Handling with Bridgestone Ecopia tires on 2008 Prius Touring?

Ah, thanks for the update.

 

I replaced one Ecopia at the Goodyear store and it had a higher load rating (91) than the OEM's (89) so u r right. not the same despite the "similarity" in names...

 

I currently have the Ecopias on my 2007. I'm not in love with them, but I don't dislike them either. They do have an unusal characteristic that I've noticed here in Ohio. They are slippery when the roads are wet more so then most tires i've used. However the performance in snow is actually decent and better then I anticipated. As for fuel economy I don't seem to have any noticeable gains or losses from them.

 

Thanks for the update.

The handling is the main gripe with these tires. They are great in most other respects and the FE is good.

 

I had the Ecopia 422s put on last Nov. & currently have 6K miles on them. They performed decently in the snow and now that it's getting warmer I'm getting about 5 more mpg than previous Michelin Destiny tires. They seem to handle well enough for my non-aggressive driving style.

 

That is pretty much how I represent them. If you want great fuel economy, decent wear, comfort and a bit of security in the snow then the tire is great as long as you don't put a huge value on performance handling.

 

F8L, I chose the 422s based on your helpful evaluation and Costco's $100 off on tires and installation at the time. Thanks for your expertise.

 

I don't know about expertise but glad I could help, my friend.

 

12,000 miles + on 5 tanks works out a lot better than 44.1 mpg. According to my maths that works out at 2400 miles per tank.

John (Britprius)

 

I put a set of those Ecopia(s) on my 2007 Prius and I've been happy with them. The mileage improved about 1-2 mpg and the noise level dropped a lot from the OEM models. I'm in Southern California, so haven't driven them in snow, but they handle okay in rain and on wet roads.

9/22/2015:
Been a while since I was online here, but wanted to give an update on these tires. After 4 1/2 years and 45,000 miles, the Ecopia are done. As I noted before, they were quieter and gave better mpg than the originals, but the handling got worse as they aged--a general wavering and 'squirreliness' in both city driving and at highway speeds. I'm also disappointed with their lifespan; tires on my Jeeps lasted 60-70,000 miles and those were heavier vehicles driven harder over rougher roads (and non-roads.) That said, the Ecopias handled surprisingly well on wet pavement and the few times I had to stop short or swerve hard.

I'm not certain what I'll replace these with, but I'm looking for some model that's stiffer and less expensive. Any suggestions?

 

Compared to the OEM Goodyears, these get far better mileage and are softer/less noisy. I can't compare them with energysavers since I've never had them, but at $200 less for a set I can't really justify getting the Michelins for my DD. They wandered for the first thousand or so miles, but now either they've broken in, or I've just gotten used to it. One thing I really like about them is that they seem to give a lot of warning when they start to loose traction.

 

I've used EP422s for the last two tire changes and will use them as long as they exist. I'm not sure where the bad handling comments are coming from. These are a huge improvement over stock. I'm an aggressive driver and will activate the nanny frequently going around corners. The suspension, even though stiffer than stock, has far lower limits than the traction limits on these tires.

They are quiet, get the same fuel economy as the OE tires, and last forever. We got 60K on the last set. The sidewalls are still a lot stiffer than a non LRR tire, so I'm not sure where the softer sidewall comparison comes from unless it's comparing to original rattle your teeth out of your skull tires that were slicker than ice and louder than a hurricane.