RTS?
The trims are Sport, RTL, Transport, and Black Edition

 

Trailsport.

Cheap hard cabin was my impression of the Maverick. But I did not ride in a Lariat. Ridgeline rides much quieter.

 

Nice truck you have.

There are a number of youtube comparisons between the Ridgeline and Maverick. I think you have summarized the main difference if you made a switch, which would be giving up better fuel economy for slightly roomer truck with better payload and storage. And arguably a better build quality and longevity.

From a used market standpoint now may be a good time to consider trading a Maverick, as it looks like Ford dealers can now keep them in stock which should mean that used prices should start to fall further. As you know it was difficult to purchase a first or second production year Maverick with dealers adding "market adjustments" which kept used prices higher.

 

I was 'jonesing' for a Maverick in the early days of their sales, and, its true, I literally couldn't find one locally and gave up and that was for the best as the RL is superior in many ways, but worse on mileage and more expensive than the base Maverick was at the time

 

I test drove a Maverick and found it too small in the cabin. I have two adult sons that I drive occasionally - especially on vacations. There was no way that they could make the 14 hour drive from NoVA to Orlando that we make yearly in the back of a Maverick.

The Ford salesmen told me on our test drive that his buddy had test driven the Maverick and then went on to buy a Ridgeline.

My next stop was the Honda dealer. They were dealing at the end of 2023 because the 24s were coming soon, so I got a great deal on my 23 RTL-E. No regrets on my part. We drove to Orlando in March and the boys were fine in the back and we had plenty of room for packing - I have a shell on mine.

I will admit that I am quite happy that I bought a RTL-E because that trim level has everything I want and nothing that I don’t. Honda discontinued the RTL-E trim and I would not be as happy with a Trailsport or Black Edition.

 

To state the obvious the Ridgeline is a LARGE midsize truck and the Maverick is a compact size truck. They aren't in the same size class. It is a bit odd that they get compared simply because they are both unibody designs. . . . Seating wise the Ridgeline comes the closest of the midsizers to rival the rear seating of the crew cab full size trucks. The rear seat flips up for a flat floor and also has the 2/3 & 1/3 split flip up seating for an even more versatile rear cabin area. The LARGE trunk of the Ridgeline combined with the dual action tailgate take it way beyond the novelty level of the Santa Cruz and make it an incredibly useful cargo space. The bed of the Ridge will take 4'x sheets of building material laying flat and it considerably wider and longer than the mavericks bed.

 

I had a 96 Ranger 4.0 V-6 with a 5 sp and absolutely loved driving it. With a 3/4 drop it sat about like a Civic and looked smaller than my friend, the German teacher, at school's VW Beetle looked bigger and I think it may have actually been wider. Negative on the Ranger was the stiff towing package suspension, positive was that it stuck like glue in corners with the 235 wide 15" wheels. But the new small trucks were no where near as cool looking and it seemed like everything was jacked up 4wd. Then the Ranger had some issues and I sold it.

In looking around the small Fords were ugly-plain looking, Maverick or Ranger, and the Hyundai was just plain too small. My son-in-law works at Honda in robotics engineering and had a Pilot RTL trim and pointed me to the Ridgeline. I drove one and it absolutely was a great ride. Better than the HR-V we have and I think the Civic we had, wish the HR-V had the turbo 1500 the Civic had. I'd have loved that! But I digress...

Yeah the Ridgeline may have cost more, I got the RTL for a variety of reasons but could have lived without the sun roof (never opened the one on the HR-V yet and never while driving the Civic. Just don't care for them. Same with the sliding rear window. I'd have been happier if it had been rear wheel drive for the fun of spinning donuts, but that's life.

The only real negative in my book for my Ridgeline is that it really is big. No where near as easy to park as the old Ranger, Civic, and, obviously, the HR-V. When we go anywhere that may require parallel parking we take the HR-V. I'm not sure the Ridgeline would even fit in many of the city parking spaces. I'm pulling 16-18 mpg when towing a 900 lb trailer full of my wife's craft stuff depending on how hilly the terrain is. Pulling the utility trailer, 600 lb, with a 400 lb bike is no sweat and definitely goes better than 18 mpg. Love the trunk and the spacious interior.

All in all, putting similar equipment on the low buck base trucks others make puts them up close enough to the Ridgeline that I spent the extra and have no regrets doing so.

 

What you want is a redesigned Ridge with a hybrid powertrain...

Come to think of it thats what we ALL want so when if/when it does appear getting one will be akin to winning the powerball lotto and a longer wait time than the Mavericks to actually land one.

And the Stealership markups...It will be 1/2 the sticker for the 1st 2 years

 

Nope. I for one have no interest in a hybrid Ridgeline, thank you.

 

I ordered my Maverick in 2022 and had been delivered just before the deadline in January, 2023 for the delivery; I was pretty much ready to get the '23 RTL-E. Initially wanted the hybrid Maverick, but changed it to a Lariat with EB 2.0 engine. I owed the Maverick for a year and traded it in for '24 RTL. My personal take on the Maverick....

It's one thing to test drive the Maverick and an entirely other to own one. For me, being 6' 4", the driver seat and legroom was just enough, but could have used a little more room. On the other hand my wife like it, especially the "warm hug" it gave her when she drove it. My grankids had no issues in the back. I really could not stand the EB 2.0 turbocharged engine sound, it sounded like a sewing machine. Mileage wise, it had been about the same as my RL, 16 - 17 MPG in my use case of ~95% in city driving. The Maverick's acceleration is better than the RL; this is probably due to the weight difference between the two.

Technology wise the Maverick is ahead of the RL by a large margin, especially if you take it into account that some of the "features" just don't work in the RL. The Maverick does come with heated steeering wheel and seats, including passenger seat. The vehicles security system cannot be compared in my view. The RL has the same alarm system behavioral wise as my '05 Avalon. The Maverick has motion sensors on the suspention; jumping in the bed could set off the alarm, so is raising the truck, connecting to the hitch receiver, etc. Most of the features work in the Maverick, auto headlight, ACC, etc. When you stop at the light, you can let go the break pedal even uphill, it won't roll back at all when the gas pedal pushed. The stereo system isn't as good in the RL, than in the Maverick. Both the Maverick and the RL have issues charging the battery charging in my use case. The first symptom for both is that the auto start disabled. Recharging the battery restores the auto start feature for both for awhile.

If you disregard the technology advantages of the Maverick, the RL is a more comfortable, better built, better ride and in my case, the MPG is pretty much a wash. My suggestion is to drive both of them for couple of days, you can probably rent both, and make your decision based on that.

 

my Maverick
For me, being 6' 4", the driver seat and legroom was just enough, but could have used a little more room.

a deciding factor for me as well; the Mavericks interior is 3" less wide (between the doors arm rests) than the RL. And the width in the RL drivers footwell was also wider; in the Maverick I felt as if my legs were being forced together a little bit. In the RL I was competely comfortable.

 

The Lariat version of the Maverick never made sense to me. IMO the sweet spot for the Maverick is the stripped contractor special. Low cost, low fuel, low maintenance. Basically the cheapest thing you can get with a bed. Similar to 2wd compact Toyotas and Nissans back in the 80s and 90s.

Once you start to doll up the Maverick with all the options, its limitations start to become apparent. Versus the RL it is just not in the same class of vehicle. The chassis, suspension and drivetrain architecture of the RL are more substantial. Bottom line if you want feel like you are in a larger, higher quality vehicle, you will like the RL. Its a step up in every way with the exception of maybe tech. LKA, ACC, AEB and the infotainment system could be better on the RL.

 

In January, we looked at a Mav and Ridgeline. The MAV was too small for us. We're planning to take cross-country road trips with the Dog and so the Ridgeline gave us the extra room. Ridgeline (RTL-E) cost a bit more and the mileage is OK for a truck it's size (25.5 mpg since we've owned it) The trunk is handy for coolers and things that don't come out at every stop. The two-way tailgate is also a big plus. We've never regretted going with the Ridgeline. Good luck either way!

 

Thanks … good points.

 

Not to mention, the Maverick is a Ford

Have you seen their quality ratings lately?
F ound
O n
R oadside
D ead

 

also.. backwards:

D river
R eturns
O n
F oot

 

I'd feel safer in a Ridgeline. Crash tests are similar, but I'd favor the heavier vehicle. Lariat Mavericks' 3693 curb weight vs 4420 base for the Ridgeline.

 

I drive for a local Ford dealer so I've drove quite a few Mavericks. Oddly enough not a hybrid though so if mpg is a big concern, that's up to you.

To me the Maverick just seems cheaper. As in, not as nice. Ride, handling, finish, etc.

If I needed a full size truck I like the F150 ecoboosts but Maverick vs Ridgeline? Ridgeline all day.

 

Ok … I think this is great feedback… another question:

Is there much difference between a 2021/22 and a 2024/25 Ridgeline? There are some great buys in our area for low-miles, one-owner RL’s that are 2-3 years old. Considering whether to pop for a new one or save some dough on a pre-driven CPO.

Thoughts welcome …

 

It depends on what trim levels the used ones are and whether they have what you want, as opposed to the 24/25s you are looking at.

 

I was looking at a 24 Black edition or trailsport Then found a low mile (18,500 miles) 22 rtl-e. Checked all the boxes and saved me about $14k.

 

So you don’t feel you gave up much with the larger info screen and stamped RL tailgate?

 

From some of the complaints I've seen on here I think my 2022 is in the "Goldilocks' Zone". Zero complaints in 17,500 miles so far. No paint issues, no leaks, no ill-fitting trim, no electronic gremlins, drivetrain is impeccably operating.

Most of my issues are "driver acclimatization" like dog clutch shifts and push button transmission.

 

Most of my issues are "driver acclimatization" like dog clutch shifts and push button transmission.

I don't know the time frame for the dog clutch shifts acclimatization, but after ten month owning the '24 RL, the ZF9 tranny is one thing that I still don't like in the RL. The delays in shifting is annoying at best and downright dangerous at worst when not accounting for it, like merging into traffic, passing slow vehicles, or downshifting has a surge in speed. The RL also moves ever so slightly when started, despite the fact that the parking break is on. I would not say that the drivetrain is "impeccably operating". Maybe in another year I will get used of it.

It certainly took shorter time to get used of that most of technology features don't, or barely work. 😉

 

F = First
O = On
R = Race
D = Day

Sorry, couldn't help myself...¯⁠\⁠⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠⁠/⁠¯

 

Then there is this

 

Sometimes I feel like I resemble a fat old rusted dog … actually makes me like my Mav a little better.
Joking aside those Ford acrostics are funny and creative.

Not sure what i am going to do … my 2022 MAV is almost paid for and I may just keep it to give to our oldest grandson in a few years. And that also allows me to wait for a Gen 3 hybrid RL!

 

I somewhat have the same feeling, even after beating up on the Maverick. Although, I am not prejudice and beat up on the RL probably just as much. Some of the posts about the Maverick are just pulled from thin air, instead of actual experience with it. On the other hand. there are quiet of few posts defending the RL.

I don't know about the Gen 3 Hybrid RL in couple of years. Based on Honda's development progress with the RL, it may take quite a few years to make the new "features" actually work... 😨

 

I can't comment on how a new RL compares, but I recently bought my 2020 RTL-E and test drove the Maverick and Ranger. I was fortunate enough to find a dealer that had a RL and a '23 Maverick so I could drive them back-to-back. It was immediately obvious that the Maverick had less interior room. My wife and I just felt cramped from the start. The Maverick also felt much "cheaper" as far as fit/finish and interior surfaces. The only thing the Maverick had going for it over the RL (at least the 2020/2021s I was looking at was the infotainment system. The Maverick I drove was a pretty loaded up XLT version with the 2.0L. It might have been a little quicker too, but my racing days are long behind me. We quickly dismissed the Maverick as an option. The Ranger we looked at was a 2021 Lariat. If felt very similar to the RL in size, but we didn't like the way it drove and the overall feel just felt dated. For us, the RL checked all of our boxes. The dogs really like the fold-up back seats with the flat floor. We put down a moving blanket so they ride in comfort.

 

As a person that embraced the F-150 Hybrid technology 3 years ago and then had a FOROHAD event several times on a long roadtrip, I am certainly not going to move to a first year AWD hybrid truck of any brand.

Fuming On Road Over Heated Almost Dead

 

We all knew about the 9 speed being slow to shift from reverse to drive and the acceleration it creates to rev match when downshifting the dog clutch gears. 5-4 is a problem.

The issue I'm having now is the 4-5 upshift. I mentioned this before and now at 6700 miles, it's no better. It either shifts perfectly or slips or slams into 5th. Most of the time it will occur on a cold drivetrain, but even when warmed up it still can happen. Throttle position I think is a factor. What's concerning is no one has mentioned this and my Passport did not do this. I don't think it's a mechanical defect because it can shift perfectly too. This is a good old I'm stuck in the middle situation. The transmission works although not as designed and doesn't rise to being a warranty issue. It was the same thing with the engine knock on the 17 RTS I had or the low brake pedal so I dumped that one.

 

acceleration it creates to rev match when downshifting the dog clutch gears.

I know that when it Rev matches it goes into neutral for a moment which causes it to coast for a moment. And I know it can be disconcerting if you're not used to it, but unless you're going downhill I'm not sure it can physically increase its speed.

 

I still have my 2022 Maverick Lariat hybrid fwd and it averages 39mpg in city driving and 32mpg highway at 70-75mph. It’s also very quick and nimble at low speeds; the hybrid electric motor gives it a lot of immediately available torque.

But as everyone has said in this thread, it’s not in the same class as RL … it’s louder, cheaper interior materials (even in thr Lariat), and and lacks the smooth heft of the RL. It’s really a different ‘truck’ altogether … as someone said, the Mav is more of a fun little toss-about which is a great for a second vehicle, but maybe not so great as a daily driver.

I am still arguing myself to sleep on whether to trade up to a 2024 RL RTS+ or to keep the Mav for another couple of years and wait for a Gen 3 RL hybrid … oh well, it’s a first world problem to wrestle with!

 

I still have my 2022 Maverick Lariat hybrid fwd and it averages 39mpg in city driving and 32mpg highway at 70-75mph. It’s also very quick and nimble at low speeds; the hybrid electric motor gives it a lot of immediately available torque.

But as everyone has said in this thread, it’s not in the same class as RL … it’s louder, cheaper interior materials (even in thr Lariat), and and lacks the smooth heft of the RL. It’s really a different ‘truck’ altogether … as someone said, the Mav is more of a fun little toss-about which is a great for a second vehicle, but maybe not so great as a daily driver.

I am still arguing myself to sleep on whether to trade up to a 2024 RL RTS+ or to keep the Mav for another couple of years and wait for a Gen 3 RL hybrid … oh well, it’s a first world problem to wrestle with!

Tough decision but I’d recommend waiting for the 3rd gen at this point
That’s my plan but I’m in a 2020 BE right now so that makes it easier
If the hybrid Tacos got 40 mpg I’d switch brands today and that may very well happen before Honda Wakes up and gets the RL updated

 

When it comes to Hybrids and particularly Toyota, the ones that get the MPG's are the ones that don't have a geared automatic, just an E-CVT. As far as I know, the Maverick is the only truck that has a setup like this. It's too small for me. If there was a bigger version, how would it all price out? With the discounts that you can get on a midsize today, say you spend 40k. Could you get hybrid that gets better MPG's, and is less capable for that money? Might not be worth it. The only way I'd see to get MPG's and power would be a plug in but at what price?

The Toyotas that have an electric motor sandwiched between the motor and a geared, torque converted automatic have the extra torque with minimal mpg gains. It's probably great for things like rock crawling where you get high torque at low rpm. Is it worth it to pay in the 60's to get this?

 

But again how much progress is being made in Battery tech? Where will it be in a decade?
All of your post is true based off of the technology available at the moment but in short order power and Mpgs will be available

 

I think it would take quite a bit of effort, R&D and expense to create a vehicle that is both capable of significantly higher MPG and retaining decent towing capacity.

Best i can see for Honda's large truck platform would be a hybrid setup whereby the ICE drives one end of the truck with electric assist at the other end of the truck. They could at least maintain a 3500lb tow rating with thaf setup (e.g. - FWD Ridgeline rated for 3500lbs, e-assisted RWD possibly locked out during towing). Would lose the torque-vectoring iVTM4 unless Honda could duplicate it with the e-drive software. Honda does have an e-axle they are developing, so there is a glimmer of hope there. Of course, all of this is very very different from the tech in their current hybrid offerings.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is very difficult to get significant MPG increases out of a vehicle, even with significant powertrain changes. Manufacturers will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to eke out a tenth of a MPG, so 2MPG in the hybrid Tacoma is huge, given that they did not reduce drivability (and actually enhanced it).

It is much easier to eke out those significant improvements in a smaller lighter vehicle such as the Maverick, or CRV, or Civic. If you want a 30MPG Ridgeline, it's probably going to resemble a CRV more than a Pilot. Then it is not a Ridgeline anymore, but an entirely new class of vehicle for Honda, perhaps an E-lement MUV.

 

I think it would take quite a bit of effort, R&D and expense to create a vehicle that is both capable of significantly higher MPG and retaining decent towing capacity.

Best i can see for Honda's large truck platform would be a hybrid setup whereby the ICE drives one end of the truck with electric assist at the other end of the truck. They could at least maintain a 3500lb tow rating with thaf setup (e.g. - FWD Ridgeline rated for 3500lbs, e-assisted RWD possibly locked out during towing). Would lose the torque-vectoring iVTM4 unless Honda could duplicate it with the e-drive software. Honda does have an e-axle they are developing, so there is a glimmer of hope there. Of course, all of this is very very different from the tech in their current hybrid offerings.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is very difficult to get significant MPG increases out of a vehicle, even with significant powertrain changes. Manufacturers will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to eke out a tenth of a MPG, so 2MPG in the hybrid Tacoma is huge, given that they did not reduce drivability (and actually enhanced it).

It is much easier to eke out those significant improvements in a smaller lighter vehicle such as the Maverick, or CRV, or Civic. If you want a 30MPG Ridgeline, it's probably going to resemble a CRV more than a Pilot. Then it is not a Ridgeline anymore, but an entirely new class of vehicle for Honda, perhaps an E-lement MUV.

I have faith that big changes are coming to the current technology used in hybrids
AI will figure this stuff out Years earlier than Man could have alone. I fully expect to see high mpg midsize trucks within a decade if not sooner
Imagine a RL that gets 50 mpg and does its own charging with no cables necessary
That’s the dream and like a moon trip is attainable

 

Honda employes have made statements to people at car shows that Hybrids are coming to the large platform vehicles. Honda is very secretive so it's hard to get much quality intel. I believe Honda has made statements that that they will offer a Hybrid on every model they make by 2027.
If someone goes to the LA auto show later this month to see the new Passport. Ask them about their hybrid plans in the large platform vehicles.

 

My take on the Maverick is that it is good value in its lower trim levels. But when I looked (I think base engine choices changed?) the hybrid was only available in FWD, and I need AWD. Once to step up to higher trims with AWD, you lose the hybrid and the value drops with prices getting much closer to the RL for what is a tiny little truck. Then there's the reported Additional Dealer Profit, which supposedly can be circumvented by finding an honest dealer (!) and ordering and waiting. But watch the options carefully, since things you might think are standard may not be

 

This is exactly the reason I quit looking at the Maverick
However in hindsight, the ridge is a much better ride and refined vehicle
That alone is enough of a reason to go with the Ridgeline now for me