OT: New Ford Maverick

[Docbop]

I remember back in the day seemed like most musicians had compact pickup trucks. I had one I used for both my own gigging and roadie work. With a topper on them gear was protected from the weather the eyes of people walking by. I was really sad with they went away. Then truck world went nuts and trucks got bigger and bigger and higher, and prices started skyrocketing.

 

Well Ford recently came out with the 2022 Maverick compact crewcab pickup with a starting price just over $21K. Even better the base model is a hybrid that gets 40MPG. They also make ICE models if you prefer gas and can get a tow kit to pull 4000 lbs. They call it a city work truck and perfect for the DIY types. I've been thinking about getting a hybrid and this could be a great alternative to a SUV.

 

Looks like the musician truck is back.

 

Link to info on Ford Maverick

[synthizen2]

Ford used to make a mini-pickup called the Ranger (back in the 90s and early 00s) which they discontinued for about a decade and a half, before bringing the line back recently. Now they have the Maverick. Good to see some new pickups that are not the size of Monster Trucks.

 

I had a (used) blue 2004 Ranger from 2015 to 2021 (earlier this year), which I used for both regular job and gigging. It did not have the extended cab, but had plenty of flatbed space, and I had the cap (or "topper") to protect gear from the weather.

 

It was nice for its purpose... but my recently acquired (used) 2014 Honda CRV, with its convertible rear space (from back-seat passenger space, to a full flatbed space), is just as good (or better) for gigging, and gets better gas mileage. Modern mini-SUV is still a good choice for gigging. But I do remember the days of almost every musician having a mini-pickup.

[ElmerJFudd]

My dad"s 90s Ford Ranger is still running. Just replaced battery and radiator. I"m glad to see Ford doing a mid size truck if that"s what the Maverick is. The new Bronco is pricey and not a Ranger replacement. Others on my list to check out are Chevy Colorado, Nissan Frontier, Honda Ridgeline (also pricey), and Toyota Tacoma (expensive, but will probably go through the odometer twice before it dies like most Toyotas).

 

Some room in the cab is important for cold weather - you stick your electronic and acoustic instruments in the cab. Cable bags, hand truck, stuff like that can go in the bed.

[zxcvbnm098]

In my first band I and our guitar player both had 1973 Datsun pickups. Indispensable for gigs back in the late 70's; big Peavey Sp1 PA cabinets, Rhodes 73, drums, bass and guitar amps, stands etc filled up the beds in each. I had mine through college and that band as well. At some point in college the engine in mine needed replacing, so I drove up from San Diego to somewhere in Long Beach and bought a used engine from a place that imported them from Japan. $275, and my sound man and I dropped it in in my driveway one weekend.

 

The early 70's Japanese cars are becoming very collectible these days, but in the day the trucks were cheap, easy to work on and lasted forever. I suspect these new Mavericks will be quite successful...

 

[Stokely]

I've owned a couple smaller pickups (my first car as a teenager was a Ranger). Never really found them very good for musician's gear unless you had a topper (I did). These days a minivan or SUV is better for a small amount of gear, and a work van better for a lot of gear...IMO.

 

My trucks did do one thing--I was very popular with friends and relatives when it came to moving time!

 

I do have my eye on the new electric F150 though just because it would be hilarious to tool around in a big truck that you plug in....take that, moronic "rolling coal" idiots!

 

Honestly, trucks are way too big and high. The driver can't even see motorcycles next to them (assuming the driver isn't glued to a cell phone, which is not a bet I'd take).

[Mitch Towne]

My Ford Flex is the perfect gigging vehicle!

[Stokely]

I really liked the Flex...wife wanted a Pilot instead, and it was a good vehicle but the Flex looked more useful, being basically a big box The Pilot didn't really have a ton of room for such a big suv.

 

Our Odyssey was an amazing vehicle...bought for kiddies, used for everything under the sun.

 

My rig is so small now, and I don't have a PA, that really any car will do.*

 

*Provided it passes the forehead test. I've proven over many years I lack the capacity to avoid a back hatch that is too low (think Gandalf bonking his head in Bilbo's house.). That was the one flaw of the Odyssey, it drew blood from me on multiple occasions. Ok, well, perhaps that is more on me. Anyway, since my evolution failed me in this way, I have to test any car for this. I ruled out a Subaru Outback (which I loved otherwise) due to this.

 

Next car will definitely be a plugin all-electric vehicle, especially since I intend to work from home until I retire (the one good thing that came from covid...) and we have solar+battery now.

[Threadslayer]

It seems like this type of rig is an emerging crossover vehicle class. A family sedan or cute ute with a bed in the back to haul stuff back from Home Depot. Another similar one is the Hyundai Santa Cruz. I'll bet they do well in the market.

[Docbop]

My dad"s 90s Ford Ranger is still running. Just replaced battery and radiator. I"m glad to see Ford doing a mid size truck if that"s what the Maverick is.

 

The new Maverick is a compact pickup like the early Ford Rangers. The new Ranger is a mid-size pickup. One of the reviews I saw said Ford is looking to bring back the compact pickup market and get Ram and others start to making compact pickups and small hybrid pickups.

[drawback]

In my first band I and our guitar player both had 1973 Datsun pickups. Indispensable for gigs back in the late 70's; big Peavey Sp1 PA cabinets, Rhodes 73, drums, bass and guitar amps, stands etc filled up the beds in each. I had mine through college and that band as well. At some point in college the engine in mine needed replacing, so I drove up from San Diego to somewhere in Long Beach and bought a used engine from a place that imported them from Japan. $275, and my sound man and I dropped it in in my driveway one weekend.

 

The early 70's Japanese cars are becoming very collectible these days, but in the day the trucks were cheap, easy to work on and lasted forever. I suspect these new Mavericks will be quite successful...

 

I had one of those 70s Datsun pickups back in the 1980s. Good little yellow-orange workhorse, it rusted out long before the engine died. By the time I sold it, maybe '85 or so, the floorboard under the clutch had corroded clean out, it began burning a quart of oil a week, and the leaf suspension was shot from hauling sand for the kids' sandbox and lumber. I don't think I'd buy a new Maverick as I'd want to baby it. But I still want a 1/4-ton beater which are impossible to find these days.

[hardware]

A really nice rig.

Just hope they have stocked up on parts.

A friend of mine bought a 2021 Ford Sedan and it took 6 months to fix the AC.

 

Mavericks should sell like hot cakes though because it"s size is perfect for suburban moms, band gear, Mobile BBQ, etc.

Plus it"s EV actually looks good and is priced right.

[Adam Burgess]

Being from England, it's always great to see you Americans, saying this is a small, non-monster-truck!

Also guessing personally (as in just you and your keys rig?)

 

Standard van (for the whole band, instruments, PA, and lights for the club circuit) is a Mercedes Sprinter LWB.

 

In Arabia at the moment, though, where everyone has Land Cruisers, F150s, and Range Rovers.

They have room, though, as I guess you do! Not so in Merry England!

[wineandkeyz]

I was intrigued by the Maverick, but a look at its bed dimensions made it probably a non-starter for me. It's billed as having a 54.4" length. The road cases for my Yamaha S70XS and Roland Jupiter-80 are both just over 55.5" and were the shortest I could find to fit them.

 

http://blog.tmcnet.com/on-rads-radar/missed-it.jpg

[drawback]

Being from England, it's always great to see you Americans, saying this is a small, non-monster-truck!

Also guessing personally (as in just you and your keys rig?)

 

Standard van (for the whole band, instruments, PA, and lights for the club circuit) is a Mercedes Sprinter LWB.

 

In Arabia at the moment, though, where everyone has Land Cruisers, F150s, and Range Rovers.

They have room, though, as I guess you do! Not so in Merry England!

 

It"s always great to see those on the other side of the pond considering Mercedes as garden-variety vehicles. Here in the colonies, it"s a luxury brand!

[Biggles]

Being from England, it's always great to see you Americans, saying this is a small, non-monster-truck!

Also guessing personally (as in just you and your keys rig?)

 

Standard van (for the whole band, instruments, PA, and lights for the club circuit) is a Mercedes Sprinter LWB.

 

In Arabia at the moment, though, where everyone has Land Cruisers, F150s, and Range Rovers.

They have room, though, as I guess you do! Not so in Merry England!

 

It"s always great to see those on the other side of the pond considering Mercedes as garden-variety vehicles. Here in the colonies, it"s a luxury brand!

 

A Mercedes is a Truck and Taxi maker to me.

 

I certainly do not class most of the Mercedes we have in the UK as luxury, most here are A and C class which means cheap and nasty interiors, mediocre seating and ride quality.

 

We do see the occasional Ford F150 on our roads and that seems like a Monster Truck.

 

My own car is a mid sized SUV of the same size as an Audi Q5 or BMW X3 both of which you have in the US of A and even that is a bit big for some of our country roads

[MathOfInsects]

It's true that our cars are too big here, but in our defense they are completely in proportion to our bodies. Plus, where else are we supposed to store all our guns??

[Docbop]

I was intrigued by the Maverick, but a look at its bed dimensions made it probably a non-starter for me. It's billed as having a 54.4" length. The road cases for my Yamaha S70XS and Roland Jupiter-80 are both just over 55.5" and were the shortest I could find to fit them.

 

http://blog.tmcnet.com/on-rads-radar/missed-it.jpg

 

 

I noticed that later my 88-key Kronos wouldn't fit even in a bag. Too bad they didn't make it about 6" longer (as the choir sings... That's what she said"). I'm back looking at hybrid SUV's now.

[Docbop]

Being from England, it's always great to see you Americans, saying this is a small, non-monster-truck!

Also guessing personally (as in just you and your keys rig?)

 

Standard van (for the whole band, instruments, PA, and lights for the club circuit) is a Mercedes Sprinter LWB.

 

In Arabia at the moment, though, where everyone has Land Cruisers, F150s, and Range Rovers.

They have room, though, as I guess you do! Not so in Merry England!

 

My girlfriend at the time her parents went to England on vacation. They are walking around and her mother sees this huge cars coming down the street and comments to the husband how big that car is. The husband laughs and tells her that's the same car we have at home. A 67 Chevy Impala.

[El Lobo]

Now if I could just find a compact electric pickup ... or SUV ... or any small electric box. With a high roofline. Yeah, forgot that. I can't get in a car with a low door opening.