Ford Maverick vs Ferrari California

What's the difference?

Potential is the key word when it comes to the Maverick. It has loads of potential to be a sales hit in Australia, provided Ford can get it in at the right price and specification level. In many ways, for all the success the Ranger has had for the company, the Maverick is the closest thing Ford has built to the Falcon Ute since its demise.

There’s obviously no guarantees in the automotive business, but if Ford could add the Maverick as a would-be Escape replacement it clearly has the potential (there’s that word again) to do a much better job for a brand known for its adventurous models. Whereas the Escape struggled to attract attention in a crowded SUV market alongside the likes of the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and others, that wouldn’t be the case for the Maverick.

It’s been a hit for the Blue Oval in the US, with more than 22,000 examples sold in the first three months of 2023 and the company hiring more workers to try and keep up with demand. Which will only delay any plans to bring it to Australia, as the US market clearly has priority.

Which is a shame, because it would appeal to the large number of Australians who live in urban centres but have an active lifestyle. Especially the hybrid model, which would be ideal for weekday use while allowing owners to chuck their mountain bike or surfboard in the tray and head for adventure on the weekends.

Maybe that’s an idealistic view, but the Maverick left a strong impression and would fit so neatly into Ford Australia’s line-up it would be a waste if it never made its way Down Under.

The overall score doesn’t necessarily reflect how good this car is, but that’s because we have to factor in safety kit and equipment. Those things matter, sure. But if you really want a Ferrari Portofino, you’ll probably read the drive impressions and look at the photos, both of which should be enough to push you over the line if you’re not quite there yet.

The Ferrari Portofino 2019 model is not just bellissimo to look at, it’s also a more Italian offering. And that’s buonissimo. 

The design of the Maverick is one of its standout features, because it looks like a proper Ford truck, with elements in common with the Ranger and the F-150.

That’s despite the fact that underneath it actually has more in common with an SUV, sharing Ford’s ‘C2’ platform with the Escape and Bronco Sport.

It has the same ‘C-clamp’ lights that are a signature of the F-150 and have since found their way onto the Ranger.

It also has the same boxy design as its bigger siblings with a very upright front end and cut-off tail, giving it the ‘tough truck’ look popular amongst modern ute/pickup buyers in Australia and the US.

Other noticeable design elements include the Ranger-style grille treatment, slightly flared wheel arches and the ‘Maverick’ name stamped into the tailgate.

The Maverick is also available with exposed tow hooks as optional extras on the standard XLT, but they are included on the Tremor package, and add to the ‘rugged’ look of the Maverick.

Inside the Maverick looks less and feels like a pick-up and more like an SUV, with elements like the steering wheel and media system seemingly coming straight from the Escape.

But there are a number of small details in the interior design that impress, like the unique door designs and the texture finishes to some of the inlays on the dashboard and door pocket.

It’s a more angry-looking entry-level car for the iconic Italian brand, but not in an ugly way. 

Sure, some angry faces aren’t pretty. But I bet if Elle Macpherson or George Clooney got cranky at you, you’d still probably find them attractive. And so it is with the Portofino, which has a mildly menacing front end, some scintillating curves over its taut metalwork, and a pair of high-set hips with bold tail lights. 

It is undeniably more muscular than the old California was. And filling the wheel arches are 20-inch wheels, which measure eight inches wide at the front (with 245/35 rubber) and ten inches wide (285/35) at the back.

This isn’t a compact car, either - with dimensions of 4586mm long, 1938mm wide and 1318mm tall, the Portofino is longer than some mid-sized SUVs. But boy, does it pull its size off well. 

And like many of the beachside manors in the seaside town for which the new model is named, you can shutter yourself in to combat bad weather. The folding electronic roof system takes 14 seconds to raise or lower, and can be operated at speeds up to 40km/h.

I actually think it looks better with the roof on. It’s not often you can say that about a convertible…

Again, in terms of size and use you’ll feel more like you’re in an SUV than a ute when you jump inside a Maverick. It definitely feels more like an Escape than a Ranger, even down to the basic layout of all the controls, air conditioning vents and storage spots.

But there are some unique elements, like the previously mentioned interior door trims, and there are some handy storage spots in the centre console along with a pair of cupholders.

There’s respectable space in the back for what is ultimately a small vehicle, but it could do with some extra amenities for the rear seat passengers. There’s a power outlet and some under seat storage space but no rear air con vents or cupholders. 

As for luggage space, this is where the Maverick diverges from the SUV script by adding its ute-style tray.

It’s a good sized bed, as the Americans call it, measuring 1381mm long and 1353mm wide, but with the tailgate able to be set a floor height it can accommodate eight-feet by four-feet wooden sheets (2400mm x 1200mm). Our test car came with the optional spray-in liner.

The tray features what Ford calls its ‘Flexbed’, which describes a variety of in-built functionality including pre-stamped slots in the side of the tray so you can insert timber as dividers, depending on what you want to use it for. There’s also a 12-volt outlet and 10 tie-down points to lean into its practical nature. 

It may be small in stature compared to the Ranger and F-150 but the Maverick isn’t a show pony. In the years since it arrived we’ve seen multiple examples of the Maverick being used as a working truck in the US, with plumbers and builders who don’t need a bigger model opting for the practical small ute and it’s easy to see it filling a similar role here.

You aren’t buying a Ferrari if you want the most practical car for the money, but that doesn’t mean there isn't some semblance of pragmatism to the Portofino.

There are four seats. I know, it’s amazing to think there’s a point in making the Portofino a 2+2 seater, but according to Ferrari, owners of the outgoing California model used those back seats about 30 per cent of the time.

I wouldn’t want to be in the back row that much. It’s designed to play host to little kids or small adults, but anyone nearing my height (182cm) will be very uncomfortable. Even tiny adult males (like fellow auto scribe Stephen Corby, for example) reckon it’s tight and not a pleasant place to be back there. (link to existing review). But if you have kids, there are two ISOFIX child seat anchor points.

The boot space is not huge, but with 292 litres of cargo capacity with the roof up, there’s enough room for a weekend’s worth of luggage for a couple (Ferrari says you can fit three cabin bags in that configuration, or two with the roof down). And - a tidbit for the actual customers out there- it has more luggage capacity than you get in a new Corolla hatch (217L). 

As for cabin comfort, the front seats are sumptuous, and there are some nice elements like the 10.25-inch infotainment screen, which is pretty easy to use, if a little slow to load when you’re skipping between screens or trying to key locations into the sat-nav system.

There are also two 5.0-inch digital screens in front of the driver, mounted either side of the rev counter, and the front passenger can have their very own display with speed, revs and gear on show. It’s a neat option.

While it may have some long-distance touring pretence, the Portofino isn’t a beacon of loose-item storage. It has a pair of cupholders, and there’s a small storage tray that will fit a smartphone.

It would be silly to think that people who can afford a Ferrari aren’t conscious of finance. Most people who can buy a car like this are very specific about what they will and won’t spend their hard-earned cash on, but according to Ferrari, about 70 per cent of projected Portofino purchasers will be buying their very first Prancing Horse. Lucky them!

And at $399,888 (list price, before on-road costs), the Portofino is as close to an affordable new Ferrari as you’ll get. 

Standard equipment includes that 10.25-inch media screen that runs Apple CarPlay (an option, of course) and includes sat nav, DAB digital radio, and acts as a display for the reversing camera with parking guidance lines, plus there are front and rear parking sensors as standard.

The standard wheel package is a 20-inch set, and of course you get leather trim, 18-way electronically adjustable front seats, plus heated front seats and dual-zone climate control, and there’s proximity unlocking, too (keyless entry) with a push-button starter on the steering wheel. Auto LED headlights and auto wipers are standard, as is cruise control and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. 

Speaking of Ferrari’s fantastic Formula One-inspired wheel (with paddle shifters), the version with the carbon fibre trim and integrated shift LEDs fitted to our car cost an extra $8300. Oh, and if you do want CarPlay, that'll be $6793 (which is more than the best Apple computer you can buy), and that reversing camera will add $6950 to the price. WHATTTT???

Some of the other options fitted to our car included the Magneride adaptive dampers ($8970), the LCD passenger display ($9501), adaptive front lighting ($5500), a premium hi-fi sound system ($10,100), and a foldable rear-seat backrest ($2701), among plenty of other interior elements. 

The as-tested price for our just-under-four-hundred-grand Ferrari, then, was actually $481,394. But who's counting?

The Portofino is available in 28 different colours (including seven blue hues, six grey options, five red and three yellow paint choices).

Ford offers two engine choices in the USA - a standard 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol ‘EcoBoost’ option.

The hybrid powertrain makes a modest 120kW/210Nm and is only available in front-wheel drive, in an obvious nod to this ute’s shared DNA with an urban SUV. 

The EcoBoost fitted to our test car packs more punch, with 186kW/375Nm on tap and it’s paired to an all-wheel drive system via an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

The 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8 engine produces 441kW of power at 7500rpm and 760Nm of torque from 3000rpm. That means it has a sizeable 29kW more power (and 5Nm more torque) than the Ferrari California T it replaces.

Plus the 0-100 acceleration time is better, too; it will now hit highway speed in 3.5 seconds (was 3.6sec in the Cali T) and moves past the 200km/h marker in just 10.8sec, if you believe Ferrari’s claim.

Top speed is “more than 320km/h”. Didn’t get a chance to test that, sadly, nor the 0-200km/h time.

The kerb weight for the Portofino is 1664 kilograms, while the dry weight is 1545kg. The weight distribution is 46 per cent front, 54 per cent rear. 

Ford claims the Maverick Hybrid is capable of hitting a fuel economy figure of 6.3L/100km, which is a lot more efficient than its bigger ute siblings can manage and on par with consumption the Escape Hybrid manages in the US market.

The more powerful EcoBoost is obviously not quite as efficient, using 9.4L/100km on the combined urban/highway cycle. Although this turned out to be pessimistic, as we saw returns of around 9.0L/100km in our LA test drive.

The twin-turbo-V8-powered Ferrari Portofino uses a claimed 10.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Not that fuel costs are a big concern if you’re spending $400k on a car. 

But that’s more than, say, a Mercedes-AMG GT, (9.4L/100km; 350kW/630Nm) but not as much as a Mercedes-AMG GT R (11.4L/100km; 430kW/700Nm). And the Ferrari has more power than both of those, and it's quicker, too (and more expensive…).

Fuel-tank size for the Ferrari Portofino is 80 litres, enough for a theoretical mileage range of 745km.

As you approach the Maverick your brain tells you it’s a ute, but once you hope inside and start driving that idea quickly vanishes and you realise this is an SUV in disguise.

And that’s not a criticism, because Ford offers the Ranger and F-150 for people who do want a ute/pick-up that looks and drives like a ute/pick-up, so that’s not the role of the Maverick.

This is designed to be an urban-friendly vehicle for those who may want a ute but need something smaller and more efficient.

The EcoBoost performs admirably on the road, with decent low speed response and enough grunt when you stand on the accelerator and rev it hard. The Maverick isn’t a big vehicle, so it doesn’t need a particularly big engine to get the job done. 

The eight-speed auto is well-suited to the EcoBoost, able to get the most out of the engine when needed but also returning that strong fuel figure. 

It’s not meek, though, the Maverick EcoBoost has a standard towing capacity of 900kg but can be upgraded to pull up to 1800kg with the 'Tow Package'.

Unfortunately, the Los Angeles landscape didn’t give us a chance to test the Maverick’s off-road credentials, because it does have good on-paper capabilities.

Particularly the Tremor, which has specific drive modes for 'Normal', 'Sand', 'Mud', 'Slippery' and 'Towing', as well as the ability to switch the traction control off with the press of a button so you can let the wheels slip on loose surfaces.

But around the streets and freeways of LA it did impress with its on-road manners. The steering is nicely weighted and direct, and when paired with the compact dimensions of the Maverick it reacts and drives much more SUV-like which means it feels at home in the city.

Compared to the California T it replaces, the new model is stiffer, has a lighter all-aluminium chassis, gets a reworked transmission and also includes an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. 

It’s faster, has more tech - like electronic exhaust bypass valves to make it sound better - and it's gorgeous. 

So it's fast and fun? You bet. It has electronic power steering, which mightn’t be as tactile in terms of road feel as a vehicle with a hydraulic steering setup, but it is rapid in its reactivity, and arguably offers better point-and-shoot ability as a result. Old diminutive Corby criticised it for being very light and somewhat lacking, but I reckon that as an entry point to the brand, it serves as a very manageable steering setup.

The adaptive magnetorhelogical dampers do a magnificent job in allowing the Portofino to ride over rough patches of road, including pockmarks and potholes. It hardly ever feels ruffled, although there is some scuttle shake to the windscreen, as is often found in convertible cars.

The most surprising element to this Ferrari is that it is supple and reserved at times, but can turn into a manic machine when you want it to.

With the Manettino drive-mode dial on the steering wheel set to Comfort, you will be rewarded with sedate progress and cushioning from the road surface below. In Sport mode, things are all a bit more growly and rigid. I personally found the transmission in this mode, when left in Auto, was eager to upshift to help save fuel, but still responded pretty quickly when I put my foot down hard.

Turning Auto off means it’s you, the pedals and the paddles, and the car won’t overrule your decisions. If you want to see just how realistic that 10,000rpm tacho top is, you can test it in first, second, third… oh wait, you need to keep your licence? Just keep it to first. 

Its braking is tremendous, with aggressive application resulting in seatbelt-tensioning response. Plus not only was the ride comfortable, the balance and control of the chassis was both predictable and inherently manageable in corners, and there was plenty of grip, even in the damp. 

With the roof down, the noise of the exhaust is exhilarating under hard throttle, but I found it droned a bit under less-urgent acceleration, and in most instances of ‘regular driving’ it actually just sounded loud, rather than lush. 

Things that were annoying? The throttle response is dull for the first part of the pedal travel, making for some testing moments in traffic. Not helping that is the fact the engine stop-start system is exceptionally overactive. And that there’s no fuel use readout on the digital trip computer screen - I wanted to see what the car was claiming in terms of fuel use, but I couldn’t.

There is no ANCAP or Euro NCAP crash-test score available for any Ferrari model, and it’s fair to state that safety tech isn’t the reason you buy a Ferrari. 

The Portofino, for instance, has dual front and front-side airbags, and an advanced stability control system… but that’s about it. 

Things like auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all unavailable. 

It’s also much too early to speculate on ownership and warranty details.

Ford hasn’t made any official commitment to bringing the Maverick to Australia but if it does it would be logical to expect it to mirror what we already expect in terms of warranty and the ownership experience.

That means five-years/unlimited kilometres of coverage and Ford’s capped price servicing plan.

Ferrari servicing won’t cost you a cent for the first seven years, and that’s whether you hold on to it or sell it - the new owner will have access to complementary maintenance for whatever is left of the initial seven-year period.

The standard warranty offer from Ferrari is a three-year plan, but if you sign up for the New Power15 program, Ferrari will cover your car for up to 15 years from the first registration date, and that includes cover for major mechanical components including the engine, transmission, suspension and steering. It reportedly costs $4617 for V8 models like this - a drop in the financial ocean at this price point.