Ford Mach-E Pickup, Chevy Spark Active and Gold Hitch Awards? [Ask Nathan]

In this week’s Ask Nathan:

• Will there be a Ford Mach-E Pickup? 
• Is the 2018 Chevy Spark Activ the right choice?
• Gold Hitch Awards? 

The first question comes from a NathanAdlen@Twitter question, asking about possible Ford Mach-E pickup truck. 

Q: (Via NathanAdlen@Twitter) Awesome work my man. What do you think about a Ford Mach-E pickup? 

I refuse to call it a Mustang! They are working on a few EV pickups I hear. What do you say mighty gorilla!?

F. Meneese 

A: Would consumers even consider a Ford Mach-E pickup truck? 

Ford has a few EV truck plans in the mix. Some are confirmed, like the Ford F-150 EV and others are not, like the Ford Courier EV. Lots of rumors out there, but the possibility of a Ford (Mustang) Mach-E pickup truck seems unlikely.

Ford has been steady about presenting the Mach-E as a performance offspring to the Mustang. Building something like a pickup using this name and theme seems risky. That’s not to say that the platform and power source won’t be used in future EV trucks — they might. 

– N

The next question comes from a young fan who is about to buy a 2018 Chevy Spark Activ. 

Q: I have a question about the 2018 Chevrolet Spark Activ.

My dad’s friend has a dealership and he wants to sell a 2018 Spark Activ with a manual transmission. Otherwise it is loaded and it only has 20,000 miles on it. He will give me $3,000 for my 2011 Chevy Malibu which is about Blue Book. 

They are willing to sell me the car after mu trade for $9,000 out the door. Do you think this is a good deal? He’s undercutting just about every offer I’ve seen. Is this a good car for a traveling retiree? 

— Chelsea M

A: Hi Chelsea! 

I did some research and the price looks pretty good. There aren’t that many Activs out there and even fewer with the manual transmission. The mileage looks pretty good and, as long as it’s in good condition, you may have a good deal. 

It’s a great little car. While my favorite in this category is the Honda Fit, I enjoyed driving the Spark quite a bit. If you’re okay with only a four-passenger capacity and light power, it’s a great car. 

Here’s the best news: “The Powertrain Limited Warranty covers specific components of your vehicle, such as, but not limited to, the engine and transmission, for 60,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first.  It is fully transferable with no fees and no deductibles.  The Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation programs are also included for the first 60,000 or 5 years, whichever comes first.  For more details, please visit your Chevrolet dealer.”

So, don’t forget to check with Chevrolet and make sure your car is covered!

— N

The last question is regarding our 2020 Gold Hitch and Gold Winch awards. 

Q: Hi. What about the most popular vehicle? Do you have a metric for that in the Gold Hitch (& Gold Winch) awards? 

No way a Ford guy wants to hear that a Ram beat em! No way a Chevy guy would ever give a Ford guy props. I was wondering if you can measure how your fans would like to see the voting go? 

See what I mean? I want to know if you’re giving the viewers a choice. 

Melvin S

A: Hi there! 

As a matter of fact, we did. 

Andre at TFLtruck set up a viewer/reader poll that you can view (here). It’s part of the results of our 2020 Gold Hitch and Gold Winch Awards post. The best part is, the viewers and readers did NOT agree with all of our choices! 

We fully address this in the video below where Andre, Mr. Truck and I talk about the viewer poll. It’s a hoot!

N

Here’s that video!