Tire review: Falken Ziex ZE-912
 

Well, I had a blow out a few weeks ago and decided to get 4 new tires (The tires on the car were the wrong size anyway) I also needed to get them quickly, and after a couple calls I found Falken 912's in stock at the local Sears; Size 225/50/17. I've got about 1000 miles on them now, and I didn't see any reviews on here yet. So here goes.

Price: $122
I thought this was pretty reasonable compared to other tires this size. Not cheap, but reasonable.

Looks:
Well see for yourself. They aren't super sporty looking, but they have a decent looking tread and look good from the side.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../Photo0145.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../Photo0144.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../Photo0143.jpg

Dry Traction:
This is really more of a sporty touring tire, but dry traction is still very good. I still get a little wheelspin on a launch, but this is to be expected. Cornering is secure, if a little lacking in feel. At the limit, the sidewall feels a little squishy. I upped the tire pressure a bit to counter this and it did help, although the ride feels stiffer (which I'm ok with).

Wet Traction:
Traction in the rain is as good as can be expected. These puppies are at least as good in the rain as the GY Tripletreds I had on my Crown Vic, and they were superb. I haven't noticed any hydroplaning.

Comfort:
These tires are extremely comfortable and quiet. There is little, if any, tread noise on the highway and using the recommended pressures yields a smooth ride.

Snow Traction:
It's August. Talk to me in January

Treadlife:
Only got 1k miles on them so far.

Overall:
These tires are a very good match for a stock Maxima, especially the GLE. They offer as much grip as a stock Max can use while remaining extremely comfortable and quiet. They get a little squishy at the limits and don't deliver razor sharp responses, but for an everyday tire, they're damn near perfect. 9/10

This is pretty much my feeling as well. They're good tires, last a decent amount, ride well, decent traction, and cheap (for me at least, $80 a pop for 245/50/16 at edgeracing). I'd buy again if I didn't want to experience more tires.

I guess I should've added that $122 was the installed price. I don't actually know what they charged me for installation. I'm very satisfied with the tires so far.

I've got some on my 350Z wheels, and I love them

hmm i may have to try these next...

I just got a set of 4 on my stock se rims, for my size the falken web site says that the tires are reinforced

does any one know anything about why not all the sizes are reinforced ?
what part of the tire is actually reinforced and different from non-reinforced tire ?
is this good or bad ?

so far - afted getting alignment done and replacing one ball joint the car drives awesome, haven't had any rain yet to test hydroplaning

I just purchased a set of these (225/50/r17) from eBay, (they are actually coming from Discount Tire Direct and I've worked with them previously through eBay for my boyfriend's tires), and have heard nothing but good reviews. They estimate 38,000 to 40,000 miles of life - better than both the Nitto's and the Yokohoma's I was researching. I got them for $376.20 with free shipping. Edit: $3.50/tire to mount at WalMart, about $20 to balance them at WalMart, and I think about the same to align them. So, total cost will be just over $400.

I'll let you guys know how they ride. I'm going from nearly bald dry-rotting Michelin's I got on Craig's List when my Potenza's decided to split on me. :( Anything is better than those two.

Thanks for posting the review. The more I read, the happier and more comfortable I am with the purchase.

^ who ARE you?

They ride pretty well, I had a set in 245/50ZR16. The sidewall is ok, nothing too special, which typically means it rides well, which it does.

Look what the Tire Fairy/UPS Man brought me today: (And he even came back when I was home because I left him a note!!!)

Four wonderful rubber-scented air fresheners for my house...at least until tomorrow, when the go on my Maxima. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...e/STP61709.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...e/STP61710.jpg

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I have these as well...purchased for $275 mounted and balanced. I probably have a little over 8k on them...can't beat them for the price. Has not rained much here in SoCal since I purchased them...but they are fairly quiet and grip well over all.

I have these tires and I think their great for everyday driving..

I had these on my 05 camry for about 10k miles...very solid and very quiet tire....price is very competitive too!

912 is cool i guess. It's the upgraded 512.

It's all about the OG 512 though! Bad azz mileage and grip!

too bad the grip sucked when the tread wore down.

I like everything about these tires except the treadlife. I bought a set last year and 20k miles later, they are very close to the wear bars. Tire size is 195/65/15 since they are for my Altima.

Great dry grip, decent wet grip but I usually drive extra cautious in the rain anyway. Didn't get much snow last year but they performed good enough.

Luckily I bought them when discount tire direct was having their free shipping + $100 off final price sale last year. The total was $167 w/road hazard warranty shipped to my house. If these tires lasted longer for my driving style (pretty aggressive) I would have definitely bought another set.

So now that the winter is pretty much over, how did you like them over the winter?

They worked quite well, however, we don't get any snow down here, or much ice.

I heard quite a lot of positive feedbacks about the Ziex ZE-912. I guess I'll have to try these next.

__________________
Fuel Pump Mounting Brkt.

I am seriously considering these. Other sites have reviewed them to be very good for the price they are going for. I will pick these up as soon as I can.

Falken's tread life and flats/slow leaks
 

Well, I have to check in here about my Falken Z1EX ZE912's (245/45 ZR18). I bought a set after I destroyed one of my OEMs on my 07 Max.

They were actually a bit quieter than my stock tires, and performed reasonably well in dry weather. I have to disagree about the performance in snow. I have driven many many cars in my life, and these tires actually make me dread driving in snow.. Very prone to sliding all over the road for me.

I only have about 18k on them, and they already need replacing. It kinda detracts from the great price, if they have to be replaced sooner.

ALSO!!
I don't know what it is, but I previously I have MAYBE had one flat repaired in 10 years. Since getting these Falkens, I have had 10 flats (or slow leaks needing repair) in 2 years!! I know it has to be chalked up to coincidence, but the only variable is the tires....

I am getting Michelins this time rated at 60,000 miles.. If I get 40-50 out of them, I will be happy.

These are horrible tires. I have a set on my maxima. I barely got 30k out of them before they were toast. Also they are very dangerous in the snow. Honestly spend the extra $130 for a set of Goodyear eagle GTs or something decent. Never again will I buy falken 912s

Falken 912's are HORRIBLE HORRIBLE weak a$$ tires! Mine had still plenty of tread on them when I bought my 03. If you live where it gets cold, you are gonna hate the 912s-

***ICE traction: When you hit the brakes, you actually speed up lol.
Even 20 degree roads are super slippery. FAIL(epic fail)

***SNOW traction: Non existant. You will get stuck in 2" of snow. FAIL

***WET traction: so so PASS

***DRY traction: Ease to full throttle in 1st gear and you get wheelspin every damn time. FAIL

***CORNERING: Made my car feel like an SUV. No matter what tire pressure. FAIL

***NOISE: They are quiet. Its the only thing they do right. PASS

They get a 2 out of 6 rating



The TripleTreds I have replaced them with already make the car feel safe in corners. I had the Tripletreds on my 97 and they went through over 8" of snow last winter. The car has tank like traction in the white stuff now.. Even with the non LSD 4th gen.

The Falkens are about 1/2" to 1" narrower than the same size GY TripleTreds. Hmm.. At least thats what I saw with my tape measure.

The TripleTreds now come in 225 50 17. Thank you goodyear!

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GTs are the not good in the snow either, but you are right on the money.


.

What about Pirelli P4 4 seasons? Those have good reviews in the snow.

I've had mine for 3 months or so, I've got about 2-4k miles on them and they're absolutely fantastic. Not one flat and no problems. The only complaints i have is the styling of the treads, which look terrible but they do their job so I dont care, and the sidewall always looks slightly flat. Even when you 50 psi of air in them. Besides that, I have no complains and wet and dry traction is the least of my worries with these things because I get a ton of grip.

Falkens - OFF! Michelins - ON! Driving - GOOD AGAIN!
 

Update!

I finally bit the bullet and replaced my Falken nightmares on my 07 Max with a set of Michelin Primacy MXV4's.
I don't wanna sound stereotypical, but OMG! It is TRULY like I am driving a different car. I used to have to leave my Max home and take my wife's tank (Continental) when there was snow because my car was truly unsafe. The car is glued to a dry road. The Primacy's are very very good it wet weather, and perform admirably in snow. Plus the car handles and rides like a dream.
Added Bonus: The Primacy MXV4 is actually rated at 60,000 miles!! I am pretty sure I will never see 60, but the cost averages out quite a bit when the tires last so much longer.

3 things:
1. Dont get Falkens
2. Get Michelin Primacys
3. Dont get Falkens, get Primacys

I thought I got a ton of grip too (especially in curves) until I got some Bridgestone Potenza RE050s. I'm a good 3-4 mph faster through cloverleaf off ramps now.

If you live where you don't have any snow or it doesn't get below 50 very often and you mostly use your car for freeway driving, then I'd still recommend the Falkens. Very quiet and really good in the rain. Main issue I had was treadwear (pretty much done at 25k miles) and the wheel spin when it got under 50-which doesn't help the treadwear issue. They were still better than the Yokohama 520s and Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires I've had on the car.

The Potenzas have spoiled me big time with the grip (wheel spin still a bit of an issue under 40 degrees but still better than the Falkens) despite the firmer ride and added noise. Might not go with them again but I will definitely be looking for something with a ton of grip.

I had a student with these tires.. nice setup for the money

I just had these tires before I switched to the Continental DWS and I was not very pleased with the tire, especially after 20,000 miles they really started to loose performance quickly in conditions.

They did pretty good in dry but not made for cornering fast, also I did hydroplane in water every so ofter where I nearly **** my pants going around a turn. These tires are horrible in snow and becasue of the tread design it wont allow you to drive straight, as soon as the tire spins your whole front end will shift a dirrection. If you don't want to ruin your car in the winter don't get these, I almost slid into a brick barrier that would have ****ed it up bad.

I've seen some places sell these buy 3 get 1 free so I guess if your on a budget and don't drive in snow its a good deal..

Falken Ziex ZE-912 Pros and Cons
 

I am just about to replace a set of 4 912s on my '03 Maxima SE ... after just 30,000 Km.

The Good: Great price; Low noise; Excellent wet traction
The Bad: Poor mileage;
The Ugly: no snow traction ... none ... nada

Snow: I had them for two winters. The first winter I had too many close calls. The second winter I drove my rear-wheel-drive G35 Coupe (Eagle F1s) whenever there was snow on the road ... yes, it was the safer option.

Wet: To give credit where it is due, this tire is awesome on wet pavement --- even with low tread.

Wear: Even when new, the grooves are very shallow, so its not so much that the tires wear quickly as it is that there is little rubber to start with.

In a few days I'll be replacing them with Conti's ExtremeContact DWS ... here's hoping for better.

There seems to be a lot of mixed reviews for the 912. I'm not sure why people are complaining about poor performance in snow and ice considering this is a high performance all season - leave that weather for dedicated winter tires and if the 512's were any indication of the 912's performance, they get even worse as the tread wears down.

Anyways, I think this is the first Falken tire I remember that doesn't run small. Sidewall feels soft and I probably wouldn't have bought them if it weren't for the price. We'll see how it goes I guess.

Interesting to read the wide range of mileage these tires get though. I've seen as low as 10k to as high as 40k.

I got mine for 300$ so I can't complain...



I don't get much snow here in LA but maybe you guys should take it easy on them turns...