Is the 2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Worth Its Price?
When the Ford Maverick was first introduced, a significant portion of praise given to it came from its approachable pricing. Here’s a small truck that is priced more like an economy car than a pickup, with a starting MSRP of under $25k. But is the 2023 Ford Maverick Lariat worth the additional money?
What is the Ford Maverick Lariat?
The 2023 Maverick Lariat is the top trim of this small truck, and it can come fairly well-equipped. Now, I have not been in the Ford Maverick at this point in time. But it does seem like the base XL model is extremely basic. That can probably be forgiven with the low price of this pickup.
With the Lariat trim, you get more standard stuff, like power seats. Other comfort features include dual-zone automatic climate control, which is something you’ll have to check a box to get on the lower trims.
Despite being the top trim, the Ford Maverick Lariat still comes standard with the 2.5-liter hybrid engine and front-wheel drive. If you want to get AWD, you’re going to have to opt for the EcoBoost engine, with 250 horsepower and 277 pound-foot of torque.
The Maverick is a truck for non-truck people
Now, like I said, I haven’t driven the Maverick yet. But I have been behind the wheel of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck. Simply put, I get it. I understand why these small trucks exist and why folks are interested in getting them.
The Ford Maverick is now in its second model year, and buying one still feels nearly impossible. The Blue Oval seemingly can’t build it fast enough to keep up with the demand.
Small trucks like the Maverick give people the option to get a pickup bed without having to drive a behemoth of a vehicle. If you’ve driven on American roads in the past 20 years, you’ve likely noticed a trend. Trucks have become absolutely massive.
When I had the opportunity to test the 2022 Toyota Tundra, it left me wondering why people who live in a city even bother with a full-size pickup. But when you step into something like the Maverick or Santa Cruz, you feel like you’re driving a crossover rather than a tank.
At the same time, the 2023 Maverick can tow up to 4,000 lbs and can even handle some light off-roading. Even with the Maverick Lariat, you can opt for the Tremor package or the FX4 Off-Road package, but that will put this truck above the $30k mark.
Can you get Ford’s small truck?
The 2023 Ford Maverick is no longer available for order. According to autoblog, order books for the 2024 Maverick will open on July 17th. So if you don’t want to deal with the second-hand or grey market, your best bet might be to wait.
In some cases, used Mavericks have actually been commanding higher prices than new models. And for dealerships that do get any allocations, it’s not unheard of to see markups.
