Budget cars are in a difficult position when it comes to interiors. It’s impossible to have things like soft-touch plastic, upholstered dashboards and doors, fancy switches, and other details that make traditionally beautiful interiors impossible. Those things cost money, and an affordable car must be affordable. But 2022 Ford Maverick proves that there are other ways to make an interior pleasant and welcoming than just with premium materials.
Sure, Maverick yes very cheap plastic everywhere. It’s a decent sized car starting at just over $20,000 with a mixture powertrain, so it will use low-grade materials. But Ford Make the most of those materials thanks to color and texture. XLT, the border in the middle, is a good example. Most of the dashboard is a two-tone with subtle blue plastic with gray highlights. Those gray highlights have other gray and black spots, giving it an almost stone-like look and a bit of texture. Then there are bright orange accents on the vents and in some of the storage areas. The fun continues with the angled creases on the door panels and chunky bolt heads in the dashboard and door armrests. The wrap reflects all of this with a simple, yet textured fabric weave on gray sections and contrasting orange stitching.
On either side of The XLT is the base XL and the high end XL, shown above. The XL is a bit duller, as it loses the bright accents and nifty textured gray palettes. The seats are also upholstered in basic black fabric. But it still has innovative ridges and bolt heads. The line-up has a more mature feel, adding bronze-brown trim panels that match the brown leather seats. The L Cozy also has a much-acclaimed leather-wrapped steering wheel, which feels much nicer than the standard plastic-wrapped steering wheel in the XL and XLT.
There’s also a benefit to a cabin filled with technically inexpensive plastic. It will wear well. And in one truck that would probably be used for dirty and bulky thingsNo worries about scraping, scratching, tearing and breaking.
Another welcome aspect of the Maverick interior is the many nooks and crannies for stowage. There is a trash can next to the infotainment screen. There is a bin with multiple dividers under the middle stack. There are crates deep in the doors. There are hidden ones under the rear seats. And if you want to get creative, there’s a slot on the back of the center console that can accommodate a specific type of rack. Ford has provided the specs on it, and you can 3D print the attachment to that bracket to fit in, in case you need something specific. If you can’t find where to put it in Maverick, you probably have too much going on.
Maverick’s cabin is also quite spacious. At the front, there’s plenty of room for the head, legs and shoulders. The boxy profile certainly plays a big role, here. The rear seats also have plenty of head and shoulder room. Legroom isn’t that spacious, but yours, weighing about 300 pounds and standing nearly 6 feet tall, can sit comfortably on your back. That was a huge benefit over the cramped rear of Maverick’s opponents, Hyundai Santa Cruz.
A real downside in Maverick is the seating. Like some recent Ford products, the front seats are a bit small and seriously lacking in support. They have very tight padding and if you’re on the larger side, it can feel like you’re spilling out of them. Even if you’re petite, you can feel the same going around corners. No, it’s not a sport car, but many other mainstream cars offer more side support than the Maverick. But with ample front passenger space and fairly well-adjustable seats, it’s easy to find a comfortable position relative to the steering wheel and pedals. The rear seats are a bit flat, but the backrest has enough recline so you don’t feel like you’re sitting up straight like some pickup truckso they are comfortable enough for long periods of time.
The last part of the Maverick interior is equipped with quite a positive, that is the infotainment and controls. Just like most other Fords, it uses a simple touchscreen interface. The icons are large and it is relatively responsive. The screen itself isn’t as sharp as some others, but it gets the job done. And the rest of the controls are physical buttons and knobs, all of which handle volume, adjustment, and climate control. It’s all simple and functional, just like you’d expect from a simple and functional car.
General, Ford Maverick is a role model for the car industry. It shows that cheap is not miserable. It can be creative, functional and attractive. These interior traits are part of why the Maverick is one of our favorite cars on the market right now.
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