2022 Ford Maverick Real-World Fuel Economy: Extraordinary Achievements
We’ve now had half a year with our long-term, award-winning 2022 Ford Maverick Lariat hybrid test truck, and it’s remained a favorite among our staff for everything from road trips to around-town errands. One reason we picked the hybrid over the more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter engine option was because of the novelty of having a compact hybrid pickup and its potential fuel economy — but a few months in, we still hadn’t run a specific fuel economy loop to see what it could actually return. So earlier this summer, I fueled it up, checked the tire pressures and drove a 200-mile loop around Southeast Michigan to see exactly how good it is on sipping the expensive unleaded.
Related: 6 Months With a 2022 Ford Maverick: Is It Still Our Top Gun?
The Ride
By now, if you’ve been following along on our adventures here at Cars.com, you should be familiar with the Maverick we acquired in March. Our requirements for the thing were pretty loose: We wanted the hybrid powertrain — a 191-horsepower combination of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motor with a continuously variable transmission driving only the front wheels — and heated seats.
Given the limited availability of the Maverick in early 2022 — the thing has proven to be such a hot seller that Ford shut off the ordering tap halfway through the ‘22 model year and is only now about to reopen it for 2023 — we were lucky to have found the one we did. It’s a loaded Lariat version, meaning it has the Ford Co-Pilot360 safety system, leather seats, and all the bells and whistles — but no four-wheel drive; that’s not available on the hybrid. Given the efficiency and utility of the Maverick, we’re willing to overlook that kind of deficit and perhaps compensate with some snow tires when the weather inevitably turns poor in our region later in the year.
The Route
My standard fuel economy route is a roughly 200-mile loop beginning at the Cars.com Detroit bureau offices in Ann Arbor, Mich., and heading east to the western edge of suburban Detroit before skirting north along that edge, all on surface streets with stop-and-go driving and speeds generally ranging from 25-50 mph. From there, it heads west on the highways to Lansing, Mich., then south to Jackson, Mich., and back east to Ann Arbor, all at highway speeds of 70-75 mph.
In order to simulate typical user conditions, climate control is switched on with air conditioning running, while windows are left up for best aerodynamic efficiency. Cruise control is not employed, but speeds are always kept to within 5 mph of the posted limit. Acceleration and braking is done at a moderate pace, keeping up with traffic, but no stoplight drag races are happening while we’re testing. With a beautiful 80-degree day, plentiful sunshine and light traffic volumes, I set out on the loop to see just what the Maverick can do when tested specifically for its fuel-sipping nature.
The Results
It must be said: The Maverick hybrid’s fuel economy is truly extraordinary for this type of vehicle. Credit goes in significant part to the fact that the truck really, really wants to stay in electric mode for as long as possible, and if you drive it normally (not even super-carefully), it will do just that.
The route I ran divides the drive into about 25% stop-and-go suburban traffic and 75% highway speeds. For that first 45.3 miles of city driving, the Maverick did 29.3 of them in electric mode, generating a calculated result of 52.7 mpg. Keep in mind this is with normal acceleration and the air conditioning running at full tilt since it was rather warm and humid that day. The Maverick hybrid is EPA-rated to get 42/33/37 mpg city/highway/combined, already some great numbers, but it can actually achieve much higher numbers under ordinary conditions and average use.
The total range driven for the test came to 204.5 miles (of which 40.6 were electric) during which the Maverick’s trip computer said it achieved 40.9 mpg total over the whole trip, again beating its official highway and combined EPA ratings. My calculation based on measured fuel used versus miles driven actually was even a bit better than that, coming out to 41.5 mpg.
These are exceptional numbers for a highly useful, comfortable, stylish compact pickup that can be had for a relative bargain. Mileage is one aspect of the Maverick that’s made it the must-have truck for 2022. Given that the 2023 model year carries over largely unchanged (with just the addition of new colors and a new Tremor off-road package) and the ordering window reopens soon, we expect the Maverick’s popularity will continue unabated into the new year.
More From Cars.com:
- 2023 Ford Maverick Tremor Aids in Affordable Adventure
- 2022 Ford Maverick Review: The True 21st Century Mustang
- How We Bought a 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid Without an Order
- After More Than 2,000 Miles, How’s Our 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid’s Fuel Economy?
- Here Are the 10 Cheapest Pickup Trucks You Can Buy Right Now
- How Does the 2022 Ford Maverick Handle the City?
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