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A look at those bluff aerodynamics tells you all you need to know about fuel economy. Even the 2.0 can't crack 30mpg (29mpg), while the V6 is thirsty enough to place you on ever oil company chairman's dinner party list - 22mpg is terrible. Good job insurance ratings of 9 and 12 respectively are brilliant in comparison, while servicing should be cheap too, thanks to a mass of competitive Ford dealers. You won't see too many of these on the used market, despite having been around since April 2001. They simply haven't sold that many. Still, this does at least mean retained values are pretty impressive, even nosing ahead of the ultra-popular Freelander in more-attractive colours and trims. So don't choose a dull colour, such as the metallic goldy-beige of the test car. There's no surer way to lose money or make a car a pain to sell. Ford knows more about other manufacturer's models than, perhaps, they know themselves. Therefore, the Maverick is priced to compete strongly with them all, without going overboard on equipment levels. The 2.0-litre comes with air conditioning, electric windows and twin airbags as standard, while the V6 adds leather trim, auto box and 6-CD player - both models are better-appointed than the comparable Freelander, but still some way off the epic-value Hyundai Santa Fe.
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