What does Ford think the Maverick is for?

[stmitch]

Ford views the Maverick as their entry level vehicle now that the Fiesta and Focus are gone. So they're marketing to small car buyers as well as small truck buyers.
The hybrid (if you could actually get one) is the cheapest hybrid vehicle for sale of any kind. They're going to get Prius buyers with this thing too.

As for owner demographics, I haven't seen anybody driving one that didn't have gray or white hair.

 

[Snoranger]

because people who had no business buying one in the first place has dictated market direction.

But here we are… the person who doesn’t buy new vehicles thinks he should dictate the market. It doesn’t work that way.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

But here we are… the person who doesn’t buy new vehicles thinks he should dictate the market. It doesn’t work that way.

I would buy a new one if they wernt a) stupidly overpriced because of all the "tech" that supposdly has to be packed in and b) if they were still built in such a way they still rode/drove/functioned like a proper truck.

Think of it this way...

Theres a bar you have been going to for years. Sure its not the cleanest place, the bar itself is old, stained a bit, the stools are tore up some, the place smells like old cigarette smoke and stale beer. The bartender wears an t shirt and jeans, and the bathrooms are so bad pissing in the gravel lot is encouraged. Theres nothing but an old jukebox loaded with vinyl records with the newest song being from 1985, and the only TV in the place is a 20 inch tube TV with rabbit ears on a dusty corner shelf. Despite the flaws, you like it for what it is and go there and enjoy it.

Now lets say for whatever reason the "young, hip" crowd starts coming in regularly, sure they spend more money, bringing in large groups of friends, calling the place "quaint", but then the owners of said bar decide to get more of these "young hip kids" (and their money) coming in.

All of a sudden you see the floors get retiled, the bar gets ripped out and replaced with some LED lighted stainless steel thing, the old stools are ripped out and replaced with those tall, applebees like chairs. The old TV is gone replaced by a massive 80in plasma in your face TV thats constantly blaring loud, the old jukebox is gone and replaced by an ipod blasting some modern BS through massive speakers, the bathrooms are "modernized" and the parking lot paved, and ol joe behind the bar is fired and replaced by some clean shaven, man bun wearing doofus in skinny jeans mixing fancy martinis.

How would that make you feel? Bitter, pissed off, irritated? You understand the owner wanted more money but at the same time one of your last places of enjoyment has been ripped up and changed for a crowd of people that wanted to be there but wanted everything changed.

That is exactly how i feel about the modern truck market and basically the whole automotive landscape these days in general. Youre right i have no way of changing it but i also have every right not to be happy about it and let my opinions be known.

 

[Snoranger]

I would buy a new one if they wernt a) stupidly overpriced because of all the "tech" that supposdly has to be packed in and b) if they were still built in such a way they still rode/drove/functioned like a proper truck.

Think of it this way...

Theres a bar you have been going to for years. Sure its not the cleanest place, the bar itself is old, stained a bit, the stools are tore up some, the place smells like old cigarette smoke and stale beer. The bartender wears an t shirt and jeans, and the bathrooms are so bad pissing in the gravel lot is encouraged. Theres nothing but an old jukebox loaded with vinyl records with the newest song being from 1985, and the only TV in the place is a 20 inch tube TV with rabbit ears on a dusty corner shelf. Despite the flaws, you like it for what it is and go there and enjoy it.

Now lets say for whatever reason the "young, hip" crowd starts coming in regularly, sure they spend more money, bringing in large groups of friends, calling the place "quaint", but then the owners of said bar decide to get more of these "young hip kids" (and their money) coming in.

All of a sudden you see the floors get retiled, the bar gets ripped out and replaced with some LED lighted stainless steel thing, the old stools are ripped out and replaced with those tall, applebees like chairs. The old TV is gone replaced by a massive 80in plasma in your face TV thats constantly blaring loud, the old jukebox is gone and replaced by an ipod blasting some modern BS through massive speakers, the bathrooms are "modernized" and the parking lot paved, and ol joe behind the bar is fired and replaced by some clean shaven, man bun wearing doofus in skinny jeans mixing fancy martinis.

How would that make you feel? Bitter, pissed off, irritated? You understand the owner wanted more money but at the same time one of your last places of enjoyment has been ripped up and changed for a crowd of people that wanted to be there but wanted everything changed.

That is exactly how i feel about the modern truck market and basically the whole automotive landscape these days in general. Youre right i have no way of changing it but i also have every right not to be happy about it and let my opinions be known.

I don’t drink.

 

[racsan]

I do think a maverick would work for me most of the time, on paper its got potential, at least for my needs and useage. I wouldn’t daily drive it, only because my job is very dirty and I couldnt bring myself to get into a new vehicle every day to come home and have sand residue get all over the inside. If one were to wind up with me it would be like the escape is now, “her” daily and my weekender, chances are I would end up with the escape and the ranger I currently drive would be a “backup” in case one of the primary vehicles was down. At one time this summer we only had the hhr to drive, now its out of service. Ive considered another gen 2 escape as a backup, No I cant haul much but it can tow and I do have a couple of trailers. Im almost afraid to buy anything right now, a lot of uncertainty.

 

[Snoranger]

@rusty ol ranger I get what you’re saying, but it’s wrong. You can still get a reg cab w/ an 8’ bed F150. It starts at about $31k. That’s not bad.
But people have other needs for their vehicle than just a work truck.

 

[ryan]

Guess what rusty? that bar would have been closed two decades ago because it didn't make any money. That's what happened to the truck segment - your ideal is a fantasy. You may not like it, but it's the reality of the market. The people who spend real money on trucks want all that tech and want it comfortable. That's why a loaded superduty has all that junk

 

[Snoranger]

Guess what rusty? that bar would have been closed two decades ago because it didn't make any money. That's what happened to the truck segment - your ideal is a fantasy. You may not like it, but it's the reality of the market. The people who spend real money on trucks want all that tech and want it comfortable. That's why a loaded superduty has all that junk

But you can still buy an XL and not get “all that junk”. 95% of our county trucks are XLs. We get a lot of the F550s with manual windows, basic radios, split bench seats, etc. The F250s are usually supervisor trucks, so they have power windows and locks. They’re still XLs, and they’re cheap.

 

[Blmpkn]

My point is the crowd who buys a truck just to say they have a truck and dont really need a truck shouldnt of being the ones being catered to.

The 'problem' is.... that same crowd your talking about probably makes up the majority of new truck sales.

A manufacturer is going to cater to whoever gives them more money.


Gotta make cars cool again.. then men can have their trucks back.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

But you can still buy an XL and not get “all that junk”. 95% of our county trucks are XLs. We get a lot of the F550s with manual windows, basic radios, split bench seats, etc. The F250s are usually supervisor trucks, so they have power windows and locks. They’re still XLs, and they’re cheap.

The problem I have is you can buy fleet trucks and tell Ford what you want. I tried pricing out a new truck a few years back… I wanted a F-250 crew cab 8’ bed, 4x4, heavy suspension, towing package, snow plow prep, diesel. To get all of that I was required to buy a Lariat, King Ranch, or Platinum. I don’t need all of that, I need an XLT at best, but if you’re not buying fleet vehicles, you don’t get a choice anymore other than trying to find someone selling a used fleet truck with what you want. Usually in white. I hate white trucks.

 

[rubydist]

fyi, Ford tells us the F-150 crew cab makes up more than 80% of the production volume, so most people buying trucks nowadays are clearly wanting the cab space more than the bed space.

 

[Ranger850]

fyi, Ford tells us the F-150 crew cab makes up more than 80% of the production volume, so most people buying trucks nowadays are clearly wanting the cab space more than the bed space.

Well, If Ford makes 80 percent of the trucks Crew cab, then obviously they're going to sell more crew cabs. Crew Cabs are more expensive than Reg Cabs, so we get the numbers in and see more people are buying Crew Cabs. Why would they make a bunch of low cost, low profit trucks, when they can sell a bunch of Crew Cabs. Then they say, "Nobody's buying inexpensive Reg Cab trucks anymore".

Same thing with all the grey paint colors.

 

[Chapap]

I was thinking ford might intend the maverick to be a hip car (thus the pic in post 1), but most owners are gray haired types. Seems they’re trying to force the maverick into a market that won’t accept it. It’s just not trucky enough for people who want but don’t need a truck. I’d argue that its capabilities are exactly in line with the original ranger… but ford deemed 4 doors to be more useful than a long bed. The new extended cab ranger fits those who want an original ranger.

 

[Ranger850]

I think Ford misjudged the need for a small truck. They thought the young hipster crowd might like it. They did NOT know that the Middle aged people who grew up with small trucks, might also want a small truck again.

 

[Blmpkn]

Well, If Ford makes 80 percent of the trucks Crew cab, then obviously they're going to sell more crew cabs. Crew Cabs are more expensive than Reg Cabs, so we get the numbers in and see more people are buying Crew Cabs. Why would they make a bunch of low cost, low profit trucks, when they can sell a bunch of Crew Cabs. Then they say, "Nobody's buying inexpensive Reg Cab trucks anymore".

Same thing with all the grey paint colors.

This isn't exactly sound logic IMO. It's similar to feminazis claiming most of men's sexual desires are only there because porn has brainwashed us lol.

If crew cabs sell better than single cabs, why in the world would ford want to make a bunch of single cabs to fill their dealer lots with?

Same thing with paint color.. when buying a new vehicle resale value is on the mind of a lot of buyers. Vehicles with generic colors like the grays have been shown to have a larger market/hold value better than the stupid yellows and hot pepper reds.. so thats what people are more likely to choose.

Again.. when most people want a gray.. why would they bother expanding the color palate?


Someone who makes money on selling crap to the general public, knows what their customers are buying. That's what they make.