Is the 2022 Ford Maverick First Edition Worth it?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Ford Maverick enters the compact truck category at the end of 2021. It will launch with multiple trims just like every Ford truck. The Maverick has a standard hybrid engine, meaning it’ll get some of the best gas mileage available to a pickup. With XL, XLT, and Lariat trims available, what will First Edition add, and is it worth the price tag? Starting at a low price of just $21,490, the Maverick looks to be a very reasonable value compact pickup truck. So is it worth spending almost double the starting MSRP to get the First Edition which tops out at $37,170?

What makes the Ford Maverick First Edition worth it?

2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XLT. Preproduction vehicle with optional equipment shown. Available fall 2021. | Ford

For starters, the First Edition will come with every feature available in the Lariat trim plus more. So if there’s any technology or features you were looking for, the FE version of the Maverick will have it. This includes the B&O premium audio system with eight speakers, an 8.0 touchscreen for the infotainment system, a 400W inverter, and the spray-in bed liner.

The First Edition package adds “First Edition” decals on the hood and sides of the bed, a moonroof, tonneau cover, and a black roof. Purely cosmetic, but something that can change any color of the Maverick so it looks that much better. If the engine is a 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain, the First Edition package will come with 18-inch wheels and all-season tires. If it is a 2.0-liter engine, it’ll come with 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires.

What makes the Ford Maverick First Edition stand out?

The total cost of adding the package to your Maverick is $1,495. Meaning it’ll have every feature available to the compact truck, plus look a little different. While the decals and black roof might not seem like much differentiation compared to other versions, the exclusive color might be the answer. There is a single color, Rapid Red, available only with the First Edition package on the 2022 Ford Maverick. So if buyers are really looking to stand out from other trucks as well as other Mavericks, they can do so by showing off their First Edition package exclusive paint color.

Ford is accepting reservations

Ford is still taking preorders for the Maverick, which will become available before the end of the year. By heading to their website, you can customize your Maverick with all the features, colors, and packages you desire. If that’s the Rapid Red First Edition, you’re looking at a minimum of $33,500 with a monthly payment of $358 with $3,286 down. More can be added which of course increases the price, and a few items can be removed if you wish. Orders cannot be made completely online, but the website will get you in contact with the closest dealership that can help preorder your custom brand new Maverick for you.

The 2022 Ford Maverick releases in Fall 2021. As one of the most affordable compact pickup trucks available with great gas mileage for a truck, it’s definitely worth a look. Whether paying $1500 more for a better look is worth it, is up to you. Ford, and many other automakers, have offered packages like this before. The F150 STX with the sport appearance package adds body stripes for an additional cost.

RELATED: 2022 Ford Maverick: Consumer Reports Is Already Pitting It Against Its Favorite Pickup Truck

The post Is the 2022 Ford Maverick First Edition Worth it? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

Elon Musk Says Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Feature Is ‘Actually Not Great’

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Many automakers offer a range of driver assistance technologies in their vehicles. These tools can do everything from detect potential collisions to help drivers avoid wandering into adjacent lanes. The push for truly autonomous or self-driving vehicles is a development most closely associated with Elon Musk’s EV maker, Tesla. Brands such as General Motors, Ford, BMW, and others are dipping their toes into the technology, but Tesla still leads the charge. 

The development of effective and safe autonomous vehicle technology is a challenging process. In fact, that’s been the case with Tesla’s full self-driving beta model. 

The technology in the EV maker’s Autopilot system

All Tesla models come standard with partial self-driving features and allow for future updates to upgrade systems, Tesla explains. One facet includes ultrasonic sensors and cameras that detect objects for potential collisions and initiate automatic emergency braking. There are also auto lane-changing features that help move the car into an adjacent lane. Not to mention, Tesla EVs can enter and exit parking spaces and home garages with Autopark and Summon features.

However, current models aren’t capable of fully autonomous driving. The Tesla website warns that these safety features require “active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous” despite the misleading “Autopilot” name. 

In other words, even though these features enhance and aid driving, they are not meant to replace an active driver who retains control of the car and maintains a close watch on the road.

In addition, the current Autopilot system doesn’t operate as intended due to weather conditions such as heavy rain and obstructions like bike racks disrupting the car’s ultrasonic sensors, Tesla says.

The problems with Tesla’s full self-driving beta and what Elon Musk says about it

Tesla CEO Elon Musk | Win McNamee/Getty Images

The ever-vocal Elon Musk is notoriously active on Twitter, responding to Tesla owners and stirring up all kinds of controversy with his own tweets. According to Jalopnik, Musk recently made some new candid remarks on Twitter regarding Tesla’s FSD Beta 9.2.

The tweet came from an automotive blogger trying out Ford’s self-driving features and responded by saying that Ford’s manager of systems should “try FSD Beta.”

To wit, Musk replied, “FSD Beta 9.2 is actually not great imo.” He added that the Tesla Autopilot team was working on improving the system as quickly as possible.

Musk’s comments allude to the slew of recent and past headlines centering on Tesla’s current Autopilot system malfunctioning and causing collisions. Most recently, a Tesla Model 3 driving on Autopilot hit a Florida Highway Patrol car and a Mercedes-Benz SUV on an interstate in Orlando, Florida.

Tesla’s plans for self-driving cars in the future

Ultimately, Tesla hopes to have autonomous vehicles that drivers don’t even need to talk to. A driver could simply enter the vehicle, and it would check calendars and appointments and automatically drive to the destination without prompting.

Tesla also plans to have its Autosteer feature for city streets because it currently works on only highways. There will also be navigation features that detect the best route for travel and steer the EV to be in the right lane at highway exchanges, Tesla says.

These plans are still under development, and there is no clear timeline for when Tesla’s fully autonomous vehicle technology will be ready. Interestingly, Jalopnik reported that Musk didn’t realize how hard it would be to develop the technology necessary for autonomous vehicles.

On top of that, Musk was even confused about the full self-driving feature’s “compelling value” for consumers, another Jalopnik article reported. What exactly that translates to could be a range of things, but it breaks down to Musk not placing much stock in Tesla’s current iteration of the build.

Tesla faces competition from other brands

Companies such as Waymo specialize in developing self-driving technologies. Waymo is notably the brainchild of Google’s self-driving project. According to Bloomberg, Waymo has made leaps and bounds and is reportedly 99% there with developing autonomous vehicle technology (the remaining 1% being the most challenging). 

Other brands, like the GM-and-Honda-backed Cruise, also are further along in development. Like Waymo, Cruise is working on training its vehicles to navigate the challenging streets of San Francisco, Business Insider reports.

And Ford and Volkswagen’s endeavor Argo AI recently received permit approval to offer free rides in its autonomous vehicles in California, TechCrunch reports.

RELATED: Teslas on Autopilot Are Notorious for Crashing at This Forked Road in Yosemite

The post Elon Musk Says Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Feature Is ‘Actually Not Great’ appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

Would You Believe This Heap is a Ford Crown Vic?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

This custom Ford Crown Victoria is called the “Clown Victoria” and we couldn’t agree more. Do you like it? If so, it could be yours as it is for sale for only $6,500, firm. It is packed with every Ricky Racer cliché.

The huge rear wing, massive front bumper, humongous hood scoop, and mid-engine side vents incorporate all of the features we love. They’re all overdone, adding to the charm and uniqueness of this one-off green machine.

Though this Crown Vic seems to be mid-engine, it is not

Clown Vic Ford Crown Victoria | Reddit

No, it is not a mid-engine sedan, but the vents sure look swell. That healthy, jacked-up rake gives it a real meaty look. The black competition stripes finish off the race-vibe additions. 

Though the Crown Vics are mostly remembered for being synonymous with police departments as pursuit vehicles, we don’t know the origins of this one. If it was once a Police Interceptor it would have stories to tell. That is, if it could talk, which we know it can’t. They also were found in metropolitan areas as taxi cabs. 

Finishing touches include the jazzy aluminum wheels and “Archangel” spelled out on the windshield in a gothic style. Really, the Clown Vic has just about everything you would want to impress your friends with. And the rancid green paint is sure to leave an indelible mark on your brain. 

These Crown Vics came with Ford’s Modular motors

Clown Vic Ford Crown Victoria
Clown Vic Ford Crown Victoria | YouTube

The Panther platform that the Crown Vics were built on included Ford’s modular V8. They’re not really fast, but they are torquey. That and their rather inexpensive buy-in means they work well under older trucks. Many 1960s pickups had their chassis pitched and body parts bonked onto a Crown Vic frame. 

This thing is so over-the-top that it might actually be fun to go cruising in. And though we doubt the workmanship is too good, it does look like it was done well in photos. But as you know, that doesn’t mean it looks that way in person. 

Discovered on Reddit, for $6,500 you can’t go wrong. And if by chance it doesn’t sell, it resides just outside of a recycling facility, so at least the owner can get a scrap price for his Clown Vic. Some things come together so well, don’t they?

RELATED: Get a Close Look at a Crown Victoria Cop Car Without Getting Arrested

The post Would You Believe This Heap is a Ford Crown Vic? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

Kia Trademarks 9 New Model Names – Could This Be an All-Electric Lineup?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

As the environmental problems facing our planet get more media attention, automotive customers increasingly buy eco-friendly cars. Many automakers across the industry are responding to this demand by producing electric cars, including Kia. The Korean automaker already produces the Niro EV crossover. Also, earlier this year, it unveiled the EV6 crossover. Furthermore, all signs point towards Kia expanding its all-electric lineup with it recently trademarking nine new model names.

Kia EV1 to EV9 electric vehicles

2022 Kia EV6 | Kia

Kia appears to be fully embracing a push toward all-electric vehicles. For its Plan S strategy, Kia announced that it will release 11 new electric vehicles by 2026. Nine of these vehicles include the EV1 to EV9 electric models. The Kia EV6 is the first in this electric model range that will be released. However, in the trademark applications by Kia with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, not all of the eclectic vehicles may fall under the EV1-EV9 naming scheme. This suggests that the electric vehicle lineup for Kia could be even more extensive than previously anticipated. 

Kia IK naming scheme

Many of the trademarks have an IK naming scheme. They cover a wide spectrum of vehicle categories for the USPTO. This includes trucks, automobiles, electric cars, sports cars, and motor buses. Kia also used the IK naming scheme when filing trademark applications with the Korean trademark office in December 2020. 

One possibility is that Kia will incorporate a similar naming scheme that it did with the Kia K5, which used to be called the Kia Optima. In Korea, Kia names the Cadenza the K8, while it names the Forte the K3. The “I” in the “IK” naming scheme could refer to electric versions of Kia models. An electric Kia K5 could be called the IK5, while an electric Kia Forte (K3) could be called the IK3.

Gray 2022 Kia EV6 driving by a stone wall
2022 Kia EV6 | Kia

All of this is speculation, though, and it could be the case that the recent trademarks are for other things that Kia has planned. Its electric strategy goes beyond passenger vehicles. Kia also has plans for increasing its electric mobility services, as well as electric purpose-built vehicles.

What Kia electric vehicles are currently available?

If you’re an eco-minded driver and want to get behind the wheel of a Kia electric vehicle, you don’t have to wait for these possible new electric models to come to fruition. The Kia Niro EV crossover has been available since 2018. The all-new Kia Niro EV6 crossover will be released in January 2022. Also, if you desire a Kia electric vehicle that has unique styling and offers practicality, then you can get the Kia Soul EV. However, you’ll have to head to the used vehicle market, for the Soul EV was discontinued in 2019.

This is an exciting time for electric vehicles. Looking back a decade ago, one could not have imagined the breadth of choices that automotive shoppers now have for electric vehicles. By all accounts, Kia appears to be moving full force toward a lineup of all-electric vehicles. Stay tuned to see a clearer picture of what these new trademarks mean for Kia and its electric vehicle future.

RELATED: The 2022 Kia EV6 Makes the Mustang Mach-E Nervous

The post Kia Trademarks 9 New Model Names – Could This Be an All-Electric Lineup? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by