Falken Ziex ZE-512 Tires Reviewed

[LannyMCS]

I threw a set of 215/50/17 (factory size) on my stock rims for this winter season, and now that I've spent some time with them, I though I'd share some comments about them.

I've heard both good and bad things about these tires; the main reason I choose then was I found someone blowing a new set out for $250.

For that kind of money, Im really happy with them so far. Compared to my Yokohama ES100 summer tires, they are amazingly quiet, and much more comfortable as well. Obviously, they do not grip as well as the Yokies, but they're a big step up from the factory Michelins in all areas; wet weather grip, snow traction, dry traction, and not much difference in noise and ride. Don't know about wear, but it seems this would have been a better choice than the Michelins as a factory tire.......

[-phase-]

i too use the falkens as summer rubber..but opted to go back to the oems for the winter..

the oems arent as good in the wet/snow compared to the falkens..but i didnt want to risk the chance of scratching the rims

[Noel]

On a side note, here in down under Australia, that particular tyre is considered an entry level tyre. And I've seen some shocking performance from Falken tyres in general from across the entire range, even the so called top spec JDM tyres. Then again, they're so cheap in every category ... You'd be expecting what you pay for.

[LannyMCS]

On a side note, here in down under Australia, that particular tyre is considered an entry level tyre. And I've seen some shocking performance from Falken tyres in general from across the entire range, even the so called top spec JDM tyres. Then again, they're so cheap in every category ... You'd be expecting what you pay for.

Yeah, they're considered that here too. I really just needed to get off the summer rubber, and I refuse to go back to the stock rubber; these are better in every regard than the stockies except maybe wear, (remains to be seen), and I'm glad I spent the $250 bucks on em.......

[LannyMCS]

i too use the falkens as summer rubber..but opted to go back to the oems for the winter..

the oems arent as good in the wet/snow compared to the falkens..but i didnt want to risk the chance of scratching the rims

So far I like them so much that I may just run them all year. When it finally warms up, it will be interesting to see how their grip improves......

[HondaMan]

Falken tires are a great value and I love my Falken Azenis RT-615s...actually they are not cheap for Falkens and I can run them all year here. Sometimes I wish I had gotten Falkens that are quiet and more comfortable.

[LannyMCS]

Falken tires are a great value and I love my Falken Azenis RT-615s...actually they are not cheap for Falkens and I can run them all year here. Sometimes I wish I had gotten Falkens that are quiet and more comfortable.

Yeah, coming off the ES100s, these tires feel super smooth and quiet, so I don't really miss the performance right now. But, I'll want it back when the weather is nice again.....

[virtualbong]

I have the Falken Ziex 512s for my Integra and my 18s for my TSX. They are a great all season tire. Its also quiet which I like alot. My bro also has this on his WRX and says that its amazing coupled with the AWD. Definitely :thumbsup: :thumbsup: for these tires! You can't beat the price too!

[amadeus303]

Lanny... knowing that you're also a big fan of the Toyo Proxes 4 (which is my current favorite all-season tire), how does the Falken compare?

[LannyMCS]

Lanny... knowing that you're also a big fan of the Toyo Proxes 4 (which is my current favorite all-season tire), how does the Falken compare?

The Proxes 4 has a more aggressive tread pattern, and definitely a stiffer sidewall, so they're more performance oriented than the the Ziex. The Ziexes are much better than I thought they were going to be though.

If I could have found a set of Proxes 4s for $250 I would chose them; but as it is, they don't even come in 215/50/17, and I wanted to get away from the 225/45/17 I've been using, because it's really too small for the car, and doesn't really fit great on the 7" rims. I'm much happier with 215s on the 7"s.....

[amadeus303]

The Proxes 4 has a more aggressive tread pattern, and definitely a stiffer sidewall, so they're more performance oriented than the the Ziex. The Ziexes are much better than I thought they were going to be though.

If I could have found a set of Proxes 4s for $250 I would chose them; but as it is, they don't even come in 215/50/17, and I wanted to get away from the 225/45/17 I've been using, because it's really too small for the car, and doesn't really fit great on the 7" rims. I'm much happier with 215s on the 7"s.....

That's exactly what's kept me from switching out to Proxes 4's on the stock wheels --- I wanted to avoid going to a smaller diameter tire. At $250, though, the Falkens sound like a great deal. After swapping out the A-Spec to the Tanabes, the shortcomings of the OEM Michelin's are exploited even more...

Hmmmm...

[Curse of Anubis]

I just bought 4 of the Ziex ZE512. My OEM tires lasted 65k, still going not bald yet. Amazing! no wonder they are almost 200 dollars each. I have read many reviews online, it seems to me that no one liked the treadwear on the Ziex. Talking about Threadwear is way below the 360AA rating. But none of these people have the TSX, so can someone who actually owns a set of these provides some informations about the wear?

[LannyMCS]

Sorry I can't; I just got mine, so it'll be a while before I know. Especially if I switch back to summer only rubber in the spring......