Driven Car Reviews Oct 27, 2025

The Ford Maverick Lobo is Party up Front, Business in Back

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Car

Ford Lobo

The Ford Maverick is a small pickup truck that is useful for carrying things while also being fun to drive. It's a good choice if you want something sporty but also practical.

Car

white space

'White space' in cars means a part of the market where there are no products available yet. It's a chance for companies to create something new that people want.

Car

Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius is a car that uses both gas and electricity to drive, making it very good on gas. It was one of the first popular hybrid cars.

Term

destination charge

A destination charge is an extra cost added to the price of a car to pay for shipping it to the dealership. It's important to know this when looking at car prices.

Part

dual clutch rear differential

A dual clutch rear differential helps the car handle better by sending power to the wheels that need it most, making it easier to drive, especially in tricky conditions.

Car

Ford Bronco Sport

The Ford Bronco Sport Badlands is a tough version of the Bronco Sport SUV, made for off-road driving.

Part

dual piston brake calipers

Dual piston brake calipers are parts of the braking system that help the car stop more quickly and safely by using two pistons to push the brake pads against the wheels.

Term

EcoBoost

EcoBoost is a type of engine made by Ford that uses a turbocharger to make the car more powerful while also saving fuel.

Term

oversteer

Oversteer is when the back of the car slides out during a turn, making it feel like the car is turning more than you want it to.

Term

0-60 time

0-60 time is how fast a car can go from a complete stop to 60 miles per hour. It's a way to see how quickly a car can speed up.

Car

The Ford F-150 SVT Lightning is a special version of the F-150 truck that is faster and more powerful than regular models. It's designed for people who want a truck that can also perform well on the road.

Car

Ford SVT Lightning

The Ford SVT Lightning is a special version of a pickup truck that is designed to be really fast and powerful. It has a strong engine that makes it fun to drive, and it’s popular among people who love performance vehicles. It’s not just for carrying stuff; it can also go really fast!

Car

Ford Edge

The Ford Edge is a type of vehicle called an SUV, which is bigger than a regular car and has more room inside. It’s great for families because it can carry more people and stuff, and it drives more like a car than a truck. Many people like it for its comfort and modern features.

Term

autocross

Autocross is a type of racing where drivers go through a course set up with cones. It's about how fast you can go while making sharp turns, and it's usually done in parking lots or closed areas.

Term

torque vectoring

Torque vectoring is a system that helps a car handle better by sending power to the wheels that need it most, especially when turning. This makes the car more stable and easier to control.

Term

ADAS technology

ADAS technology is a set of features in cars that help keep you safe while driving. This can include things like helping you stay in your lane or slowing down if you get too close to something.

Term

blind spot warning

Blind spot warning is a system that tells you if there's a car in the area you can't see when you're changing lanes. It helps you avoid accidents.

Term

adaptive cruise control

Adaptive cruise control is a system that helps your car keep a safe distance from the car ahead of you. If the car in front slows down, your car will slow down too.

Term

lane keeping

Lane keeping is a technology that helps your car stay in its lane while driving. If you start to drift, it can gently steer the car back into the lane.

Term

automatic emergency braking

Automatic emergency braking is a system that can stop your car if it senses that you're about to crash into something. It helps keep you safe on the road.

Car

Hyundai Santa Cruz

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a new kind of vehicle that combines a small truck with the comfort of an SUV. It has a bed in the back for carrying things, but it also has room inside for passengers. It’s a good choice for people who want something that can do both jobs well.

Term

automatic engine stop-start system

This system automatically turns off the engine when you're stopped, like at a red light, and starts it again when you want to go. It helps save fuel and is good for the environment.

Term

payload rating

Payload rating is how much weight a truck can carry safely. This includes everything inside the truck, like people and items in the truck bed.

Term

crew cab

A crew cab is a truck design that has four doors and enough space for passengers in the front and back seats. It's great for carrying more people.

Term

truck bed

The truck bed is the part of a pickup truck where you can put things you want to carry, like tools or furniture. It's the open space behind the cab.

Term

12-volt pre-wiring

12-volt pre-wiring is a way for trucks to have built-in wiring that makes it easier to add things like lights or air pumps. It helps owners customize their trucks without a lot of extra work.

Term

touchscreen

A touchscreen is a screen that you can control by touching it with your fingers. In cars, it's used to manage things like maps and music without needing buttons.

Term

SYNC 4

SYNC 4 is a technology in Ford cars that helps you control things like navigation and music using a touchscreen and your voice. It's designed to make it easier to use while driving.

Term

ProTrailer hitch assist

ProTrailer hitch assist is a system that helps you back up your vehicle when you're trying to attach a trailer. It uses cameras to show you where to go, making it simpler to hook up your trailer without stress.

Term

ProTrailer backup assist

ProTrailer backup assist is a feature that helps you steer your vehicle while you're backing up a trailer. You can turn a dial to control the direction, which makes it much easier to park or maneuver with a trailer attached.

Car

Ford Fusion

The Ford Fusion is a type of car called a sedan, which is designed for everyday driving. It was popular because it was comfortable and had a lot of space inside for people and their things. Ford stopped making it in 2020 as they decided to focus more on bigger vehicles like SUVs.

LIVE

Can't decide between a sporty car and a pick-up for utility.

Well, maybe consider the Ford Maverick Lobo.

Lobo means wolf in Spanish.

You've already learned something, and there's so much more to come.

White space.

In the automotive world, it means an untapped segment.

In 1984, Chrysler gave us the minivan, that revolutionized family hauling.

In the early 2000s, Toyota Prius plugged the efficiency hole.

Recently, Ford's Maverick was the pick-up no one knew they needed.

Its compact size resonated, long waiting lists, and shocking second stickers were proof.

Think of the new Lobo as the GTI of pick-ups, filling a white space within Maverick's white space.

There have been sporty machines with beds before.

Typically, their engine bays have been stuffed with V8s.

Lobo is more about finesse.

Remember when Ford crowed Maverick pricing started at under $20,000?

Well, it never really did, because there was always a destination charge on top of that.

I think it was $1,500.

In 2025, Maverick is considerably more expensive, beginning at around the $30,000 mark.

The Lobo begins at $37,600, as tested $43,200, because this one is very well-optioned.

There's only one package, a $5,500 equipment group that brings a spray and bedliner,

solid Bang & Olufsen sound, and a sunroof to the party, plus much more.

So Lobo is either basic or fancy, nothing in between.

It gets serious Ford organ donor action.

The dual clutch rear differential from Bronco Sport Badlands gives Lobo torque vectoring ability.

The oil and transmission coolers from Maverick's tow package are standard.

Dual piston brake calipers are off the Euro Focus ST.

While not a full Carolina squat, the unique suspension drops the truck a half inch up front,

1.1 inches in back, reducing ground clearance to 7.4 inches.

Lobo shifts with seven ratios, usually Maverick's transmission uses eight, and paddle shifters.

So Lobo isn't a simple trim package, even though the grille and 19-inch wheels subtly signal it's something different.

No extra oomph coming from this, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder makes the same 250 horsepower

and 277 pound-feet of torque as any other EcoBoost Maverick.

Lobo is strictly all-wheel drive, by the way.

There are the requisite drive modes, plus the exclusive Lobo mode.

It relaxes the electronic stability control nannies of smidge and allows for some oversteer.

It can hang the tail out a bit.

If Lobo's any quicker, you know, because of the transmission gearing than any other EcoBoost-equipped Maverick, it isn't by much.

0-60 happens in about 6.5 seconds.

You will hear some sounds, some turbo whistle, and listen carefully.

A bit of engine growl.

It's nothing like the late-grade F-150 SVT Lightning, but, you know, it sets the mood.

I've always liked the way Maverick drives, especially for a pickup.

Lobo adds an extra edge, like it's been doing cross-fit agility workouts.

I'm in Lobo mode, it's for closed courses only, don't tell anybody.

Really, it's designed for an autocross course because, you know, you accelerate, it holds the gear,

and for the public roads, it's not really all that useful.

For an autocross course, it would be kind of fun.

I didn't rent track time to explore Lobo's torque vectoring abilities,

but for knocking through tight turns and weaving through heavy traffic, it's good fun.

And remember, it's a Maverick, it's useful.

People will be buying this for pickup utility and everyday transportation.

As far as ride quality goes, this is on the firmer side, but it's not harsh or stiff.

Still sporty though, keeps body roll to a minimum, it's a good balance.

This is optioned with Ford's upgraded co-pilot 360 2.0 driver assist ADAS technology.

Stuff like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, automatic emergency braking and blind spot warning.

Good basic stuff to have, but nothing advanced like Blue Cruise.

Being a smaller truck, Maverick does not ride as high as an F-150, of course.

And Lobo is down by about an inch.

But still, visibility is good and when you're driving in tight urban areas, Maverick is unbeatable.

Until Toyota's mythical stout makes to market, the only competition the Blue Oval folks have comes from Hyundai.

Santa Cruz, the other white space filler, used to be much more expensive than Maverick.

Ford's price hike makes comparison shopping worth the effort.

When it comes to sportiness, it's not always about go, sometimes it's about stop.

Lobo is fine, it's controlled, stickier tires might give it shorter stopping distances.

Also, the automatic engine stop-start system is relatively smooth, it can be turned off.

Let's talk fuel economy.

Lobo is EPA rated at an average of 24 miles per gallon.

And when you compare that to other all-wheel drive EcoBoost Mavericks, it kind of splits the difference.

The standard Maverick 25mpg, the Tremor 23.

Now, if you really want fuel economy, then you're going to go with the hybrid,

which is now available with all-wheel drive, but not as a Lobo.

Some Mavericks tow up to 4,000 pounds and have a max payload rating of 1,500 LBSs.

Lobo is limited to 2,000 and 1,045 respectively, so this is more a track and field athlete, not a weightlifter.

All Mavericks are strictly crew cab with a 4.5 foot bed.

I've done videos proving this trucklet hauls 4x8 sheets of building material without too much MacGyvering.

A larger bed would eliminate the urban advantage this has.

One of the beauties of Maverick, unlike full-size trucks or even some mid-size pickups,

it's very easy to work out of the box.

You can just reach over and pick things up.

No sweat.

Slots, sled owners divide the bed into sections and levels using planks of wood.

Option to the hilts, there are all the features you'd find on larger pickups.

Plus, standard 12-volt pre-wiring under these tabs let owners add air compressors or lighting

for instructions scan the QR code to get to Ford's DYI site. Clever.

All 2025 Mavericks get an updated cabin, even though it may not look all that different.

Materials with recycled plastics and carbon fiber remain.

The navy pier colorway and rivets give it a Levi's vibe.

Ford says Lobo's unique grabber blue and electric lines stitching, plus graffiti-like embossing,

is a nod to street culture.

A reminder that cool just shows up, it never tries hard.

The real change is a new 13.2-inch touchscreen that eliminates that curious little cubby hole

that I found useless.

This runs the SYNC 4 user interface with enhanced voice commands.

It doesn't try to do too much refreshing, and though there are some hard controls,

it wouldn't hurt to have a few more Ford.

Hitting these small icons while driving can be hit or miss, especially with Lobo's firmer ride.

Maverick is a masterclass to all automakers on how to carve out usefulness.

There's a place for everything in here. It's an organizational masterpiece.

These cantilever door pulls can be grabbed every which way from Sunday,

and the space they open up allows larger water bottles to be stashed here.

Very secure.

The seats come from synthetic cows.

Somewhat justifying the 43 grand sticker price are heated seats and steering wheel plus dual-zone climate.

I hate towing, but the ProTrailer hitch assist and ProTrailer backup assist really help.

This being a small truck, that injects expectations.

Maverick doesn't have F-150 room in the back seat,

but at 5'9", I definitely have enough headroom.

My inseam is 32 inches.

Knee and legroom are good.

Footroom especially generous.

And these cushions are high and long enough for excellent thigh support.

They're very comfortable.

Getting my size 11's through is a little tight, but hey, I'll manage.

Door panels get the same trick treatment as the front.

This is very cool.

Pockets on both seat backs too.

Excellent.

Underneath the cushions, hey, there's actually a solid amount of space back here to stash tools and such.

As for behind the seat backs, not really much usable space back here.

A lot of electronics.

Ford is generous with the power ports.

You can charge just about anything up here.

And this is for snapping in a cup holder or a trash can.

Ford sells these accessories or you can 3D print them.

There is a spine running down the middle which cuts into foot room,

especially for anybody sitting in the middle seat.

Every square inch is used back here.

Look at this little cubby.

Are you going to put three people back here?

Probably not.

You'll probably be using the cup holders here.

As long as people are my size, again five foot nine,

two people will be pretty darn comfortable back here.

Tall people, not so much.

And really, only two people.

Not three.

Unless they're kids.

Maverick is unique in the truck world and Lobo takes the concept to a sportier level.

It's like a reverse mullet, party up front, business in the back.

When you think about it, without anything like focus or fusion in the lineup,

Ford has to work with the vehicles it has.

Maverick is definitely unique in the marketplace,

meaning Lobo is definitely one of a kind.

Pick up utility and fun to drive?

Yes, please.

This isn't a GTI, but it is a good time.

And at 42 grand, as tested, it's a little bit expensive.

Maybe go with the base model.

Much more affordable.

A little extra oomph over the standard EcoBoost engine couldn't hurt either.

Good to see Ford thinking outside the box.

Lobo's white space within a white space offers buyers something different,

no matter what color it comes in.

When it comes to paint, Lobo is limited to four hues.

Other Mavericks get nine and no reds or greens, only grayscale.

The only real color, velocity blue here draws eyeballs.

That's a sweet looking truck.

It does pop.

Don't like these turbofan wheels?

More traditional open spoke alloys are available for a hundred bucks.

A good deal.

Of course, Martin Campbell drives while I shoot running footage

and he's always lurking in the back seat.

Even when I'm driving my personal car, it's a little creepy.

But hey, what do you think of this?

I like it.

It's firm.

It's a pickup truck.

Small pickup truck.

But it's kind of the only one of its kind.

He doesn't know his Instagram handle, do you?

Oh, dude.

M Campbell photo images.

Sweet.

Okay, it's long.

I'm still going to put the graphic here, but wow.

Hey, took months.

Really, check out his page.

Lots of great close-ups and cool music because Martin is a DJ

when he isn't an IT manager.

Thanks for watching, folks.

I'm not going to bug you to subscribe because you're going to if you want to, right?

But you have stuck around to the very end.

So that would be my argument for you to do that.

And if you have any questions, leave it in the comments, okay?

Either I will get back to you or one of my followers will.

This has become a really good community.

Check it out.

And I'm on all the social media platforms.

Check those out, too.

That's Driven.

I'm Tom Volk.

About this episode

The Ford Maverick Lobo combines sporty performance with pickup utility, filling a unique niche in the market. With a starting price of $37,600, it features a turbocharged engine, advanced torque vectoring, and a sporty suspension that enhances agility. The Lobo mode allows for a bit of oversteer, making it fun for tight turns and urban driving. While it retains the Maverick's practicality, it also offers a stylish interior with modern tech. The episode dives into the Lobo's features, driving dynamics, and how it stands out among competitors like the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

0-60 time 12-volt pre-wiring adaptive cruise control ADAS technology auto cross automatic emergency braking automatic engine stop-start system blind spot warning crew cab destination charge

Ford Bronco Sport Ford Edge Ford F-150 Ford Fusion Ford Lobo Ford Maverick Ford SVT Lightning Hyundai Santa Cruz Toyota Prius

Original notes

If the mullet is business in front party in the back, the new 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo reverses that. It's a sportier version of Ford compact trucklette. The 4 ½ foot bed will help to get the chores done. For a good time on twisty roads Lobo gets a specially tuned suspension, dual clutch torque vectoring rear differential and specific Lobo drive mode for tight autocross courses. Tom Voelk checks out a well-equipped model that MSRPs for some $43K. Yeah, Maverick isn't the bargain it once was.

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