Is it possible that the best pickup currently on the market is also the one that stands diametrically opposed to the bigger-is-better status quo? I’ve been of that opinion since I first slipped behind the wheel of the compact Ford Maverick and experienced firsthand what it’s like to embrace utility without suffering the gigantism of the current crop of full-size monstrosities.

Although prices have risen since the Maverick was introduced — you can no longer snag one for under $20,000, and must instead fork over $24,000 for the most affordable spec — that’s a truism of all automobiles feeling the crunch of inflation, supply-chain woes and outsized customer demand. Despite these pressures, Ford’s pint-size pickup remains the most affordable option if you’re looking for an open cargo bed, with the competitive landscape unchanged from its early days. All this, and I still haven’t mentioned the Maverick’s most potent weapon: an ultra-efficient optional hybrid drivetrain that no other truck builder can match. 

With just shy of 100,000 units sold last year, and Ford well on the way to eclipsing those totals for 2024, it’s worth asking a few questions about the Maverick’s impact on the truck market. Specifically, does the smallest, cheapest and least aggro member of the pickup parade actually point the way towards the future of the segment, more so than the hyper-expensive, ultra-heavy full-size electrics like the Ford Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV? Or does its (relatively) singular presence on the scene indicate a doomed niche that no other automaker seems willing to touch?