| DRIVING RATING: |
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Driving the Maverick is not really a huge challenge, provided you get used to its size; it's large, with large overhangs, which can make parking decidedly tricky. Good job it's a 4x4, so you can charge up kerbs and grassy verges and supermarket car park flower beds with gay abandon. And, once on the open road, things become easier still, for although it's a heavy-duty vehicle, it doesn't require muscle to manhandle. Steering's light, visibility's commandingly good, the clutch is easy and the gearchange is about as slick as you're likely to find on a 4x4 - still chunky, but not demanding an HND to operate. Well, in all honesty, it's not actually enormous fun to drive. Reasonably smooth, yes, but the predictable roll and lack of pace of 4x4s means the Focus driver the Maverick driver's looking down upon will always be having more fun. Ah, but it's good off-road, right? Well again, not really. It has an advanced 4x4 system, but as the suspension is car-derived (in the modern 4x4 style), and it lacks a locking differential and low-ratio gearbox, getting stuck is embarrassingly easy to achieve. Enjoy instead the regal driving position, and great stereo.
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