Compared: 2022 Ford Maverick vs. 2022 Ford Ranger

The midsize Ranger has the utility, but the compact Maverick has everything else.

Austin Lindberg | 

May 11, 2022 | 3 min read

Ford

Gone are the days when the pickup truck market was limited to full-size offerings and, well, even bigger full-size offerings. Not only did Ford help reenergize the midsize segment with the Ranger, but it has also assisted in the resurrection of the compact truck class with the new Maverick. Predictably, the Ranger shows up its sibling when it comes to utility, but the Maverick has the edge in price and interior. Read on to learn more.

Ford Maverick

Ford Maverick vs. Ford Ranger: Price

In terms of dollars and cents, the Maverick is the clear winner in this comparison. The compact pickup starts at about $22,000 with front-wheel drive and a 191-hp hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and an electric motor. Those who want the lineup’s 250-hp, turbo, 2.0-liter four will need to cough up another $1,085. Adding all-wheel drive—which pairs exclusively with the more powerful engine—brings the base price up to around $25,000.

Ford Ranger

The mid-size Ranger will set you back at least $27,000. While there’s only one powertrain on offer—a 270-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder—buyers will need to decide whether they want the base SuperCab body with the 6-foot bed or the larger SuperCrew with a 5-foot box. The latter tacks on $2,185 to the price of the base Ranger and $1,960 to that of higher models. Four-wheel drive is also on the menu, costing between $3,700 and $3,855 depending on the trim level. Also worth mentioning is Ford’s Tremor package: Available on uplevel Rangers with the SuperCrew cab and four-wheel drive, this option readies the truck for off-roading, and includes extras like a skid plate, a modified suspension, a terrain-management system, and some other goodies. The cheapest way into one of those is with a check for about $43,000.

Ford Maverick

Ford Maverick vs. Ford Ranger: Interior

Both vehicles offer three trim levels (XL, XLT, and Lariat), none of which will trick you into thinking you’re in a luxury car. Every model comes with cloth seats apart from the top-dog Ranger, which has leather. An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard across the Maverick range, but optional on base Rangers, which come with a dinky 3.5-inch display in the center stack. Ford charges extra for regular cruise control in both lineups, and offers adaptive cruise only in the top Maverick and top two Ranger trims. Plus, only the Lariats come with push-button start.

Ford Ranger

What’s surprising, though, is that the five-seat Maverick boasts more passenger volume (100 cubic feet) than any Ranger, whose SuperCrew cabin seats five and offers 98 cubic feet of space. The four-seat SuperCab Ranger makes do with 89.

Ford Maverick

Ford Maverick vs. Ford Ranger: Towing Capability and Payload

This is where the Ranger comes into its own. Its 7,500-pound towing capacity more than triples the Maverick’s standard rating of 2,000 pounds. The compact truck can tow 4,000 pounds when equipped with the optional towing package (available only on 2.0-liter models with all-wheel drive), but that’s still little more than half of the Ranger’s capability.

Ford Ranger

The midsize truck’s advantage in payload is less impressive. At best, the Ranger can carry 1,860 pounds in its bed. But when configured with four-wheel drive and the SuperCrew cab, it can haul 1,560 pounds, only 60 more than the Maverick. And if you choose the Tremor package, that number dips to 1,430.

Austin Lindberg

Austin Lindberg has spent the past 15 years working in journalism as a reporter and an editor covering the automotive industry, motorsports, and soccer for publications in the U.S. and the U.K. He is an EV owner with a keen interest in electrification and green tech.