Falken Tires Review: Brand Guide

About Falken Tires

Founded in 1983, Falken is a subsidiary of a Japanese company, known as Sumitomo Rubber Industries. This tire brand usually manufactures various types of tires for sedans, crossovers, compacts, light trucks and several other types of vehicles.

Today, Falken is considered one of the leading tire manufacturers, when it comes to ultra-high performance tires and all-terrain models.

Its tires are also popular among off-road enthusiasts and the motorsports community. It has recently participated in various racing events such as the LN Endurance Championships, the ADAC Zurich Race at Nürburgring, the Formula Regional Japanese Championship, as well as the Formula Drift Championship Series.

Falken tires are currently available in North America, Europe, Asia and Pacific, Middle East and Africa, as well as in Central and South America.

In North America, Falken Tires operates out of Rancho Cucamonga, California, which is currently its corporate headquarters.

However, it also has several tire distribution centers across the country in Florida, California, Illinois, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Texas.

Most Popular Falken Tires

Falken produces tires in almost all categories. It manufactures passenger tires, SUV tires, crossover tires and SUV tires, among others.

Also, it makes tires for different terrains and conditions such as high-performance summer, touring all-season tires, high-performance all-season tires, and standard all-season tires, among others. Some of its most popular tires include:

Falken Azenis FK510

If you are looking for a great ultra-high performance summer tire at a reasonable price, then the Falken Azenis FK510 will be an excellent choice.

While it may not be the best tire in its category, you are assured of getting value for your money, thanks to its outstanding performance and long tread life.

According to Falken, this tire is specifically built for premium vehicle owners, who are looking for a tire that will deliver outstanding performance and excellent grip.

To deliver these things, Falken has equipped this tire with numerous technologies and design features such as:

4D Nano Design

This technology helps to boost the tire’s grip, wet weather traction and grip. So, as much as the Falken Azenis FK510 is an ultra-high performance summer tire, it will still deliver reliable performance on wet surfaces.

Adaptive Constant Pressure Tread Design

Falken has used an Adaptive Constant Pressure tread pattern on this tire, designed to ensure uniform pressure distribution throughout its contact patch. And this leads to better directional stability as well as shorter braking distances.

Wide Shoulder Blocks

Similar to other ultra high performance tires, the Falken Azenis FK510 also features wide shoulder blocks, which help to improve cornering grip as well as steering response.

The enhanced cornering grip will come in handy when the vehicle is moving at high speeds.

Switchback Siping

Some ultra-high performance tires tend to lose a bit of grip during wet cornering. Fortunately, you will not experience such issues with this tire, thanks to Switchback Siping technology.

This technology helps to boost the tire's grip during wet cornering. Falken has further furnished this tire with four wide circumferential grooves, which help to evacuate water from its surface, thus helping to prevent hydroplaning.

And with the reduced hydroplaning, this tire will deliver dependable handling, braking and traction during heavy rains.

Should You Buy the Falken Azenis FK510

If you drive a premium sports sedan or other similar vehicles, then this tire will be a perfect match for your vehicle. It ticks delivers outstanding wet and dry traction as well as a quiet ride.

However, the ride may be choppy, especially if you encounter uneven surfaces or terrains. Also, you shouldn’t use this tire in freezing temperatures.

Sincera SN250 A/S

The Falken Sincera SN250 AS is an all-season touring tire, designed for drivers of sedans, coupes, and other cars.

It comes with some of the newest tire technologies from Falken, including 3D Canyon Sipes and Dynamic Range technology.

According to Falken, this tire will provide impressive traction in different weather conditions, superior ride comfort as well as class-leading durability. So, how does this tire perform in different conditions?

Dry and Wet Performance

Just like other Falken tires, the Sincera SN250 AS comes with the brand’s exclusive all-season tread compound, featuring higher silica levels.

With this composition, this tire can comfortably deliver enhanced wet and dry traction as well as long treadwear.

Snow and Ice

The Sincera SN250 AS is surprisingly impressive when it comes to snow-covered and ice-covered roads.

It delivers a steady amount of grip on snowy, icy and slippery roads. Even when you encounter packed ice, this tire will keep your vehicle moving.

Its outstanding traction on snow and ice can be attributed to the use of 3D Canyon sipes, which improve its traction and braking on ice significantly.

It also features Falken’s exclusive Dynamic Range technology, which enables the rubber to remain flexible and pliable at cold temperatures, thus improving its grip.

Falken has also equipped this tire with four wide circumferential grooves, which combine with the angled tread grooves, to provide the biting edges needed for icy or snowy conditions.

Ride Quality

If you are looking for an all-season touring tire that will provide a comfortable ride, then the Sincera SN250 AS will not disappoint.

Its asymmetric tread pattern, together with the optimized tread block placement, help it to provide a comfortable and smooth ride, even at highway speeds.

Should You Buy the Sincera SN250 AS?

The Sincera SN250 AS is, without a doubt, one of the best tires in its category. It delivers impressive wet and dry traction, confident handling, as well as a smooth and cozy ride. Overall, it’s a great performer for its price.

Ziex ZE950

If you drive a crossover, a sports car or a sporty sedan and you are looking for a tire that can deliver stable handling, a decent mileage and reliable all-season performance, then the Ziex ZE950 might be just what you need.

According to Falken, the Ziex ZE950 also delivers a comfortable, smooth and quiet ride, as well as long tread life. Some of its key design features include:

Dynamic Range Technology

Falken has equipped this tire with its proprietary Dynamic Range Technology, featuring a silica tread compound and an asymmetric tread design.

This technology enables the tire’s rubber to remain flexible even at low temperatures. It also helps to enhance the tire’s chemical bonds, thus making sure they remain sturdy in hot, dry conditions.

And this results in enhanced traction in wet and slippery conditions as well as improved handling in dry conditions.

At the same time, the asymmetric tread design enhances the tire’s traction and grip on both dry and wet surfaces.

3D Canyon Sipe Technology

Most all-season Falken tires come with an exclusive technology, known as 3D Canyon Sipe Technology.

So, what role does this technology play in the tire’s performance? Well, the 3D Canyon Sipe Technology interlocks the tire’s shoulders, thus helping them to resist potential wear from high torque.

It also delivers handling stability as well as accurate and faster breaking while improving the tire’s tread life.

Wide-Angled Tread Slot

If you inspect this tire carefully, you will notice that its tread pattern features wide-angled tread grooves. This design helps to enhance its grip and traction in wet conditions.

It also features a sculptured groove wall, which allows the tire to provide grip in snowy conditions.

Its tread pattern also features wide circumferential grooves, designed to channel water away and enhance its hydroplaning resistance. And this results in better traction and handling in wet weather.

Should You Buy the Ziex ZE950?

Finding an all-season tire that performs impressively in almost all areas is not always easy. Most of the tires in this class tend to over-perform in one area while underperforming in other areas.

But with the Ziex ZE950, you are getting a great all-around performer, which will deliver excellent traction on dry, wet and snowy surfaces.

Also, its steering is responsive and quick while its tread life is one of the longest. And with a tread life warranty of up 65,000 miles, it’s easy to see why the Ziex ZE950 is one of the brand’s best-selling tires.

Falken Pro Touring A/S

Released in 2017, the Falken Pro Touring A/S is an all-season touring tire, which can fit several types of midsize sedans, compacts, small crossovers and minivans.

According to drivers who have used this tire, it delivers reliable all-season traction as well as precise handling capabilities. It also comes with some of the latest Falken’s design features and technologies.

And as much as the Falken Pro Touring A/S may be cheaper than premium touring tires, it delivers better all-season performance than most of the others in its category.

Perhaps what you will love most about this tire is that it tends to behave like an ultra-high performance tire when the vehicle is moving at high speeds. So, how does the Falken Pro Touring A/S perform in different conditions and terrains?

Dry and Wet Roads

As noted above, this tire is designed to deliver reliable all-season performance. Whether you are driving on the highway or you are moving at city speeds, this tire’s performance on dry roads is better than you may expect.

Its grip on dry roads is more than enough, even when you are cornering at high speeds. If you drive a moderately fast small car like a sporty crossover, you will enjoy rolling on these tires.

Its performance on wet roads is equally impressive.  Even when you push your car to the limits, this tire will always provide solid braking and impressive stability.

Winter Conditions

The Falken Pro Touring A/S is primarily an all-season tire, which will deliver reliable traction on wet and slippery surfaces.

But when it comes to snow-covered or ice-covered roads, you can’t rely on this tire to keep your vehicle moving.

So, if you frequently drive on snow-covered or ice-covered roads, then you should just go for a dedicated winter or snow tire.

While the Falken Pro Touring A/S may provide you with some usable traction, its overall performance on overly wet or slushy surfaces is poor.

Should You Buy the Falken Pro Touring A/S?

When you weigh its all-season performance versus its price, it’s hard to find another tire that will offer better value for money than the Falken Pro Touring A/S.

It delivers impressive wet and dry performance as well as sporty handling. Furthermore, it remains quiet and comfortable on the highway. If you simply need an all-season tire that will get the job done, then you should consider buying the Falken Pro Touring A/S.

Wildpeak A/T3W

Falken may not be the first brand that comes to mind when you think of off-road tires. However, the company has been working extremely hard to change that perception. And this explains the release of the Wildpeak A/T3W.

Built for all types of crossovers, SUVs and light trucks, this Falken off-road tire features a hybrid tread design, which is more of a blend between a mud terrain tire and an all-terrain tire.

You may be probably asking yourself why you should purchase this tire instead of the others in its category. Well, here are a few reasons that may help to convince you:

Wet and Snowy Roads

When it comes to wet roads, this tire is simply outstanding. Its handling and grip are among the best in the class. Its braking is equally strong and assured.

Its traction on snowy roads is equally superior. And even when the snow melts and the road becomes slushy, it grips the surface confidently.

Also, its tread self-cleans quite fast. Therefore, this tire can easily transition from off-road to on-road conditions without losing its performance.

Off-Road Performance

Falken has outfitted this tire with stepped-down tread blocks, deeper tread depth as well as a rugged shoulder design.

This combination of features helps the tire to provide excellent traction on gravel, mud, rock, loose dirt, rough terrain or any other conditions that you may encounter.

Ride Quality

With the added tread depth, you may expect this tire to produce lots of road noise during highway driving.

It remains surprisingly quiet during highway driving. So, if you frequently shift between city roads and country roads, then this tire will serve you well.

Whether you are driving on the highway, on the street or you are wandering off the beaten path, you will be impressed by this tire’s performance. It can handle almost anything that you throw its way.

Falken Tires Design Features

Falken uses various advanced designs and technologies, to consistently deliver high quality, long-lasting and highly reliable tires.

For instance, its all-season tires deliver exceptional winter traction while its high-performance tires are highly remarkably responsive and stable, even when the vehicle is moving at high speeds. Some of its tires’ standout design features include:

Top-Notch Stability

Falken tires are renowned for their top-notch stability, regardless of the model that you buy. And this has been achieved using innovative technologies and design features like wider shoulder blocks and a sturdy rib center.

Furthermore, all its tires come with reinforced internal structures, which provide extra handling stability and safety.

Long-Lasting Tread

Apart from their outstanding stability, all Falken tires also offer excellent tread life. Most of its tires tend to reach and even outlast the warranted mileage.

To achieve this excellent tread life, Falken has incorporated various design features and technologies into its tires. And the Dynamic Range Technology is one notable example.

Equipping its tires with this technology helps to promote rubber durability while allowing it to remain flexible in cold conditions, thus helping to maintain traction.

Furthermore, the symmetrical rib design present on the Sincera line of tires helps to optimize uniform tread wear.

Comfortable Ride

Falken highway tires deliver a comfortable and quiet ride. And this can be attributed to the use of Silent Core technology, which helps to reduce road noise and vibrations significantly.

Also, Falken tires come with a polyurethane foam layer, which provides internal cushioning and protection, thus helping to reduce the noise levels even further.

Warranties and Guarantees

Most consumer goods are backed by warranties and guarantees. And Falken tires are no exception.

Its tires come with strong warranties and guarantees, designed to protect the buyer from having to incur the full cost of replacing the tire. Some of its tires’ warranties and guarantees include:

Material and Workmanship Warranty

All Falken radial tires come with a material and workmanship warranty, which covers the tire throughout its usable tread life, for up to 6 years or within its first 2/32 inch of treadwear, whichever comes first.

So, if your Falken tire becomes unusable due to a material or workmanship defect during the first 6 years or within its first 2/32 inch of tread depth, then Falken will replace it for free, with a comparable new tire.

After the tire’s first 2/32 inch of tread wear, the replacement will be done on a prorated basis.

To determine the replacement credit you will get, you should multiply the tire’s percentage of usable remaining tread depth with the dealers’ current selling price.

Assuming the percentage of usable remaining tread depth on the tire is 60% and the tire is currently going for $100, then your replacement amount will be $60.

This amount will then be applied when you purchase a new Falken tire. And in this case, you will only pay $40 towards the tire’s purchase.

Also, the buyer will be responsible for mounting and balancing fees, among other applicable charges.

Tread Life Warranty

Some Falken tires also come with a limited tread life warranty. Also known as mileage warranty, Falken offers to replace your tire, if it fails to deliver the promised mileage.

So, if your Falken tire becomes worn out evenly across its surface down to its last 2/32 inch of tread before it hits the mileage limit promised, then you should get a replacement.

But unlike the materials and workmanship warranty, the replacement for tread life warranty is purely done on a prorated basis.

It’s important to note that the tread life warranty only applies to a tire’s normal highway use. So, if you normally go for off-roading using your standard Falken tires, then there is a high chance they may not be covered under this warranty.

Free Trial Ride Program

Most Falken tires come with a free 30-day or 1000-mile trial period. Hence, if you are not satisfied with your set of four Falken tires, then you can return them to your original dealer and you will get a full reimbursement.

Road Hazard Protection

Falken is among the few tire manufacturers that offer road hazard protection for its tires. Under this coverage, if your eligible Falken tire is damaged by a road hazard like glass, potholes, and nails, then the company will give you a free tire replacement.

Some of the tires that are eligible for this protection include AZENIS FK510, EUROWINTER HS449, ESPIA EPZ II SUV, ESPIA EPZ II, SINCERA SN201 A/S, and SINCERA SN250 A/S.

Other tires that are also covered include WILDPEAK A/T TRAIL, WILDPEAK H/T02 WILDPEAK A/T3W, WILDPEAK H/T01, WINTERPEAK F-ICE 1, ZIEX S/TZ05, ZIEX ZE960 A/S, and ZIEX S/TZ05, ZIEX CT60 A/S.

You should note that eligible tires will only be covered during their first 2 years after the purchase date or the first 3/32 inch of wear, whichever comes first. Also, the tire must be certified unrepairable for it to be replaced.

Falken Tires Pros

• Relatively affordable, high-quality tires
• Extended tread life warranties
• Great all-terrain and high-performance tires

Falken Tires Cons

• Limited tire selection

Should You Buy Falken Tires?

Falken tires are renowned for their outstanding performance on the street, highway, off-road or track. They deliver impressive responsiveness as well as great stability, even at high speeds. Drivers who have used Falken tires also claim that they come with a longer-lasting tread, compared to others. If reliable all-around performance, a comfortable ride, durability, responsiveness, stability and affordability are your key considerations when buying tires, then you should no further. Falken tires will be a perfect choice for your needs.