Continental Premium Contact 6 vs Falken Azenis FK510
- TR Score
- 9.1/10
- Owners say
- 81% · 139
- TR Score
- 8.5/10
- Owners say
- 81% · 156
In the 23 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental Premium Contact 6 finished ahead 15 times and the Azenis FK510 7 times, with one level. The Premium Contact 6 lasted 22.3% longer in the wear tests; the Azenis FK510 stopped 1.1% shorter in the wet.
Data updated
Which should you buy?
Choose Continental PremiumContact 6 for the best all-round road safety (especially dry), steering precision, fuel economy, and mileage. Pick Falken Azenis FK510 if you drive frequently in heavy rain, value strong wet braking/aquaplaning resistance, and want a lower purchase price with acceptable overall performance.
Where the Premium Contact 6 is stronger
- Class-leading dry braking and precise dry handling (wins 16/1 in dry braking, 8/4 in dry handling)
- Low rolling resistance and strong wear (wins 10/0 in RR; 4/0 in wear)
- Consistently high overall rankings and balanced performance across sizes (15 overall wins)
Where the Azenis FK510 is stronger
- Strong wet braking and frequent aquaplaning wins (wet braking 10/8; straight aqua 7/5)
- Lower purchase price across tests and better external noise scores
- Sporty dynamics for the money; stable wet handling in many sizes
The bullet points are analysis of the shared tests and of owner reviews; the measured wins in each discipline are in the tables below. Where the two disagree, the figures are right.
Premium Contact 6 vs Azenis FK510 at a glance
| Category | Premium Contact 6 | Gap | Azenis FK510 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared tests won23 shared tests | 15 | 1 level | 7 |
| Dry35 measurements | 29 | The Premium Contact 6 stopped 2.6% shorter in the dry (17 tests) | 5 |
| Wet54 measurements | 27 | Level between the two. | 27 |
| Comfort14 measurements | 2 | The Azenis FK510 was 1.1 dB quieter (10 tests) | 10 |
| Value14 measurements | 14 | The Premium Contact 6 lasted 22.3% longer in the wear tests (4 tests) | 0 |
| Tire Reviews Scoreevery test and review we hold | 9.1/10 | The Premium Contact 6 by 0.6 | 8.5/10 |
| Owner rating139 and 156 reviews | 81% | Too close to call | 81% |
| Would buy againshare of owners | 73% | The Azenis FK510 by 8 points | 81% |
| Pricein the 9 tests that listed prices | +23.1% | The Premium Contact 6 was dearer in 9 of 9 | Cheaper |
| Sizes madeEU label registrations | 110 | 32 sizes made in both | 85 |
Wins count every measurement the shared tests recorded for both tires; a tick marks the tire ahead on that line. Subjective driver scores count as wins but are never averaged, because each test uses its own scale.
Head to head in 23 tests, 2017 to 2022
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
Performance profile
14 measurements from the 23 shared tests, each tire shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Premium Contact 6
Azenis FK510
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 90%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow. 2 measurements recorded in only one shared test are left off; every measurement is in the table further down.
Where each scores higher
Premium Contact 6
Azenis FK510
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Premium Contact 6
Azenis FK510
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Premium Contact 6 81% from 139 reviews and the Azenis FK510 81% from 156. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tires posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Open a discipline for its measurements, and a measurement for every test's figure.
| Measurement | Premium Contact 6 | Gap | Azenis FK510 | Wins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 115 | 2.6% | 118 | 16-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 73.83 | 0.3% | 74.13 | 2-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 71.2 | 0.7% | 70.7 | 6-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 39.6% | scored | 5-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 119 | 1.1% | 118 | 8-10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 69.05 | 0.4% | 69.32 | 4-2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 48.8 | 0.5% | 48.6 | 4-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 4.5% | scored | 4-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 14.5 | 0.6% | 14.5 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 12.2 | 2% | 11.95 | 0-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 49.7 | 0.3% | 50 | 5-7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 8.8 | 3.1% | 9.1 | 2-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| scored | 11% | scored | 2-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 71.42 | 1.1 dB | 70.29 | 0-10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 27,153 | 22.3% | 22,495 | 4-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 8.47 | 5.8% | 8.99 | 10-0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared. "Scored" rows are subjective driver ratings: each test uses its own scale, so only the wins are counted.
Scores beyond the shared tests
On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Premium Contact 6 scores 9.1 and the Azenis FK510 8.5 out of 10.
| Premium Contact 6 | Category | Azenis FK510 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | Dry | 69 | ||
| 88 | Wet | 89 | ||
| 26 | Comfort | 33 | ||
| 74 | Value | 28 | ||
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
What owners say
| Premium Contact 6 | Category | Azenis FK510 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.9 | Dry Grip | 8.8 | ||
| 8.5 | Wet Grip | 8.7 | ||
| 8.3 | Road Feedback | 8.2 | ||
| 8.4 | Handling | 8.1 | ||
| 7.5 | Wear | 7.1 | ||
| 7.8 | Comfort | 7.6 | ||
Owners rate the Premium Contact 6 81% from 139 reviews and the Azenis FK510 81% from 156. Reviews are vetted by hand before publication; ownership is not verified.
Continental Premium Contact 6
- 81%from 139 reviews
- 73%would buy again
- 1,435,468 milesdriven by reviewers
Owners largely rate the Continental Premium Contact 6 for its strong all-round grip, with around half praising dry grip and a similar share highlighting reassuring wet performance, backed up by positive comments on handling and steering feel. The biggest recurring downsides are refinement and durability: roughly two in five mention road noise (more often as a complaint than a praise), and around a third report faster-than-expected wear. Comfort impressions are mixed but lean positive, with some owners enjoying a plush ride while others find it firm or harsh, particularly on rougher roads.
- Strong dry grip and traction
- Reassuring wet grip
- Comfortable ride for a performance-leaning tire
- Confident dry handling and control
- Noticeable road noise for many owners
- Wears quicker than expected
- Firm/harsh feel linked to sidewall stiffness
Summarised by AI from 118 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 139 Premium Contact 6 reviewsThe tires were used on a SEAT LEON TDI mostly on highway. Summer tires to a sunny country as Greece worked perfectly. Confidence in all circumstances especially high speed cornering. Economically speaking I wouldn't say so, but that is not my major concern which is safety atll times especially avoiding all kind of obstacles.
Falken Azenis FK510
- 81%from 156 reviews
- 81%would buy again
- 1,447,238 milesdriven by reviewers
Owners broadly rate the Falken Azenis FK510 as a grippy, confidence-inspiring ultra-high-performance tire, with strong praise for dry grip and consistently good wet grip. Around a quarter to a third of owners also highlight strong value for money, plus generally good ride comfort and acceptable-to-quiet road noise. The main recurring drawback is wear: around one in five owners complain of short tread life, and a smaller group also report that performance can tail off as the tire gets worn.
- Strong dry grip and traction
- Reassuring wet grip in rain
- Excellent value for money versus premium rivals
- Comfortable ride, absorbs bumps well
- Shorter tread life than expected, wears quickly
- Noise can be intrusive on coarse surfaces for some
- Grip and confidence can drop off as the tire wears
Summarised by AI from 142 vetted reviews; the reviews themselves are on the tire page.
All 156 Azenis FK510 reviewsThe FK510 was a great tire for daily driving. It made it through the occasional track day without having too much issues, but the frequency of my visits were getting too high to stay with a 300tw tire, and switched to the Hankook RS4, then to the Nankang CRS, which are in another world regarding grip and heat management. the FK510 is much less noisy though, and way better in the rain. definitely on of the best I've used in wet condition, better than the indy 500 IMO. For a sporty daily driver, it's a great tire, and its replacement can only be better. No brainer if you get a good price on it!
Sizes, EU label and lineage
From the EU label registrations for each tire: 110 sizes of the Premium Contact 6 and 85 of the Azenis FK510, 32 of them made in both.
| Category | Premium Contact 6 | Azenis FK510 |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Summer | Summer |
| Sizes made | 110 sizes, 15 to 22 inch | 85 sizes, 17 to 22 inch |
| Made in both | 32 sizes 205/50 R17205/55 R17215/45 R17225/45 R17225/50 R17235/45 R17245/40 R17245/45 R17255/40 R17215/45 R18225/40 R18225/45 R18and 20 more | |
| EU label wet grip | A81%B19% | A100% |
| EU label rolling resistance | C52%B39%A8%D1% | D70%C28%B2% |
| EU label noise | 69-75 dB B99%A1% | 69-73 dB A79%B21% |
| On the market since | - | 2016 |
| Replaced | Continental Premium Contact 5 (2012) | Falken FK453 (2016) |
| Replaced by | Continental PremiumContact 7 | Falken Azenis FK520 |
| Price in the shared tests | The Premium Contact 6 was the dearer tire in 9 of the 9 tests that listed prices, by 23.1% on average. Each test priced the tires in its own market at the time; only the gap is comparable. | |
Label grades are shown as the share of registered sizes carrying each grade, so "B (88%), C (12%)" means most sizes are B. Grades vary by size; check the label for yours.
Reading the results
Written from the test results and owner reviews above. It is analysis, not a measurement: where it and the tables disagree, the tables are right.
This head-to-head puts the premium-touring Continental PremiumContact 6 against the ultra-high-performance Falken Azenis FK510 across 23 shared tests. Despite different intents, they frequently compete in the same UHP sizes, revealing clear trade-offs in dry grip, wet confidence, comfort, efficiency, and price.
Across the dataset, Continental dominates dry braking (16 wins to 1), subjective handling, rolling resistance, and wear, often translating to top overall finishes (15 test wins vs. 7 for Falken). Falken counters with stronger wet braking (10 wins to 8), better aquaplaning in many sizes, consistently lower noise, and a meaningful price advantage. The result is a classic premium-vs-value split with notable overlap.
Conclusion
If you prioritize shortest dry stops, sharp steering precision, balanced handling, low fuel use, and strong longevity, the PremiumContact 6 is the safer all-rounder. It repeatedly tops full-line tests, combines short dry and competitive wet braking, and adds best-in-class rolling resistance and wear-ideal for daily drivers and long-distance users who want predictable, quiet-enough comfort and value over the life of the tire.
The Azenis FK510 shines for drivers who want confident wet-road braking and aquaplaning resistance at a lower purchase price, with generally lower exterior noise. It can outscore Conti in wet-biased tests and delivers sporty feel for the money, though it trails in dry stopping, efficiency, and wear. In short: Continental for all-weather balance and lifecycle value; Falken for wet-leaning performance and upfront savings.
Premium Contact 6 vs Azenis FK510: your questions
Is the Continental Premium Contact 6 or the Falken Azenis FK510 the better tire?
In the 23 independent tests that ran both tires, the Continental Premium Contact 6 finished ahead 15 times and the Azenis FK510 7 times, with one level. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Premium Contact 6 scores 9.1 and the Azenis FK510 8.5 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Premium Contact 6 or the Azenis FK510?
Across the shared tests the wet measurements are split 27-27 between the Premium Contact 6 and the Azenis FK510.
Which is better in the dry?
The Premium Contact 6 led 29 of the 35 dry measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 2.6% shorter in the dry across 17 tests.
Which lasts longer and costs less to run?
The Premium Contact 6 lasted 22.3% longer in the wear tests (4 tests) and had 5.8% lower rolling resistance (10 tests). Owners rate wear 7.5/10 for the Premium Contact 6 and 7.1/10 for the Azenis FK510.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
The Azenis FK510 was 1.1 dB quieter (10 tests). Owners rate comfort 7.8/10 for the Premium Contact 6 and 7.6/10 for the Azenis FK510.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Premium Contact 6 81% from 139 reviews and the Azenis FK510 81% from 156. 73% of Premium Contact 6 owners would buy it again, against 81% for the Azenis FK510.
Which is more expensive?
In the 9 tests that listed prices, the Premium Contact 6 was the dearer tire in 9 of them, by 23.1% on average. Prices are the test's own at the time, in its own market.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Premium Contact 6 is made in 110 sizes (15 to 22 inch) and the Azenis FK510 in 85 (17 to 22 inch). 32 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Premium Contact 6 is graded A for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Azenis FK510 A and D.
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.
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