2022 Ford Maverick vs 2022 Toyota Tacoma

Americans buy more Ford pickup trucks than they do any other vehicle, but that doesn’t mean the Blue Oval is satisfied. The 2022 Ford Maverick aims to further expand the market by offering a more approachable version of the pickup. The Maverick is the smallest Ford truck in over a decade, uses car-like unibody construction for greater refinement, and emphasizes fuel economy with an available hybrid powertrain.

The Maverick’s closest rivals are the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Honda Ridgeline, other unibody pickups of similar size. But while the new Santa Cruz was conceived more as an SUV with a bed, the Maverick is more like a conventional pickup, just smaller than Ford’s other offerings.

The Maverick slots just below the Ford Ranger in size, although it’s still a bit larger than the compact pickups of old. With the demise of the EcoSport crossover, the Maverick is also now Ford’s de facto entry-level vehicle, which seems fitting for a company whose bestselling product is the F-150. Ford isn’t really a car company; it’s a truck company.

While the Ford F-150 is available in a dizzying array of configurations, the automaker kept things simple with the 2022 Maverick. The new Ford pickup is available in just three trim levels—XL, XLT, and Lariat—with a single bed length and cab configuration. At Ford’s invitation, we sampled the full lineup over two days on the roads around Nashville, Tennessee.

Other small trucks have come and gone—and come back again—but the Toyota Tacoma has been the cornerstone of the segment for decades now. Though it has grown in size through the years, it has remained one of the best options if you’re in the market for a smaller alternative to full-size pickups. It’s a great option for a commuter who goes on the occasional camping, kayaking, or mountain biking adventure. The bed is good for picking up supplies to tackle a weekend project.

But the midsize Tacoma has increased competition. In the past decade, the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Ford Ranger have returned. The Nissan Frontier recently received a long-overdue overhaul. And there’s even a new crop of compact pickups, including the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick. So is the Tacoma still the big dog among small trucks?