For most of the past decade, buyers looking for a truly small pickup have had no options. In 2023, they have two. But one outshines the other.
The 2023 Ford Maverick wins our Best Buy Award in the compact pickup truck class.
Ford’s smallest truck, the Maverick starts at $22,195, plus a $1,495 destination fee.
Buyers might want a small truck for several reasons.
Perhaps they need the carrying capacity of an open-bed pickup but the ability to maneuver easily in urban confines. Our editors found the Maverick ideal for that. Our test driver wrote, “Although it’s a compact truck, the Maverick feels as easy to drive as a small SUV, which is no surprise considering it shares a platform with the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs.”
Perhaps they want to save money with a low purchase price and good fuel economy numbers. The Maverick is the least-expensive vehicle in its small class, costing thousands less than a comparable Hyundai Santa Cruz. And its standard drivetrain is good for a remarkable 42 mpg in city driving.
Or perhaps they just want something funky. The Maverick offers owners unique opportunities to express themselves with a selection of bright colors and an innovative system of interior mounting points that lets owners 3D-print cupholders, phone mounts, and other accessories to mount around the cabin.
The Maverick is a clever, well-designed truck. It’s also proof that Americans will buy small pickups – Ford sold out of 2023 Mavericks just days after it opened orders for the new truck.
Let’s hope that’s a lesson to other automakers and the Maverick gets new small truck challengers in next year’s awards.
How We Decide
Our editors spend all year evaluating cars for our annual Best Buy Awards.
We test drive more than 300 vehicles yearly to write our detailed reviews.
We flag those that combine affordability, dependability, reliability, and low ownership and operating costs as possible award winners. Our data analysts then take a detailed look at the financial aspects of owning each. They calculate the 5-Year Cost to Own, factoring in depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel, fees, and taxes.
Finally, we bring the best contenders in for head-to-head testing.
