Thanks to all of you who welcomed this new series when it appeared on your digital screens last week. Experiments can fall flatter than that can of 7Up you left out overnight, and we’re glad this one made the cut.

Given the BnB’s propensity for small pickup trucks with blue ovals on the grille (remember Sajeev’s understandable but slightly terrifying infatuation with his last-gen Ford Ranger?), the new Maverick makes a perfect foil for the second entry in The Right Spec series of posts.

Ford is making a lot of noise about Maverick’s base price just sneaking in under 20 large before the inevitable destination fee. However, there’s a case to be made that anything with an open truck bed (no matter its overall length) should be able to tow more than a utility trailer filled with a few bags of soil. Upgrading the base XL trim to include Ford’s 2.0L EcoBoost engine increases the price to $21,080 but brings more pulling power to those underhood horses. This is a sum of $1,200 less than the non-EcoBoost XLT truck, by the way.

Someone deep within the bowels of the Glass House must have imbued people in charge with more than a few grains of sense since the so-called ‘4K Tow Package’ is available as a $725 stand-alone option that doesn’t require the selection of a sunroof or coffee maker or annual subscription to Mad Magazine (and yes, we know Mad ceased publishing; our tepid joke stands). It includes a trailer hitch receiver with a 7-pin harness, an oil cooler for the transmission, and a snazzy high-capacity radiator. With it, the Maverick can tow 4,000 pounds.

 The company also has the intelligence to offer more than sad-sack greyscale colors on the XL, including the Velocity Blue shown here. An 8-inch infotainment screen, LED headlamps, and automatic emergency braking are all part of the deal. About the only further recommendation your author will make is to consider the optional sliding rear window, a feature that greatly increases a truck’s functionality in certain cargo situations and provides a bit of ventilation for us old guys who miss the days of vent windows. We must note the caveat that Ford forces the selection of CoPilot360 (because lane-keeping has so much to do with a sliding rear window).

This brings us neatly to a pre-destination price of $21,875 for a mini-truck with a 54-inch open bed and the capability to tow 4,000 pounds. Considering inflation, that would be equivalent to splashing out $11,750 on a new-for-’93 Ranger pickup. Base price of a two-wheel-drive Ranger SuperCab XL that year? Precisely $11,775 before a smattering of options, netting you a truck far less powerful and lavishly equipped than today’s Maverick.

                     

Please note the prices listed here are in American dollars and currently accurate for base prices exclusive of any fees, taxes, or rebates. Your dealer may (and should) sell for less (obscene market prices notwithstanding). Keep your foot down, bone up on available rebates, and bargain hard.