The Falken FK452 - a good midrange bet?

[McSam]

• UPDATE - I now have a pair of Falken 452s, delivered by Camskill for £156 and fitted by my local outfit for £25. Once they've had a few miles put on them, my feedback will surface! Thanks again, guys

Original OP

I know how much of a mess one can make with a tyre thread, but this one should hopefully be nice and simple

I need a pair of tyres for my '96 A4 to replace the woeful Wanlis that came on two of my current alloys. I do intend to match all four wheels as soon as my budget allows, but for now I've got to prioritise replacing the two lethal ditchfinders. The car's never tracked but is sometimes driven reasonably briskly on the road, and wears 225/40 R18.

Having a look around both on here and in price lists, the Falken 452 seems like a bloody good tyre for the money. I don't need to be blown away by huge grip, but I would like something that will be decent in the dry, and also dependable in the wet, without falling apart after 6,000 miles. The main reason I'm replacing the Wanlis is that they are horrific in the wet, so something that can cope reasonably with rain is a must. They don't, however, have to be great for severe winter weather as I do plan to get a set of winter tyres on my 15" wheels when the time comes.

So is this a good bet, up for grabs here on Camskill for a mere £75 a corner? They seem to be very good for the money. I want to get something ordered ASAP, so should I go for these, or are there serious alternatives in this price range?

Thanks in advance!

Edited by McSam on Thursday 1st September 19:45

[v8will]

Can't fault them for the money, I used them in 215/40R18 on a Volvo T5 with no issues.

[superman84]

Got them on my evo, no complaints at all

[Simbu]

Had them on the front of my old Focus, no complaints during that time. They are in contention when the '5 needs new rubber!

[McSam]

Well, sounds good to me so far, a nice wide range of cars and weights and it all seems good! Thank you I think I'll take the plunge on these, then.

Out of interest, how are they for road noise?

[Blib]

Recently fitted them on my 4200. Very good so far.

[Pints]

Good tyre. I have them on the Golf, and I'll likely fit a set to my MX-5 in the near future.

[v8will]

McSam said:

Out of interest, how are they for road noise?

Anything will be blissfully quiet after Wanlis but in all seriousness, the Falkens are fine. They really do punch well above their weight.

[PainTrain]

I had them on my skyline, in 18" as well. Mo complaints here.

[The Chunky Chap]

Cracking tyre, got them on my ZT260, can't fault 'em. They're also wearing slower than the Toyo T1-R's they replaced, bonus

[McSam]

v8will said:

McSam said:

Out of interest, how are they for road noise?

Anything will be blissfully quiet after Wanlis but in all seriousness, the Falkens are fine. They really do punch well above their weight.

I thought that

Very glad to hear it. It gets quite scary when you look at some of the stuff that sits around them in the price ranges, you wonder if it's a P6000-a-like tyre, but if they're seeing service from an Evo to a (gorgeous, by the way ) Maser 4200, then I'm sold. Awesome stuff, never seen a tyre thread without a negative word after so many posts!

[Dickbarth]

Got a set on my E46 325 and I'm really pleased with them. Fractionally noisier than the previous Dunlop Sport Maxx but they were 50% more expensive than the Falkens.

[bigdods]

Should be fine on a relatively light car like the A4. I have them on the TVR and my Golf and they are excellent.

Tried them on my Omega and they were terrible, so I would guess they dont suit a really heavy car. I suspect this is due to the sidewall being a bit softer than your average rubber.

[g3org3y]

Get P6000s instead.







Jokes.




Check out Kumho KU31s as an alternative, very decent tyres for the cash.

[McSam]

bigdods said:

Should be fine on a relatively light car like the A4. I have them on the TVR and my Golf and they are excellent.

Tried them on my Omega and they were terrible, so I would guess they dont suit a really heavy car. I suspect this is due to the sidewall being a bit softer than your average rubber.

That's interesting, but actually kinda good for me - a slightly softer ride wouldn't do me any harm at all, and the car itself only weighs 1280kg

I've had a quick look for the Kumho KU31s, Camskill price them at £84 a corner but have no stock, and Blackcircles don't appear to do them! Hunting further.

[Nick3point2]

Had them years ago and they were ok, thenl I replaced them with continentals, where were MUCH MUCH MUCH better.
Driving onnthe contis highlighted how bad the falkens were, so would never even consider them ever again regardless of price.

[robsco]

Had them on my 156, they were great.

[Janesy B]

Grossly over-rated, good reviews often end with 'for the money'. Good enough if you don't have the cash to buy premium and a damn site better than ditchfinders.

[General Price]

Had them on my 350z and they rolled on the sidewalls something rotten,it was a fat bd though.The reo 50's were much better.

[Tonberry]

I had 4 on the ST24.

I ran them throughout Winter and can say they are probably the best tyre in their price bracket.

As good as you will need in the dry whilst still being very good in the wet. They only slipped whilst pushed around wet roundabouts but remember that these instances were in below 10oC temperatures.

Very good Summer tyre and a decent tyre to see you through Winter.