The Ford Maverick has been a strong player in the small truck market since it showed up on the scene in 2022. One of the interesting things about this line of trucks is that they were pretty late in offering an AWD hybrid model. Well, those days of want have been over a little while now and this was our first time getting to spend a week with this sprightly little truck. Yes, the 2026 Ford Maverick XLT AWD is both fun AND functional. It also is economical and outside of people who are really working their rigs every day, it does all the truck stuff most people will ever need it to do.

There are the boo birds that immediately like to come off the top rope declaring that the Maverick is “not a truck” because it’s on the same platform as the Escape and the Bronco Sport, but the thing is, they are dead wrong. For the Maverick’s size, it’s not just a truck, it’s a GOOD truck. This thing is maneuverable, easy to park everywhere, and with the AWD hybrid system, can run to 60 in under 7-seconds which makes it fun to drive, yes, even with a CVT backing the engine. Ford’s been pretty conservative with styling changes on these trucks over the last few years but on the whole we think they still look modern, current, and dare we say stylish. They are vehicles you see as you are driving, not like most of the shapeless small SUVs that are indiscernible from each other in so many ways.

Power for the Maverick is a grand total of 191 when we combine the output of the 2.5L engine and the hybrid system. The engine produces 151hp @ 4,000 rpm and does a workaday job in Mavericks that do not have the enhancement of AWD but the instant torque and smooth addition to the program the AWD brings does really change the driving dynamic of the Maverick for the better. The AWD power is integrated seamlessly and we’re sure the use of the CVT aids in that smoothness where a traditional transmission is not trying to handle a surge in power when the pedal is really given the business.

In the course of driving the Maverick both around town and on the highway, we landed with a combined mileage of just over 32mpg. With a full 13.8 gallon tank that’s a total of 441 miles of range and that’s pretty slick if you ask us. The cab is quiet and well sealed. The engine noise is minimal, the little four cylinder is working under there but it is not screaming at you, which is to us, always something that makes a vehicle feel more or less upscale. The louder, the not better when it comes to small engines in everyday cars.

The XLT trim package, as it has been for many many years is a mid-level option setup on Ford trucks. XL is base, XLT steps it up from there. We were digging the cloth interior from a pure functionality aspect. This is a working truck interior and we were digging it. The rear leg room was acceptable, we’d not go ample, especially if you have a taller driver that likes to stretch out, but overall for the complete size of the vehicle the cab is nicely appointed and the room was welcomed.

The dash is as straight ahead as you can imagine. There’s no wacky gadgets, whiz-bang tech, or trickery happening anywhere with the Maverick. The touch screen is very large, larger than we were expecting for a truck of this trim level.

The same dial shifter that. is found in virtually all Ford cars these days is in the Maverick, a twist of the wrist and you’re off and running. You know that we always like to have actual physical buttons and knobs in new cars ands trucks. Other than the radio volume, this is a touch screen program for virtually every function of the cab. Radio, climate, heated seat activation, heated wheel activation, and more. There are some buttons for quick activation of Max defrost, the heated wheel, and to skip ahead or back up audio. Kind of an odd selection of functions there.

The driving dynamics of the Maverick are really fun. Frankly we’re kind of surprised that we have not seen more modified Mavericks out there. The sticker price on this test model comes in at under $30,000 and for that money we feel like you are getting a lot of…a lot. The power is there, the ride quality, options like heated seats, the styling, and the functionality of having a bed. In a lot of ways we can’t really understand why someone would favor a vehicle like the Escape over the Maverick. The Escape is a good little SUV but in the end it’s a compromise on all fronts.

This gives you the interior size (by and large) of the Escape and the added benefit of a bed. And before you say “well the Escape’s storage area is all inside the vehicle,” we’d counter that you are one tonneau cover and bed organizing rack away from the same situation here with easier loading, unloading, and more.

It’s a zippy little rig around town, it does well on the highway, and it’s, to repeat, plenty of truck for most people who use them as commuter cars, anyway.

We’re fans, if you drive you we bet you’ll be too.