EP600 vs EP500

[jelloslug]

I have noticed that both the Bridgstone Ecopia EP600 and the EP500 are offered for the 19" wheel. I currently have the EP600 all season that came on the car but was wondering is the EP500 would offer any real difference in performance over the EP600? Has anyone tried both tires yet?

 

[alohart]

I haven't tried the 19" EP500, but everyone with 20" wheels has. I've read that in some markets, 19" EP500's are available as an option, so maybe someone with 19" EP500's will share their impressions. Some early versions of the 20" EP500 were plagued by an irritating "whoop-whoop" noise while driving. I hope that this has been fixed with the 19" versions.

When our 19" EP600's need replacing, I plan to buy EP500's unless I read bad reviews. We don't need all-season tires in Honolulu, so I would think that summer tires would be better in our climate.

 

[i3atl]

I've done several thousand miles on the EP600s (19"), but have the EP500s (20") on my car. You get better grip in exchange for faster wear by moving to the EP500s.

Of course, being summer tires, the EP500s shouldn't really be used in snow. They are perfectly fine, although less sticky, in cold weather down to 20F (and probably lower, but that's the coldest weather I've had them in so far).

The whoop whoop noise is no longer an issue on late 2014 tires and newer.

 

[ASUN]

I have the 20' EP500 and have driven them in wet, freezing temperature (0C) with no issues. Haven't driven on snow yet, just slush.

 

[stumbledotcom]

I have yet to see a third-party test of these tires; I don't expect anyone will bother unless other vehicles adopt the unique size. However tire tests in general show that all season tires offer comprised performance in exchange for the convenience not having to switch between a summer performance and winter snow sets. Similar to alohart, I don't have to deal with snow, ice, or freezing temperatures here on the California coast so I don't see the point of putting up with compromised performance. As soon as I realized that outlets such as Tire Rack stock the 19" performance version, I decided they'll be my choice if/when I have to replace the original set.