So I just had my 40K service at the dealer and one of their recommendations was to replace my tires. They are down to 4/32" so they probably are due for a change sometime in the next 5K miles. The tires on the car are the ones it came with: Goodyear Assurance. I haven't been too impressed with these so I'm unlikely interested in buying them as replacements. My first inclination was to go to Costco and get the Bridgestone Ecopia tires. They have a $70 rebate this month on Bridgestone tires so out the door I should be in the low $400s. The Costco near me has the EP422 but their website only shows EP20 being available for my car. So I'm a little confused about that. A look at tirerack.com shows the EP20 with higher review ratings than the EP422. But it seems like the EP20 is in a "lower class" of tire (it being "Passenger" and the EP422 being "Grand Touring"). Here's the kicker: Costco website shows the EP20 as being more expensive than what I was quoted in store for the EP422. What? Ok, so here are my questions: Does anyone have either of these tires and have an opinion? Which of these two do you think are better? Does it really matter what category tires are in? (i.e. "Passenger" vs "Grand Touring")? Would anyone suggest a better choice here? I'm all ears. Thanks!
Priuschat.com Favorites in North America Michelin Energy Saver A/S Michelin Primacy MXM4 (V-rated) Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 and EP422 Continental ProContact with EcoPlus Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max Hankook Optimo H727 (not LRR but a good tire)
I have EP20's on my 10 Prius and I have over 50k miles on them. They have been quiet and seem to have good traction. A very good tire. My wife has the Goodyear Fuel Max and they are a little louder and not as fuel efficient. IMHO, the Bridgestones would be a step up.
I have had issues with Goodyears on two cars with fast ware and noise. I will personally go the Michelin Energy Savers for replacements, but the Bridgestone's should be an improvement.
I have had sidewall issues on two different sets of Goodyears on two different vehicles. Bulging, separating of the sidewall making early replacement necessary. But, I just purchased a set of Goodyear Assurance ComforTred tires for my Camry. Go figure... SCH-I535
The Bridgestone EP10 were the original tires and I think they were best. Stay away from the Hankook H727 they are the worst tire and Hankook took them back. I'm using the Michelin defenders and they are GREAT
I've purchased EP20's as replacement tires on a previous vehicle, they were excellent, LRR to boot. Just DON'T expect them to have any sort of traction in snow, once they're a bit worn. Separate snows are advisable. I suspect they're similar in performance/RR, the main difference being the EP422 offer much wider range of sizes. Emphatic NO. Maybe the Michelin Energy Saver A/S, for a slight edge in RR, except availability is spotty, and price significantly more. Our OEM is 215/45R17, and if/when replacement time comes, with today's choices I'd opt for EP420. If our OEM was was the 195/65R15, it'd be EP20.
I chose the Conti PureContacts last week. Some folks reported rough riding, but I didn't encounter that. In the future, I'll report on the supposedly superior rain performance (once we get some) and the MPGs.
