1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Handling with Bridgestone Ecopia tires on 2008 Prius Touring?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by woodenpaddler, Mar 7, 2013.

  1. woodenpaddler

    woodenpaddler Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2009
    17
    3
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I need new tires on my 2008 Prius Touring. I got the touring model for the more responsive steering and I want to get a tire that won't compromise that. I read some good reviews ere for the Bridgestone Exopia EP422 low rolling resistance tires but some reviews at Tirerack.com noted floatyness and slow response to steering, perhaps due to soft sidewalls. I'm in Maine and use this car year round in occasional rain and snow, but in blizzards I use my truck with premium snow tires in winter. LRR and fuel economy is nice but not at the expense of handling and good traction for safety.

    The old tires are Bridgestone Insignia 200SE that lasted 50k+ miles and are just passenger all season category tires, but that's the baseline I'm coming from. Will I sense better handling with a grand touring tire like the Bridgestones Exopia's?

    The other option is to go from 15/55R16's to 205/55R16's if anyone has any input? I like the idea of slightly larger diameter and am indifferent about changes to indicated speed; my car actually indicates a couple mph low based on GPS right now.

    Other tires I should consider?
    thanks
     
  2. SteveLee

    SteveLee Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2012
    645
    179
    0
    Location:
    North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    I
  3. SteveLee

    SteveLee Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2012
    645
    179
    0
    Location:
    North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    I
    But there are very many discussions and helpful info in PC about tires. Searches will bring up tons of useful info.
     
  4. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

    Joined:
    May 15, 2008
    2,592
    2,388
    0
    Location:
    Whittier, CA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    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.
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,470
    38,103
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    What's the stock size for your vehicle? There looks to be a typo in the above (bold emphasis mine).
     
  6. css28

    css28 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2012
    1,566
    442
    3
    Location:
    Suburban Detroit
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    195/55R16, I think.
     
  7. ewxlt66

    ewxlt66 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2008
    535
    186
    0
    Location:
    Dana Point, CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I'm 6k deep on the Ecopias. I'm a fan handling wise and MPG wise.
     
    krmcg likes this.
  8. woodenpaddler

    woodenpaddler Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2009
    17
    3
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Sorry, that's the correct stock size. I did search a lot of past threads looking for particular info on handling.
     
  9. RebL

    RebL Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2010
    63
    11
    0
    Location:
    Massachusetts
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    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.
     
  10. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona
    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)
     
  11. exbauer

    exbauer Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2006
    1,185
    96
    0
    Location:
    Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    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
     
  12. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2004
    15,140
    611
    0
    Location:
    South Puget Sound, WA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    Persona

    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.
     
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,470
    38,103
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    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?
     
  14. woodenpaddler

    woodenpaddler Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2009
    17
    3
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I ended up going with the Ecopia's, putting a priority on fuel economy. Tread pattern looks different to me from SE200's. They do wiggle a little at high speed with cross winds.
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,470
    38,103
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The identical tread patterns are ep20 and se200
     
  16. exbauer

    exbauer Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2006
    1,185
    96
    0
    Location:
    Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    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.
     
  17. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2006
    19,011
    4,080
    50
    Location:
    Grass Valley, CA.
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    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.
     
  18. SteveLee

    SteveLee Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2012
    645
    179
    0
    Location:
    North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    I
    What size did you get?
     
  19. Cdgreg

    Cdgreg Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2013
    90
    41
    0
    Location:
    Canandaigua, NY
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    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.
     
  20. woodenpaddler

    woodenpaddler Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2009
    17
    3
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I got the 195/65/16 spec size for Prius Touring.


    I record gallons and odometer reading each fillup. I drive 25% short trips 3-8 miles and other trips are 1.5 hours at 75 mph on the highway. Results:
    The first 4 tanks of gas on the new tires totalled 34.21 gallons measured by various pumps over 1408 miles per the odometer, for an average of 41.2 mpg. There is a lot of variation in each fillup so I need more data for a better average.

    The previous 12 tanks of gas gave me an average 40.6 mpg, which includes a 2% correction for worn treads/smaller diameter tires.