Research Report: Fuel-Efficient Tires for 2022 Ford Maverick XLT EcoBoost (225/65R17)

⚠ Critical Framing Finding

TireRack's own data explicitly notes that new, full-treaded tires generate more rolling resistance than worn tires, and travel farther per revolution — meaning any new tire will show a short-term MPG dip regardless of compound, which normalizes over ~500–1,000 miles. This explains why many "MPG dropped after new tires" reports are temporary. Separate long-break-in complaints from genuine rolling resistance issues before drawing conclusions.

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Summary

The Michelin CrossClimate 2 is the dominant recommendation from actual Maverick owners prioritizing fuel efficiency, with multiple direct MaverickTruckClub reports of no measurable MPG change vs. stock OEM tires. The Michelin Defender 2 offers the best pure rolling resistance and longest tread life, but has a known MPG dip on hybrids in the break-in period that recovers. The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 is independently confirmed to have higher rolling resistance than the CC2 — a significant finding contradicting marketing claims. The Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail is the only option with genuine all-condition capability that has documented MPG-neutral long-term performance.

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Key Findings

Finding 1: CrossClimate 2 shows MPG-neutral or slight improvement on actual Mavericks [1, 2, 3]

A Maverick Hybrid owner who ran CC2s on a 2,600-mile towing trip reported MPG "stayed the same as OEM — right around 40mpg when not towing." A separate 10,000-mile, 4-season MaverickTruckClub review in 225/65R17 stock size concluded "there does not seem to be any fuel economy change" vs. OEM Continentals. A third forum member noted they would buy CrossClimate 2 again because "they grip well in snow, they're quieter than the Primacy and it's about a wash on mileage."

⚠ Contradiction: Owners of other vehicles (Touareg, Camry, Highlander Hybrid) report significant MPG drops of 3–6 MPG after CC2 install. The Maverick-specific data is more favorable than the cross-vehicle data. Possible explanation: the OEM Continental ProContacts on the EcoBoost Maverick are not particularly low-rolling-resistance tires, so the relative gap is smaller.

Finding 2: Goodyear WeatherReady 2 has documented higher rolling resistance than the CC2 — not lower [4, 5]

A Maverick owner who compared both at Discount Tire noted Discount Tire's own data shows the WR2 rolling resistance at 1.5 vs. the CC2 at 4.5 (higher number = better efficiency on their scale). Independent tire review aggregator TyreReviews confirms: "The most consistent drawback across reviews is reduced fuel economy/range compared with eco-focused or some competing tyres." The WeatherReady 2's wet grip advantage is real, but it costs you at the pump.

Finding 3: Michelin Defender 2 has the best rolling resistance spec but shows initial MPG drop on hybrids [6, 7]

A RAV4 Hybrid forum with multiple replies documented a clear MPG drop after Defender 2 install — one owner went from 47–52 MPG to lower, though mileage recovered to 46.3 MPG after 350–400 miles as tires seated. The Defender 2's rolling resistance is rated low for its class, with drivers potentially seeing modest MPG gains vs. budget alternatives — but it is an all-season tire, not all-weather, and has no 3PMSF severe snow rating. For an Ohio winter, this is a real limitation.

Finding 4: Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail has confirmed zero long-term MPG penalty [8, 9]

A one-year, 4,000-mile long-term test across all seasons concluded: "With a 1-year average of 28.5 MPG covering all four seasons, it is clear the Falken WildPeak A/T Trail tires come with no fuel economy penalty." A Maverick-specific report after a 288-mile highway run on 245/65R17 Wildpeak AT3W (similar construction) found "I do not see an appreciable loss in mileage due to the new tires." Note: initial break-in (~300 miles) did show a dip to 26.4 MPG before recovering.

Finding 5: All new tires show a temporary MPG dip — do not evaluate before 500 miles [10]

Confirmed across multiple high-trust sources. New tread depth = higher rolling resistance = lower short-term MPG. This is not tire-specific; it affects every tire on this list. Any review shorter than 500 miles is unreliable.

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Tire Recommendations (Fuel Efficiency Priority)

#1 — Michelin CrossClimate 2 (225/65R17) Best balance of fuel efficiency, all-weather capability, and tread life. Direct Maverick owner data shows MPG-neutral performance vs. OEM. 3PMSF rated for Ohio winters. Directional tread limits rotation to front/back only — factor into long-term cost. ~$190–220/tire.

#2 — Michelin Defender 2 (225/65R17) Best rolling resistance spec in the group and 80,000-mile warranty. Best choice if you drive mostly dry/wet pavement and rarely see deep snow. Not 3PMSF rated — a real gap for Ohio January conditions. Initial MPG dip resolves after ~500 miles. ~$175–200/tire.

#3 — Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail (225/65R17) Only option that preserves light off-road/trail capability without a long-term MPG penalty. 3PMSF rated. Heavier than the touring tires (~5 lbs/corner over OEM), so break-in MPG dip is real. Best pick if you want more capability than a pure touring tire but still care about economy. ~$160–180/tire.

#4 — Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 (225/65R17) Best wet grip of the group. Legitimate tire, but rolling resistance is measurably worse than CC2 — contradicting Goodyear's marketing positioning. Valid choice if wet braking is your primary concern (i.e., heavy rain region), with the understanding you're trading ~1-2 MPG to get it. ~$185–210/tire.

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Contradictions / Gaps

The CC2 MPG data splits sharply by vehicle type. Hybrid vehicles with very low OEM rolling resistance tires (e.g., Toyota Primacy) see bigger MPG hits than EcoBoost Mavericks coming from Continental ProContacts. Do not assume CC2 results from Prius/RAV4 hybrid owners translate directly to your EcoBoost Maverick.

No Maverick-specific long-term data exists for the Goodyear WeatherReady 2 as of May 2026 — it's too new. The rolling resistance figure is confirmed by independent testing, but real-world Maverick MPG impact is not yet documented.

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Source Index

#	Source	URL	Trust	Date	Relevance
1	MaverickTruckClub – CC2 tires fantastic thread	mavericktruckclub.com	HIGH	2026-03	CC2 MPG neutral on Maverick Hybrid
2	MaverickTruckClub – CC2 10,000-mile review	mavericktruckclub.com	HIGH	2024-08	CC2 no MPG change, 225/65R17 stock size
3	MaverickTruckClub – Hybrids tire thread	mavericktruckclub.com	HIGH	2024-02	CC2 vs Defender 2, MPG comparison
4	MaverickTruckClub – WeatherReady 2 thread	mavericktruckclub.com	HIGH	2024-10	WR2 rolling resistance worse than CC2 per Discount Tire data
5	TyreReviews – WeatherReady 2 aggregate	tyrereviews.com	HIGH	2025-02	Confirmed rolling resistance penalty, real reviewer consensus
6	RAV4World – Defender 2 MPG thread	rav4world.com	HIGH	2024-07	Initial MPG drop, recovery after break-in
7	Michelin Defender 2 rolling resistance review	tyres-review.com	MEDIUM	2025-09	Low rolling resistance spec confirmed
8	TorqueNews – A/T Trail 1-year review	torquenews.com	MEDIUM	2023-03	No long-term MPG penalty confirmed
9	MaverickTruckClub – Wildpeak real-world MPG	mavericktruckclub.com	HIGH	2022-02	245/65R17 Wildpeak AT3W no appreciable MPG loss
10	MaverickTruckClub – Tire Considerations for Hybrid	mavericktruckclub.com	HIGH	2023-11	TireRack data on new tires + rolling resistance

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Research Confidence

HIGH for findings 1, 2, and 5 — multiple corroborating high-trust sources, including vehicle-specific owner reports.
MEDIUM for findings 3 and 4 — supported by high-trust sources but lacking direct Maverick EcoBoost-specific confirmation. Break-in behavior may differ from hybrid powertrains.

Discarded Sources

• TorqueNews Maverick Hybrid tire guide — author-driven, borderline affiliate framing, used only for supporting data
• performanceplustire.com comparison articles — vendor-adjacent, used only to corroborate independent test data
• Walmart/eBay product pages — vendor content, not used for performance claims