Ford Ranger vs Ford Maverick

While Ford outsells all other brands with its full-size pickup trucks, it's dead last in the midsize class. The Ranger, once the king of small trucks, sold terribly after Ford relaunched it for the 2019 model year. The smaller Maverick outsold the Ranger by three to one in 2023. For 2024, the new Ranger brings more of everything—power, tech, refinement, space, and most importantly, choice. Is it too late for Ford to catch up? We tested a Ranger XLT to find out.

Verdict: With new V6 engines and a Raptor trim, the 2024 Ford Ranger offers greater choice and capability to finally match the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma.

The Ford Maverick really shook up the pickup-truck market when it arrived as a 2022 model. Ford’s compact pickup utilizes the same basic platform as the Escape and Bronco Sport crossovers, but offers real truck capability and a hybrid powertrain to boot. The 2025 model features styling and tech updates, but the biggest news is a Maverick Lobo performance variant and an all-wheel drive (AWD) hybrid, so that’s what we focused on for this first drive.

Verdict: The Maverick is still a great vehicle, but it’s not quite the bargain it once was.