have ever made.
Figured this out using the build and price tool before reading this article. I refuse to buy any new car with AEB because of how unreliable it is, and only one time have I been in a situation where I used the brakes hard enough for ABS to kick in to avoid crashing into someone (merge ramp from one 65 MPH highway to another went around a blind corner and said blind corner had a bunch of stopped cars on it).
However there are a crap ton of instances where if my car abruptly slammed on the brakes for no reason it WOULD cause an accident.
Really disappointing. I was having a hard time trying to justify not getting at least one 2025 Maverick Hybrid with AWD. Now I’m definitely not.
Also you can’t get the inverter without the luxury package. I don’t want a power driver’s seat FFS!
I don’t understand the appeal of power seats. Get into the swing of it, when switching between drivers, just a simple kick of the heel to the seat bar and I slide can the seat to where I want it whilst in motion to sit down.
Not to mention the general adjustments of manual seats are much larger and more tactile, so if someone does have to adjust your seat it’s easy for you to find your preferred seating position again.
With a few exceptions, most power seats include more ways to adjust than an equivalent model’s manual seat, namely the tilt/angle of the cushion or entire seat depending on the manufacturer. Some cars have included manual adjustment for that in the past, but mostly it’s just up/down for seat height.
After four cars that happened to have 8-way power adjustment and going to a mostly manual 6-way seat, I didn’t realize I’d miss that extra angle adjustment and how it helped change the overall seat comfort. I actually don’t always keep my seat at the exact same position 100% of time – I notice a difference even if I’m wearing more/thicker layers and make some adjustments depending. A full power seat on my car was still 6-way so that wouldn’t have gotten it anyway.
Lumbar adjustment often too, but that’s hit or miss, I have manual lumbar adjustment here, and some have manual seats with power lumbar, Toyota often does).
Beyond that, I also like that power seats have finer adjustment. I used to think I didn’t want the extra complexity or slower adjustment, but I really like power seats.
Ever sit in a Merkur XR4Ti? It has the big manual adjustments, but it also has fine manual adjustments via little cranks like you’d see on crank windows, effortless adjustment, and the best of both worlds.
That would probably work well for me. If I ever get the chance, I may check one out.
They ride like a dream, very soft suspension but handles great as well.
That too. I get the “more to break” argument but I’ve never had an issue with power seats failing.
A useless form of the power seat to me though: the 4-way power passenger seat. Sure, you do get to fine tune the recline adjustment, but for the extra cost it should include height or some additional adjustment.
The funny thing about the “more to break” argument is that it’s not necessarily true. I’ve never had a power seat stop working, but I’ve been in a vehicle that was abused enough that it was missing a stop or two. Pretty rare, but it happens. I’ve also had a crank window seize up, but never a power window failure.
I think it was a forum post years ago about a Cobalt/ION or some other small GM that I heard the same, a crank window binding and seizing that really made me think the simpler option doesn’t automatically mean less failure prone.
Power locks are probably the electronic that I’ve seen the most trouble with over the years but more from cheap parts, and rather random on which lock – never a driver’s door lock oddly enough, always one of the other doors.
The weird thing is I’m pretty sure power windows are actually less complicated too. It’s just a switch and a simple motor – which we have been building for decades now – and you don’t have to account for packaging the gearing to attach it to the crank so you can have that motor wherever.
Power seats fail. I had a beater BMW e34 with the infamous seatback twist. I was messing with the overly complicated switch, and it popped opened and sprayed a bunch of ball bearings all over my workbench. Oh no.
I ended up having to take the seat out, then I cut the frame and welded it into position.
I don’t think I need that much seat adjustment.
That being said I guess I could always adjust my power seat to the position I want it then disconnect the power to said power seat so it stays in place. With my manual driver’s seats I adjust them once then never adjust them again.
Or worst case I could swap seats with someone who wants a power driver’s seat in their Maverick which doesn’t currently have one.
*edit I won’t buy a car with remote start, which is mandatory for the Luxury packages, which is mandatory to get the inverter….
I used to think I didn’t either. I imagine it depends on the seat design some too.
A seat swap would actually be a viable option though, for someone that has one without it and didn’t want to wait for one so equipped or spring for the full package that included it. Power/non-power are both offered with the same upholstery so it would be a match.
I wouldn’t make anyone pay extra to get my old power seat if I were to do it (which at this point is highly unlikely), so it would likely save them money if all they wanted was a power seat and not all the other stuff that comes with the luxury package.
I may not be a truck guy, but to my eyes, the steel wheels on the Maverick (and the Bronco/Sport for that matter) go such a long way to making it look appropriately truck-y, in the best way.
At this point, is there a downside to steelies other than style preference?
Rust
If you are David, that is a bonus.
They make aluminum versions in steel-wheel style.
This is how I would spec the Maverick
That grille-headlight interface really stands out when it’s in more colours and they add angles with more reflections off the curve. It looks like a Gecko licking its eye to me.
Maybe it looks better in person, but I’m not a fan.
Yeah they really uglied it up, the claw headlights just cannot be redeemed.
And it’s remarkable how putting climate controls on the screen made the rest of the interior look incredibly cheap.