Ford Maverick 2.7 TD

I owned a 1994 2.7TD Maverick for a couple of years and found it to be very strong in some areas, but quite weak in others.

The Pro's :-

Excellent driving position- Visibility is very good when looking forward and to the sides, but a little "iffy" when reversing with a trailer or horse-box attached due to the way the rear quarter panels "swoop" up. The rear quarter glasses are smaller to allow for the styling and this reduces visibility to the rear sides.

Good power output- The 2.7 turbo diesel engine provides plenty of power and torque and proves very capable for towing.

Level of equipment- This is quite high, and gives you everything you need in a vehicle of this type.

Reliability- as many people are aware, the Ford Maverick is actually a Nissan Terrano with different badges on it. Hence, the Japanese technology is excellent. Whilst owning mine (I had it for two years), my main expenditure was fuel (more later) and routine servicing. This vehicle never skipped a beat and proved to be a good purchase at the time.

Re-sale value- I paid £3400 for mine and sold it for £2900 two years later. There is a popular market for this type of vehicle so price tend to stay fairly level with no big drop in value.

The Cons :-

Fuel consuption- Quite high, even for a diesel. The excellent power output does unfortunately mean the Maverick was a thirsty beast and for what I used the vehicle for it only returned between 30-35 mpg. Which to me is dissapointing for a diesel. But having said that, I did use it for a lot of heavy work ie towing and carrying large objects in the back.

Interior enviroment- Not to be confused with equipment level. Inside the vehicle it just felt like a Nissan and not a Ford. Ford commercial vehicles have a certain durability about them that was just missing from the Maverick/Terrano. The dash had a plastic-y look and feel and the quality of the seat cloth was not the best.

Spare parts availability- When you go to your Ford dealer for Ford parts, they have a good stock of most of the things you need. But the Maverick is actually a Nissan, so the ford dealer orders your parts through Ford Motor Company.. but they then get them from Nissan, so it takes twice as long. When the vehicle needed servicing, my local garage did the job but had it in thier workshop for two days just waiting for the service parts. I suggested getting them direct from a Nissan dealer, but the guy at the garage said he'd tried that and believe it or not Nissan charged MORE for the same filters etc etc.

Off road use- It looks the part. BUT, it just can't quite cut it over the rough stuff. When the going gets tough the Maverick gives up. I have heard a few people say they are good off road but in my experience, and my day to day job, this 4x4 should stick to tarmac. I have witnessed a 14 yr old Suzuki jeep go places the Maverick just couldn't. It will happily drive over a muddy field, even towing a trailer, but only if the ground is pretty level.

General :-

I would recommend this vehicle to anyone. Its ideal for the roads of Briton with high driving position and good level of visibility. I'm not one to have a go at people who buy 4x4's and NEVER go off road because they are a very safe vehicle for its occupants, so who cares what you use it for if you're safe doing it.
The steering is very light for a big vehicle, but then again most Japanese built vehicles are, so it is ideal for mums going shopping or dropping the kids off at school (hope thats not patronising), but you catch what I mean.
I found it used a lot of fuel, but I suspect "normal" driving would give a better return on your fuel bill.
But on the whole, I would say it'll do you no harm to own one. I have heard the older ones are better than the brand new model so save yourself some money and get a Maverick built between 1993 and 2000.

Hope this has helped.