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There are plenty of reasons to praise the 2022 Ford Maverick small pickup truck, but it has its cons as well. The quirky compact pickup isn’t for everyone. There are plenty of reasons why typical truck owners should never buy the Ford Maverick.

The Ford Maverick Flexbed is innovative but small

A red 2022 small pickup truck is parked outside.

The Ford Maverick Flexbed is perhaps the most innovative pickup truck bed on the market. The question is, why does the truck bed need to be fully customizable? The Flexbed is more convenient than the average truck bed, but it needs to be convenient to move attention away from how small the bed is.

The Flexbed comes with pre-threaded holes and slots so Maverick owners can create their own unique bed setups for different scenarios. Ford has even posted YouTube video tutorials on how to use the Flexbed for different situations.

The Maverick’s truck bed is handy, but it still doesn’t do much for the actual area of the bed. It is 54 inches long. The average adult bike length is 69 inches long. Note that the bike in the image above is disassembled to fit in the Maverick truck bed.

While the Maverick’s Flexbed may be sufficient for some drivers, it’s much smaller than what average truck owners are accustomed to. Forget about hoisting a bike and plopping it down into this bed. Its bed length is one of the pitfalls of being such a small truck.

The Maverick’s towing capacity is low for a pickup truck


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Not every truck owner tows or hauls heavy loads, but it’s nice to know that your truck is capable of towing if the need arose. Towing capability is baked into the appeal of the modern pickup. Hence why there are so many gallery images of trucks towing on automaker websites. Ford shows the Maverick towing a small trailer on its site, but the average Maverick model isn’t designed to tow.

The Maverick can only tow 2,000 pounds. If you want more towing capacity, you’ll have to choose the gas engine configuration and add the 4K towing package. This will drastically change the Maverick’s fuel economy after switching from a hybrid to a gas powertrain. So, the Maverick can tow, but do you really want to get rid of the hybrid powertrain just for a 4,000-pound towing capacity? Never buy the Ford Maverick if you plan on towing over 4,000 pounds regularly.

The 2022 Ford Maverick is pretty basic

A blue 2022 Ford Maverick small pickup truck is parked indoors.
The 2022 Ford Maverick | Ford

The Ford Maverick is currently the most affordable truck on the market. It starts at $19,995. That being said the base model is as barebones as a truck could get. The Maverick’s affordability is hardly a con but consumers can get caught up in the truck’s low price and end up choosing a trim that isn’t very well-equipped.

The Maverick comes in three trim levels. Car and Driver recommends the XLT trim but the Lariat trim comes with more premium features and is still under $26,000. The Ford Maverick Lariat starts at $25,860. So, sure the Maverick starts under $20K, but its base model may be too barebones for some consumers.

Typical truck owners may not want the Maverick, but it does appeal to a new generation of truck owners. The Maverick is challenging what it means to be a pickup truck. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is entirely up to you.

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