2022 Ford Maverick vs 2023 Ford F-150

Ford pickup trucks are Canada’s best-sellers, but that doesn’t mean the Blue Oval is satisfied. The 2022 Ford Maverick aims to further expand the market by offering a more approachable version of the pickup. The Maverick is the smallest Ford truck in over a decade, uses car-like unibody construction for greater refinement, and emphasizes fuel efficiency with a standard hybrid powertrain.

The all-new Maverick’s closest rivals are the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Honda Ridgeline, other unibody pickups of similar size. But while the new Santa Cruz was conceived more as an SUV with a bed, the Maverick is more like a conventional pickup, just smaller than Ford’s other offerings.

The Maverick slots just below the Ford Ranger in size, although it’s still a bit larger than the compact pickups of old. With the demise of the EcoSport crossover, the Maverick is also now Ford’s de facto entry-level vehicle, which seems fitting for a company whose bestselling product is the F-150. Ford isn’t really a car company; it’s a truck company.

While the Ford F-150 is available in a dizzying array of configurations, the automaker kept things simple with the 2022 Maverick. The new Ford pickup is available in just three trim levels—XL, XLT, and Lariat—with a single bed length and cab configuration. At Ford’s invitation, we sampled the full lineup over two days.

This year, Ford expands the F-150 lineup yet again. The big news is the debut of the F-150 Raptor R, equipped with a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine making 700 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. The new 2023 F-150 Raptor R also has exclusive R-tuned Fox live-valve shocks, standard 37-inch all-terrain tires, and a few other goodies to justify its presumably six-figure price tag (Canadian pricing has not been announced as of publication time).

The other new version of the 2023 Ford F-150 is more accessible: the XLT Heritage Edition. It has two-tone paint, unique cloth seat inserts, and exclusive 75 Years interior details. That’s the subject of this review.