Ford Maverick Pickup?

[WinterDeere]

The 8 speed transmission in my Jeep is the sweetest I’ve ever owned. It’s always in the right gear, and the shift points are not noticeable.

I have ZF 8HP70's in all three of our daily drivers, but all programmed to behave very differently. All great transmissions, but I really like the way they set it up in the SRT 392, with shifts so crisp it chirps the tires up thru 4th gear under any moderately-hard accelleration. You feel every shift, especially when set to Track Mode, and it really winds the gears out going up and downshifts agressively on the way back down.

The 8HP70 in my wife's Durango R/T is normally set for smooth shifting, but switching to "Sport mode" makes it behave a bit more crisply. The one in the Ram 1500 is similar, but in that case it's "Tow Mode" that makes it behave more like a sport mode.

What's really cool about all of them is that the behavior is totally programmable, so those who want to run a tuner can probably easily adjust the behavior.

Yeah, I think so.
If I'm not mistaken, you've posted elsewhere that you're into muscle cars, maybe that goes with the territory. I'd guess most of us appreciate smooth shifts though.

It's always tough for one to understand why everyone doesn't think the same. Yes, the more noisy and undrivable, the more fun!

7 liters displacement thru a 2800 rpm lock-up converter and a rear gear ratio so high you can hear it whine? Sounds like a nice daily driver, for running the kids back and forth to daycare.

 

[DarkBlack]

Wife's 2017 Honda CRV has a CVT with "fake" shift points built in, so a really strange combination of just constant acceleration when driving easy, but if you step down on it going up an on-ramp it "downshifts".

Don’t keep it in the special sport mode, and you won’t have the wide spaced CVT shift points you described. That’s just for playing around.
In normal drive mode, the CRV’s CVT is very smooth and constantly adjusts according to the throttle position and load., without any feeling of abrupt shifting

 

[Runner]

Don’t keep it in the special sport mode, and you won’t have the wide spaced CVT shift points you described. That’s just for playing around.
In normal drive mode, the CRV’s CVT is very smooth and constantly adjusts according to the throttle position and load., without any feeling of abrupt shifting

I actually always drive it in "Eco" mode because the throttle is too jumpy in normal mode. In normal mode, you barely touch the gas coming away from a stop and it snaps your neck.

I hate it when manufacturers do that - tune the throttle to make the car jump when you barely touch the gas to make it seem like it has more power than it actually does. Just make the throttle feel nice and linear - the car has plenty of power and accelerates fine without overdoing the step-off.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

What's nice about GM trucks is that they have a full-time 4WD option, not sure how it works but it only engages the front wheels when needed. I can choose from 2 WD, fulltime 4WD, 4Hi & 4Lo. In the winter I just leave it in FT4WD. Drives/handles as if it was in 2, except you get the added traction when you need it.

Yeah, I think so.
If I'm not mistaken, you've posted elsewhere that you're into muscle cars, maybe that goes with the territory. I'd guess most of us appreciate smooth shifts though.
CVTs are a separate animal from a modern 8+ speed. I've driven a couple cars with them (a Nissan and a couple Suburus) and didn't like the way it drove. It felt, for lack of a better term, buzzy.

A friend had an older suburban like that. Mine, when in 4high, it's 4x4.

 

[DarkBlack]

I actually always drive it in "Eco" mode because the throttle is too jumpy in normal mode.

Maybe have a dealer check it out. You most certainly shouldn’t be getting “fake” downshifts in Eco mode. Those simulated up/down shifts should only occur when you have the sport mode enabled.

Im pretty familiar with that vehicle

 

[WinterDeere]

I actually always drive it in "Eco" mode because the throttle is too jumpy in normal mode. In normal mode, you barely touch the gas coming away from a stop and it snaps your neck.

I was going to write, "If her neck ain't sore by the time you get there, you were driving too slow!" Then I realized Massey's just going to come along and say the exact opposite.

 

[paulsharvey]

The work Explorer, every similar to the Maverick power train; I Often have it in "Slippery" mode. All it does is change how quickly it engages the rear wheels, vs normal mode. "Mud/trail" mode changes shift points too.

My Ram, has 2wd, 4 auto, 4 lock, and 4 low. I have tried 4 auto, but really didn't like that. If you are driving in loose sand, it let's it spin too much before engaging fronts; better to go to 4 high lock, and avoid tearing up the driveway/road.

 

[Runner]

I was going to write, "If her neck ain't sore by the time you get there, you were driving too slow!" Then I realized Massey's just going to come along and say the exact opposite.

There is definitely a time and place for "performance driving", but in an SUV with the wife and dogs in the car while she's trying to take a drink out of her coffee mug and there is a casserole on the back seat aint it for me.

 

[jyoutz]

I have ZF 8HP70's in all three of our daily drivers, but all programmed to behave very differently. All great transmissions, but I really like the way they set it up in the SRT 392, with shifts so crisp it chirps the tires up thru 4th gear under any moderately-hard accelleration. You feel every shift, especially when set to Track Mode, and it really winds the gears out going up and downshifts agressively on the way back down.

The 8HP70 in my wife's Durango R/T is normally set for smooth shifting, but switching to "Sport mode" makes it behave a bit more crisply. The one in the Ram 1500 is similar, but in that case it's "Tow Mode" that makes it behave more like a sport mode.

What's really cool about all of them is that the behavior is totally programmable, so those who want to run a tuner can probably easily adjust the behavior.


It's always tough for one to understand why everyone doesn't think the same. Yes, the more noisy and undrivable, the more fun!

7 liters displacement thru a 2800 rpm lock-up converter and a rear gear ratio so high you can hear it whine? Sounds like a nice daily driver, for running the kids back and forth to daycare.

My ZF8 is in my Jeep Wrangler, not a daycare minivan. I’ve driven vehicles all my life that noticeably shift. The smooth operation of the seamless ZF8 is very nice. Feeling and hearing audible shifts isn’t a thrill for me.

 

[Yander]

With the towing capacity and payload of the Maverick, its more of a car with a bed, than a truck. But for the use you described, probably fine.

I know zero about them though.