Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires

Among the world’s largest tire manufacturers, Bridgestone doesn’t need an introduction. Since 1931, the Japanese tire maker has been producing premium tires under several categories like all-season, UHP, winter, and more. On the other hand, Yokohama is another Japanese tire manufacturer that’s also recognized as a high-quality tire maker rolling out tires for different seasons and terrains. Their all-season tires, the Ecopia EP422 and the Avid Ascend GT are among their high-volume tirelines.

Designed for coupes, sedans, minivans, and CUVs, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 and the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT are all-season tires engineered to offer superior performance in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions. Both come with a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty and promise a longer service life. So, which one is a better tire? Let’s compare the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT based on our proprietary SimpleScore to know the answer.

Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 tires

Launched in 2009, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 is a low-rolling resistance tire line that found an OE partner in the form of the Nissan Leaf. The fuel-efficient tire features a symmetric tread design that assures low friction levels, reduced noise and vibrations, improved comfort, eco-friendly construction, and reinforced sidewalls for enhanced durability and longevity. The circumferential grooves allow quick water evacuation to reduce the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet performance. While the strong shoulder blocks with lateral grooves provide great cornering abilities, the solid center rib ensures precise steering response and enhanced stability on dry, wet, and light snow. It is backed by a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

Scoring a fantastic SimpleScore of 8.8 out of 10, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 promises great comfort, traction, handling, grip, and tread life.

Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires

Introduced in 2018, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT features an asymmetric tread design for enhanced grip, traction, handling, and durability. Engineered for luxury sports sedans and coupes, the Avid Ascend GT has a notched block pattern and 3D sipes that firmly grip the snowy surface for improved light winter performance. While the circumferential grooves channel water away from the tread to avoid the risk of hydroplaning, the multi-pitch tread block variation and adaptive shoulder blocks reduce noise and return a quiet and comfortable ride. To boost longevity, the Yokohama tire has a special rubber compound, TriBLEND, that features a square contact patch to resist uneven wear. It is also backed by a limited manufacturer tread life warranty that goes up to 65,000 miles.

In its overall SimpleScore, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT scores a decent 8.6 promising enhanced comfort, improved handling, better traction, and longer service life.

Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires on traction

Traction ensures the tire remains in contact with the surface and does not skid. The two Japanese tire lines promise adequate traction year-round in different conditions.

With an incredible 9.3 traction score, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 features an all-season tread design with circumferential grooves that help in quick water evacuation to avoid the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet performance.

Returning a great traction score of 8.7, the Avid Ascend GT has an all-season tread design with Yokohama’s TriBLEND rubber compound that assures improved grip and traction in wet and light snow. The asymmetric tread pattern, notched blocks, and dense 3D sipes promote enhanced grip and traction throughout the year in different weather conditions.

With an exceptional score, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 wins the traction battle.

ADVANTAGE: Bridgestone Ecopia EP422

Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires on durability

Traction is of no use if there is no control over the vehicle; this makes handling an important aspect of a tire. All-season tires offer adequate handling and control on paved roads in different driving conditions.

Boasting a phenomenal 9.2 out of 10, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 features a ribbed tread design that provides solid grip and handling at high speeds in dry, wet, and light snow. The solid shoulders and center rib with lateral grooves provide superb cornering ability on paved roads.

With an asymmetric tread pattern, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT boasts a fantastic handling score of 8.7 as it boosts better steering response and improved control in dry and wet. Boosting cornering, handling, and stability are the solid shoulder blocks and a center rib.

The Bridgestone continues to dominate the comparison as it wins the handling section, too.

ADVANTAGE: Bridgestone Ecopia EP422

Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 vs Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires on longevity

All-season tires are preferred for their longer tread life. Longevity is a defining factor for many buyers as they directly associate it with the value they get from their investment.

The Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 achieves a durability score of 8.6 thanks to the reinforced sidewall construction and recycled rubber compound made up of eco-friendly materials, which is durable enough to safeguard the tire against punctures, abrasions, and cuts. It is backed by a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

With an impressive 8.5 in longevity, the Avid Ascend GT features triple 3D sipes and a square footprint that boosts its tread life by promoting even wear throughout its lifespan. It is backed by a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for non-staggered fitments and a 32,500 mile warranty for rear positions in staggered fitments.

Though marginally, the Ecopia EP422 continues its winning streak and pins the Avid Ascend GT in longevity as well.

ADVANTAGE: Bridgestone Ecopia EP422

When to use each

All-season tires are designed to offer excellent grip, traction, handling, stability, durability, and comfort in different driving conditions. Due to the same reason, they are among the most preferred tire types in the US. However, these tires are not suitable for severe winter conditions of heavy ice and snow.

If your region consistently experiences temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, you need dedicated winter tires with dense sipes and edges for enhanced grip and control in severe winter weather conditions. These are Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certified assuring superior winter performance.

Which one should you choose?

To conclude, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 beats the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT comprehensively by 3-0 by winning all three sections – traction, handling, and longevity. While the attributes tilt the result in Ecopia EP422’s favor, let’s check out the price to know if it’s the real deal.

In terms of prices, the Ecopia EP422 costs $138 per tire, while a set of four tires costs $552. Similarly, the Avid Ascend GT is available at $112 per tire, with four tires costing $448. The difference between the two is $104 if you buy four tires.

Based on the SimpleScore, you should go for the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 if you

• Drive vehicles like Audi A6, Dodge Stratus, and Toyota Prius.
• Want excellent traction (9.3 vs 8.7) and handling (9.2 vs 8.7)
• Prefer long-lasting tires (8.6 vs 8.5)

You can go for the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT if you

• Drive vehicles like Porsche 718 Cayman, Tesla Model 3, and Volvo S80.
• Want a more affordable tire (~$104 difference on the set of four tires)
• Want a tire with the latest technology (2018 vs 2009)

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help, and our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.