Posted Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 10:05pm
The Ford Maverick sold just over 155,000 units in North America in 2025, and more than 131,000 in 2024, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that there’s a strong demand for smaller pickups in this part of the world. The Maverick is affordable, too, starting under $30,000, but that might still be a bit steep for someone who’s going to use it as a second vehicle, or anyone shopping for a primary vehicle on a budget.
That is, if you’ve got an SUV or a mid-size sedan for hauling the family around from Monday to Friday, and you want a small truck so you can go off-roading on the weekends or haul some furniture now and then, $26,995 (plus another $575 if you want all-wheel drive) for a Ford Maverick XL with a turbocharged engine is probably more than you want to spend for something you won’t put two thousand miles on in a year.
So, hear us out: consider the Subaru Baja as a much cheaper alternative, a largely forgotten hidden gem from the early 2000s. Here’s what we love about this little pickup.
