The Four Pillars of Commuting: Is the Ford Maverick a Great Commuter Truck?

We wouldn’t blame you for admitting that commuting to and from work is one of your least favorite parts of the day. Commuting to work is as American as apple pie and award-winning automotive engineering, like the quality placed into the construction of each Ford Maverick for sale.

The Maverick is a compact truck with a bone to pick with the pickup truck lineup of competitors like Chevy, who have long abandoned that market sector. We believe the Maverick may be the catalyst that causes some manufacturers to reconsider. Does the Maverick hold up against the four pillars of commuting? What are these four pillars? We’ll tell you everything you need to know to determine whether the Maverick should be your next commuter car.

A Brief History Lesson

The Ford Maverick is currently one of two compact trucks in production, with the Hyundai Santa Cruz being its sole source of competition. Ford’s midsize truck, the Ranger, was originally a compact truck before that version’s discontinuation in 2011. The Ranger was reintroduced several years later as the midsize truck we know today. At the time, the discontinuation of the Ranger marked a pivotal shift in the lineup, with no compact truck in production until the release of the Ford Maverick in 2021. 

In the past, the “Maverick” moniker was used for a sedan in production between 1969 and 1977. The modern-day Maverick shares its name and signature Ford quality with the original model. When the Ranger became a midsize truck, Ford wasn’t alone in its mission of switching away from compact trucks, with Chevy and GMC also favoring midsize trucks moving forward. Ford’s addition of a compact truck back to the lineup makes the manufacturer unique compared to its chief competitors, so there’s no alternative for anyone looking for a compact truck from an American manufacturer.

The Fuel Efficiency That Commuters Need

Ultimately, fuel efficiency is the first pillar of what makes the Maverick a great choice for commuting. The powertrain setup is simple, with each Maverick truck sporting the same configurations since the beginning. 

Performance is similar between each model year, but the 2025 Maverick provides slightly different results. The hybrid powertrain has always been the more fuel-efficient of the two. However, the standard powertrain’s turbocharged engine helps either option save money with top-notch fuel efficiency.

The regular powertrain is a turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission. There’s more than enough power for commuting, providing a maximum towing capacity of 4,000 lbs. Your Maverick will be either a front or all-wheel drive vehicle. With the base powertrain, the 2022 through 2024 Mavericks output 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. The 2025 Maverick changes this slightly to 238 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque.

Fuel efficiency is nearly identical between the 2022 and 2024 Maverick models with the turbocharged engine. (The EPA has not yet tested the 2025 Maverick.) With FWD, the EcoBoost engine provides EPA-estimated ratings of 23 MPG in the city, 30 MPG on the highway, and 26 MPG combined. AWD models have ratings of 22 MPG in the city, 29 MPG on the highway, and 25 MPG combined. The 2023 Maverick offered one extra MPG combined with both FWD and AWD.

Maverick models with the 2.5L I-4 HEV powertrain output a combined 191 hp. Earlier models were only available with FWD, but the 2025 introduces AWD with the hybrid powertrain by popular demand. The engine is paired with a Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission (CVT), making it one of the smoothest truck driving experiences on the market. The 2022 and 2024 Maverick hybrids have identical fuel efficiency, with 42 MPG in the city, 33 MPG on the highway, and 37 MPG combined. However, the 2023 model is slightly different, with the hybrid model offering 40 MPG in the city. It will be interesting to see how the AWD hybrid’s fuel economy compares to FWD models, but the EPA has not yet released numbers for 2025 models.

Driving Comfortably is Commuting Comfortably

The Ford Maverick is a great truck for commuting for more than fuel efficiency. Driving the Maverick is nothing short of comfortable, and comfort is the second pillar of commuting. It starts with the seats. A six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat and a four-way manually adjustable front passenger seat are standard with the base model. If you upgrade to the XLT, you may enhance your interior by adding an optional eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar support.  This seat is standard on the Lariat.

The XLT also gives you more choices to improve comfort. For example, the XLT can be fitted with heated seats, which are again standard with the Lariat. Both trims, however, can be configured to include four-way adjustable headrests for the front seats. A cloth material is the standard arrangement, but leather seats are optional for added luxury.

Connectivity to Keep You Informed

Connectivity is the third and newest pillar of commuting. The oldest available model being the 2022 Maverick means that contemporary tech has been and will continue to be standard. For example, 2022 through 2024 Maverick models come with an eight-inch infotainment center, which can access music playlists, send text messages, or instantly bring up turn-by-turn directions, among dozens of other possible uses. 

Although you may not need turn-by-turn directions to get to work, some third-party apps like Waze do more than calculate directions in real time. Instead, Waze is a community of users who help each other out, warning each other of road hazards to look out for, speed traps, and more. For commuting, having millions of other drivers watching your back with traffic reports and more is extremely helpful to ensure you can get to work on time. The Maverick’s standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t limited to one music streaming service. You may subscribe to Spotify Premium instead of Apple Music. The options are sky-high.

Optional features include a premium B&O audio solution for terrific audio quality. The Lariat comes standard with SYNC 3 technology, which adds a host of voice commands to your infotainment center. For the 2025 Maverick, the system has been upgraded to a 13.2-inch screen, improving accessibility and readability.

Safety, the Final Pillar of Commuting

We believe the fourth pillar of what makes a car a great commuter is safety. The Ford Maverick is a durable machine built “Ford Tough.” No Maverick is short on safety features thanks to every model supporting an available version of Ford Co-Pilot360. For example, with the 2024 Maverick, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking comes standard for an added layer of protection from causing accidental front-end collisions with another driver.

Features like auto headlamps and a rearview camera are standard with the Maverick, which are great modern touches in a cost-effective truck. If you opt for the available Ford Co-Pilot360 package, many optional safety features may be fitted. With this package, your Maverick gains features that greatly enhance traveling down multi-lane roads, with Lane Departure Warning complemented by a Lane-Keeping Aid and Lane-Centering, while BLIS with Cross-Traffic Alert detects and informs you of blindspot obstructions. Cross-Traffic Alert uses sensors to assist you with safely backing out onto the road or out of a parking space with obstructed visibility. 

Passing the Test With Style

The Maverick’s existence is unique. Standing out in a crowd of competition is something you’ll find every manufacturer striving for. However, with the Maverick, competition is slim enough that the Maverick stands out in tremendous ways. If any manufacturer were to step back into the realm of compact trucks, we’re glad it’s Ford. If you want the best compact truck that isn’t only a pretty face, the Maverick is the way to go, especially if you’re a commuter.

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