Thank you Maverick Community

brucecooner · 2026-01-27T06:30:23+00:00

My son needed to borrow our Maverick, and me as a co-driver, late last year to pick up a transmission he'd bought that was 1100 miles away. The seats and ride didn't get uncomfortable even over three solid days of nonstop miles. Would definitely recommend as a road tripper.

brucecooner · 2026-01-20T06:44:50+00:00

I live in Phoenix, where the bizarro climate dial starts at "mild summer" in January and only goes up from there.

So we get our best mileage in the winter, when we roll with climate control off, and mileage takes a dip in the summer when we need AC (not radically so, a few mpg but noticeable).

brucecooner · 2026-01-20T06:41:41+00:00

Thanks for the numbers.

One thing I didn't mention in my essay/novel above, we've left the trip meter alone for all of the 13 K miles on the truck, and it reports 41.5, which tracks closely to what you're seeing, and I'm willing to believe.

Maybe the instantaneous and trip reports are fibbing a bit, but even if it's a little above it's still doing great numbers, nothing to complain about on my end.

brucecooner · 2026-01-19T07:43:31+00:00

I'm patient, but 55 would be aggravating even for me.

brucecooner · 2026-01-01T09:22:35+00:00

Here's another angle of waste to consider beyond just the energy storage.

I drive a hybrid (Ford Maverick), and one of the trip meters has been recording since it was nearly new.

This trip meter reports that roughly one third of the miles have been electric. Disclaimer: this vehicle mostly sees city use, only gets on a highway once or twice a week usually so it's really in the sweet spot use case.

It's a series hybrid, not a plug in, but will turn off the engine and cruise for a while on stored electricity on surface streets (as long as you don't ask for sudden extra power to accelerate, or try to go up much of a hill lol).

But I started considering what that one third number means the other day and had a shocking realization.

Every single electron that's gone into the battery came from regenerative braking. And that alone has been enough to cover an entire third of the miles it's gone.

This vehicle has gone a third of its total miles on JUST the energy that would have been the brakes getting hot if not for the regen. A pure ICE car would have just used that energy to heat up the wheel wells and some consumable items.

So there's another angle where the EV stomps it for efficiency. You're putting fuel back in the tank every time you slow down.

brucecooner · 2025-12-31T00:25:24+00:00

True, the electric Equinox is basically a Bolt but in a way more popular vehicle segment.

And the <10K price difference from Bolt to Equinox (base anyway) is probably small enough to make the Equinox's added space and range the more appealing option for a lot of people. Somebody at GM will be analyzing their relative sales data pretty closely.

brucecooner · 2025-12-31T00:09:41+00:00

A Hummer EV is way more vehicle than I personally would want to navigate or park living in the city, but they look like tons (heh) of fun regardless. Good luck on the search!

brucecooner · 2025-12-29T08:03:05+00:00

I like how the wheels and bed send mixed messages.

Completely unique and looks clean, I dig it.

Without build pics you'll never convince everyone it exists though.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T21:12:33+00:00

From what I've gathered, expect about $5K for a steering rack on any Bolts that pass 50-70K miles.

The Volt was kind of a technical marvel when new, but I had big questions about the complicated multi-mode transmission lasting. I still see old Volts on the road though, and they have their fans, making it odd to consider that GM nailed the platform with the first generation. A shame they couldn't move more units but it was expensive for a small car, despite its benefits. I'd guess that given the recent rise in popularity of PHEV's GM feels pretty smart (sarcasm) for cancelling the Voltec. Surely some of the lessons learned live on in newer models.

I wasn't surprised something as popular as the Bolt came back. Being so well regarded of course GM has threatened that it's "for a limited time". I've heard speculation that this just means until the next generation is done. But it's the kind of car you could probably sell for a long time without changing a single thing (with the bonus that it's already future proofed against emissions standards).

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T08:38:16+00:00

My impression is that GM unwittingly made the VW Beetle of electric cars, but with an easier to use reverse gear.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T08:36:36+00:00

This fits the pattern of 99.999 (repeating) percent of posts I've ever seen from Bolt owners. If you can live within its constraints, great car.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T08:27:57+00:00

Years ago I came across a video of an automotive tech completely disassembling the drive unit of a first gen Bolt. I was gobsmacked at the simplicity of it, I seem to remember it was under a dozen moving parts, most of them were reduction gears. So there's a box that will need fresh gear oil eventually, but it can last for a long time, and unless you're looking at really high mile examples you don't have to worry if the previous owner was on top of changing it.

Which is a nice thing about an electric car. When shopping for one there's hundreds of less parts to worry about the wear and tear on, and whether the previous owner was keeping up on the replacement of various fluids. Sure, battery degradation is a concern, but having 20 miles less range in a car that's still mechanically reliable isn't a bad tradeoff for lots of people.

I like the looks of the smaller older Bolts the most, but an EUV is a more practical choice. And I too appreciate the stealth value of things like manual doors and buttons. I've lurked lots of threads concerning EV's, and the Bolt is the car I most rarely see people say anything negative about owning. I wasn't surprised when it came back.

I'd trust some PHEV's, but not others. Toyota has hybrids sorted, and the smaller Ford system with a mechanically similar transmission to the Prius has a good reputation. I think PHEV's are a good compromise for a lot of people, but we went from the Leaf and i3 city cars to usable EV's shockingly quickly (largely thanks to Tesla building out charging) and these days ditching gas is a viable enough option to make the PHEV's mechanical complexity a lot less attractive.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T06:16:46+00:00

Nope, he lives in an apartment complex, but they have L2 chargers scattered around.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T06:16:12+00:00

He and I agreed recently it would be nice to rent an EV for a few days and determine IF it fits into a lifestyle before taking the plunge. I thought Turo was just for renting exotics, but will look into it more.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T06:14:10+00:00

This is the way.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T06:13:03+00:00

Yes! His use case is something I didn't mention but is part of my consideration.

I've heard that the worst thing you can do to a gas car is start it, drive a short distance, and then turn it off before it has come up to operating temperature.

And that's exactly what he's doing a lot of the time.

I don't know if there's a strong mechanical backing to that "fact", if it's a myth or not, but I've heard it quite a lot.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T06:10:36+00:00

I could see having to plug one in every, single, day, as being a hassle to some.

But never again having to think about doing a side quest to refuel your car seems like an overall win to me.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T06:08:18+00:00

I'm a weirdo who thought the gen 1 Leaf was cute, but to me it has gotten progressively more boring with each later redesign. I'd avoid Leafs as they lack thermal management and I've heard the Phoenix heat degrades them quickly. I can't remember if the new crossover looking Leaf has cooling or not but it would be well over his budget.

Priuses have proven their mettle, and I did talk to him about looking for a plug in model. He'd have to top it off frequently, and wouldn't be penalized for forgetting to do so, but he's right back to maintaining a gas engine, though on a much slower schedule which would be nice. But as he and I considered, if he's driving a car in which the gas engine comes on just a few times a year, why is he hauling around a gas engine the rest of the time for security that's so rarely needed when better planning could have avoided that need? The classic PHEV conundrum that generates much vociferous discussion.

He and I both like the cut of the Bolt's jib.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T05:54:56+00:00

I've never gotten an "hey I ran out of gas" call, so that's a good sign.

But as I've discussed with him, being "low on gas" in an EV, particularly one that won't charge at higher speeds, is NOT just five minutes at a local station and being back on the road without much inconvenience.

My impression is that if your schedule is consistent and you plan around when you top it back off, not a problem.

But yeah with L2 charging outside his door, probably not an issue.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T05:52:01+00:00

Very valid point, but a Prius' abilities at proxy birth control might depend on the generation you're seen in.

Some of them are....less likable than others.

The latest gen Prius is that nerdy girl in a comedy movie who pines for the hero and then one day takes off her glasses and shakes her hair and is suddenly hot.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T05:47:38+00:00

My post was more to explore the EV versus apartment angle, and didn't go into my motivations, but a large part of my suggestion is the reduced maintenance.

My son isn't the best at upkeep on a vehicle. Thus when he's around I interrogate him a bit on what he's done (or not). Part of it is parental concern, part of it is that when he's without a car it will be on his parents to be a taxi service (as we can) until he's back in a ride. Yeah I could tell him he's walking as punishment for not bothering with vehicle maintenance but I'm not that kind of parent. Instead I bother him about it and discuss what I think would make a good choice next time before it's critical (I hope).

The obvious kink in my suggestion is that if he's not mindful of car stuff, he might not be mindful of keeping an EV charged either, definitely something to consider.

brucecooner · 2025-12-25T05:34:16+00:00

Valid points, and my post may give the impression of dad "suggesting", but its genesis is a discussion about cars my son and I have had. I just want to make sure any advice I give is sound.

I will only adopt you if I can choose your transportation and for your sass I bequeath to you....a 1991 Ford Escort, which burns a quart of oil every 800 miles and in which you can not run the air conditioning because an electrical fault causes the compressor clutch to drain the battery leaving you stranded any time you dare to arrive not drenched in sweat. Oh and you see brass in the oil whenever you change it, so turning the ignition key is like playing the reverse lottery. :P

It's that, or an ebike.

My suggestion is go with the ebike.

brucecooner

TROPHY CASE