Falken Azenis FK520

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.

OEM Fitment Tyre on the FL5 Type R is Michelin PS4S (superb tyre , i got 25,000km out of a set inclusive of 3 track days. i would of been able to do another 5000km on regular roads had i not copped an unfixable puncture which was sheer bad luck)

Onto the Falkens , after the PS4S i swapped wheel fitments and went to 18s for comfort + tyre longevity + increased tyre choices. After ALOT of research the UTQG rating for the Falken FK510 was 300 treadwear , A traction / A Temp. Considering the PS4S is AA traction A temp with 300 treadwear also on paper it seemed the Falkens were on-point so my first fray into the Falken brand was with a set of FK510's.

The FK510s were great in terms of traction and overall grip in the dry , even better then the PS4S which would just cause the front wheels to lose traction in 1st/2nd and sometimes early in 3rd. With the FK510 the only way for me to wheelspin was if i was just a little too eager in first but if i had traction in first i would ultimately have traction in 2nd and 3rd without much issue , that to me sold me on the Falken brand given the cost difference between the 2 tyres. Even though the Falken FK510 and Subsequentially FK520L are rated as a UHP tyre it comes very close to the UUHP segment tyre for a fraction of the cost.

Unfortunately the FK510s didn't last as long as i had hoped , about 9 months / 15,000km of driving with no track days with 0.5mm before the wear limit, but regularly checked pressures and tyre rotations. i am a bit of an aggressive driver so it doesn't help but i didn't have the wear issue with the PS4S but it did provide me with equivalent levels of grip. So in the tyre world its always choose 3 - Grip / Comfort / Wear / Cost / Handling , you will never get all 5.

The FK510 gives Comfort / Grip / Cost at the sacrifice of Handling/Wear , in terms of handling it felt like the Michelin PS4 (very vague and slow in slalom and S bends at speed) but the grip was always there you just had to back off a little to let the car settle to find out where it was and then you could load it up confidently in the corners and hold it no problems.

This brings me now to the FK520L , Falkens newest model and successor to the FK510. I have only had them on for about 4000km / 2500 miles at the moment but considering my experience with the FK510 i can confidently say that this tyre is a genuine improvement in the right direction. The tyre feels more comfortable due to its more solid construction , the less mass on the tyre is also correct because my fuel economy increased so paying for less fuel is a bonus , handling wise it definitely is a slight notch better because of the stiffer shoulders but the tyre is still pretty soft in my opinion.

I have taken the tyre on a few spirted runs already and can say Falken have done well with this newer model , i was able to get them fitted after price matching for about $225 AUD a corner so when the Michelin PS5 and PS4S is still $400 / $500 AUD a corner respectively it makes the Falkens seem like a huge bargain , and that they are. They are also visually appealing now with the nano black sidewall design and i feel the tyre is a lot more premium , would i recommend this tyre to anyone thinking about buying a set , absolutely but with 1 caveat , if you plan on doing a track day spend a little bit more and get a UUHP tyre. If however you just want a decent street sport tyre without lighting your wallet on fire that is the equivalent of a Michelin PS4/PS5 then the Falken FK520L will keep you safe.

Bottom line i was a bit hesitant at first to try Falken on my expensive sportscar but i am glad i did as they perform as expected , this tyre won't be for everyone as the handling isn't as sharp and precise as other tyre models but the grip and confidence is there and is progressive when pushing it to the limit.

Next set i am hoping to try the new Continental Max Contact 7 when they become available as they are 360 Treadwear rated with AA Traction and A temp and would like a tyre that lasts a little longer without sacrificing on grip/safety , otherwise i might just fit a set of Max Contact 6 and see how it goes , worse-case scenario i always have Falken to fall back on should they not perform as-expected.

Very good peak grip in both wet and dry. They are comfier than the fk510s and quieter as well. The handling is very nice and the grip is very progressive you can very easily feel it beginning to slip before there are any problems. Fantastic value for money would certainly buy again.

In the dry these are good tyres, in the wet they are mediocre. This makes sense as they are classed as summer tyres however everywhere that lists these tyres has them rated as A for wet weather.
In the wet they grip still and handle well enough however they perform the best when it comes to aquaplaning. When it comes to dispercing water they sre absolutely terrible. They feel like if someone were to spill there coffee then you wouldn't stand a chance! Good for the summer however if it rains hard your better off walking.

Very playful, safe and good value

I previously had Uniroyal Rainsport 5's all round on stock wheels (225x45x18, 245x45x18) they weren't the best dynamically but not too bad, of course exceptional in the wet; however a B-Road here and a track day there the wall edges couldn't handle the strain of my driving along with the shocks being completely gone.

On went new wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asy 6's in the front and the Falken Azenis FK520 on the rear (255x35x19, 265x35x19)

Dry grip in the rear is fantastic and pairs well with the Goodyear. The car used to be lazy in corners and you felt in sweepers the sidewall evidently flexing a lot; however the new set up provides much sharper turn in, mid corner is planted with much better rotation and less flex. In other words, dynamically the tyres have awoken the car giving exceptional relative grip while being playful and pliable. Stopping power is fantastic, I've heard great things about wear although I haven't yet experienced that (only done 650miles or so).

The car is more stable at speed on 'long private roads in mexico', motorway driving is also greatly improved. I haven't taken it on track yet with this set up but I'm sure would be more agile especially once I get working shocks.
Considering a smaller and stiffer sidewall to my Rainsports before, the car is seemingly on par or more comfortable than before with slightly less road noise making day to day unexpectedly really very good.
Wet grip is fantastic, almost on par with the Uniroyals however I've experienced aquaplaning on the motorway in less harsh conditions at similar speeds than the previous set up. Something to keep in mind when the conditions arise.

As a UK driver it's important to have comfort due to the shocking roads 60% of the journey, to be safe in the wet as it mostly is, and to be fun on the backroads. The Falkens despite only living with them briefly and with this the Goodyears as a paring provide great value while excelling in the above parameters I hold most important for me when I bought my tyres. Really impressed with the Falkens, would buy again if nothing better comes on market by then, considering the wear that will be a long way away.

As a tyre 7.5/10
For my needs 9/10

Tested on a Peugeot 308SW, the tire offers truly excellent lateral grip on dry surfaces, on roundabouts and in curves. It's progressive to the limit, yet always composed and comfortable. The only downside is that it tends to deform a little when braking on dry surfaces, but nothing too serious. On wet surfaces, it provides exceptional braking and starts from a standing start without any slippage, all with outside temperatures around 28 degrees.

Poor wear but good otherwise

Excellent dry grip, as good as the Premium brands. Wet grip is very good as expected. Steering feel is positive and sharp without vagueness. Feedback through the wheel is informative

First time trying the Falken brand based on the many good reviews and tests that this tyre has earned. I can say that the tyre doesn't dissapoint. It is great for day to day use on a mid sized sedan with the occasional spirited rides. Dry grip is good from cold and it gets better when tyres get warmed up, which doesn't take too long. Wet grip is also good although I have not pushed it to the limit.
What I can say with confidence is that both wet and dry braking is exceptional, with many instances of emergency heavy braking (due to animals crossing the road, cars cutting lanes etc) the car felt planted and stopped safely, most of the time with little to no ABS interference even under full braking.
It is very soon to comment on wear but after more than 10k km they seem to wear normally. Sidewalls are thick but not too hard so the tyre feels comfortable over potholes and road imperfections. This also means that the steering feedback is kinda numb (mostly related to audi's setup), but it still got some sporty character and good steering response. In comparrison the Goodyear F1 Asy 5 that I had before were a bit more informative and precise.
The FK520 also looks good on the rims and has good rim protection.

Overall I'd strongly recomend this tyre due to it's characteristics, grip, comfort and most importantly it's price!

Good tires, strong sidewalls, good grip in Wet and dry.

First season on my MX-5 ND. Dry grip is pretty good, comparable to the Michelin PS5 I am using on my other car. Wet grip is not bad, but there is room for improvement. It's easy to control the car. My overall experience is very good. Wear is really good on this light roadster. Will buy them again.

I bought FK520 tyres because I had FK510 before them. I have 225/40/19 front and 255/35/19 rear.
1. Dry Grip - never been driving agressively but tyres hold really hood just like FK510 were.
2. Wet Grip - just as good as FK510, no issues and real good performance.
3. Road Feedback and Comfort - you can quite feel road below and I have issues with vibrations in highways above 100 km/h. On FK510 never had this issues. This is the most annoying part that they are not comfortable and would definately not recommend them for someone driving on highways a lot.
4. Wear - did not see any drastic wear after 5000 kilometers, which is good. I think wear is much better in FK520 because I had issues with uneven wear on FK510.
5. Buy Again - from performance point of view yes, but since I like to drive smooth and comfortable, I would not buy them again. When I change tyres to winter Hankooks on same wheels, I have no vibrations anymore.

I replaced the Pirelli P-Zeros that came on my car with these after I had the rear end step out at very low speed on a wet roundabout with the Pirellis.

Straight away I felt more confident in wet conditions. The MX-5 being a light, rear wheel drive car, I don't go too crazy when there's standing water but I was at least comfortable to drive in bad conditions compared to the old Pirellis.

In the dry my feelings were similar. I could throw the car into corners without so much as a squeak from the tyres. Everything feels very assured.

I primarily daily drive the car but I took it to a track day and they held up remarkably well. The car would bite down into corners and you could feel a natural drop off in grip as you nearest the limit. At that point the tyres had already done about 18,000 miles and after the partly melted tread had come unstuck, it seems that they have a lot more life left to give!

I drive them on a Golf 6 GTD, 170ps, automatic. Not the most powerful car, but I get a lot of wheel spin when accelerating a bit more aggressive. Temperature around here is between 30 and 39 degrees Celsius (hot). Tires are brand new with a fresh dot (several months from production). Breaking is normal, I did not feel the ABS till now. Wet performance I did not test, cause of the dry summer. Cornering also normal. Otherwise the tires don't make noise and are comfortable. If I have to buy now, I would probably search for a softer tire, with more traction on dry hot asphalt.

Bought these after seeing good initial reviews to replace my worn pair of Hankook Ventus 4s and driven on them for about 2500 miles since.
The grip is good in both dry and wet, decent ride comfort and noise but the handling characteristic leaves quite a lot to be desired. The sidewall is very soft, during hard cornering there's little feedback and you can feel the tire trying to roll over itself before finally settling which makes for a rather unpleasant experience when driving in a spirited manner. Overinflating them to 38psi does help the handling a little but they're still a far cry from the Hankooks handling wise.

All in all it's a well gripping touring tire with good ride quality and noise but it definitely isn't designed for hard driving.