Based on my road test of the hybrid Maverick, I’d say if you can find one, buy it.
Q: I have been looking, with interest, at the Ford Maverick hybrid truck. I plan to tow a small pop-up camping trailer. What do you think?
A: The Ford Maverick truck, especially the hybrid trim, is a terrific little truck. It seats four, gets 40 miles per gallon and is capable of towing your smaller camper.
Since it is front-wheel drive, I’m not sure it would do well on a slippery boat ramp. For camping, it should do just fine.
Based on my road test of the hybrid Maverick, I’d say if you can find one, buy it.
Q: You also say you answer every question. How about this one? I have been reading your columns in AAA’s publications, your weekly newspaper columns, listening to your radio programs, and have seen you quoted in many stories and on television. It seems like you have been providing consumer information for ages. How long have you been doing this? How did you get started?
A: Yes, I answer every question and appreciate every reader and listener.
I started off as a mechanic. In 1985, I came to work for AAA and ran the Auto Diagnostic Center and the Approved Auto Repair program and ended up in the public affairs department.
My job wasn’t all automotive. I also became a child passenger safety instructor and a AAA driver improvement lead instructor, which built and fueled my knowledge of vehicle safety.
All of this combined seemed to lend itself nicely to trying to provide unbiased information for AAA members and consumers.
I have been hosting my radio program on various stations just about nonstop since 1993 and writing weekly columns for more than 25 years, and today you can find the Car Doctor Q&A in more than a dozen papers and websites, including this one.
Q: I’m confused. Over the summer — in certain states — we were asked to limit air conditioner use to prevent “brown-outs,” but we’re also told it would be better to buy an electric car. Can you explain this?
A: I have spoken with people who are responsible for the power grid here in the Northeast, and they tell me that the grid is capable of suppling enough electricity. That is not to say that once electric cars become more than the 6% of the market, there may not be an issue — especially in the Northeast, where we have some very old infrastructure.
To help mitigate this potential issue, electric cars using a combination of smart metering and programable charging can charge the battery during offpeak/low-use hours.
In addition, electric cars may be able to act like a storage device for electricity to help manage the peak electrical demands.
Q: Have you driven the new Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck yet? If so, what do you think?
A: I did drive the Lightning truck, although just for a short test drive. So far, it exceeded my expectations.
Like all new electric vehicles, it is fast, smooth and powerful.
Ford also did a great job of utilizing the space in the truck. This includes the front trunk (frunk), which adds more enclosed lockable storage.
During my limited test drive, the handling