Though Pricing Is Falling, the Maverick Is Still Running At Over MSRP

If you have been out shopping for a new compact Ford Maverick pickup, the chances are good you have been very frustrated. The reason is simple: according to the Ford Authority (FA), the Maverick is in short supply, and the demand is high. The result has been steadily rising prices, and its pricing has been, and the vehicle has been selling for more than its MSRP, FA notes.

Ford Maverick Still Sets High Bar

Though no one could have predicted the demand for the compact Ford hybrid (one of the models that is in most significant demand), one could have guessed there would be a supply and demand problem just by looking at the reservations that were put in when the Maverick was first offered.

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Ford, at that time, offered two ways to assure that buyers would keep their space in the queue for the Maverick. Buyers were offered the chance to put in a $100 reservation as a placeholder. And, when it came time to turn the reservation into a real offer, the reservation holders, almost to a person, turned their reservations into full-on offers as the buyers added a few dollars, and they knew that eventually, they would get their vehicles.

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They would indeed have to wait for their Mavericks to be built because the supply of the compact pickup is still severely constrained, but when it came to their turn to get their vehicles, they were ready and waiting.

Outfit Regularly Looks At Data

iSeeCars, the data analysis firm regularly gathering data on vehicle markups, noted last summer that the Maverick was one of the most “commonly marked-up vehicles.” And Consumer Reports reported the same results late last fall and into January.

As FA noted, iSeeCars has “released its latest list of 20 new car prices the highest over MSRP and, once again, the Ford Maverick” made the list.

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FA said, “The Ford Maverick ranked 17th out of 20 vehicles routinely selling for more than a sticker with an average sales price of $33,098 versus an average MSRP of $27,996 – a difference of 18.2 percent.” FA notes that the average new vehicle sells for $45,880 versus an average of $42,789, which is a difference of just 7.2 percent.”

Otherwise, much of this list comprises pricier models, with Porsche accounting for five of the seven top vehicles – though the Mini’s all-electric hardtop model ranked at the top, said FA.

Interesting Top Priced Vehicle

“It’s interesting to see one Mini and two Porsche EVs in the top 20 list when EVs make up most of the top 10 lowest-priced list,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst. “Mini and Porsche are modulating their EV production to better align with demand. Hybrids like the Toyota Corolla Cross and Ford Maverick are also in high demand and, apparently, short supply.”

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There is a bit of good news in this otherwise somewhat gloomy outlook, and it is that overall, “new car pricing continues to fall relative to MSRP. One year ago,” said FA, the average new vehicle was priced at $45,597, or 8.9 percent above MSRP. Today, though, the “average has fallen to 7.2 percent.” To find this data, iSeeCar analyzed the price of over 16 new vehicle transactions between January 2023 and January 2024.

Ford Motor Photo

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971. His automotive articles have appeared in venues including Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. You can follow Marc on Twitter or Facebook.