Falken Tires...Opinions?

[atlanta_shooter]

Getting ready to put some new shoes on the '97 J30. Consumer Reports just did a piece on "high performance" tires. They rated the Falken Ziex ZE 512 #1. I have been told by all of the local dealers that they have had bad experiences with Falkens in general. I am also considering the Michelin Pilot XGT H4s. Would appreciate any comments/experiences with either of these. My experience is that Michelins in general tend to "age" better than any other tires I have purchased in the past....

[AZhitman]

Search Falken.

I have written several things about them.

[Mr1der]

were these shops goodyear or anything like that?

Falkens get that #1 for a reason mate;)

[Mastaflash]

i have fakens on my probe, and they get good traction in the corners, and on wet ground. suck in the snow though.

[SmithSR]

The 512 is classified as an "all season" tire.. the very term is bogus though. It's designed to function fairly well in most conditions, meaning the tire has several compromises. It's not the stickiest, nor is it the longest lasting, and it also isn't designed to operate effectively in "severe"(open to interpretation) cold conditions, where a winter tire would likely be a better choice.

It works good (or, fair) in all conditions, has decent treadwear rating, and is priced very competitively, all of which add up to make it a consumer winner.

Its a rare bird to see a tire dealer pitch the customer a tire they don't stock, over one they do keep in inventory. Business 101, sell what you have in stock. Could you be hearing negative feedback from dealers that don't carry the Falken brand?

You're being told they're bad by people who have something else in mind for you... perhaps a different tire with a higher gross profit margin?? Wouldn't be the first time...

They're good tires. I've worked with/sold the brand for several years now, and I'm pleased to say the Falkens are a proven cost-effective winner.

[OneFastStanza]

I have the Falken FK451s on two of my cars and I like them immensely. They are very comparable to the Toyo Proxes T1-Ss which are highly regarded tires. For high end tires they are great without going to Azenis or R compounds as far as performance goes.

[Nismo_Freak]

I used a set of Falken Azenis and had nothing but good things to say about them... however avoid large puddles of standing water cause your car turns into a 2600 lb. boat as it skims OVER the water.

[skydragoness]

I can attest to the fact that Falken's suck in the snow, nevermind the morons who had Azenis' on 17" rims on a Prelude and a Solara, they couldn't made it up a slight incline at all. I've heard only good about Azenis' from autocrossers.

[Nismo_Freak]

I got caught out one day ... walk in it's just cold out, walk out there's an inch of ice all over the roads.

Needless to say I ended up walking home, Falken Azenis are crappy ice tires

[krazy skwerel]

I love my Falken Ziex's. Very nice tire for gen purpose driving.

[SmithSR]

Who would have thought... from a brand that could (is) easily be considered second fiddle to the big name companies...

It seems that only recently has the Ohtsu~Falken brand become really popular... they've been stateside for some years now.

[Nismo_Freak]

Smith... maybe in your region.

The Azenis is a staple tire for everyone down here, has been for a few years.

[James @ ID-M]

I had them on my old Accord, They were the shiznit!

[atlanta_shooter]

Hey thanks for all of your input, guys. I finally found a guy at a local NTB store who said that he liked Falken alot, so along with your advice, I ordered them...should be here in a day or so.

We don't get much snow around here, so that's not a real issue, and forget about driving in Atlanta with ice on the road...you are taking your life in your hands!!!!!!!! I will try to copy and paste the rankings from the CU ratings as the link won't work unless you are a subscriber...thanks again!

Oh btw, the NTB dealer said if I didn't like the Falkens after 30 days/1,000 miles, I could get any other tire I wanted... a "30 day ride guarantee".

[9095240SXDUCK]

Both of my 240SX front wheel is Falken 512 they are 15in. I love them alot in Rain, they are in my top 3 list of tires I have own and love!