205/40 R18 Tyres

They handle ok but are like Rocks, I can't do run flat tyres. Also they started bulging after 20,000 km =( not worth it!

Couldn't stomach paying £190 for Michelin PS4 tyres in 205/40/18 when I pay £190 for PS4S in 235/40/19 for my Megane RS.

Anyway, the tyres feel very, very good. Grip is there wet or dry. It doesn't understeer, you can feel how the car is reacting. It's predictable. Great stopping distances.

It does seem a bit more noisy but the exhaust does mask that mostly.

We bought these four tyres in end of August 2025 and have driven 1200 km the following month on a F56 Cooper S from 2019.
We purchased the car a couple of months ago, but the previous tyres five year old 'Dunlop SportMaxx 205/40R18 86W extra load Runflat' were horrible (cabin noise, comfort over bumps and sliding very soon in both wet and dry).

The new tyres (with alignment) is much quieter in the cabin, and listening to conversation or music is far easier now. Going over road imperfections and bumps is comfortable, giving the fact that is still is a sport tyre with a thin sidewall. The specialised tyre/alignment shop also noticed that the side wall was stiffer than a normal all season when he was mounting it on the rim. What is noticeably delayed on the first drives was the stabilisation time on steering input. I got quickly used to this and it is not bothering me, but it is logical when moving from a runflat summer tyre to an all season tyre (not runflat). When driving spirited in a corner, I can feel when the tyre is about to hit the peak (starts understeering) by regulating throttle. This was not possible with the previous tyre, which felt on ice even in the dry.

When comparing this to our BMW E87 with Michelin Pilot Sport 4/5 you do feel it is less stiff/sportive, but still sporty enough to be called cross climate sport. I have never driven spirited the other cross climates, so I can not compare that.

I can not judge the wear, snow and grip performance yet. My first trips were around 20 °C in west European climate.
So far I am happy with this tyre.

I have bought a Fiesta ST-X in 2023 and the car was OEM fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 4. From the beginning on the Michelins have had problems with the mechanical grip. I know the car is not that heavy (1199 kg) and the 320 Nm will not help also but this has been compleelty solved by fitting the Hankooks Evo 4, unbelievable how much mechanical grip they have. Now I have sometimes mega oversteer :-) with the rear fitted Michelin's PS4(approx 33000 kms old). The Hankooks are also quiter. The road feedback is a little less but the Fiesta gives plenty of signals so it is a big pleasure to drive spirited also with the Hankooks. Fuel consumption seems to be bit better too, but hey I drive a GTI. Overall I am very pleased by the choice of the Hankooks.

The 205/40/18 Tyre size is notorious for being very rare and lower in demand. This means that the michelin/continental options are pushing nearly £200 a corner fitted and balanced. At £117 through ATS the FK520 was a great alternative at a much lower price. My fiesta ST came with Michelin Super Sports and I'd had a set of PS4s subsequent to that and have had a set of Nankangs AS rubbish rubbers as well. Having done a couple track days and lots of miles, I've been very impressed with the FK520s.

after 12,500 miles.

Dry Grip - Exceptional - Couple track days and hill climbs during the summer and in the warmth these tyres were great! Even managing to get a better time than another fiesta friend rocking the wider and higher profile 225/40/18 Michelin cups on a different set up with more un-sprung mass. (That was very likely just due to bravery/stupidity on the day though). The reason these have only gotten a 9/10 is because 10/10 in my humble opinion is reserved for slicks.

Wet Grip - Exceptional - The aquaplaning recovery is the FK520s key strength. Wet handling is not as well levelled as the PS4s. So, if you wanted to drift in the wet then go ahead. However, for the price point. You absolutely MUST purchase the FK520. Blows the nankang sportnex out the water. The next tyre I'm keen to try in this category is the Nexen NFera sport. But for wet weather driving and some considerably treacherous motorway monsoon type conditions the FK520 has felt incredibly safe and dependable.

Wear - As expected - 12,500 miles and the tyres have gone from 7.5mm to 4mm on the front 7.5mm to 6mm on the rear. So, on course for a set of fronts to last approx 20-25k miles if I replace at 3mm and maybe up to 30k miles if I ran them all the way down to 1.6mm. But incredibly impressed with wear overall. These are on a level with michelin PS4 and based on Falken's quality and manufacturing I would expect this.

Buy Again - Maybe - The reason I was so impressed and keen on these tyres is because they were £117 fitted at ATS last year. That's a bargain in the fiesta tyre size. However, now with them creeping up to £140-150. It make sense to spend a bit more per corner and get the continental or michelin options. If the tyre is less than 120. Absolutely will buy again.