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Falken ZE512

Replaced by the ZE912 Replaces the ZE502

The Falken ZE512 is a Touring Summer tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

The quick answer

Owners say 50% from 27 owner reviews 22% would buy again Read the reviews
Tests say Sorry, we don't currently have any test data for the Falken ZE512

Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tyre - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated June 2017.

  • 27owner reviews
  • 242,782miles driven

Tyre Reviews Score

Falken ZE512

5.6/10

From owner reviews only: no measured test results yet.

  • Limited Confidence
  • 27 owner reviews

How this score is built

Source Better than Weight
Independent testsNo measured test results yet – 0%
Owner reviews27 owner reviews · rated 50% 12% 64%
Typical tyreWhere every score starts before its own data counts – 36%
Combined 23% 5.6

A fixed curve turns the combined figure into the 0 to 10 score, so roughly the top 10% of a group score 9 or more.

Confidence

  1. Limited
  2. Medium
  3. High

Owner reviews decide 64% of this score. The other 36% is the typical starting point, and it shrinks as more reviews arrive.

Scored on owner reviews alone, a tyre is High once the reviews decide 90% or more, and Medium from 70%. Anything less is Limited: expect the number to move as reviews arrive.

All Tests

Sorry, we don't currently have any magazine tyre tests for the Falken ZE512

Frequently Asked Questions
How comfortable and quiet are the Falken ZE512?
Owners rate the Falken ZE512 5.5 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 25 reviews.
How well do the Falken ZE512 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Falken ZE512 4.5 out of 10 for wear across 25 reviews. 8 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 8,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Falken ZE512 again?
22% of owners say they would buy the Falken ZE512 again, based on the 27 owner reviews that answered the question. 11% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Falken ZE512's tread life?
Of the 24 owner reviews analysed for the Falken ZE512, 13 mention tread life: 1 praise it (long-lasting) and 12 criticise it (wears quickly). One owner wrote: "I've done 12,000 miles in a year (most miles motorway trips) and they need replacing already". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Falken ZE512's wet grip?
Of the 24 owner reviews analysed for the Falken ZE512, 10 mention wet grip: 2 praise it (confident wet grip) and 8 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "Not recommend this tyre as it's not grip on wet road". Read those reviews
More questions about the Falken ZE512 (3)
What do owners say about the Falken ZE512's road noise?
Of the 24 owner reviews analysed for the Falken ZE512, 9 mention road noise: 5 praise it (quiet) and 4 criticise it (noisy). One owner wrote: "they are quiet enough and comfortable". Read those reviews
What does the Falken ZE512 replace?
The Falken ZE512 is the successor to the Falken ZE502 in Falken's range.
Has the Falken ZE512 been replaced?
The Falken ZE512 has been replaced by the Falken ZE912.
Owner Questions
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Questions and Answers for the Falken ZE512

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Falken ZE512 Owner Reviews

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What owners say

Across 27 owner ratings the Falken ZE512 averages 50%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 6.7 out of 10 and Wear lowest at 4.5. 8 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 20% of owners score it 70% or better.

Owner ratings averaged from 27 ratings

  • Owner score 50%
  • Dry Grip 67%
  • Comfort 55%
  • Road Feedback 52%
  • Handling 50%
  • Wet Grip 47%
  • Wear 45%

Featured reviews

Most helpful 87%

“I used to have the recommended Michelins until they no longer produced they tyre model i wanted I was recommended these Falkens (ZE514) and with a heavy heart fitted them The heavy heart soon went when I realised just...”

  • Nissan almera 1.5
Read full review → 649 found this helpful
Most critical 21%

“When i ran my Eagle F1's to the limit i was low on cash and enjoying a rare month or two between jobs , "these ZE512 tyres are an absolute bargain".....the local Falken pushing ATS chief fibber told me..."real grippy!"...”

  • Ford Sapphire Cosworth 4x4
  • 5,000 miles
Read full review → 420 found this helpful
Longest term 50%

“False economy. Nearly failed an MOT after 11,000 miles. Compound too soft, feels more like a rubber band than a hefty tyre. Good roadholding in wet and dry for average driver and respectable in country lanes. Doesn't...”

  • Lexus IS200
  • 66,000 miles
Read full review → 380 found this helpful

All 25 Falken ZE512 reviews

Score spread across 25 written reviews
50%
Member
Wearing this tyre since 2015. On dry road, the tyre grip well but the noise is lousy. Can hear echo from cabin. I once drive on rainy day and got emergency brake. Unfortunately, the tyre not performing well and I hit front car. The tyre dragged about 3 meters from the point I hit emergency break. Not recommend this tyre as it's not grip on wet road. But dry road okay.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 7
  • Wet Grip 3
  • Road Feedback 6
  • Handling 6
  • Wear 7
  • Comfort 3
  • Buy again 3
Helpful 578
87%
Member
I used to have the recommended Michelins until they no longer produced they tyre model i wanted

I was recommended these Falkens (ZE514) and with a heavy heart fitted them

The heavy heart soon went when I realised just how much better these tyres were in every dept compared to Michelin

There is a little more road noise but none that you would notice much if at all in the average modern car now

What surprised me though is how these tyres transformed the car...The handling is far better and i am a spirited to average in driving style and also at times tow a heavy trailer

Coming off the M53 by me are two very bad long sweeping 'S' shaped bends ...Inspired by the grip and handling, I tried these corners faster each time I used them in the dry and the confidence these tyres give are incredable .... Let's just say at 70mph the car is very grippy and stable ... Each time now that i approach these bends I look forward to keeping the speed up and passing the bigger more expensive cars that should really out perform me with ease on the bends ..You can see them trying and backing odd ...and of course knowing your car makes a difference ...

In the wet, these tyres have astonished me. Yes of course in the wet most tyres will require longer stopping distances etc... But in the wet with these Falkens is very impressive. But, I have to say when they do finally let loose, you get a little notice it is going to happen so be ready

For general every day driving to spirited driving, these tyres are fab, but they are not racing tyres by any means.. Push them and the tyre wear is noticeable but the grip is so worth it. You would have to pay a lot more more for this grip in other brands!!

Being that I notice most things, I have noticed a little more in road noise but not that most people I think would notice and the comfort level is no better or worse than other tyres I've had

I do about 15,000 miles or more a year and usually end up putting a new set of tyres on each MOT time (just about now)... Remember that I drive more spirited than the average driver (though I do not mistreat my car) and so I cna't say exactly how long these tyres should last ...I get over 15,000 miles a set with spirited driving and they are still all above the legal limit of 1.6mm ..I just change all four every year as they are near due and have worked hard

Cost of new tyres too are amazing at £208 off Ebay for four delivered ....ATS want £74 each = £296 plus fitting !!!!!

I've had two full sets of these tyres now and highly recommend them to anyone

Just for a change I am looking at the dearer Goodyear Grip ones just to see the difference between these and Falken ...My money is that I''ll regret this as I know how good Falkens are





This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 9
  • Road Feedback 8
  • Handling 10
  • Wear 8
  • Comfort 8
  • Buy again 9
Helpful 649
46%
Member
  • Mazda 6
  • 225/40 R18
  • 8,000 miles
  • Mostly Town
  • Average
lasted ~20k km on a mazda 6. was good when new, but as it wears, performance dropped sharply.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 6
  • Wet Grip 4
  • Road Feedback 6
  • Handling 4
  • Wear 4
  • Comfort 5
  • Buy again 3
Helpful 575

Which tyres do you drive?

Researching the Falken ZE512? Rate the tyres you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.

Own the Falken ZE512?
31%
Member
Very bad tyres for premium class cars.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 4
  • Wet Grip 2
  • Road Feedback 2
  • Handling 4
  • Wear 8
  • Comfort 1
  • Buy again 1
Helpful 643
74%
LordMat
I've finally replaced these Falkens after more than 30,000 km. over some 16 months of driving on the roads of Malaysia which are either dry and hot or wet. Often, one would have both road conditions in a single day.

One thing I like about these tyres is that they are quiet enough and comfortable. I'm therefore surprised that some writers here had mentioned them to be "noisy". Maybe it's because my car's insulation is better, which means that it would be the same with any tyre(?) Performance-wise, they did their job although to be fair I didn't really push them too hard. That's because I don't expect them to be high performance tyres, which they aren't. I would rate these as "budget tyres with mid-range performance".

One thing though - I should have replaced them sooner i.e. immediately upon reaching the thread-wear indicator inside the grooves. After that, performance was significantly lower and I somehow didn't feel too confident with the sharp corners and when driving on wet roads.

Overall I'm pleased enough with these. So, when replacing these worn tures, I decided to stick with the devil I know in Falken, but went for the better (and more expensive) ZE 912.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 7
  • Wet Grip 6
  • Road Feedback 7
  • Handling 7
  • Wear 8
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 8
Helpful 635
99%
Member
The best tires I've ever got. Used it all around a two years. Before i used Continental CP, Michelin, GoodYear, Fulda Quantum Elite. I'm looking Falken again, but it don't distribute in Ukraine now.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 10
  • Wet Grip 10
  • Road Feedback 10
  • Handling 10
  • Wear 9
  • Comfort 10
  • Buy again 10
Helpful 589
37%
Member
I've just swapped from these to BF Goodrich Profilers and I can honestly say it's the best move I've ever made. The Falkans suffered from bad understeer, especially in the wet (which could be hair raising on country road!), in fact the overall grip was generally not great (especially pulling out from junctions). I really expect tyres to last longer than 10k considering I don't really drive that hard.

At least they were'nt that noisy.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 5
  • Wet Grip 4
  • Road Feedback 4
  • Handling 4
  • Wear 3
  • Comfort 5
  • Buy again 1
Helpful 573
43%
Member
The only tyre I have spun a car with and I wasn't even driving that hard. Not very progressive and they feel quite soft as if they need damping more. Nothing special at all, even the Halford's own brand performed better which is quite awful for a top tyre brand.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 8
  • Wet Grip 4
  • Road Feedback 3
  • Handling 2
  • Wear 6
  • Comfort 6
  • Buy again 1
Helpful 558
39%
Anonymous
  • Lexus IS200
  • 215/45 R17 V
  • 10,000 miles
  • A Combination of Roads
  • Average
Absolute rubbish tyres wore way too quick and are way too soft, and I drive like a grandad too!
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 5
  • Wet Grip 5
  • Road Feedback 5
  • Handling 5
  • Wear 1
  • Comfort 5
  • Buy again 1
Helpful 607
46%
Member
I purchased a set of 4 of these tyres as Yokohama UK couldn't get stock of the usual and excellent AVS dB550 I use, and I needed to get my car through its MOT. I wanted to stick to Japanese tyres with a symmetrical pattern, as assymetric patterns don't suit the LS400. (I speak from experience; a few years ago I had bought a set of P7s but they were so unbearably noisy, albeit grippy, that I had to change them within 2,000 miles). The Falken 512s give a quiet and smooth ride on straight motorways. But they are poor round corners, and on wet roads I am so glad my car has traction control as the grip accelerating from rest on wet roads is poor. They are also wearing out quickly, which is not necessarily a bad thing as this means I can soon switch to some better tyres! I love the engineering on Japanese-made products, but am very disappointed with Falken 512 tyres.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 6
  • Wet Grip 4
  • Road Feedback 4
  • Handling 5
  • Wear 3
  • Comfort 8
  • Buy again 2
Helpful 583
22%
Member
  • Audi S6
  • 255/35 R18 W
  • A Combination of Roads
  • Average
Worst tyre I ever used. Disposed them after 2 months. No grip when wet (in a quattro), very sensitive on bad roads, noiselevel is ridiculous. Wouldn?t recommend this tyre to anyone, even if it?s for free....!
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 5
  • Wet Grip 1
  • Road Feedback 2
  • Handling 2
  • Comfort 2
  • Buy again 1
Helpful 580
32%
Member
  • Mercedes Benz
  • 225/45 R17 W
  • 8,000 miles
  • A Combination of Roads
  • Average
What a rubbish tyre. I bought these because I wanted a reasonable budget tyre. The tyre dealer I bought them from recommended them as good value and when I checked the internet the reports seemed good. I had two fitted to the rear. However after 8000 miles of average driving they are worn out. Not scuffed or damaged but the tread is just plain worn out. I couldn't believe it. From what I've read on this site I'm not the only one to have had this problem. I wish I had looked at this site before I bought them.

This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 5
  • Wet Grip 5
  • Wear 2
  • Comfort 3
  • Buy again 1
Helpful 635
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