Bridgestone Ecopia EP422

cwerdna and F8L: Interesting, thanks. Although I wanted to buy my Ecopias at Costco, my local (4) warehouses were "fresh-out", and without a certain due-in date for the 422s, hence my purchase at Wheel Works in Fairfield. Main reasons for Costco preference were/are cost, locations everywhere (where pizza, hot dogs, and ice cream are abundant), and nitrogen. And you're right, -as a former meteorologist, I now recall that air is percentages of nitrogen, oxygen, and inert gasses: roughly 78, 21, and 1%).
To clarify, my tire purchase was at 68K mi, and my oil change at Oil Can Henry's was at 70K. While WW (and probably any tire retailer) would only inflate to Prius specs, OCH check/inflated my new tires PSI to my requested 42/40 as part of their 20-point inspection. Yes, I do think that the ride is a bit harsher, but as a newly retired Prius "hobbyist," I'm having fun being a follower of Prius Chat in quest of better MPG.

On the fuel bladder: Often, but mostly on warmer days, the nozzle seems to click-off prematurely, hence I've been more prone to topping-off. Or, could I rely on the MFD's MPG reading as a reliable estimate vs the old miles/gals calculation?

This is my first car ever -that I believe is a "keeper," and have somewhat turned my head away from the heavier luxury cars that I often turned-in every other year.
Today I expect delivery of an Optima "yellow-top" battery from e Learn Aid (just ordered yesterday), and a Moroso tire gauge from Amazon. Next thing may be my own oil changes(!). So far, it's the BT strut bar and stiffener, Ecopia 422s, XM radio, auto door locks, interior LEDs, Hella DRLs (nice!). 74K miles, and counting.

 

Price sounds real good. I'm looking at $575 - $70 (Bridgestone discount) - $30 (installation discount). But that is for the 16" which are $10-$20 more per tire than 15". If they can get them from Bridgestone, that is. Went to order this afternoon and no luck. But he said Monday's sometimes offer better availability.

 

I just bought the EP422's from Discount Tire. They even beat Costco's after-coupon price. I figure there are a heck of a lot more Discount Tire locations than Costcos, so it will be much more convenient to take advantage of the free balance/rotation in the future. Plus I was in and out in 40 min (had an appointment). Can't say enough about the service at Discount Tire. I've only heard horror stories about wait times at Costco's tire center.

 

HI YALL - just sold my prius, but when I had my ECOPIA 422'S, they got 42 mpg, this is with the TOURING rims, which are 16" diameter.

My daughter has the rims/tire combo now, let's see if she gets more.

Incidentally, FYI, 42/40 air combo.

 

Long time no see.

What did you replace the Prius with?

 

F8L, you got a private message.

Anyways, my kid didn't take an mpg loss, she's still at 43. so all's well.

 

Got my ecopia, ep422s from firestone broomfield, co. I put 11,000 since oct 28th and two rotations. We had snow twice around 6" each time and they performed very well. I went through a set of snow tires last season, 32,000 mls and they were shot and very noisy. So noisy that I had my front bearing replaced since the car had 130k on the clock I figured it would'nt hurt. Bad mistake we ended up trying three different aftermarket brands and they only lasted 6-8k each finally went with Toyota part and 50k later still good, I know,I know.lol. my poor mechanic ate alot of crow. Anyway I digress. These tires where a little squirly the 1st maybe 1000 miles and then wore in I guess and now I'm very pleased with them.

 

Just installed Ecopia 422's on my wife's '10 III. OMG these are great tires. Far quieter than the OEM Yoko's. Smooth handling. Bought from Tirerack and delivered to a local shop.

 

Purchased Ecopia 422's today at local Firestone Dealer. Had pressure set to 42/40.
To early to discuses MPG's, only first day. I did see an improvement in the Ride. Very smooth.

 

Keep in mind that new tires will always ride smoother than old worn tires due to more tread depth.

 

Good Point And after 5 years, I don't remember what the ride was like when car & tires were new.

I hope I have good things to report.

 

I just bought a set of Ecopias at Costco today, $386 installed on my '08 Prius. The car only has 35K on the odo, and about 30K of that was on the OEM Integrities. The other 5K would be on some Bridgestone Blizzak tires purchased last year which, while I live in Montana, I only keep on the car for a few months each year, December through March. My other vehicle is a 4x4 truck which I use recreationally and for chores, plus when we have deep snow which we haven't had much this year, I like the ground clearance of the truck.

Anyway, I went for a drive just to try them out and begin the wear in process. They seemed great, quiet, and the mileage looks good, although a little early to tell on that last score, but they handle better than the Goodyears did, that's fersure!

 

I just paid $447 OTD for my EP-422's plus I have a coupon for a free Wii or $70 American Express purchase card. As soon as I got home and made the salad, I set my tire pressure to 42/40. The ride seems a lot more plush compared to the OEM Goodyear's.

 

I wanted the Michelin Energy Savers, but sadly none can be found until at least EOY or early 2013. Can't wait that long. I have 40k on original Yoko S33's, and while I have no major complaints, I won't stay with them again. I could keep them until next spring but I'm making a trip north for Thanksgiving and remaining tread is not appropriate for any winter conditions I may encounter. So I'm going with Bridgestone Ecopia EP422's - Costco has $70 off plus add'l $30 toward install, and they have their Road Hazard warranty that can't be beat.

One question; Because of timing issues, I can get in to the dealer for my 40k service before I have the tires installed. Is it okay to have the alignment done BEFORE the new tires are installed? Does it matter? I can take the car to the dealer in the morning and Costco in the afternoon - same day.

 

It would be best to do the alignment after the tires are installed and inflated to your desired pressure.

 

I'm wondering how it matters? Aren't the alignment specs the same no matter if the tires are worn or new? I typically run 38/35 for comfort, but will see if I can run the Bridgestones a bit higher.

 

A different tire and a different inflation level can change the height of the tire (and the height of the car). I'm not sure how much this would affect alignment but I figure its best to try and make sure your setup is as close as possible to the way it will be driven before an alignment.

 

I can agree with that - makes sense. Plus it will help avoid me explaining to dealer why I don't want the tires rotated or why I'm not buying the tires through them. I think they'll match the price but can't beat the service and warranty at Costco!

 

I absolutely love the Ecopia's I put on last December. I have driven around 15K miles in them in all sorts of weather. My average MPG is 2 MPG better than the cheap tires that were on the car originally. The car is considerably quieter and handles very well. I should mention that I had my suspension tightened a short time later on my 07 and made an additional (considerable) difference in the handling. It was enough to notice and something I recommend if you plan on keeping your car for a while.