[gnonne]

Bridgestone Ecopia tires supplied on 2018 AWD CRV are worthless as soon as it starts to snow. Only 5500 miles on it and its useless in the snow/ice. I specifically bought an AWD to deal with bad weather. If you think no one else has this problem, just read the Ecopia reviews on Tirerack.com...

I called and emailed my dealer about it - they are not returning my calls...I guess they already have my money. since I paid cash.

Terrible decision on Honda's part for using these tires and non-existent customer service. Another known problem Honda refuses to acknowledge. Yeah for Honda!

 

[racoon]

Which tires came on your CR-V are not something your local dealer has any control over.
The tires are installed at the factory, so blame American Honda Motor Corp if you want.

I tried to look up the Ecopia tire ratings, but there are so many different models I have no way to know which you have on your CR-V. Any all season tire is going to compromise somewhere.

And please remember that the AWD system in the CR-V is not a full time AWD/4WD system, and operates most of the time as a Front Wheel Drive.

I used to live near Indianapolis, which gets horrible ice and snow starting in January, and then moved to Rochester, NY where gets significantly more snow but not as cold of temperatures. My 1999 CR-V did fine in the snow with the original tires, but I admit it would have handled better with "real" snow and ice tires. And there was one bad snow storm that knocked out power to a large section of Rochester, NY one winter. I ended up moving to a hotel in Buffalo, NY for a few weeks. On the drive from Rochester to Buffalo there were a lot of big 4x4 trucks that had slid off the road into the ditches, while my CR-V got me there. Of course I wasn't driving like I thought my RT4WD CR-V was able to do anything, and drove fairly slowly and cautiously.

 

[newbie99]

As I read the opening post, I reflected back in life - when I bought a brand new FWD vehicle many years ago. It came with all season tires and after sliding 3 times during first snow dump, I got its "factory" all seasons replaced with Firestone Winterforce tires. Yes. My dime - since it was 7 months after I bought my brand new vehicle. Man, those "snow" tires were amazing. In the spin from take off, I would see large chunks of snow flying past the driver & passenger windows. That's how much grip they had. Those real winter tires would literally grip circles around its previous factory all-season tires. Long post short.... Factory provides "average" things that make them more money. The user of the items buys things that are better for them (which is often higher safety, stronger construction, better comfort and/or better looks). Much better - even if one must pay using their own dime. Life is like that in many different areas....

 

[rocky]

Factory tire choice have much to do with meeting EPA numbers and cost. I put Ecopias on my old Pilot and it reminded me of the factory tires that car came out of the factory with 250k ago. The factory GY were good for mpg not so good in rain and snow.

 

[Wildcat]

Factory tire choice have much to do with meeting EPA numbers and cost.

Yes!

Honda just chooses a mid-grade general purpose tire that is cost effective (OK, cheap), rides well enough, and helps get the EPA numbers. In the aftermarket, we do much better by picking a tire that suits our needs and has superior quality compared to the factory tires. My '97 I think came with BF Goodrich tires; they were good enough but by 35-40K, they were done.

There are so many different classes of tires now as well. There are low rolling resistance tires, and those likely trade off traction for superior gas mileage. I'm guessing that the Ecopia series might be along those lines. Tires that ride quieter and smoother usually aren't low rolling resistance. Then there are winter tires. Some sports car sizes also have a softer summer tire that grips well, but wears quickly. All terrain tires are noisier and not as comfortable, but will grip better in loose dirt, gravel and mud. Some tires are hybrids--something like the Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 is sturdy enough to use on all terrain, yet (according to user reviews) still provides an acceptably comfortable and quiet highway ride.

It's up to us to decide what we want in a replacement tire, based on how we use our CR-Vs, so someone's idea of a great highway tire may not be suitable in northern climates in the winter, and would not do well in offroad conditions.

Would I like winter tires? Sure, but we don't get enough winter weather here anymore to make it worthwhile. And who needs winter tires when you're stuck in a traffic jam for 45 minutes and barely moving at all? ? Seriously though, we only have a handful of "snow events" each year, and our locales salt the roads so heavily that I worry more about rust eating my cars than any occasional icy or snowy patches. Even on my old tires, though, the '09 pulled through a really heavy snowfall like butter--I'd never had one with traction control before, and this thing was great even on half-worn tires. My '97 did not do well with those dangerous Toyo Extensas I had--they were terribly slick even on dry roads, would break loose at half throttle on a wet road, and were absolutely squirrelly when trying to get moving in an inch of snow...

 

[mrtn]

Honda just chooses a mid-grade general purpose tire that is cost effective (OK, cheap), rides well enough, and helps get the EPA numbers.

I bought two Citroën vans this year. Cheap utilitarian vehicles but bundled with Michelin Energy Saver+ tires from the factory. I took a trip to Germany right away and was amazed by the quietness and balance, even at 100+ mph. I checked the price - €120 a pop for 195/65R16, I have usually paid half of that for this size.

 

[gnonne]

So the fact that AWD is design for poor weather conditions has no effect on which tires Honda chooses? That is like saying its OK to put passenger tires on a 3/4 ton pickup... yes you can do it, and it will save money, and it will drive OK for awhile, but those tires are UNSAFE for the intended purpose of the vehicle.

I know Winter tires are the best - I've had them before.

I also know that selling an AWD CRV in Michigan with the WORST all-season tires ever created is BAD BUSINESS.

The way Honda markets their vehicles, which caused me to spend my money on this CRV, is that SAFETY COMES STANDARD - until it snows, that is... now its just an "optional extra" that I need to buy... Really - I can't describe how poorly it drives in the snow and I've driven in snow all my life.

You guys have been drinking way too much Kool-aid.

 

[mrtn]

That's completely irrelevant, @gnonne. The fact that there's a system in place, marketing or governmental, which allows the illusion of All-Season tires being ANYTHING else than summer tires with more rugged look being communicated to end users is the actual issue.

It's okay if you do it in subtropic but in big countries like the US where you have from extreme heat year round to extreme cold for months it's just downright criminal.

 

[gnonne]

Ok, so its not Honda's fault... they are just playing the same game as everyone else....

I was hoping they were better than that.

 

[avs]

Don’t forget the awd system in the cr-v are garbage like most of the cuv awd out there. They’re primarily fwd 99% of the time. The only thing you’re gaining from the cr-v in the snow comparing to a civic is ground clearance w/ all season tires.

 

[williamsji]

Don’t forget the awd system in the cr-v are garbage like most of the cuv awd out there. They’re primarily fwd 99% of the time. The only thing you’re gaining from the cr-v in the snow comparing to a civic is ground clearance w/ all season tires.

Dude.. everything you just stated is in fact incorrect with respect to the gen5 CRV. The AWD system in fact does dynamically apply traction to all 4 wheels quite often. For example.. everytime you accelarate from a stop at a stop light.. all 4 wheets are engaged and providing traction. Same is true anytime the traction system senses any wheel slipping or not moving in sync with the other wheels.

This is the second thread now where you have presented completely false information. It may be your opinion, but opinion does not = fact. Facts = fact.

Back on topic...

...I can see the frustration of the original poster here.. but the fact is.. that other then 4-6 months of wet or snowy weather conditions in a subset of states and provinces... putting snow worthy tires on a CRV would be a huge mistake on the part of Honda. There is precisely one answer to choice of tire for a new CRV.... an all season class tire. That said.. there is NO PERFECT TIRE... no matter what anyone thinks. They all have strenths and weaknesses, and different drivers have different prefernces and/or needs in a tire. There is simply no tire Honda could choose that would please all of us.

Consumer Reports just published their latest reviews on tires, and the Bridgestone Ecopia are not particularly highly rated by CR..... but they do get average performance scores for snow, ice breaking, and wet braking. They actually get superior scores for noise and rolling resistance, and better than average scores on dry braking. They actually get better overall ratings than the Hankook Kinergy's that are on the upper level trims of the CRV... and they are not bad tires either. Clearly Honda picked Ecopia tires for some trim levels for it's superior noise and rolling resistance characteristics.

Please note: I am not defending or attacking Honda choices in the tires they put on their vehicles at the factory, but rather pointing out that your particular anxiety is not something they can overcome as they roll out thousands of CRVS each week from the factories. Let alone, satisfy one of the more passionate of topics by owners...... TIRES.

 

[avs]

Dude.. everything you just stated is in fact incorrect with respect to the gen5 CRV. The AWD system in fact does dynamically apply traction to all 4 wheels quite often. For example.. everytime you accelarate from a stop at a stop light.. all 4 wheets are engaged and providing traction. Same is true anytime the traction system senses any wheel slipping or not moving in sync with the other wheels.

This is the second thread now where you have presented completely false information. It may be your opinion, but opinion does not = fact. Facts = fact.

Back on topic...

...I can see the frustration of the original poster here.. but the fact is.. that other then 4-6 months of wet or snowy weather conditions in a subset of states and provinces... putting snow worthy tires on a CRV would be a huge mistake on the part of Honda. There is precisely one answer to choice of tire for a new CRV.... an all season class tire. That said.. there is NO PERFECT TIRE... no matter what anyone thinks. They all have strenths and weaknesses, and different drivers have different prefernces and/or needs in a tire. There is simply no tire Honda could choose that would please all of us.

Consumer Reports just published their latest reviews on tires, and the Bridgestone Ecopia are not particularly highly rated by CR..... but they do get average performance scores for snow, ice breaking, and wet braking. They actually get superior scores for noise and rolling resistance, and better than average scores on dry braking. They actually get better overall ratings than the Hankook Kinergy's that are on the upper level trims of the CRV... and they are not bad tires either. Clearly Honda picked Ecopia tires for some trim levels for it's superior noise and rolling resistance characteristics.

Please note: I am not defending or attacking Honda choices in the tires they put on their vehicles at the factory, but rather pointing out that your particular anxiety is not something they can overcome as they roll out thousands of CRVS each week from the factories. Let alone, satisfy one of the more passionate of topics by owners...... TIRES.

Alrighty Honda fan boy.

 

[mrtn]

(deleted)

 

[kloker]

I don't know why anyone would be surprised by this issue, as it is common to literally all vehicles. More whining will not give more traction. Every vehicle sold comes with the tires the factory puts on it, which they buy by the trainload, for the best bulk price they can get. That is SOP for all carmakers and for all models. I also don't know how anyone could go into buying any vehicle not knowing this.

Go get the tires you need for the conditions you're going to be driving in, and be happy. Folks the world over who live in cold climates have two sets of tires and wheels - one for summer, one for winter. Others just keep the tires on hand and switch back and forth with the seasons. Simple, and effective.

While you're at it, don't buy a white car and then complain that you are not visible in a snowstorm, or a black one at night, or a gray one in the fog. Because once someone runs over you, it no longer matters what tires you had.

 

[How u doing]

Bridgestone Ecopia tires supplied on 2018 AWD CRV are worthless as soon as it starts to snow. Only 5500 miles on it and its useless in the snow/ice. I specifically bought an AWD to deal with bad weather. If you think no one else has this problem, just read the Ecopia reviews on Tirerack.com...

I called and emailed my dealer about it - they are not returning my calls...I guess they already have my money. since I paid cash.

Terrible decision on Honda's part for using these tires and non-existent customer service. Another known problem Honda refuses to acknowledge. Yeah for Honda!

yes you are so right , I do not know how they can have up dark hole and get away with this

 

[RockyMtnCRV]

Ok, so its not Honda's fault... they are just playing the same game as everyone else....

I was hoping they were better than that.

I cannot imagine what you expect from any manufacturer.

This CR-V can drive over 100 MPH - should it come with 100% full-on track tires that will aquaplane if you encounter water? Perhaps the tires, in your opinion, should have a much more aggressive tread to attack snow and ice - this will likely increase tread wear and increase fuel economy and lead to a worse ride, this is the only way to stay planted on snow and ice...

Honda is not "...playing the...game..." they are trying to adhere to strict government regulations on fleet MPG while trying to make the best vehicle possible within a price target. It's called a business model and Honda does it very well.

YOU are responsible for refueling your vehicle, providing necessary maintenance and ensuring that it is safe to drive for all conditions you encounter - NOT Honda.

There are two tire mfgrs. that have one tire available that has all season AND winter capability, namely Nokian and Toyo. You might check these tires out. I have a friend who lives in Breckenridge, CO and she has the Nokian's and they are working extremely well for her. Just a hint, they are expensive...this is why Honda does not equip CR-V's with them, nor should they as our southern folks really do not need this type of tire.

FWIW: We run Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8's on our '18 CR-V and Ridgeline. It's not about GOING - it's about CONTROL and you need good tires for control. Tires that are correct for the conditions/season.

Good luck, with your attitude you will surely need it.

 

[map1]

Bridgestone Ecopia tires supplied on 2018 AWD CRV are worthless as soon as it starts to snow. Only 5500 miles on it and its useless in the snow/ice. I specifically bought an AWD to deal with bad weather. If you think no one else has this problem, just read the Ecopia reviews on Tirerack.com...

I called and emailed my dealer about it - they are not returning my calls...I guess they already have my money. since I paid cash.

Terrible decision on Honda's part for using these tires and non-existent customer service. Another known problem Honda refuses to acknowledge. Yeah for Honda!

Totally agree! Those Ecopia tires have zero traction in the snow on my 2018 CRV. The Yokohama tires I had on my old 05' CRV has much better grip and snowy weather traction. Honda has lost its customer focus. Between making their vehicles cheaper coupled with poor engine design (1.5 Turbo and Oil Dilution problems), this will be my last Honda.

 

[Trius]

Which tires came on your CR-V are not something your local dealer has any control over.
The tires are installed at the factory, so blame American Honda Motor Corp if you want.

I tried to look up the Ecopia tire ratings, but there are so many different models I have no way to know which you have on your CR-V. Any all season tire is going to compromise somewhere.

And please remember that the AWD system in the CR-V is not a full time AWD/4WD system, and operates most of the time as a Front Wheel Drive.

I used to live near Indianapolis, which gets horrible ice and snow starting in January, and then moved to Rochester, NY where gets significantly more snow but not as cold of temperatures. My 1999 CR-V did fine in the snow with the original tires, but I admit it would have handled better with "real" snow and ice tires. And there was one bad snow storm that knocked out power to a large section of Rochester, NY one winter. I ended up moving to a hotel in Buffalo, NY for a few weeks. On the drive from Rochester to Buffalo there were a lot of big 4x4 trucks that had slid off the road into the ditches, while my CR-V got me there. Of course I wasn't driving like I thought my RT4WD CR-V was able to do anything, and drove fairly slowly and cautiously.

I can attest to the conditions in Rochester, where I now live, and I’ve driven through Indianapolis in treacherous conditions. I only buy Nokia’s tires, both winter and summer. I did make a mistake last year and but a set of General Altimax “all seasons” during an emergency situation; they were awful and sit in my shed with about 4300 miles on them.
IMO no one who lives where there is any significant winter conditions should be without winter tires. In the end it saves money and could save lives not to mention deductibles and time/frustration. End of rant.

 

[Trius]

Nokian

 

[Garfy]

Totally agree! Those Ecopia tires have zero traction in the snow on my 2018 CRV. The Yokohama tires I had on my old 05' CRV has much better grip and snowy weather traction. Honda has lost its customer focus. Between making their vehicles cheaper coupled with poor engine design (1.5 Turbo and Oil Dilution problems), this will be my last Honda.

The Ecopia tire was NEVER intended for ice or snow; it's a "fuel economy" or "mpg" tire that's optimized for lower rolling resistance resulting in better fuel economy. Yes, Honda could've installed winter snow tires on them at the factory, but then you'd get a bunch of people from the tropics bitching about how horrible those tires are with being noisy and poor fuel mileage.