Up Close With the 2022 Ford Maverick’s Cargo Bed

The compact pickup truck class has suddenly returned with the debut of the all-new 2022 Ford Maverick and 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Both trucks come only as crew cabs, but each automaker’s idea of what a compact pickup should be are quite different. Hyundai’s truck resembles its Tucson compact SUV, while the Ford has traditional truck styling paired with unique technology like a standard hybrid drivetrain.

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We’ve had a chance to get up close with the Santa Cruz’s cargo bed, and although its box is on the small side when you get the optional roll-top bed cover, it does offer a lot of features that enhance its utility. We were curious to see how the Maverick’s cargo box compared with those of the Santa Cruz and other mid-size trucks, so we took our tape measure to a Maverick XLT’s cargo bed and also assessed its features.

How Big Is the Cargo Box?

The Maverick’s cargo box is 54.75 inches long, 20 inches tall and 42.5 inches wide between the wheel wells. The width and height are similar to that of the Santa Cruz, but the Ford’s cargo box is more than a foot longer than a Santa Cruz with Hyundai’s available bed cover; without the cover, the Santa Cruz’s bed is only 3.75 inches shorter than that of the Maverick.

The Maverick’s measured box volume is 26.9 cubic feet. That’s bigger than the Santa Cruz’s box with the roll-top cover (18.8 cubic feet) or without it (23.3 cubic feet). Ford’s bed is also bigger or nearly as big as those of some mid-size trucks we’ve measured: It’s bigger than the Jeep Gladiator’s box (25.8 cubic feet) and just a few cubic feet shy of the Ford Ranger crew-cab box (30 cubic feet).

What About Its Features?

The Maverick’s cargo box is big when you consider the truck’s small overall size, but the XLT trim level we tested didn’t have many cargo bed features — there weren’t any sliding tie-down cleats, power outlets or extra lighting besides the lamp at the back of the cab. The bed did have six fixed cleats and two D-rings in the floor, and the open tailgate can be angled upward by repositioning the support cables.

The Maverick’s $2,345 XLT Luxury Package includes comfort and convenience features like heated seats and remote start, but it also adds a number of cargo bed features, such as a household power outlet, LED bed lighting and bed rails with two adjustable cleats.

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How Does It Compare With Mid-Size Trucks?

As part of our comparison of mid-size pickup trucks, we rated the trucks’ cargo boxes by measuring volume and features on a 30-point scale, with 20 points awarded to the largest cargo box and the remaining 10 points reserved for cargo box features.

Following this methodology, the Maverick we tested would have earned 18 points for its sizable cargo box but just two additional points for bed features — one point for rear cab lighting and another point for its adjustable tailgate — for a total of 20 points. That’s less than the high-scoring Honda Ridgeline, which earned 25 points, but it nearly matched the Ranger, Gladiator and GMC Canyon, which each totaled 21 points.

With nearly as much volume as the Ranger but with a smaller footprint and more carlike driving experience, the Maverick should appeal to shoppers who want the utility of an open cargo bed without giving up the comfort of a small SUV. A starting price of $21,490 for the Maverick’s standard hybrid drivetrain, which is EPA-rated at 37 mpg combined, makes the Maverick an impressive value, too.

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