Falken Winterpeak F Ice 1 Test Results

Last year, the F-Ice 1 was disqualified after losing its studs from the unusually soft rubber. Falken identified a production error and promised new tires to all customers who received products from the affected production period. Was it just an excuse, or is Falken's claim true? Upon testing Falken's latest studded tire, we find that the studs are securely in place. The Japanese tire has the best winter grip, second only to the more expensive brands. It also has good grip on wet asphalt and resists hydroplaning better than any other. The downside is a vague steering feel on dry roads and elevated noise levels. Falken offers a slightly more affordable option with a good mix of wet grip and winter traction.

This year's stud news comes from the Japanese Falken with Winterpeak F-Ice 1. The rubber compound is unusually soft (Shore 52), which contributes to a calm character under pressure with a stable rear trailer on both snow and ice. Unfortunately, the actual level of grip on ice does not impress. Instead, the Falken thrives best on wet roads. It has really good aquaplaning resistance and the wet braking distance is the shortest of the test. Even in the dry, braking performance is good. However, it is spongy and somewhat difficult to place in the handling tests on wet and dry asphalt. However, the steering response during quieter driving is good. In terms of points, Falken reaches a fine fifth place, but we have never lost so many studs so quickly! This means that Falken is excluded from the final result.