The most recent owner reviews from this car, in their own words.
For my new car I didn't want to bother with wheel changes also ab extra set would be much more expensive. They are mounted on a Lexus IS300H and generally very pleased. In dry I cannot make them slip, in wet only very slightly.
Comfort and handling are good. I didn't take them to the circuit, but they stand up to spirited driving. At about 25k km/15k miles they seem to have about 50% tread left (visually).
Snow experience is limited. With the conservative TC on this car, there is no danger, however with TC off and rwd I managed to go over the limit immediately, in part user error but also not as trustworthy as dedicated snow tires I've had.
Overall would recommend, and I have in fact just bought 2 new rears after a recent puncture.
I recently switched to Falken Azenis FK520, 225/45R17 94 W XL FSL tires, and they've been one of the best tire choices I've made. I previously had Dunlop BluResponse tires, but the Falkens are noticeably quieter and much more comfortable. They feel great on the road and provide excellent grip in both wet and dry conditions. I honestly think Falken is an underrated brand—you get outstanding performance and quality for a very reasonable price. I would definitely recommend them.
I’ve been running these tires for about 8,000km on a square 245/45R18 setup, coming from both the Bridgestone Potenza Sport and Pirelli P Zero PZ4. Here are my impressions so far:
What I like
Comfort (for a UHP tire) – noticeably more compliant than both the Potenza Sport and PZ4
Low-speed refinement – relatively quiet under 90 km/h with good absorption over small bumps
Grip (so far) – haven’t fully pushed them yet, but initial confidence is strong
Wear rate – seems to be holding up better than my previous Potenza Sport and PZ4
Aesthetics – really attractive sidewall design
Cons
Steering feel – noticeably more vague and muted compared to the Potenza Sport
Big bump absorption – still not as well-controlled as the PZ4 over larger undulations
High-speed noise – tire roar is similar to the Potenza Sport which is pretty loud, especially above 120 km/h
Dry braking – feels slightly longer than the Potenza Sport, though not by a huge margin
Managed to get these at a really good price, which made the decision easier. Initially, I was considering the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Continental SportContact 7 after not quite liking the feel of the Bridgestone Turanza 6—which, to be fair, is a great tire but just didn’t suit what I was looking for.
Replaced a set of Falken Azenis FK520 on the rear and Sumitomo on the front. Replaced the rears first and straight away the car started to feel unsettled over ruts and tramlined a lot. Didn't inspire confidence at speed at all on anything other then pan flat newly surfaced roads, as the rear of the car felt unplanted. Took a gamble and fitted the same on the front, and initial feeling after 50 miles is that they've balanced each other out, so the entire car shifts about on rutted / broken surfaces. That's far more predictable than just the rear end. Fuel eco seems better by 1-2 mpg which was the primary reason for purchase.
Drove these for about 1000km and find them really comfortable and quiet. Noise levels seems well damped and grip on wet roads was pretty decent. Wear seems minimal. My only gripe so far is I don't seem to feel any road feedback from the tires.
Fitted to a company car so have no choice but to use them. I do about 30k a year and have found these tires to be underwhelming at best. Tire wear is poor for a car that does most of its miles on the motorway, often needing new ones at only 15k, my Jaguar XF fitted with Dunlop's would do 30k in a heavier more powerful car. Dry grip is OK as long as its warmish, wet / cold grip is very poor. The tire feels OK but its hard to tell as the car, Lexus IS300h, is not a sporty drive but is very comfortable which I think effects the ride more than the tires. Overall would not put these on if the car was mine.
So much more quieter than the Bridgestone Turanza ER33 which were OEM fitted.
Car seems "glued" to the road
Dry grip is non-existent. Actually lethal. No feedback & front & rear can break at any time even under cautious driving conditions. The worst wet tire I've ever driven over 50 years driving. Shouldn't be on the market.
Dry grip is also poor with no feedback. high road noise.
Despite having tracking done twice at cost of £80, still pulled to left. Corrected on new tires.
Replaced after 2 months with full tread.
Truly awful tire !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
46%
Yokohama A041
225-45-17-W Lexus IS300h
22,000 miles September 8, 2019
Had the car from new for 4 years now with 22,000 miles on the clock and am on my 12th tire now. Constantly going flat. Not happy.
Driven 25000km's (15.000miles) on these tires so far and the first thing you notice is how good the tire is on wear. They still have more than half of the thread left on all 4 tires.
They're pretty good in the rain, car feels stable but with standing water, it feels a bit like the car is floating.
Dry grip isn't bad, long corners are no problem for these, but under rapid and continuous direction changes, the tires start to show their limit. But this isn't a sports tire anyway..
A major downside for me is noise. At halfway through their life there is a very consistent noise (that might also be because the car is very silent). Almost as loud as the Bridgestone winter tires.
I'm probably gonna switch to Yokohama Bluearth ES32 when these are worn, but i do recommend the E51 for drivers that seek comfort and longlivety from their tires.
