2022 Ford Maverick’s $21,490 Base Price Is Less Than Original Ford Model T When Inflation Is Taken Into Account

Everyone knows about the stories about the legendary Model T and what it did for the Ford Motor Company. The five-passenger touring car helped launch Henry Ford into the annals of automotive history and helped make Ford Motor Company a lot of money.

Ford provided this tidbit about the inflationary cost of the Model T versus their new 2022 Ford Maverick to show just how competitively priced the small truck is. The Maverick debuts in the 2022 model year as a brand new vehicle in a developing segment and it's already winning over critics and getting recognition.

Both Ford and Hyundai are launching trucks in this segment with more competitors expected. Similar to the Model T, the size and fuel economy are pivotal factors, in addition to price.

An old advertisement for the Model T, pictured below, plays up the light weight of the Model T and the effects it has on fuel economy. The iconic Model T was sold as a four-cylinder, 20 horsepower, five-passenger family car that “looks good and is as good as it looks.” The Model T had a range of 225-250 miles on a single tank of gas, and far fewer features than the Maverick.

With room for five, Maverick is the first standard full-hybrid pickup in America and the most fuel-efficient truck on the market with a targeted EPA-estimated rating of 40 mpg city fuel economy and 500 miles of range on a single tank of gas. It has standard smart tech features like a 4G LTE Wi- Fi hotspot, 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, plus a FLEXBED that lets you organize cargo and two 12-volt 20-amp prewired sources at the back enabling DIY electrical solutions.

How Much Would The Model T Cost In Today’s Dollars?
The original Model T cost $850 when it first went on sale in 1908. In today’s dollars, that’s more than $25,000. Even when you add the destination and delivery charge of $1,495 to the Maverick’s MSRP of $19,995, it still rings in at $21,490.

During the early part of the 20th Century, the five-passenger Model T was advertised as selling less than any of the other competitive and comparative vehicles. Likewise, the Maverick costs less than the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is the only current rival to the Maverick.

Related story: Price is key factor why Maverick will dominate new segment.

Right Sized, For Emerging Segment
The Maverick is a unibody pickup truck that is almost a foot shorter (in length) than the Ford Ranger and 32 inches shorter (in length) than the F-150. The Maverick is 68.7 inches high, compared to the Ranger which is 71.1 inches high and the F-150 which stands at 75.6 inches.

So for those who feel the Maverick is just a smaller Ranger, that’s a wholly incorrect opinion. The Maverick steps into an emerging segment in the auto industry, one that’s not filled by compact SUVs or crossover. City dwellers and young professionals still want a truck, but they need one that’s small (for easy parking) with a focus on fuel economy.

The Maverick’s hybrid powertrain is expected to get 40 mpg when the EPA ratings come out for the truck. That would be the most efficient pickup truck Ford has ever produced.

The unibody Maverick is offered at three trim levels – XL, XLT and Lariat. An FX4 package available for all-wheel-drive XLT and Lariat trucks adds more off-road capability with rugged all-terrain tires and suspension tuning, additional underbody protection, and off-road-focused drive modes like Mud/Rut and Sand, as well as the addition of Hill Descent Control. The Maverick has a 121-inch wheelbase and 8.3 inches of ground clearance.

Available for the first model year only is the Maverick First Edition package. It is built off the
Lariat trim level and includes unique graphics on the hood and lower doors, a high-gloss black-painted roof, soft tonneau cover, body-color door handles, high-gloss black skull caps, and gloss black-painted and machined 18-inch wheels for hybrid or unique 17-inch aluminum wheels for the gas model. It comes in Carbonized Gray, Area 51 and Rapid Red, unique to First Edition.

Maverick’s Powertrain
The Model T had a four-cylinder engine that made a whopping 20 horsepower. The Maverick is also a four-cylinder engine but features a full hybrid powertrain.

The 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder hybrid powertrain delivers 191 horsepower when combined with the electric motor and 155 lb.-ft. of torque mated to a continuously variable transmission driving the front wheels. It features an in-house-designed and manufactured electric traction motor, which is light and powerful.

Those who want more capability can upgrade to a 2.0-liter EcoBoost gas engine delivering 250 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque with an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive. Equipped with the optional 4K Tow Package, conventional towing doubles to 4,000 pounds.

Final Thoughts
Comparing the 2022 Ford Maverick to the original Model T is a bit of a stretch, but I totally understand the marketing spin Ford is putting on it. The Maverick is priced to sell. In this era of big pickup trucks that cost north of $50,000 and encroach on six figures, it’s refreshing to have a truck like the Maverick with an affordable price, with industry-best fuel economy and sized for different environments.

It sounds somewhat visionary for Ford to create this new truck in this new segment. So I suppose in that regard, it does belong in the same conversation with the legendary Model T.

What do you think of the price of the Maverick? Is it priced right for you? Leave me your comment below.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.