Falken Azenis Sport

[larryd]

Im looking for new tires for the GSX. I am currently running Kuhmo Ecsta Supra 712s and Im honestly not that happy with them. I can feel that my tires are the first thing to give when going around a corner now with the suspension in place. Im pretty much deadset on getting the Azenis sports but I wanted to get opinions from anyone out there who may be running them.

 

[jim97gst]

I've got them. I haven't pushed them really hard yet, so I don't know their ultimate grip level yet. So far they feel stickier than my Yokohama A520s. I will autocross them at the end of the month and will have more info. Probably too late for you.

I can tell you this: when I drive on the side street to my house which has a small amount of loose asphault on it, they are so sticky that they pick up all the little tiny pieces of gravel and fling them into my wheelwells, making quite a bit of noise. My Yoks didn't do that. It may be annoying for some. I kinda like it because it reminds me how sticky they are.

I assume you already know that they're kinda heavy because of the metal reinforced sidewalls and thick tread.

 

[larryd]

Actually I did not know that but Im not overly worried about the weight of the tires. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Rx3]

Azenis Sport is a great tire for the money, very sticky in the dry. In the wet, in my experience, it's good for the 1st quarter or so of it's life, and then the wet traction deteriorates. These tires are very soft, so if you drive aggressively, you could wear them out very quickly. Just keep that in mind.

I switched from Azenis to Bridgestone S-03s. A bit more expensive, but overall a better tire in my opinion.

 

[Fryguy]

So basically for normal daily street driving the Kumhos will be better? Longer life, more consistent performance throughout the life of the tire, etc?

 

[Ace140]

I dont think you can get more dry traction for your moneys worth, seriously. From my experiance with cavaliers, just putting 205-16's on is enough to make the car go on 3 wheels into HARD turns. Thats grip.

With the DSMs handling, Im sure the falkens would be even better.

True, they might not last as long, but they're cheap, and they GRIP. I love em.

 

[Raph]

the falken aziens are imo the worst tyres ive ever had,bin driving em for 3 weeks now,the car justs seems to slip way too easily its almost scarey.BTW 215/45/17 even the snowires (hankook205/60/15) seem to do better.

 

[jim97gst]

the car justs seems to slip way too easily its almost scarey

Are you sure you're even using the same tires? Are you trying to use them in snow and expecting them to grip? Do they coat the roads with oil in Germany or something. I'm confused why your experience is the complete opposite of mine and everybody else that runs these tires.

 

[Raph]

of corse they are the same,maybe because im used to michelin,pirellis and dunlops.u dunno ,maybe i sould drive em in some more(they dont got 50 miles on em yet)
outside temp in germany this week 15 C.

 

[Rx3]

Originally posted by Raph

outside temp in germany this week 15 C.

60 F degrees? Not sure why you are having problems with traction.....

 

[PsSsShTGSX]

wow thats the first bad thing i ever heard about azenis. im also looking into these tires. sorry to whore ur thread larry but out of the azenis, parada spec 2s and avs es100s which is the best over all tire? i want something that will last pretty long and handles good wet or dry, and isnt very loud on the highway. im thinking the parada spec 2s. but are they that much better for the money ? and should i just go with the avs es 100s ? anyone with experience with these tires please post ur experience and suggestions. thanks, chris

 

[SlowUglyDSM]

I seldom post here but I have to give credit to Falken Azenis Sport.

My opinion is... you can't get any better tire for the money. Believe me. 200 thread wear rating and it offers a lot of grips. I have started to notice a lot of autocrossers use this tires recently. I have personally used kumho 712 before and never had any good experience with it. You will notice the difference with the falkens. I autocrossed them for the last season and they seem to hold up just fine. FYI, if you get these tires at Discount Tire, please price match with some online retailers. They DO pricematch. I got mine for $82 a piece (205/55/16).

 

[Wikkedson]

Yeah i was running 215/45/16s on my car.
If you drive hard you will kill them very fast. If you autoX then they are awesome. If you drag race then they arent good at all, thanks to the stiffer side walls.
They also weigh more than most tires of their size and seem to be under rated in the width. Maybe just a little bit wider than they claim.

So overall id say if you autoX or like turning fast then go for it.
oH yeah the wet traction is HORRIBLE. Once they wear down you CAN NOT drive in the rain. From my experience anyway.

 

[Rx3]

Originally posted by PsSsShTGSX
wow thats the first bad thing i ever heard about azenis. im also looking into these tires. sorry to whore ur thread larry but out of the azenis, parada spec 2s and avs es100s which is the best over all tire? i want something that will last pretty long and handles good wet or dry, and isnt very loud on the highway. im thinking the parada spec 2s. but are they that much better for the money ? and should i just go with the avs es 100s ? anyone with experience with these tires please post ur experience and suggestions. thanks, chris

Unless you are seriously autocrossing (and plan on going through tires), in your situation I would go with the Parada Spec II. I have these (original Spec I ) on my 18 in rims, the wet traction is VERY good. Hydroplaning was virtually non-existant. Dry traction is good also, and they don't wear as fast as Azenis. The Spec IIs are already proven better than the Spec I (which are no longer available).

 

[Fryguy]

So if you are a street driver looking for a bit more traction when doing some aggressive driving, then falkens aren't for you? The Kumho's would be better in that case?

 

[PsSsShTGSX]

i dont do any auto x at all. if they are as good as you say they are ill have to consider them. sounds good. do they last long??

 

[Rx3]

Originally posted by Fryguy
So if you are a street driver looking for a bit more traction when doing some aggressive driving, then falkens aren't for you? The Kumho's would be better in that case?

IMHO, Kumhos suck and are overrated. This is from personal experience, but again, just my opinion.


Falken Azenis have excellent traction in the dry for aggressive driving. However, if you drive aggressively,they will wear quickly. Wet traction will deteriorate after 1/4 tread life, while dry traction for the most part will remain intact.

Your decision should be based on what rate are you comfortable replacing tires at. If you don't want to replace tires that often, then get a tire with a higher tread rating. .

 

[SlowUglyDSM]

Originally posted by Rx3
IMHO, Kumhos suck and are overrated. This is from personal experience, but again, just my opinion.

Should say Kumho 712 sux I agree on that!

But their V700 and victoracer seem to be a good set of tires for the price.

 

[JET]

I always hear about the azenis at the auto-x, but what about at the 1/4 mile? I heard one person mention something about it. Do they wheel hop in an AWD? I like to rip through the corners on the street, but I also want something that will stick good at the 1/4 mile.

 

[SlowUglyDSM]

It will do OK on 1/4 mile run with FWD but of course you can always get better tires for drag race. Falken Azenis has stiff sidewall, that is good for cornering... For drag race, you can't really lower the tire pressure to get more tractions because the sidewall is really stiff. If you have AWD, it shouldn't have any problem launching with these tires.

Stiffer Sidewall = Good AutoX Tires
Softer Sidewall = Good for Drag Race

Hope this helps!

 

[Fryguy]

Well I don't want to replace tires that often. So if the falkens are touchy in the wet, and kumho's aren't that good, then what is a good tire that I can get in 17 (like a 225/45/17) for about $100 per tire (less it better obviously, but I don't want to spend more than $450 for a set)

 

[boostle]

It's not that the 712's aren't GOOD per say, but they aren't as grippy as Kuhmo thinks they are. For around $100 each you can't go wrong man.

I run Azenis Sports on both my cars and just deal with the rain when it falls.

 

[KPWSerpiente]

Just got Kuhmo 712s this week. 205/55/16. Havn't driven them that hard but for the 70 dollars each I paid I'm satisfied. They grip well, but it isn't stellar. I have never AutoXed or drag raced, just driven on the street. These tires do the job. Their wet performance was excellent though. On 66 to Manassas today I was cruising at 80. Visibility was about 100 feet at the most because of the rain. If you were behind a car it could drop to 25 feet because of the water being thrown up behind the cars. I was basically the only car on the road driving as if it was a normal day, and the tires performed very well. I'm FWD so I tend to respect the elements like hard rain and snow.
Anway, recap: 712s for 70 bucks is a great price. www.tirerack.com Ordered on friday, arrived Monday. They have done their job all week.
But they arn't the grippiest by far.

-T