Falkens?

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daves87rs

daves87rs

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Quick question-how well Falken tires hold up?


My neighor (kinda cute too) got her tires slashed on her Grand Prix GTP. She had some Wanhis (Sp?) on the car, and was on her way to Belle Tire for some more Chinese no name tires (Geostar?). I was able to talk some sense into her, and got her over to discount Tire for some replacements. She was on a budget, so she picked up some Falken Ziex 512s....looks so much better than the tires she had before. I wanted to give her an idea how long they might last (The only bad thing I've heard is that they wear faster..)
 
If I had to go with a budget brand, it would be Falken hands down. Performance isn't the best, but build quality is good.

The Ziex ZE-512 is a good all-rounder for the price. Definitely better than the ubercheap tires she had or was about to buy.

Having said that, I can assure you that cheap tires are a false economy. I actually have Falkens on my car now (FK-452s) and, if I can help it, they will be my last set of budget tires ever. Grip, ride quality, tread life, noise, wet performance, build quality... something ALWAYS suffers with cheap tires, and when you look at the price gap between cheap and expensive tires spread out over the life of the tire, it's almost never worth it -- especially since tires are a safety item in more ways than one.

What makes Falkens good in general is that they never seem to sacrifice on build quality, and they do pretty well in the wet. This is a perfect set of priorities for a budget tire, IMO. So, again, if you have to pick a budget brand or be shot, IMO, it's gotta be Falken. Otherwise, get a real tire.
wink.gif
 
She's cute? That's fine.... unless you're married. If that's the case, have her give me a call.

Otherwise, go for it!

Anyhow...

My niece had some ZE-912's on her Grand Am and they were fine... until she got hers slashed.

Problem is, we don't know how your neighbor drives and where she drives.. And that's a big determining factor in how long any tire is going to last.

What is the manufacturer's estimate on them?
 
Make sure she gives Discount tire her email so they can remind her,by email,of 6k rotations. Keep up with the rotations and she will get a pro rate on the next set of tires,if they don't last the warranty period.
 
She's already got the Falkens. The best deal is not the cheapest deal,if you plan to own the car over several tire changes. The best deal can be an 80,000 mile warranty tire,that only lasts 40,000 miles. Keep up with the rotations and you get a 50% proration on your subsequent set of tires.
 
Originally Posted By: FZ1
The best deal can be an 80,000 mile warranty tire,that only lasts 40,000 miles.

The best deal for whom? A tire with 80K mile warranty will typically sacrifice a lot of other attributes, such as grip and handling. Just about the worst scenario I can think of if being stuck with [censored] tires that just refuse to wear out. Alas, different drivers have different priorities. For some, your suggestion may in fact be good. Just be aware of the trade-offs.
 
I'd say they may last around 30k. I had the 912s. They were a nice tire for 3 season driving (horrible in snow/ice). They weren't wearing well when I traded the car. It's nice of you to take care of the (cute) neighbor ladies. I have quite a few also, but they're all married, and so am I :)
 
Oh..sorry. Forgot to add that she does mostly city right now, but in a week it will be about 50/50 mix. I'm guessing quite a few miles with two jobs...
 
I have Falken ZE-912 on LS400 and had FK452 on S2000 and E430, none of them lasted very long. The FK452 on S2000 rear lasted less than 12k miles, the FK452 on E430 lasted 25k miles. The ZE-912 on LS400 probably 30-32k miles, it is near wear bar now and will be changed soon before winter rain.
 
When I had the 512s on this car, not only did they not make it past 30K miles, but they were VERY prone to getting LARGE sidewall bubbles, even without significant road/pothole impacts.

Being 255/50 16s, as opposed to 245/50 16s for stock/OEM, they had even MORE sidewall 'cushioning' to help prevent the bubbles, so unless they changed the manufacturing technology from ~5 years ago, I do not trust the 512s.

Now, I would have NO qualms/problems putting a set of their excellent RT-615/615Ks on my ride.
wink.gif
 
The best deal for the consumer. You get new tires at 40k and they give you a 50% credit on the next set of tires. I really like the new set of Michelins I got for $93.
 
I had both the FK452 and the Ziex 512 and liked them both.

The 452 I sold as they were just too wide in the size I got them but they had great grip in wet and dry; cannot speak to longevity.

Ziex 512 I got just over 15k out of them before I changed wheel size and they had about half tread left, maybe a little less. Someone else bought them so they must have been happy (or dead) because I didn't hear back. Good value tire and much better than the stock Goodyears that came with the Corolla.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: FZ1
The best deal can be an 80,000 mile warranty tire,that only lasts 40,000 miles.

The best deal for whom? A tire with 80K mile warranty will typically sacrifice a lot of other attributes, such as grip and handling. Just about the worst scenario I can think of if being stuck with [censored] tires that just refuse to wear out. Alas, different drivers have different priorities. For some, your suggestion may in fact be good. Just be aware of the trade-offs.



Also, I see people buying 80k mile tires and they only do 5k a year. It's a bad investment(and you end up paying out the behind for them too). I know tires are expensive, but a good solid 30-40k tire is good and will last the 3-4 years. If you do a lot of traveling 10-20k a year, then the 80 is for you. Won't feel the harshness as much on the highway as you would the city.
 
I have the 912's on my Miata. Great tire for the $$$. It actually won a tire shoot-out from Grassroots Motorsports.

I believe Consumer reports also rated them very high too. Overall, I'm impressed by their quality. I'm buying them again.
 
It's really this simple to select a tire. Go to tirerack.com. Select the proper sized tire for your vehicle. Go to the user surveys to see how actual users of the tire rate it in multiple categories. You can even sort the reviews by the exact car you are driving to see how the tire performed on your car!! When you narrow your search down to the few best possiblilies,select the tire with the longest warranty. Rotate the tires at the proper intervals(Discount Tire sends you an email reminder). Tires,that don't last as long as the warranty period,recieve a $ proration of the original purchase price applied to the next set of tires you buy. Example. You pay $400 for set of tires with an 80,000 mile warranty. The tires are worn out at 40,000 miles. You are entitled to a purchase price proration on your replacement set of tires,If You Kept Up With the Required Rotations. The proration,in this example,would be computed as 40/80 X $400 = $200 credit applied to the replacement tires. You saved $200!!! So...... first select a tire with a warranty.......then keep up with the rotations (free at Discount Tire),then hope the tires wear out before the warranty expires so you can get new tires at a reduced cost. You have no shot at a proration,if you buy a tire that does not have a mileage warranty. Hope this helps someone.
 
Originally Posted By: Anies
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: FZ1
The best deal can be an 80,000 mile warranty tire,that only lasts 40,000 miles.

The best deal for whom? A tire with 80K mile warranty will typically sacrifice a lot of other attributes, such as grip and handling. Just about the worst scenario I can think of if being stuck with [censored] tires that just refuse to wear out. Alas, different drivers have different priorities. For some, your suggestion may in fact be good. Just be aware of the trade-offs.



Also, I see people buying 80k mile tires and they only do 5k a year. It's a bad investment(and you end up paying out the behind for them too). I know tires are expensive, but a good solid 30-40k tire is good and will last the 3-4 years. If you do a lot of traveling 10-20k a year, then the 80 is for you. Won't feel the harshness as much on the highway as you would the city.



Very good point. My Cav happens to just be one of the 5k
type cars...so traction would be my friend...
 
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