Ford Maverick driver says smaller pickup saved $17,750 in purchase and fuel costs

After driving 27,000 miles, a Ford Maverick owner reported saving $17,750 by choosing the smaller pickup over the cheapest Ford F-150, thanks to a lower purchase price and fuel savings. 

Here's what to know

Posting on the Maverick Truck Club forum, the owner said he paid $14,000 less for his truck than he would have for the lowest-priced F-150, according to Torque News. On top of that, the smaller, lighter truck was capable of significantly better fuel efficiency than the more powerful F-150. 

"Y'all ever do the math between driving an F150 and Maverick?" the owner asked in their post, per Torque News.

Over the vehicle's first 27,000 miles, the Maverick owner also reported saving $3,750 on gas compared to the F-150. To check that math, Torque News calculated gasoline costs over the same 27,000-mile distance. It used a price of $4.27 per gallon, which it identified as the AAA national average at the time of its calculation.

While the owner did not say exactly which Maverick model they owned, their reported savings would be attainable if they drove the Maverick Hybrid rather than the EcoBoost, according to Torque News. 

Other tradeoffs 

While the smaller, lighter Ford Maverick pickup clearly is capable of better gas mileage than the larger, more powerful F-150, the F-150 does have some considerable advantages. For example, according to Torque News, the Maverick's maximum towing capacity is 4,000 pounds when equipped with the 4K Tow Package, or 2,000 pounds without it. Both limits fall well below the towing capacity of a properly equipped F-150.

Blake Lowry, an automotive writer for Torque News, shared his experience towing a 250-mile camper, where crosswinds exposed the smaller truck's towing limits. The performance was so concerning that it prompted Lowry to cancel his own Maverick order.

Again leaning on his own personal experience, Lowry pointed out that his all-electric F-150 Lightning cost about 5 cents per mile to charge, compared to the Maverick Hybrid's gasoline cost of 11.5 cents per mile. 

Where can I learn more?

The Maverick owner's calculated savings came from both the purchase price and fuel costs. The following stories examine other examples of EV pricing, from Ford and Chevrolet pickup owners' charging costs to gasoline-versus-electricity comparisons to changing vehicle prices.

• An F-150 owner spending $357 monthly on gasoline considered a Lightning, prompting home-charging warnings.

• An F-150 Lightning owner's 9,000 miles of charging cost about as much as one former monthly gasoline bill.

• Drivers debated whether gasoline at $1.14 per gallon could rival home EV charging costs.

• Silverado EV owners compared charging, gasoline, and solar costs during a regular week of driving.

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