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The cheap Maverick deal-killer: no Cruise Control?

24K views 46 replies 32 participants last post by  Notacar 
#1 ·
I was looking at the $19,xxx model. The only option I would add is the tow hitch...

but is it not possible to get cruise control?

Maybe you could buy the switch and reprogram using Forscan? Anyone know?

So it has remote start via cellphone but no cruise control??
 
#16 ·
I was forced to pay $540 for Co-Pilot just to get rear camera with cross traffic alert! I have had it in my Kia Niro the past 4 years and it saved me for a couple of close calls…now i dont want to do with out it. I think its more important to have this feature in a truck as opposed to car…especially when towing or if a “bed cap” is eventually installed. Wondering why, since we have the rear cam, can’t they provide the sensor, too…..even offer it as a individual add-on w/out having to pay $540!
As for push button start, I will NOT miss that at all. After 4 yrs having it, I will happy to return to regular type key FOB and keyed ignition.
 
#4 ·
I don’t know how many other brands base vehicles come without cruise control though indeed it is a pretty cheap thing for Ford to do to buyers indeed.

The base model will keep you from rear ending the car in front of you, which is good, since if you keep your foot on the gas such could happen by accident. Maybe instead of ‘Ford tough’ we should think of the base model as ‘Ford Lead Foot’.
 
#6 ·
I don’t know how many other brands base vehicles come without cruise control though indeed it is a pretty cheap thing for Ford to do to buyers indeed.
I'd wager that the base vehicle is simply a marketing ploy to be able to advertise a starting price under $20K, which is also one of the reasons that they have the highest non-negotiable delivery fee of $1500 which is silly as it doesn't even cost that much to have vehicles shipped all the way from Korea or Japan. They just really wanted to bake that low price into people's memory on advertisements, even if few can or would get that.

There's also a misconception that we are Ford's customers, but we're not, Ford's dealership network are their customers, and the dealerships "buy" the cars from Ford. While customers may like the cheapest vehicle possible, dealers are profit driven, and so will want to sell the vehicles that are the most profitable to sell and a base one may not be. So Ford may end up only manufacturing a handful of barebones Mavericks if dealer demand for such low profit margin trims are low, kind of like the VW Alltrack where they advertised a really cheap base model with a manual transmission, but only 1% of all vehicles made at the factory were that trim making it almost impossible to find.

So most dealership inventories are probably going to be XLT and Lariats, which really are more like low and mid trims rather than mid and high, as if you compare the Hyundai Santa Cruz top trim "Limited" to a Lariat, you can see how much more feature rich it is.
 
#8 ·
Having worked in way too many places, this is generally how it works:
Offer a "entry level" option. It has the lowest margin. 20K - usually 'bargain basement' with limited features.
Offer a "complete" option (fully loaded, this thing is $35K+ - First Edition w Gas, AWD, FX4, Tow Package) but has the highest margin.

Now, you offer the 'decoy' trim - somewhere in the middle, but priced high enough the "complete" option isn't a huge jump, but it has common features people want, but still lacks a lot compared to the full model. It will come in around 30K or so.

This is common in most retail establishments. It makes that $5k look like a 'doable' option for what amounts to another $35/mo in the payment (which is the phrasing they will use - "you can handle the extra $35 a month, right?". It's the old 'this is too basic', 'that has what I need', and the 'its only a little more, so why not go all out?' thing. It's a subtle 'dark pattern' thing. As a side note, this is also why many fast food places ask "medium or large", then say "you could go large for 40 cents more" to push you to the higher margin item, and never mention the 'small' anymore.
 
#45 ·
Having worked in way too many places, this is generally how it works:
Offer a "entry level" option. It has the lowest margin. 20K - usually 'bargain basement' with limited features.
Offer a "complete" option (fully loaded, this thing is $35K+ - First Edition w Gas, AWD, FX4, Tow Package) but has the highest margin.

Now, you offer the 'decoy' trim - somewhere in the middle, but priced high enough the "complete" option isn't a huge jump, but it has common features people want, but still lacks a lot compared to the full model. It will come in around 30K or so.

This is common in most retail establishments. It makes that $5k look like a 'doable' option for what amounts to another $35/mo in the payment (which is the phrasing they will use - "you can handle the extra $35 a month, right?". It's the old 'this is too basic', 'that has what I need', and the 'its only a little more, so why not go all out?' thing. It's a subtle 'dark pattern' thing. As a side note, this is also why many fast food places ask "medium or large", then say "you could go large for 40 cents more" to push you to the higher margin item, and never mention the 'small' anymore.
When there are 3 options to choose, the one in the middle usually is chosen.
 
#9 ·
Ford is getting so much free advertising from the under $20k starting price.

It should be clear that $1500 destination fee is intended to makeup for the low "starting" price. Ford is probably using this strategy to hide profit. For comparison, Chevy charges $1,195 to ship the Colorado and $1695 for the Suburban..

Destination Freight Charges | Chevrolet

Cars.com did a good piece of the rise of destination prices across the industry, Ford isn't the only one gaming the advertised price game.

Destination Fees on Cars Are Way Up; Here’s Why | News | Cars.com
 
#12 ·
Not sure why everybody bashes the 20k price. TBH people dont need all those frivolous extras. Add the 2.0 engine for a measly 1000 (the biggest upgrade IMO outside maybe AWD, which is also sort of a "need" basis), and you're at 22500 including destination. You dont need more, unless you really NEED that towing package or something.

I get the destination charge is a profit add, but it's standard across the industry, so what are you gonna do. I dont really get Americans predilection with overpriced "fully loaded" trims.
 
#28 ·
Let's all keep in mind that a speed control which is able to maintain a steady speed both up and down hills is not adaptive. Adaptive speed control is able to slow a vehicle down if coming upon traffic and adapt to specific driving conditions.
The standard speed control in all hybrids I have owned, including Ford, are able to maintain their selected speed down hill. They will not "adapt" to traffic conditions. Older ICE vehicles often we not because in an effort to increase fuel economy, they would allow the vehicle to coast when decelerating.
Hybrid vehicles are very different in that they rely heavily on electricity regeneration to the battery to increase efficiency. When you use the speed control and head downhill, the system wants to regenerate electricity, not coast. This is what they are programmed to do.
I hope this makes sense.
 
#29 ·
For a Hybrid or EV to NOT come standard with Cruise is idiotic...

Going to a XLT means you loose the steel wheels and get the orange interior highlights, which I much prefer over the ugly aluminum ones that offer and the orange looks tacky...

I did a pre order but dove deeper and for me this is a deal breaker. I'd rather loose power windows/locks/remote radio controls and have cruise on this truck....

The only reason I'd want a XLT is the cruise, and the negatives for me are pretty high.

Hopefully this will push someone to make a reasonably priced small truck that gets decent MPG (or all electric) that has cruise...
 
#32 ·
I plan on using mine for alot of travel. as one who has travelled cross country numerous times, some W/O cruise, it was a must. So no cruise immediately disqualified the XL. not that it mattered a whole lot, for me, my expected use, and my preferences, the XLT W Lux Package was the way to go/
 
#34 ·
The aftermarket ones you drill a hole in the steering column to mount and the control box piggybacks a few connections like the brakes, accelerator position sensor, and CAN at the OBDII connector. Doing a steering wheel swap and enabling via FORSCAN is much cleaner, IMO.
 
#37 ·
Maybe its the lack of ability to see how a Hybrid should always have Cruise Control. If for missed that....I really don't want to find out what else they missed 5.5 years or 81,000 miles into it. Its just a no brainer to have it with a hybrid.

The Civic VX got upwards of 55 MPG, had power brakes, ac, airbags and a radio, but nothing else. The point to those cars (and to me any EV/Hybrid) is high MPG before comfort...
 
#40 · (Edited)
I have no idea what it would’ve cost Ford to have cruise std on the XL, but my guess it would be at least $100 and when the bean counters told Ford execs the XL base with cruise it would be $20,295….Ford said huh ? Way too close to $19,999 for us not to make minor adjustments to reap so much advertising thunder with a base price under $20,000. Bean counters then said we can eliminate the cruise control and charge $1495 for destination instead of $1295 and…..voila..$19,995 base price.
 
#42 ·
I agree with many, its not about anything technical or cost to add it, if they were worried about the cost or hitting the $20k, they could have packaged with pilot360 by adding the cost to it. They would have had more people buy the XL, but loss the XLS sales. As most said, they want to push people to the higher trims, which makes business sense. From these discussions, it seems like it worked. I see great value, so this will be my 1st Ford product. Since I don't drive much on highway, at least not long periods, I don't need cruise 99% of time.
 
#43 ·
Sure you can get a work around on the cruise control if you're handy for around $300 to self-install. But, the bigger issue I have is that Ford went the cheapskate route and didn't include Cruise Control at ALL, not even as an added option, on the XL.
I can't even imagine what they were thinking at the administrative levels to have this make monetary sense.
Either way, they lost a customer due to this but there were other factors as well.
Hybrid is a royal pita to get, sure you can get the Ecotec but good luck getting the Hybrid unless you ordered early.
Costs are another factor. You can get a very well equipped vehicle with cruise, adaptive cruise control, many other goodies that the budget Ford Maverick XL doesn't have for about the same costs or cheaper if you factor in all the fees and such. I know, it's the route I opted for....
I have a 21 Ford Ranger XLT Crew Cab and we were going to go with the Maverick as our more daily commuter but with all things considered, it was a better route going with a 2022 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. 32city/41highway in a non-hybrid, 2 year maintenance free, local dealer less than 8 miles away, and lifetime powertrain warranty for free due to that. It was a no-brainer for us but again, that's because we DO already have the Ranger. It's a tougher choice if you're trying to just get ONE vehicle that has it all.
 
#47 ·
It's easy to turn on factory cruise. Buy the left and right steering wheel switches or whole steering wheel with switches already installed.( Make sure you buy the correct wheel with the options you have like 360), buy the latest forscan cable, change a few settings and you have factory cruise. Ford could make good money if they would add it as an accessory.
 
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