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Small truck, big goals. The 2024 Ford Maverick can tow up to 4000 pounds when properly equipped, and people are taking advantage of the compact pickup’s power on this front.The problem is that most Maverick configurations can tow only 2000 pounds, as you need AWD and Ford’s 4K Tow package to really load up the trailer.Competitors can do more—the Hyundai Santa Cruz can tow up to 5000 pounds—but we don’t need another towing arms race on this front. Let small trucks be small trucks.Ford had an unsurprising hit when it released the more right-sized Maverick pickup in late 2021 as part of the welcome compact-truck revival trend. Despite these vehicles’ smaller sizes, small-truck owners still want to do big-truck stuff sometimes, and the Maverick appears to be delivering.When we first took a 2022 Maverick through its paces, we found it to be just enough truck. The unibody design, also seen in the Hyundai Santa Cruz, provided a workable balance between size and capability. The 2023 model added an optional Tremor Off-Road package, among other minor updates like different exterior paint colors. Engine choices are a hybrid with a 191-hp 2.5-liter engine and a 250-hp 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo. For 2024, the 2.0-liter becomes the standard engine choice, with the hybrid becoming a $1500 option. The 2024 Maverick can tow up to 4000 pounds, but most configurations can only tow 2000 pounds. The Tremor package, for example, is limited to 2000 pounds. In fact, any Maverick with the newly optional 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain is stuck at the lower capacity, but even the 2.0-liter engine is only rated at the higher capacity with the optional 4000-pound Tow package ($745) and all-wheel drive ($2220). So while the Maverick technically starts at $24,995 for the XL, to get a truck capable of towing 4000 pounds means you’ll have to shell out at least $27,690.More DetailsThe Tow package changes a few details in the powertrain, including lower axle gear ratios (from 3.63:1 to 3.81:1), a transmission oil cooler, a higher-capacity radiator, and an upgraded cooling fan. The package can only be applied to the XL, XLT, and Lariat trims, meaning it’s excluded from the Tremor. Of course, the maximum 4000-pound level is the headline number here. It’s a decent number that can be used to sell some trucks—the Maverick can tow 500 more pounds than the Ford Escape, for example—but it’s not at the same level as the Santa Cruz or the bigger Honda Ridgeline (both of which can tow up to 5000 pounds). To tow that much in a Maverick, as mentioned, you need to have all-wheel drive, which reduces fuel economy to, at best, 24 mpg without a trailer. Every vehicle is a collection of compromises, but when you read what people are doing with their Mavericks, there’s a lot to be said for this specific way of threading the needle.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Contributing EditorSebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.  More

Nissan is recalling more than 80,000 Leaf EVs in the U.S. to fix a problem with the vehicle control module software.As reported by Bloomberg News, the problem could cause sudden acceleration after exiting cruise control or could cause the electric motor to stop functioning during driving.The recall affects several Nissan models and nearly a million total vehicles in countries outside the U.S., but in this country only the 2018 through 2022 model Leaf is affected, Nissan said.Nissan will be recalling 2018 through 2022 Leaf EVs to fix a problem with the vehicle control module. Reportedly the problem can cause a short circuit that could make an electric motor stop while the vehicle is being driven or could cause sudden vehicle acceleration after exiting cruise control.A Nissan spokesperson described the issue to Car and Driver this way: “When certain actions are taken immediately after turning off the cruise control (including Intelligent Cruise Control and Pro-PILOT), some e-POWER and electric vehicles may experience unintended acceleration.” The spokesperson did not elaborate on what the “certain actions” were other than to say: “These actions were discovered in internal vehicle testing and are not normally performed in the real world. Nissan has not received any reports of issues or accidents.” Worldwide, several Nissan models produced between 2017 and 2023, totaling nearly a million vehicles, are included in the recall, but in the U.S. only the Leaf is affected. Nissan said the recall will include 80,952 U.S. Leaf EVs from model years 2018 through 2023. A Nissan spokesperson told Car and Driver that the company will install updated vehicle control module software, which will require owners to bring the vehicles to a dealer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet published documentation on the recall, but owners of potentially affected Leaf EVs can check the Nissan recall website or the NHTSA recall site to see if their vehicle is affected. Other Recent RecallsDigital DirectorLaura Sky Brown has been involved in automotive media for a very long time, and she sees it as her calling to guard the legacy and help ensure the continued high quality of Car and Driver. She was one of the first staffers at Automobile Magazine in the ’80s and has worked for many other car magazines and websites as a writer, editor, and copy editor ever since. It has been her privilege to edit many of the greats of automotive journalism over the years, including the ones who currently write for C/D. More