Thoughts on the New Ford Maverick and on what your next vehicle will be

[7milesout]

...then they said that the truck would not be built with the stereo system, but would later be have to be installed by the dealer after the components come in. That was my last straw. I canceled the order ...

OMG - SMART MOVE! You dodged a cannon-shell with that move. It doesn't matter the brand, all dealers SUCK when it comes to, well basically anything. Even Toyota dealers. They can't do anything ... wait, this is more accurate --> they DON'T do anything right, because all the monkeys back in the shop are trying to beat shop time. The result is their quality is crap.

As bad as some factories may be, every factory is 10X better than any dealership. If when I buy a new vehicle (like when I bought the Mirage) I would never let the dealer install anything. The dealer could screw up floor mat installation.

So yeah, SMART MOVE 570MiniMoto!

[Basic]

OMG - SMART MOVE! You dodged a cannon-shell with that move. It doesn't matter the brand, all dealers SUCK when it comes to, well basically anything. Even Toyota dealers. They can't do anything ... wait, this is more accurate --> they DON'T do anything right, because all the monkeys back in the shop are trying to beat shop time. The result is their quality is crap.

As bad as some factories may be, every factory is 10X better than any dealership. If when I buy a new vehicle (like when I bought the Mirage) I would never let the dealer install anything. The dealer could screw up floor mat installation.

So yeah, SMART MOVE 570MiniMoto!

Yep and when a dealer actually does have a good tech who tries to do right, they end up pissing them off and making them quit.

[Spadesheart]

Just watched a really interesting video on Subaru's current success and how they're essentially in the top 3 for 10/12 metrics that buyers use to purchase a new car (which are apparently Reliability, Safety, Driving Comfort, Affordability, Driving Performance, Reputation, Fuel Efficiency, Interior Layout, Technology, Exterior Styling, Ruggedness and Prestige/Sophistication). The video went on to say that Subaru resale value is heavily predicated on Low inventory and high demand, which means they don't ever have to discount, and essentially 0 fleet sales which greatly shrinks the used market.

My Mirage was actually a fleet vehicle. I bought it at 28000 km and it was previously a Hertz rental apparently. I have to imagine trucks fall into a similar category in North America. Is it correct to assume a couple years into production, resale on something like the Maverick will be quite discounted?

[Mark]

Just watched a really interesting video on Subaru's current success and how they're essentially in the top 3 for 10/12 metrics that buyers use to purchase a new car (which are apparently Reliability, Safety, Driving Comfort, Affordability, Driving Performance, Reputation, Fuel Efficiency, Interior Layout, Technology, Exterior Styling, Ruggedness and Prestige/Sophistication). The video went on to say that Subaru resale value is heavily predicated on Low inventory and high demand, which means they don't ever have to discount, and essentially 0 fleet sales which greatly shrinks the used market.

My Mirage was actually a fleet vehicle. I bought it at 28000 km and it was previously a Hertz rental apparently. I have to imagine trucks fall into a similar category in North America. Is it correct to assume a couple years into production, resale on something like the Maverick will be quite discounted?

They must have overlooked the issue of their boxer engines burning excessive amounts of oil, & when a head gasket goes the entire engine must be removed to work on it.

I have 2011 Forester 2.5X manual with less than 10,000 miles on it's replaced engine. It was burning a good quart of oil or more per 1,000 miles. A friend who doesn't check his oil had 1.5 quarts left between oil changes once. It holds 5.5 quarts. His engine needed to be replaced after that. I took mine in after hearing his story, & it failed their oil consumption test. Class action law suit took care of my engine replacement. 11-weeks in the shop. 6-weeks the first time, and another 5-weeks the second time. They had to pull the new short block engine out to fix leaking gasket after the replacement. I was given a loaner vehicle both times, and the dealer was good about it all. It cost me nothing.

I miss my 1st generation 2000 Honda CR-V LX AWD manual. It was totaled, and my Forester replaced it. Boxer engines are not easy to work on. Even doing spark plugs is sort of a pain.

7,500 mile oil change intervals are recommended for Subaru. I was doing 6,000 mile changes for mine. Think about it, adding 6 quarts of synthetic oil between oil changes before the engine was replaced.

Subaru vehicles are overpriced in my opinion. I like their AWD system, but their lack of manual options will lose my future business. I am not buying a Subaru with a CVT. The 2,500 pound towing capacity of my Forester dropped to 1,500 pounds when they went all CVT Foresters, too!

If I have to buy an automatic SUV for towing, I will avoid CVT transmissions. Toyota & Mazda probably come to mind the most these days. I wish that I had a 1st or 2nd generation CR-V or RAV4 AWD manual in my garage instead of my Forester. I like my Forester, but I feel like they are ticking time bombs for expensive repairs some day.

[Spadesheart]

They must have overlooked the issue of their boxer engines burning excessive amounts of oil, & when a head gasket goes the entire engine must be removed to work on it.

I have 2011 Forester 2.5X manual with less than 10,000 miles on it's replaced engine. It was burning a good quart of oil or more per 1,000 miles. A friend who doesn't check his oil had 1.5 quarts left between oil changes once. It holds 5.5 quarts. His engine needed to be replaced after that. I took mine in after hearing his story, & it failed their oil consumption test. Class action law suit took care of my engine replacement. 11-weeks in the shop. 6-weeks the first time, and another 5-weeks the second time. They had to pull the new short block engine out to fix leaking gasket after the replacement. I was given a loaner vehicle both times, and the dealer was good about it all. It cost me nothing.

I miss my 1st generation 2000 Honda CR-V LX AWD manual. It was totaled, and my Forester replaced it. Boxer engines are not easy to work on. Even doing spark plugs is sort of a pain.

7,500 mile oil change intervals are recommended for Subaru. I was doing 6,000 mile changes for mine. Think about it, adding 6 quarts of synthetic oil between oil changes before the engine was replaced.

Subaru vehicles are overpriced in my opinion. I like their AWD system, but their lack of manual options will lose my future business. I am not buying a Subaru with a CVT. The 2,500 pound towing capacity of my Forester dropped to 1,500 pounds when they went all CVT Foresters, too!

If I have to buy an automatic SUV for towing, I will avoid CVT transmissions. Toyota & Mazda probably come to mind the most these days. I wish that I had a 1st or 2nd generation CR-V or RAV4 AWD manual in my garage instead of my Forester. I like my Forester, but I feel like they are ticking time bombs for expensive repairs some day.

Yeah I wasn't really expecting that either. For reference, the two metrics that Subaru wasn't in the top 3 for were Driving Comfort and Exterior styling. Frankly Subaru has no business being on the top 3 for some of those other metrics; Subaru doesn't have any particular fuel efficient cars, none that can even be perceived as such unless they're basing efficiency in comparison to other 4WD and AWD vehicles. As to your criticism, maybe the newer boxer has been more refined for reliability? 2011 was almost 11 years ago and they've been making boxers since they started *shrugs*.

[Mark]

Yeah I wasn't really expecting that either. For reference, the two metrics that Subaru wasn't in the top 3 for were Driving Comfort and Exterior styling. Frankly Subaru has no business being on the top 3 for some of those other metrics; Subaru doesn't have any particular fuel efficient cars, none that can even be perceived as such unless they're basing efficiency in comparison to other 4WD and AWD vehicles. As to your criticism, maybe the newer boxer has been more refined for reliability? 2011 was almost 11 years ago and they've been making boxers since they started *shrugs*.

The older 2.2 L boxer was bullet proof. The 2.5 L don't have as stellar reputation. I wouldn't bank on the newer one being more reliable, and I wouldn't touch one with a CVT. My money would go elsewhere. I wish I felt differently, because it's a brand I wanted to like. Subaru has some things going for them, but I don't see myself owning a second one.

[klroger]

Subaru doesn't have any particular fuel efficient cars, none that can even be perceived as such unless they're basing efficiency in comparison to other 4WD and AWD vehicles. As to your criticism, maybe the newer boxer has been more refined for reliability? 2011 was almost 11 years ago and they've been making boxers since they started *shrugs*.

The Queen has a 2017 Legacy with 260,000+ KM's on it with a CVT. I do Oil changes @ 10,000km & it never seems to use any between services & the CVT works perfect. It's lifetime Fuel mileage is 7.0L/100KM, & I find that quite acceptable for an all wheel drive sedan. We use 4 snow tires in the winter & it's amazing... The reputation the Subaru got earlier has haunted them, but I do feel it has been fixed...

[Mark]

The Queen has a 2017 Legacy with 260,000+ KM's on it with a CVT. I do Oil changes @ 10,000km & it never seems to use any between services & the CVT works perfect. It's lifetime Fuel mileage is 7.0L/100KM, & I find that quite acceptable for an all wheel drive sedan. We use 4 snow tires in the winter & it's amazing... The reputation the Subaru got earlier has haunted them, but I do feel it has been fixed...

They are amazing in snow, & I am banking on my replaced engine in 2018 doing better. Clarification - My SUV has to be able to tow, & my CVT concerns are mainly related to that.

[Fummins]

I took a look at the Maverick again. It looks like the base XL model now comes standard with cruise control and with it a higher msrp...
Other than being a Ford, the lack of cruise was kind of a drag. I'm sure I read that people were able to just install the buttons and activate it though.

I just did a build and price for a 2023 base XL Hybrid model. The only thing I'd add on is a $200 full-size spare, which seems expensive but I probably couldn't source a new wheel and tire for any less. I was never really all that serious about buying one of these things and I'm still not really, but I did spot a Cactus grey Hybrid XL at a dealer today... It has some goofy co-pilot crap added on but with it comes a free spare tire so it's only an unwanted $500 option that I could probably/hopefully shut off.
I stole this pic from somewhere else but it's the same color.

[Dodge Aries K]

My plan is to buy one of these once my Subaru Baja dies... probably from rotting apart. The thing still runs great but I'm pretty sure underneath is more holey than swiss cheese.