All good and well. But the 2008 Super Duty Lariat I bought new, I would not give a second look to today. Brown and Tan with a light tan interior. When I see one today it looks dated. The only like I have for it is nostalgic.

 

Color choices are not restricted to high end models. I hate lime green and orange Fiestas, Edges, etc too. They are dated from the day they are built. You can buy non-fad colors (oxford white, same as my '02 E150, is a good choice) on almost everything Ford builds.

 

I just looked at all the recent info out there on the just reveled Maverick; I can see there is a lot to like and many things various F150/Ranger owners may not like.

For me, I like most of what I see, perhaps the short bed is not appealing. But I'm 63 and am finding I don't need as much pick up as I used to. I recently traded down from a V8 to V6 because I don't really tow anymore but stayed with an 8' bed because I do haul stuff. I am going to closely track what I really use my PU for to see if the Maverick is an option; I figured a small aluminum 5x8 trailer could be towed behind the Maverick for the times I really need the towing volume (not weight). I like that you can get a Lariat for ~ $35K. One of favorite PUs was the 88 Ranger with reg cab (aftermarket sunroof) and small 4 pot engine.

I will be interested to see what reports are out on the handling on the road because the unibody offers the potential to tune in a good ride. With Ford stating the MPG target of the Civic. I am sure they are targeting the small car segment buyers so it should have some decent ride manners. Since I think I will be traveling long distances (~2,000 miles), ride comfort is an important consideration for me.

The hybrid drive train with good MPG moves this option slightly ahead of the Ranger (since I do not tow).

​​​​​​​When we are caught up from the lack of chips fiasco, I will be stopping by the Ford dealer to check out the latest offerings. The Maverick is definitely on my radar screen.

 

Let me be the second voice to say they should offer this in a regular cab, or possibly a supercab, with a little bigger bed. Same wheelbase, just more room in the bed and less room in the cab. I realize the unibody construction would prevent them from offering much in the way of payload capacity, but a lot of things I haul are bulky but not that heavy. YMMV


To me, it's going to come down to how well I fit in the driver's seat. Some small cars have a lot of room for the driver, while some larger vehicles can make you feel claustrophobic.

 

I don’t think it would be easy to adapt the unibody to a 2 door, larger bed configuration. If market demand is there, only then would the investment be made. These are kind of a replacement for a 4 door sedan, just with a different kind of trunk. I guess they should call it a crossover truck.

 

If you need a longer length for stuff you carry, there is the Transit Connect which I understand Ford is moving to from Spain to Mexico for production due to the chicken tax fiasco.

What would be really cool is an AWD Transit Connect with some real ground clearance and a bit of toughness. I'm more of a van than a pickup truck guy (because I carry nice things around) and this would be a winner IMO.

2 foot long pickup beds are really kind of dumb, no matter how many "cute" accessories they can sell you to fit a bicycle or a kayak... (edit--I know the bed is longer than 2 feet, but I carry bicycles that are 6 feet long)

 

Well, it is 4.5 not 2.0, but yes, it is kind of small. I didn't like the 5.5' bed on my 2018 F150 Supercrew, and 4.5 is going to be worse. Better than not having a bed at all.

We're all going to have to wait and see. No point in getting all worked up, one way or another, until we can go down to the dealer and drive one.

 

You can't even get a Ranger in a two door, supercab or super crew only and a 6' box can be had with a supercab with an optional bed extender to make it longer.

 

I'm 68 and not in their target market but I'm considering ordering a loaded one. I am a homeowner in a somewhat rural community and would like a vehicle that I can use to pick up stuff that won't fit in my Challenger. I take an annual trip from and to the PNW to Florida so AWD is a must for me. I like the idea that it will fit easily in my garage. As I am old I likes my creature comforts so I'll likely order one fully loaded. While I didn't love my wife's 2005 Escape Limited it was a fantastically reliable. The newer versions are pretty nice too.