Handling with Bridgestone Ecopia tires on 2008 Prius Touring?

This discussion is not exactly what you are asking but may prove helpful. And the tire size calculator is very helpful.

Smaller sidewall tire size | Page 2 | PriusChat

 

But there are very many discussions and helpful info in PC about tires. Searches will bring up tons of useful info.

 

I went with the Four Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 195/55/16 tires 16,000 miles ago and simply love them. Mileage has ticked up from the OEM tires and the handling is good. Being in Southern California, I don't have snow and ice to deal with, so that is not part of my experience.

 

What's the stock size for your vehicle? There looks to be a typo in the above (bold emphasis mine).

 

195/55R16, I think.

 

I'm 6k deep on the Ecopias. I'm a fan handling wise and MPG wise.

 

Well, that's interesting. My 2009 Prius Touring also shows 2mph lower on the separate GPS at "65"mph. Seems okay at lower speeds (35mph) but if it's a 1.5% difference, I guess it won't show. I've been meaning to take the GPS out in the other car to see if it's consistent and a problem with the GPS rather than the speedometer. I had assumed it was somehow due to the Nokian WRG2's I have on the car. On my 2 1/2 hour car ride yesterday, I noticed that (if the roadside mileage markers are correct) my car is off .1 in 7 miles (reads 7.1 when the indicators show 1 mile). This was consistent over the 35 miles that I checked.

 

my LEAF has the Ecopias (referred to as "Ecrapia's" on MNL) and they have top marks for LRR but most LEAFers feel they fail at nearly everything else. the sidewalls are easy to damage. I have had a few tires replaced due to very minor incidences as have several other LEAF drivers. dont know if its due to the extra weight of the LEAF or not but most have been going to the Michelin LRR options which have better anecdotal ratings for handling.

some have also complained the Ecopias wore fast but I see ZERO evidence on my LEAF or the Prius (it had nearly 50,000 on the OEMs when it was wrecked)

 

I have been hearing and reading good things about this tire. These are suppose to do better in snow than the Goodyear's. I was in between getting these and the Goodyear Assurance Fuel tires. But, with the coupon it made sense to get these. There is currently a $70 coupon at Costco good till 4/7 I believe. Otherwise there is a $70 gift card rebate from Bridgestone for these tires. I am getting a set put on today for my 2009 Touring.

http://www.discounttire.com/pdf/Bridgestone70AmEXCardRebateFormApr2013.pdf

 

the Costco coupon is often repeated so dont let the deadline scare you. the Michelins are at Costco so another reason to go that route. I support Costco due to the fact that they as a company support their workers better than most and are by far #1 in the retail industry for employee benefits.

 

Just FWIW, if you look up images of the Insignia SE200, and the Ecopia EP20, say on TireRack, you'll see the tread patterns are identical.

There were two version of SE200, one with and without a diminutive "02" suffix. The latter were supposedly much better for Rolling Resistance. Maybe they were rebadged as Ecopia EP20?

 

The identical tread patterns are ep20 and se200

 

I had them installed today. I am coming from worn Michelin Primacy MXV4. They were 205/55/16. The Michelin's felt more stable on the highway. But, that's from being a wider tire. These seem quieter than the Michelin's though. It seems like I am getting better MPG with these tires, but only time will tell.

 

The Leaf guys have a slightly different tire because it is OE equipment which means it was likely designed with Nissan's specs in mind. The aftermarket version generally lasts a lot longer but may be slightly less efficient.

I've read through the tire threads on that forum and those guys should come over here to learn a thing or two. LOL I couldn't help but shake my head when I read about them switching over to Primacy MXV4 and Primacy MXM4 tires when they are mostly concerned with efficiency. Those two tires are NOT very efficient despite being labeled as LRR. The EP422 and the Michelin Energy Saver A/S are MUCH more efficient.

I do agree, however, that the Ecopia EP422 offers poor handling compared to some of its direct competitors but like most things in life you may have 5 different traits that interest you but you can only choose a few of them and suffer with lower marks on the rest. The EP422 is very efficient, wears well and is very inexpensive when combined with the $70 rebate. If handling and wet traction are most important to you then choose a different tire. If cost per mile (mpg+longevity), comfort and snow traction are important to you then it's a great tire!

Because there are not many good choices in the 195/65/16 size one could be adventurous and step up to a 205/55/16 which is a taller tire. There are TONS of choices in that size.

Pros: More choices, larger diameter tire is more fuel efficient, more ground clearance, better handling, more substantial looking

Cons: May be a bit too tall looking, wider tire less fuel efficient at speeds over 50mph

If you go to a 205/55/16 I would suggest looking at the Continental PureContact or the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus. This assumes you want a better handling tire that increases safety (wet/dry braking and cornering) and is still economical in terms of mpg and/or cost per mile to own.

 

What size did you get?

 

Based on some reading I am interested in the Ecopia ep422 for my 2007 prius - standard model. I called my local Toyota dealership and Dunn tire asking for a price quote on them in the standard 185/65-15 size and they both said they would not sell the tire/install it because the speed rating is too high compared to the recommended vehicle rating. They said a higher speed rating than is recommended will cause negative effects in terms of handling and performance....true? I have read the reviews about the softer side walls but it really did not worry me with my driving habits.