The 2026 Ford Maverick comes standard with a 2.5-liter hybrid rated at 184 combined horsepower through an eCVT, with front-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive available. A 2.0-liter EcoBoost delivers 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft on premium fuel, paired with an eight-speed automatic on XL, XLT, Lariat, and Tremor, or a seven-speed Quick Shift automatic with paddle shifters on the Maverick Lobo. Fuel economy is the headline, with the front-drive hybrid earning EPA estimates of 42 city/35 highway MPG.

The 2026 Toyota Tacoma runs a 2.4-liter turbocharged four in three distinct tunes. The SR with the automatic makes 228 horsepower and 243 lb-ft, SR5 and above with the automatic make 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft, and every manual-transmission Tacoma makes 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft. The i-FORCE MAX hybrid produces 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft, dropping to 323 horsepower on the Trailhunter. The Tacoma makes far more torque; the Maverick uses far less fuel doing it.

Ford standardizes its big screen across the entire Maverick lineup: a 13.2-inch center touchscreen is fitted to every trim, including the base XL, alongside an 8-inch instrument cluster display. Higher trims layer on a B&O eight-speaker audio system, and Pro Power Onboard supplies 400 watts of exportable power on Lobo High, Lariat, and Tremor, and on XLT with the Luxury Package.

Toyota splits the Tacoma's technology by trim. An 8-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touchscreen is standard on SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, and TRD Off-Road, while a 14-inch touchscreen is standard on Limited, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter and available in packages on the two TRD trims. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is standard from TRD PreRunner upward but is not available on SR or SR5. Entry Tacoma buyers get a notably smaller screen than any Maverick.

Every 2026 Maverick, XL included, carries Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning, and Dynamic Brake Support as standard equipment. Ford Co-Pilot360 is optional on XL and XLT and standard on Lobo, Lariat, and Tremor. Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0 is standard on Lariat and Tremor and available on Lobo, and it is the only path to Adaptive Cruise Control, which means ACC cannot be ordered on XL or XLT for 2026.

Toyota makes Safety Sense 3.0 standard on every 2026 Tacoma from SR to TRD Pro, and it includes the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, and Lane Tracing Assist on all of them. Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is standard from SR5 upward. Standard adaptive cruise on every trim is a clear Tacoma advantage worth weighing.

The Maverick seats five in a single cab configuration, with front buckets and a folding rear bench whose seat cushion flips up to reveal under-seat storage bins. Ford's FITS system adds modular accessories to the rear of the center console. Seat materials climb from cloth on XL and XLT to ActiveX on Lobo, Lariat, and Tremor, and heated front seats are standard on Lariat and Tremor and optional on XLT through the Luxury Package. Every configuration is a crew cab, so there is no short-cab compromise to consider.

The Tacoma offers more choice and more spread. Fabric-trimmed seats with six-way manual adjustment cover SR through TRD Off-Road, SofTex appears on the upper trims, and heated and ventilated front seats are standard on Limited, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter. Toyota also sells the Tacoma as an XtraCab, which the Maverick does not offer in any form. If you want a two-seat work truck or a genuinely premium cabin, the Tacoma covers ground the Maverick does not.

The Maverick's FLEXBED is designed for weekend projects rather than heavy commercial duty. Maximum towing is 4,000 pounds, and reaching it takes the 4K Tow Package, an all-wheel-drive equipment group, and Ford Co-Pilot360 on XL and XLT. Without that package every Maverick is rated at 2,000 pounds, and Lobo and Tremor stay at 2,000 pounds because the tow package is not offered on either.

Capability is where the Tacoma pulls decisively ahead. Its 6,500-pound maximum applies to the XtraCab in SR5 and TRD PreRunner form, gas Double Cabs are rated up to 6,400 pounds, and the i-FORCE MAX hybrid tows 6,000 pounds despite making the most torque in the lineup. The SR with the 228-horsepower automatic is the outlier at 3,500 pounds. Maximum payload reaches 1,705 pounds on the TRD Off-Road i-FORCE MAX. If your trailer weighs more than two tons, the Tacoma is the answer; below that, the Maverick does the job on far less fuel.