Bridgestone Ecopia Review

This Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus review covers the main features of this environment-conscious, all-season tire. These tires are designed to deliver a smooth, comfortable ride. With improved rolling resistance, these tires can help you get better gas mileage. Advanced traction technology and an innovative tread compound help these tires perform great on wet and dry surfaces throughout the entire year.

In 2015, Bridgestone released the Ecopia EP422 Plus tire, improving on the first-generation Ecopia tire. This tire is available in 43 sizes, which range from 15-inch to 18-inch rim diameters. Using a combination of strong and light materials, this tire gives consumers an extra 20 miles per tank, on average.

A recent online survey, commissioned by Bridgestone and conducted by Harris Poll in March 2015, shows that 94 percent of Americans are looking for ways to save money. This trend includes driving habits, as the survey revealed that 74 percent of drivers who own a car performed vehicle maintenance and changed their driving habits in the past 12 months in an effort to increase gas mileage. With this in mind, Bridgestone released this tire in an effort to make cars more fuel efficiency without affecting performance.

Bridgestone EP422 Plus Features

Let’s explore the features of this tire that allow it to offer excellent performance and fuel efficiency.

Bridgestone NanoPro Tech™ for Enhanced Performance

This technology controls the interaction between filler materials, polymer, and other rubber chemicals at the molecular level. By utilizing this unique tire development technology, these tires provide improved rolling resistance, reduced CO2, and enhanced fuel efficiency.

Fuel Saver Sidewall Compound

These tires features a Fuel Saver Sidewall compound, lowering rolling resistance by reducing heat generation and returning more energy back to the original tire.

Silica Offers Improved Traction in Wet Conditions

Made with silica to increase the flexibility of tread compound, these tires offer superior traction in wet conditions.

Ecofriendly Construction

Five percent of the tread compound is made from recycled ground rubber, created from ground-up post-comsumer tires.

Circumferential Grooves For Improved Resistance to Hydroplaning

To help prevent hydroplaning, these tires have circumferential grooves that help direct water out of the tire’s foot print area.

Will the Bridgestone EP422 Plus Fit My Car?

Designed to fit most of the popular sedans, coupes, and wagons, the EP422 Plus will likely fit your vehicle. Some of the common cars that can use this tire include:

• Mitsubishi Lancer
• Mazda 3
• Mazda 6
• Ford Focus
• Ford Fusion
• Kia Optima
• Kia Rondo
• Buick Lesabre
• Chevrolet Cobalt
• Chevrolet Malibu
• Chrysler Sebring
• Dodge vehicles including the Neon, Grand Caravan, and Stratus
• Honda cars including the Civic, Accord, Fit, CRV, CR-Z, Insight
• Hyundai Sonata
• Mini Cooper

Remember, this isn’t a comprehensive list, so if your car is likely able to use this tire even if you don’t see your car on the list. It’s estimated that this tire fits about 80 percent of the vehicles on the road, ensuring the odds are in your favor that these tires match up with your car.

What We Like About This Tire

• The tire’s lower rolling resistance improves fuel efficiency.
• Performs well in dry and wet conditions.
• This tire’s tread life is impressive.
• The circumferential grooves help prevent hydroplaning, keeping you safe while driving in the rain.

 What We Don’t Like About This Tire

• Probably the only con of this tire is its winter performance, although, this is to be expected as the tire’s not a winter tire.

Our Impression of This Tire

The original EP422 was a good seller for Bridgestone over multiple years, due to its good performance. This second-generation tire improves on its predecessor in multiple ways. Handling and traction is really good on dry or wet roads, plus the ride is comfortable and quiet, which is to expected when you look at the tire’s tread design.

The main problem with the old tire was tread life, and this has been fixed with the new tire. As mentioned earlier in the review, on average, this tire gives drivers an extra 20 miles per tank. While that may not sound like much, the small amount of savings adds up over time.

Some people report that this tire is a bit too grippy for about the first 1,000 miles. Because of this, the tire rides really soft and this creates a slightly numb steering feeling. But after putting some miles on the tire, this issues goes away.

Poor winter traction is this tire’s biggest issue. If you’re driving through ice or deep snow, you’re likely to struggle with acceleration and braking. In order to prevent this, it’s recommended to install a dedicated winter tire on your car if you expect to see ice and snow during the winter.

However, if winter traction isn’t an important factor in your decision, this tire is a great choice for someone looking for a fuel efficient touring all-season tire that offers good value.

Tire Size Information

To find out if this tire is available in a size that fits your car, check the table below. The table also gives you the speed rating, load index, and expected mileage for each size.

Warranty Information

Bridgestone offers a five-year or 70,000 tread life warranty on these Bridgestone Ecopia tires. You also get a first 1/32 inch of wear guarantee on tire uniformity.

Workmanship and materials are covered under the warranty for five years, and free tire replacement is included during the first three years. If the tire wears down evenly to the tread wear indicators—1.6 millimeters (2/32 inches)—during the warranted mileage, you can get the tire replaced with a tire of equivalent value for a pro-rated purchased price.

Bridgestone offers a Buy & Try 30-day Guarantee. This guarantee gives you the option to return the tire to the place where you originally bought it within 30 days of purchase for exchange or a full refund. This policy allows you to try out the tires without risk, as you’re able to get your money back if you decide you don’t like them.

Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus Review Summary

So, to answer the question “are Bridgestone Ecopia tires good”, the answer is likely yes. If you’re looking for a tire that performs well in dry and wet conditions, you can’t go wrong with Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus tires. These all-season Ecopia Bridgestone tires will fit a sedan, coupe, small crossover vehicle, or minivan, and the tires perform well in light snow. Enjoy keeping more money in your pocket after visiting the gas pump by installing these fuel efficient tires on your car.