Ford Maverick Hybrid XLT.Courtesy of manufacturer
We are a family of four (two children aged 7 and 9, and two 40-something parents). We are driving a 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD that we bought new back in the day. Our truck is parked most days as we use bikes and e-bikes to get around in the city. We are looking for something that can haul our family (plus a couple of the kids’ friends or dogs) and our kayaks / stuff on future adventures. I love the idea of an electric truck, but we like to do extended off-road trips so I’m not sure this will work. – Evan
Mark Richardson: It sounds like Evan wants an electric version of his existing Tacoma. Is there such a thing?
Petrina Gentile: Toyota is developing an all-electric Tacoma pickup truck, but the Japanese automaker is late to the EV truck party. It’s expected to launch as a 2025 model and there are other EV pickups already on the market, like the Ford Lightning.
Richardson: The Ford F-150 Lightning just dropped in price too, but it’s still expensive. The least-expensive Pro edition has an manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $59,000, before rebates and all the add-on costs, and good luck getting one in the near future.
Gentile: Yes, most pure-electric trucks are expensive. But Ean and his family are planning for long road trips – I don’t think an electric vehicle is the right option for them, especially with at least two young kids in tow.
Ford F-150 Limited Hybrid SuperCrew.Courtesy of manufacturer
Richardson: He didn’t say just how far he wants to drive on those extended trips, presumably on rough roads, but range will be an issue if he wants to travel much more than 400 kilometres at a time. And when he does recharge, he’ll want either a Level 2 or a Level 3 fast charger. The massive batteries on a pickup EV will take days to charge at a household outlet.
Gentile: I agree. A pure EV truck is not practical for Evan’s family and driving needs. But maybe we should look at a hybrid truck, like a Ford F-150 hybrid?
Richardson: That’s one big truck, and to get the hybrid engine Evan will need to buy at least the XLT edition trim with a SuperCrew cab and four-wheel drive, which begins at about $72,000, plus taxes. We don’t know Evan’s budget, but I think the F-150 Lariat is way more than he needs and probably wants. The only other full-size pickup truck that offers a hybrid engine is the Toyota Tundra, and that starts at around $76,000 plus taxes for the Crewmax Limited.
Gentile: I like the Tundra; its hybrid V6 is more fuel efficient than the gas-only model, but it’s still expensive for a truck. There are some new compact trucks on the market that are more affordable and could satisfy all of Evan’s needs.
Richardson: The Ford Maverick is much smaller, but a more realistic and planet-friendly pickup alternative.
Gentile: I really like the Maverick – it’s affordable, starting around $33,000 for the hybrid powertrain, which is quite fuel efficient. It’s also spacious. Inside, it’s pretty basic and lacklustre, but it’s functional and drives and feels like a truck.
Richardson: That’s probably more Evan’s style, because the vehicle is parked most of the week. Why pay for more than you’ll appreciate, and consume more resources than you can’t really justify using?
The Hyundai Palisade has received a mild makeover for 2023.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
Gentile: Exactly. And it ticks all of Evan’s boxes: it can haul kids and his kayaks while still returning respectable fuel economy numbers.
Richardson: It’s probably too small, though. There’s going to be a Ford Ranger PHEV that will be larger and more expensive, but not until sometime later next year. In any case, neither will be able to carry more than five people, and he wants the space sometimes for a couple of his kids’ friends. That means he’s got to forget pickups and look at a three-row SUV. Kayaks can be carried on the roof.
Gentile: Let’s start with Toyota since he has a Tacoma already. One of my favourite three-row SUVs is the Highlander, which is also available with a hybrid powertrain.
Richardson: A Toyota rep told me recently that if you want a new gas-only vehicle, whatever the model, it’ll be a wait of “weeks,” but if you want a new hybrid, it will be a wait of months and a new plug-in hybrid will be a wait of years. The Highlander’s been around a long time, so there should be some good used examples at dealerships.
2022 Toyota Highlander hybrid.Supplied
Gentile: But stick with the latest, fourth-generation Highlander that was redesigned in 2020. That’s the best option for fuel economy, comfort and the latest safety and technology features.
Richardson: A three-year-old Highlander coming off lease won’t be much cheaper than a brand-new one – Toyota’s resale values are high, but it’s a reliable and well-equipped vehicle, whichever trim level you choose. That third row is pretty cramped, but it’ll be fine for occasional use.
Gentile: Agreed. The third row is okay for kids, and you can also drop the seats for extra cargo space.
Richardson: I think most people leave the third row flat. It’s usually more practical that way, because there’s not much cargo space behind the rearmost seats. But if Evan looks at the Highlander, he should also look at the new Mazda CX-90.
Gentile: I disagree. While the CX-90 drives well and is luxurious inside, compared to the competition, it is small in space when it comes to the third-row seats and cargo capacity. I think he’d be better off looking at a Kia Telluride or Hyundai Palisade instead.
Richardson: The advantage of the CX-90 is that it’s offered as a plug-in hybrid with an all-electric range of 42 kilometres. It’s new to the market, so it might be more available than those Toyota hybrids.
The 2023 Mazda CX-90 PHEV has a claimed all-electric range of 42 kilometres.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Gentile: True, but if he can wait, I think he’d prefer a Toyota hybrid. And there’s also the new, larger Toyota Grand Highlander, too – it has more space for cargo and kids.
Richardson: It does, and it has a hybrid engine too, though that hybrid seemed underpowered to me when I drove it this summer. It’s all a question of how much space Evan wants and actually needs. The larger Grand Highlander is night-and-day different to the compact Maverick, and I’m assuming he’d like something with about the same physical footprint as his Tacoma.
Gentile: So where does that leave him?
Richardson: Well, if he wants to be kinder to the environment, he can either choose a smaller vehicle that can suit most of his needs and sip fuel, such as a Maverick, or a larger vehicle that covers them all and uses not much more fuel, such as the Highlander or Grand Highlander, owing to the hybrid powertrains.
Gentile: Evan, go for the Maverick hybrid truck or, if you want an SUV, the Highlander hybrid. Skip the Grand Highlander – you don’t need the extra space.
Richardson: The rule of thumb is to drive something that’s no bigger than you need for the majority of your driving. If you only need to carry more than five people occasionally, that’s when a fold-down third row is really handy. The choice is yours.
What car should you buy? Write to Mark and Petrina at globedrive@globeandmail.com and use ‘What car’ as part of your subject line. Emails with different subject lines may not be answered.
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Petrina Gentile
Mark Richardson