2025 XLT Hybrid AWD stock tire clearance tight

[egamar]

I picked up my '25 XLT Hybrid AWD in space white on January 18th. Order was placed August 15th. I've been happy with the truck so far, even though the mileage is less than expected. It's been very cold in the NW. Combined mileage is ~35mpg. Highway trips at ~70 average around ~36mpg. I think the below freezing temps are driving my averages down.

One recent trip was a drive to central Oregon during a late season winter storm, and state road restrictions required chains . I'm confident the AWD would have been sufficient, but the troopers at the chain-up area were itching to write tickets, and I didn't want that headache. Instead, I pulled my new set of low profile snow socks and slapped them on. It took longer to get them out of the package than it took to install. Dead simple. Seriously less than 2 minutes total. The damn things work really well. The rub, literal, is the clearance from front tires to front inner fender splash guard is minimal. At any speed above ~25 the socks would collect snow, expand slightly and than catch on the splash guard lip. It's a poor design. If there was no lip, there would be nothing to catch. I made a quick fix and trimmed the top 'rib' of the front splash guards off. Problem solved. A larger tire would be worse.

I don't expect to use the socks often, and admit chains might have been less of a clearance issue, assuming they were truly low profile and installed correctly, but they have a tendency to scratch wheels. The socks are just fabric and are so easy to install.

The ultimate solution is replacing the OEM Continentals with decent AT three peak winter tires (e.g. Nokian Outpost APT, Coopers, or something else). Even still the occasional freak storm will require traction devices, or risk a healthy ticket.

Has anybody else experienced similar clearance issues?

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[Phimosis]

I picked up my '25 XLT Hybrid AWD in space white on January 18th. Order was placed August 15th. I've been happy with the truck so far, even though the mileage is less than expected. It's been very cold in the NW. Combined mileage is ~35mpg. Highway trips at ~70 average around ~36mpg. I think the below freezing temps are driving my averages down.

One recent trip was a drive to central Oregon during a late season winter storm, and state road restrictions required chains . I'm confident the AWD would have been sufficient, but the troopers at the chain-up area were itching to write tickets, and I didn't want that headache. Instead, I pulled my new set of low profile snow socks and slapped them on. It took longer to get them out of the package than it took to install. Dead simple. Seriously less than 2 minutes total. The damn things work really well. The rub, literal, is the clearance from front tires to front inner fender splash guard is minimal. At any speed above ~25 the socks would collect snow, expand slightly and than catch on the splash guard lip. It's a poor design. If there was no lip, there would be nothing to catch. I made a quick fix and trimmed the top 'rib' of the front splash guards off. Problem solved. A larger tire would be worse.

I don't expect to use the socks often, and admit chains might have been less of a clearance issue, assuming they were truly low profile and installed correctly, but they have a tendency to scratch wheels. The socks are just fabric and are so easy to install.

The ultimate solution is replacing the OEM Continentals with decent AT three peak winter tires (e.g. Nokian Outpost APT, Coopers, or something else). Even still the occasional freak storm will require traction devices, or risk a healthy ticket.

Has anybody else experienced similar clearance issues?

Sounds like everything is fine and working as intended.

If they made the fender wells larger to make more clearance between the tire and the fender, it would increase the volume of turbulent air entering the wheel well, increasing drag and decreasing the mpg. That larger gap is a necessary compromise in something like a jeep wrangler, but for a Maverick hybrid, it is a no-go, because they are trying to squeeze every last bit of mpg out of it.

As far as splash guards go, I’m not sure what to tell you. They don’t come standard for a reason. They provide some benefits, but also have their downsides. It’s a mixed bag and most people are not willing to pay the $180 asking price for some optional cheap plastic bits that cause headaches, like accumulating moisture and road debris, which promotes corrosion.

As far as mpg goes, it’s rated at 35 mpg highway. Why would you be complaining about the mpg when you’re getting higher than the advertised mpg?

 

[egamar]

The splash guards i’m referring to ARE standard. And the design is poor. I understand the concept of a raised edge for rigidity, however, in this case the edge extends toward the tire, which creates a lip. All the designers had to was place the ribs on the side facing the inner fender and then the transition from splash guard to inner liner would be smooth.

 

[Phimosis]

The splash guards i’m referring to ARE standard. And the design is poor. I understand the concept of a raised edge for rigidity, however, in this case the edge extends toward the tire, which creates a lip. All the designers had to was place the ribs on the side facing the inner fender and then the transition from splash guard to inner liner would be smooth.

The slash guards are not standard, as shown in the pictures on the Ford website.

 

[HeyBales]

OP - do you mean the small air deflector in front of the tires hanging down?
(pic does appear to show the '25 without them)

Or the actual wheel well cover inside the fender?

Or maybe you do mean the splash guard hanging down behind the tires?

 

[egamar]

I’m talking about the piece in front of the tire. Air detector/ splash guard, whatever. It’s has a rib on the upper edge. The piece is stock. The design is poor.

 

[Snowbird]

I think the OP means the air deflector.

 

[Phimosis]

I’m talking about the piece in front of the tire. Air detector/ splash guard, whatever. It’s has a rib on the upper edge. The piece is stock. The design is poor.

The air deflector is one more of Ford’s tricks to get that 36 mpg highway that you were complaining about. It has to have that lip that sticks down to be effective, and it has to be close to the tire to be effective. It probably also has to have the upper rib that you’re complaining about for it to be effective as well. It is not a poor design. It is what needed to happen, to meet their cafe mpg targets.

The problem is that you’re running snow socks on stock tires, which is like running +3 to +4 oversized tires. Of course, if you run +4 (265/55R19) tires, it’s going to rub.

You could put a 1.5” lift on it to clear the oversized tires / snow socks. But then all of the wind tunnel tuning would be rendered ineffective and you’d be getting 30 mpg freeway instead of your current 36 mpg.

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