Falken Ziex ZE-912

[mrsilv04]

I'm not familiar with Falken brand tires. They're just not sold in this area, nor does Tire Rack sell them.

The car that I bought for my niece came with a set of Falken Ziex ZE-912 tires on it. The tires are only a few months old.

These wouldn't have been a tire that I would have bought... but since they're only a few months old, I can't justify replacing them.

I've read a few online reviews, and they seem to be a low $$$ favorite of the 'ricer' (for the lack of a better term) crowd. However, I'm needing a realistic view of what kind of a four season tire they are.

They are on a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE1 Sedan (P215-60R-15).

 

[JHZR2]

I have the ZE-512 on my BMW. They were the older version of the 912.

One had sidewall bubble, and the sidewall is showing cracks earlier than other tires. however, for a 91 BMW, with 14" wheels, finding an H rated tire in the correct size is difficult, and these were the best that I could find.

I cant really complain, theyre not bad tires in any way, and they wear very well. They were a real good deal especially in that regard.

The 912 tires are a bit heavier, and supposedly that means a stronger sidewall, less prone to bubbling.

Id likely bu them again...

JMH

 

[Solo2driver]

Those are fine tires, just bought a set for my dad's Toyota Sienna minivan...the first set of four new tires he's ever owned

They ride well, are quiet, and he puts a lot of miles on the car and has enjoyed them thus far. They have holes that act as rotating indicators (round, square, round...rotate when the shape changes inside the hole) that are neat as well.

The Falken brand has been associated with autocross and drift racing (their Azenis RT-215 and RT-615 tires), but that should not deter you from buying their passenger tire. Grassroots Motorsports magazine did a writeup on inexpensive tires and how they performed on the street (noise + ride quality, as well as lapping performance if you're into that stuff) and the ZE-912 did very well, quiet and sticky..good dry performance. My dad likes the improved braking performance in the van, and in a few downpours he finds no qualms.

I say keep them. They are available from DiscountTireDirect.com anywhere and anytime should you need a replacement (or go to a retail store), and they are dirt-cheap.

 

[JoeFromPA]

I've had the ze912 on my 06 Civic SI for over 10,000 miles now. They have a robust sidewall construction, are fairly heavy, and are wearing well. They provide good hydroplaning resistance and dry traction, steering response, and lateral traction. They are moderately quiet and comfortable (they are more comfortable when used at 32 PSI rather than my 38 PSI in front and 36 in the back).

This will be my first (and last) winter with them....we'll see how they do. On a 2800 pound FWD sports coupe, I would expect them to last 30,000 miles in 215/45/17 size. And I get new tires when they are at 4/32nds tread wear.

Good luck to you!

Joe

 

[mrsilv04]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I appreciate it.

Anyone have any experience with these tires and snow?

Another thing that concerned me about these tires was on the sidewall... "Made in Philipines".

 

[ourfamo4]

I had a set of the 512 on my Passat and I was not impressed at all. They lasted only about 20k after being rotated every 5k. Never used them in the snow though (summer wheels).

Try a set of Kumho ASX first, those tires are awesome.

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
mrsilv04 - I have used Falken tyres on Porsche V8s and other cars with excellent results. On performance, excellent both on wet/dry performance and longevity - some early "directional" versions were noisy on some types of road surfaces used in Australia

They are a quality tyre and very well built IME

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: ourfamo4
I had a set of the 512 on my Passat and I was not impressed at all. They lasted only about 20k after being rotated every 5k. Never used them in the snow though (summer wheels).

Try a set of Kumho ASX first, those tires are awesome.

Ouch. Ive got about 30k on mine and they barely show any wear tread-wise.

 

[Ken2]

Falken is a brand name of Ohtsu, a quality Japanese tire company.

I had a set of ZE-512. Great when new, wear wasn't great, rode rough after some miles on them, cheap.

 

[kkreit01]

They are a great 3 season tire. I've had them on my Fusion for 1 year now. They ride/handle great, and are very quiet. However, they are horrible for braking or accelerating in the smallest amount of snow (2"). For that reason, I am going to dedicated winter tires on steelies this year. Since yours are new, I would drive them, and try to get through the winter.

I will keep mine for 3 seasons until they are worn down to 3-4/32nds. After that, I will pay more for another brand.

 

[JGmazda]

I just installed a set on my Miata. I read the Grassroots review and they did a nice job with testing this tire. I love them so far! Very nice ride and they took very little weight to balance out.

I think for the money they can't be beat. They aren't an UHP tire by any means... But I knew that going in. Dirt Cheap. Keep them. I'm looking forward to more Falken tires in my future.

 

[Audi Junkie]

They are preferable over generic tires, that's about it. I just put them on the CRV. They are ok for that type vehicle. I've not tested them much, but they are not bad. I hear wear is poor as well as snow performance. I only paid $140/set so we are not worried, will only use them one winter than as a summer set.

Next set will be deluxe tires again, probally Altimax. I'd try the Altimax if you want better performance and definately in snow. The Altimax RT is 600+ wear. Our last set was TRZ and the Falkens look like a copy.

 

[mrsilv04]

Well, I'll never know how good these Falken tires might have been, some lowlife slashed all four of them last night, while the car sat at my niece's boyfriends house. The tires only had about 5,000 miles on them.

Some people are just losers.

Thankfully (?) the car came with two sets of tires and wheels, so I was able to get her back on the road fairly quickly.

 

[94supraonchrome]

I have them on my Supra (the 512s), and they've been great so far after 3 years, much cheaper than the 1400.00 I had been spending for Bridgestone S-02s. They ride and handle just fine. My parents put them on my Mom's Lincoln LS from my recomendation and they have done great so far, I think they're just as good if not better than the 17" OEM Michelins that were on it.

 

[soldierman]

My wife has a set of these on her 02 galant. I like them fairly well. They stick well and they are quiet. I think I'll end up having a set prorated though as they are wearing a bit quicker than I had hoped for. I've got about 8-10 K on them with two rotations and they are at 8/32nds. I can't see these making it anywhere near 60K.

She is by no means a hard driver either. We have gotten 70K out of 40K rated goodyears but those tires absolutely sucked in the rain!

 

[Audi Junkie]

Just put the 4/$140 set on the CRV. Pretty good so far.

 

[Audi Junkie]

They are actually working well in the snow. Ride and handling are on par with other good tires. Looking at Altimax RT as replacement in our hard-to-fit size.

 

[umbg35]

The 912s saw its first snow storm this past week. I must say the snow performance isn't as good as the 512s. The back broke loose much more easier. For someone who see a lot of snow, this is probably not the best choice...but for occasional snow, it's fine. It'll be the last 912s I'll be buying...probably go back to the 512s or the continental all seasons. They are on a 05 G35 coupe and 04 accord coupe.

 

[kkreit01]

My 912s were horrible in the smallest amount of snow (as I already stated above). That's why I was surprised by Audi Junkie's post. It could depend a lot on the vehicle also. My Fusion was fwd, no ABS, no Traction Control. The 912s were horrible at stopping or going in 1" of snow. Otherwise, I loved the tire in the 3 other seasons.

 

[Audi Junkie]

It's funny because people think the TRZ is great in snow and we had them. I think they are mediocre in snow, not much different than 912s in tread design or overall performance. In fact, I think the 912 are somewhat of a pleasant surprise. I never really had a killer all-seasons on this vehicle to compare though. Again, a tough size to fit. Either Tripple Treads for $100/ea or Altimax for $60, so....