Recommended replacement tire

[BrockWI]

I usually run just under sidewall max and check them every two weeks or so. For the snows I run about 5 under max unless there is a significant snow then run 10-15 under sidewall max, but not below whats listed on the car.

[GerryAZ]

In my opinion, the Ecopia Plus is a much better tire than the OEM Michelin Energy Saver--better range and much better wet braking traction. I ran one set of Continental tires that performed well at first, but wet braking traction dropped as mileage accumulated. They also dropped the range by about 15% so I switched to Ecopias and am happy with them. The OEM Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires were the worst radial tires I have owned--bald at less than 30,000 miles and severe sidewall cracking in less than 2 years in my climate. My 2011 came with 16-inch OEM Ecopias that were OK, but not as good as the Ecopia Plus.

How do the Ecopia pluses do on snow and ice?

I have no experience with the Ecopias in snow and ice because it did not snow enough in Phoenix this past winter to make the roads slick. I did choose to go with 215/55R17 instead of standard size of 215/50R17 because I wanted slightly larger diameter and also because standard size was not in stock. I like the looks because they fill the fender openings better, but I would not recommend the larger size if you may need to use tire chains.

[Gearscout]

I just replaced my original Ecopia tires that came with my 2015 LEAF S at 21,600 miles. One of the tires was bald on the outside edge (not just the edge...about 4-5" worth!) despite regular rotation (6k miles) and careful pressure monitoring. The others exhibited various levels of wear and "dry rot," as pointed out by the tire shop.

I bought a set of Ecopia 422 Plus tires. After much back and forth with the folks at Tires Plus, they agreed to inflate the tires to 40psi. They had brought them out at 36psi (37 is the Bridgestone recommended inflation level.)

I use LeafSpy Pro to monitor the pressure on a daily basis. I fear the tire that had dangerously severe wear was a victim of under-inflation. I try to keep my tires at 40psi but sometimes go up to 42. I get significantly better range when the tires are over inflated to 40psi.

I also paid for a re-alignment that cost $90 and will be good for a year of re-adjustment if something goes wrong. No reason to invest $550 in a new set of tires without the best alignment. (Mine was definitely in need of a little tweaking according to the alignment check.)

Bridgestone has $70 off a set of four Ecopia 422 Plus tires good through the end of July.

My Nissan dealer warned my tires were becoming worn at last year's service and battery check. They blamed the high torque of the electric motor for the excessive wear. I don't believe that. I believe the original Ecopia tires that came with my LEAF were CRAP!

We'll see how the new "Plus" version works.

[LeftieBiker]

You have it right about underinflation, dealership BS, and the quality of the OEM version of the "Ecrapias."

[gncndad]

Gearscout: You and Leftiebiker are right about the OEM tires being poor. I, too, purchased Ecopia Plus (at around 23k miles???, still plenty of tread left, but one was trashed in an accident), currently have 32k on the car, and the the Ecopia Plus replacements seem to be a much better tire, when properly inflated to 40-42psi.

I would add that the dealership is correct about the torque of the motor. It's easy to scrub/peel out without any drama sitting behind the wheel. I think the casual driver/owner isn't even aware of the wear going on! (I walk regularly on a road with several consecutive stop signs...amazing how MOST drivers use full throttle/full braking from stop sign to stop sign...ugh!!!)

[Tortoisehead77]

I also concur with everyone that the OEM tires are terrible. At 14,000 miles, my front tires already need replacing. Yes, I should have rotated the tires, but in any other car I've waited until 15,000 miles for a tire rotation.

On a slightly unrelated note, the bad OEM tires don't seem to affect my stopping distance. I've never had a car that could stop on a dime like the 2018 Leaf can. I've already avoided one accident thanks to this.

[Lothsahn]

I too noticed the ability to peel out, despite the "weak" motor in the 2011 Leaf. This ability ceased when I installed Continental ProContact tires. I'm very happy with them, and I've put about 5k miles on them so far. Too soon to tell how fast they will wear.

I'm pretty sure I did lose a little range with them compared to the previous tires, but I'd trade it for the superior traction any day.

[powersurge]

yes, the ecopia plus tires are a good replacement. The wear much longer than the original 422 (no plus)...

[OakLeaf]

Just replaced the set of Ecopia plus tires we've had on since March 2016 after getting about 40K miles out of them.

Considered all the good suggestions made and ultimately went with the Vredestein Quatrac 5 XL tires, purchased from Tire Rack.

So far have been liking them, but will know more once we have a chance to use them in bad weather.

Have seen the typical loss of about 0.3 Mile/kWh in efficiency after swapping out the old Ecopias, but am hoping the numbers will improve some once they break in.

[BuckMkII]

Have seen the typical loss of about 0.3 Mile/kWh in efficiency after swapping out the old Ecopias, but am hoping the numbers will improve some once they break in.

That's not bad at all! Both sets of new tires I've put on seem to have recovered about that much after a few thousand miles of wear-in time.

If they have better wet grip than the Ecopias, that would be a win-win.