Pickup trucks are a tough segment to evaluate. Everyone brings their A-game, and everyone now sells a good truck, making the deciding winner a hard nut to crack. We’ve seen a lot of innovation in the truck segment this year, particularly since the arrival of the Tesla Cybertruck and Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra EV. But our team of journalists universally agreed that the pickup that wowed the most didn’t do it using brawn, but rather brains. TopSpeed’s 2025 pickup of the year is the adorable Ford Maverick hybrid.
2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid
Best Pickup Truck
The Maverick is the embodiment of doing more with less. This truck may be small and based on a car architecture, but it will tow up to 4,000 pounds when properly equipped and haul up to 1,500 pounds of payload in its bed. In hybrid form, it loses none of that capability, while returning an impressive 37 MPG at the pump. The small, affordable American truck has never been this good.
- Model
-
Maverick Lariat Hybrid
- Segment
-
Pickup Trucks
- Engine
-
2.5-Liter Four-Cylinder Hybrid
- Transmission
-
CVT W/ Overdrive
- Horsepower
-
191 HP
- Torque
-
115 LB-FT
- Driveline
-
FWD
- Range
-
510.6
- Starting Price (MSRP)
-
$27,995
- MSRP (As Tested)
-
$35,005
- Fuel Economy
-
37 MPG Combined
- Towing Capacity
-
2,000 Pounds
- Payload Capacity
-
1,444 – 1,544 Pounds
- 0-60 MPH
-
8.0 Seconds
- Quarter-Mile
-
15.9 Seconds @ 89.8 MPH
The Ford Maverick proves that there will always be a place for an affordable compact truck, a segment most truck brands have abandoned in North America. In hybrid form – updated for 2025 – the Maverick pushes even further its promise of doing more with less. In a world where everything seems to be getting more expensive, Ford will sell you a highly fuel-efficient small truck for under $30,000. Add a bit more, and the Maverick hybrid will tow up to 4,000 pounds, or haul up to 1,500 pounds of payload (in FWD form) in its bed.
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There are more neat things about Ford’s little truck that could. While small, the Maverick is loaded with ingenuity, allowing it to be surprisingly practical and spacious inside. Ford puts at the owner’s disposal CAD files to 3D-print accessories. Want an additional cupholder for the rear seats? No problem. Just design it and print it yourself! The Maverick’s cabin is loaded with a neat tether system (comically called FITS) to graft new parts onto it, while spunky color combinations keep everything looking hip and young.
2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid Specifications
|
Engine |
2.5L Hybrid Four-Cylinder |
2.0L Turbocharged Four-Cylinder |
|---|---|---|
|
Transmission |
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) |
8-Speed Automatic |
|
Driveline |
FWD/AWD |
AWD |
|
Horsepower |
191 hp @ 5,600 rpm (Combined) |
238 hp @ 5,500 rpm |
|
Torque |
155 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm |
275 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm |
|
Max Towing Rating |
2,000 lb (4,000 lb with 4K Tow package) |
2,000 lb (4,000 lb with 4K Tow package, excludes Tremor) |
|
Max Payload |
1,500 lb (FWD) / 1,400 lb (AWD) |
1,500 lb / 1,140 lb (Tremor) |
Punching well above its weight class, Ford’s smallest pickup is practical, affordable and surprisingly capable. – Lyndon Conrad Bell, Automotive Journalist at TopSpeed
But the Maverick, in all forms, is just plain fun. Some might say that, due to its unibody configuration, it’s not a “real” truck. But that actually gives the Maverick driving dynamics that no other truck can match. Its car-based roots mean its reflexes are sharp. Its steering is quick, and it quickly makes you forget that you’re driving something with a bed bolted onto it.
The 2.5-liter hybrid engine is powerful enough for everyday chores, and will easily return 37 MPG in non-towing situations. But for those looking for a bit more oomph under the right foot, there’s the 238-horsepower, 2.0-liter, turbocharged four, turning the Maverick into a pocket rocket.
Each vehicle selected for the Car of the Year awards was evaluated based on value, efficiency, success relative to mission, technology, driving impressions and significance in its respective segment. The vehicle also needed to be all-new or updated at the moment of voting in 2024.
The Ford Maverick Won Because it’s In Tune With The Times
In a world of excess and where everything seems to be getting more expensive, the Maverick’s back-to-basics approach comes as a breath of fresh air in the truck segment. More importantly, its attainable price point and low running costs are in tune with the average buyer’s realities. Our team of journalists agreed that the Maverick’s value proposition, position in the market, as well as its remarkable versatility and capability made it the winner.
I was a big fan of the old Ford Ranger, and I’d been yearning for the return of something small and cheap in the truck space for some time. The Maverick is that truck. What a charming little thing! – William Clavey, Editor-at-Large at TopSpeed
We also love how Ford is having fun with the entire Maverick lineup by adding even more versions. For instance, the Maverick Tremor adds just enough go anywhere accessories to make it rather capable in the trails. The recently revealed Ford Maverick Lobo brings the street truck back to life, and while dually and Super Duty versions were nothing more than the result of online speculation, we’d love to see it happen some day. The Maverick is the fun, feel-good small pickup truck the industry needs.
The Runner-Up: 2025 GMC Sierra EV
There’s a reason it’s the GMC Sierra EV that’s our runner-up and not its mechanical twins, the Chevrolet Silverado and Hummer EV. That’s because the Sierra offers just a bit more. It also looks and feels like its own dedicated thing. I personally love the way it looks, especially in white, appearing like the vehicle a Stormtrooper would drive around in when not busy doing Empire-related things.
The Sierra EV is a technological masterpiece that weighs more than 8,000 pounds, but you won’t feel it, even when driving it on a winding back road. I’d know, because I drove this thing from the California coast to San Francisco on a road designed for sports cars. And it ate up the tarmac like a champ. The GMC Sierra EV’s interior is vastly spacious and slightly more premium than the Chevrolet. The vertical infotainment system – while technically identical to its twin – is refreshing in a world of large horizontal displays. And its mid-gate setup, extending the bed into the cabin for improved cargo space, is plain cool.
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There’s a lot going on in the electric vehicle (EV) department as well. A Max Range model boosts range up to an impressive 460 miles, while 350-kW DC fast-charging is up there among the fastest in the EV space. The Sierra EV can also power accessories, or even your house in the event of a grid failure. Eventually, it’ll give energy back to the grid. With a $91,995 base price (only top-trim Denali trims are available for now), the Sierra EV definitely ain’t cheap. But it’s the full-size truck of the future we want to see from an American carmaker.