Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus Review for 2024: All-Season Performance and Better Fuel Economy

The Ecopia EP422 Plus is Bridgestone’s all-season touring tire for passenger cars, small coupes, minivans, and crossovers. The tire is available in many sizes from 15 to 18-inches. But based on the sizes alone, it’s easy to tell this tire is still oriented towards economy cars rather than sporting versions of German luxury sedans.

According to Bridgestone, the Ecopia EP422 Plus is engineered to deliver more miles to the gallon compared to the old Ecopia EP422. The company said this new version delivers 23-percent better rolling resistance than the old tire, which roughly equates to around 20 more miles per full tank of gasoline. But that’s hardly surprising given the touring nature of the tire, and those claims are tested under the most ideal running conditions. In short, it’s hard to really tell if a particular tire is more fuel-efficient than the next, especially when comparing tires from the same brand and family. But the point is Ecopia EP422 Plus remains a champion in fuel economy, and Bridgestone did it by using a different tread compound.

The tire is constructed from Bridgestone’s proprietary NanoPro-Tech compound, which is formulated for an even lower rolling resistance while combining durability and all-weather traction. Bridgestone promises better handling with the revised symmetric tread pattern. With independent tread blocks and notched shoulders, the Ecopia EP422 Plus is touted to deliver better handling and crispier steering than the original.

The Ecopia EP422 Plus also benefits from four wide circumferential grooves to assist in water displacement. And with an optimized contact footprint, the tire is able to distribute weight more evenly across the contact patch. This means even tire wear and better longevity. Bridgestone is offering this tire with a 3 to 4 years replacement warranty, which can be extended up to five years from the date of purchase. It also comes with a 70,000-mile treadwear limited warranty.

Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus Review: Test Drive

Our 2013 Hyundai Elantra test vehicle is as fresh as a daisy, but it’s been through a lot of highway miles. The owner is a huge Bridgestone fan and swears by the confident handling of Potenza tires in his Mazda MX-5. The previous tires (Hankook Optima) were a bit noisy and didn’t handle as well, he said. However, he instantly noticed a smooth and quiet ride after upgrading to a new set of Ecopia EP422 Plus tires six months ago.

The owner of the Elantra is a close friend and next-door neighbor. He bought it a year ago for his first car, which was previously owned by his uncle. He gave us the keys without hesitation, and we drove off. The weather was fine and sunny when we left, but the heavens opened up as we were leaving the interstate.

Dry Traction

We’re not sure if what Bridgestone said is true on its official website, but the Ecopia 422 Plus is better on the dry than the previous model. It feels sportier and firmer than the old tire, which is a nice thing to have if you’re a sporty driver like us. The steering felt stable and the braking was strong even as the discs were heating up with our repeated jabs on the brake pedal.

Sure, it’s a better handler than the old Ecopia EP422, but we’re not saying the Plus model now has a properly sporting DNA. It remains a touring tire that puts more emphasis on comfort rather than point-and-shoot driving, which is quite a shame since the Elantra is more responsive and livelier than a Corolla or Chevy Cruze.

Wet Traction

It’s essentially the same story over the wet and rain-drenched pavement. The tire is a capable performer over slippery surfaces as long as you don’t push too hard. But if you bombard the tires with a hurried mix of steering and brake pedal inputs, the tires tend to get overwhelmed. Accelerating from a standing start in the wet is smooth and fuss-free with careful throttle inputs. Attacking a corner at speed on a wet road requires dedication and timing. This is not a sporty tire, but it holds well when you’re in a hurry.

Snow Traction

The previous Ecopia EP422 wasn’t exactly great over snow, and we’re not expecting the Plus model to be any better. The owner had some experience driving over mild icy conditions, and he said the tires were okay as long as the roads are not literally covered with snow or ice. However, we had a nasty experience with the old Ecopia 422 a couple of years back. Our vehicle started sliding all over the place over mild snowy roads, but we were able to push through with little to no damage to the car and to our ego.

Comfort

Over smooth and open highways, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus was in its proper element. It’s primarily a touring tire, so we weren’t entirely surprised at how comfortable the tires were over long distances. It also deals with potholes and expansion joints quite well. This tire deserves a higher score in terms of comfort.

Noise

We find this funny since the Ecopia EP422 Plus is as silent as the old model. But according to Bridgestone, the Ecopia EP422 gets a higher mark for road noise compared to the Plus model. Even at higher speeds, the tires remained quiet and composed. Even potholes were muffled to a certain degree without allowing harshness to intrude inside the cabin. But is this really surprising for a touring tire?

Treadwear

The Ecopia EP422 Plus tires in our test vehicle were aging gracefully. With a 75,000-mile limited wear warranty, this is not surprising as well. But if you take a look at Bridgestone’s website, the older EP422 got higher marks for tread life than the new EP422 Plus. Were they comparing it to other touring tires from a different brand? It’s hard to say.