Falken Azenis FK450 Review

Last Updated on July 4, 2021 by Stephen Tillman

Falken Azenis FK450 review

High-performance tires are pretty much excellent overall if you are willing to consider durability, but still, these tires are designed for sports cars and to provide traction and grip in more demanding scenarios. One of the most notable options in this market segment has been the Falken Azenis FK450 which was released in 2016. This ultra-high performance tire promises to deliver excellent all-season performance for a sports car, coupes, and high-performance sedans, let’s see.

Target Audience

The manufacturer describes the Falken Azenis FK450 is an all-season tire that is designed specifically for premium sport coupes and sedans, with a wide array of new technologies included. That is pretty much self-explanatory and describes who should use this tire. I wanted to see what this tire can deliver in terms of performance, traction, grip, and handling. I expect the results to be good enough, but we will check them in-depth to see what it offers exactly.

Specs and Features

Ultra-high performance tires such as the all-season Falken Azenis FK450 come with extensive spec sheets and features lists, and this one is no different. I have to mention that this tire is built similarly like racing slicks apart from the all-season aspect of course. Also due to them not being as new as the other options, they cost a lot less compared to them. In terms of tread life, the company promises a 50,000-mile tread warranty for the Falken Azenis FK450. On top of that, it has material and workmanship guarantee. It comes available for rims in sizes from 16 to 20 inches in diameter with different widths. It comes with two-speed ratings W and Y.

For this tire, the manufacturer has utilized a specifically designed tread compound that is made out of high-dispersion silica, which is a bit technical, but when combined with the asymmetric tread pattern it delivers better traction and handling, especially at higher speeds, at least on paper. It has pretty wide shoulder blocks that couple very well with the continuous center rib to deliver a better response while cornering and stability in higher speeds

It has four circumferential grooves to help deliver better traction in wet asphalt, to help it in those circumstances it also has a 3D Canyon Sipe technology which is a homegrown feature. This should also keep the risks of hydroplaning to a minimum. The aforementioned canyon sipes should also deliver more biting edges for grip in soft winter conditions. I have to end this section with the mention fo the vertical tread notches and the supporting tread block bars, which should help you in cornering and tread wear respectively.

First Impression

From the get-go, i can say that these tires look pretty high performance, and if you have any custom rims on your tire, these are your best bet in terms of looks. Slim sidewall and tread design like racing tires.

I installed these ultra-high performance tires on a Chevrolet Camaro, so I can test the full capabilities of them. Oh, and without forgetting I should state that they look excellent in the car.

Testing

I have tested these tires for a long time, but I have to say that I didn’t put on a lot on them. During my experience though I can say a couple of things that I inspected about these tires. Let’s start with the treadwear. The Falken Azenis FK450’s delivered a pretty even and slow wear, which is pretty strange to see on an ultra-high performance tire, while they won’t go above the 50,000 miles, they will get pretty close to it in that regard. I also noted that these tires were pretty pleasant to drive on in terms of comfort. The noise was pretty low at lower speeds but when you start going a little faster you will notice some noise.

In my experience the more durable the tire, the lower performance, it is a give and take the world we are living in. But still, the Falken Azenis FK450’s delivered a great performance on a hot summer day on the track. I got to admit that I had a little too much fun with these tires. They are pretty responsive and delivered a pretty short braking distance while keeping contact with the asphalt all the time. High-speed and sharp cornering was nice as well and responsiveness was off the charts. While they are super fun and all, they are not the best in that regard.

During testing these tires in the wet pavement I saw that it delivered plenty of confidence and reliability on rainy days. It kept the amount of traction and grip in the desired amount and I was never left for hunting more traction. It resits hydroplaning good enough and it brakes well and short. In the snow though, it is not the tire you want to drive on, but I expected that since you can’t be both a winter and an all-season tire at the same time.

If you are looking for something more sporty, then i recommend you read our guide on the best tires for drifting instead.

Verdict

I like that the competitors are trying to deliver tires that can do a lot of things at the same time, however, they fail most of the time. While the Falken Azenis FK450 is not a fail, it is not an all-season tire. However, if you like in areas with soft winters, and are driving a sports or muscle car than these are one of the best tires for you.

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Falken Azenis FK450

7.7

Quality

6.0/10

Durability

7.0/10

Value

10.0/10

Pros

  • Good handling and traction in wet and dry
  • Superb value for the affordable price

Cons

  • Winter performance is straight-up bad

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