Falken AZENIS ST115
www.falkentire.com

Falken’s AZENIS ST115s are called “ultra high performance” and “the silent tire,” and for good reason.

by Chris Cook

So, you want to know what I think about Falken’s new car audio enthusiast tires, the AZENIS ST115. Well, now I can tell you. First, let me start out by saying that I’m, traditionally, a Michelin tire guy — no shopping around, just get out the wallet and put them skins on! So, for me to even consider putting Falkens on my car was a stretch.

I drive a 1996 Mercedes C36 AMG which I purchased a little over a year ago. Basically, I just missed my hotrodding years and wanted something that looked grown up, but had some killer sleeper qualities. I certainly found it! When I purchased the car it had some really old Falken’s on it — I was pleased, but less than impressed.

Then I started to notice that my car audio industry magazines seemed to have target advertisements for Falken Tires. I thought that was cool — a tire company not only noticed our industry, but felt there was value in advertising to us. Then I started to see Falken’s booth at the sound off events, so I took notice. I started to ask around the shows — some of the car audiophiles stated that the tires handled great and were exceptionally quite too! This put me in research mode.

My car handles 225/45ZR17s on the front and 255/40ZR17s on the rear — this translates to the fact that I can’t rotate my tires. So, when I looked for a tire to get the best performance, questions like; traction, treadwear, and weather handling came straight to mind. Let me share my findings.

The traction and temperature ratings on the Michelin tire I was looking at the AZENIS ST115s were both rated an “A” on paper. When I drove them at moderate speed, they handled fine, but my first high speed corner was a bit unnerving. A quick check and adjustment of air pressure made all the difference. The tire jockey filled them up tight (45 pounds-per-square-inch to be exact). I dropped them to a nice, comfortable 36 pounds-per-square-inch and took the same route. All I can say is “wow.” If you could measure corners in hang time, then the AZENIS ST115 tires would be a Dr. J. slam dunk! They felt safe and secure without leaving you with a desire for more performance.

Ok, really, the AZENIS ST115s were smooth and stuck to the road with a secure feeling of a quality tire. The next true test? Rain. The old Falken’s got a bit squirrelly over 65 mph in moderate rainfall. The AZENIS ST115s not only held their own on takeoff, but performed well above my expectations, feeling solid and safe at highway speed (80 mph for those of you who drive I-10 and I-65).

Now let’s talk treadwear. Like most car audio guys, I want to avoid putting on a new set of tires every 15 to 20k. And, let’s face it, most performance tires are rated in the low 200’s. Falken has exceeded that stigma with a 360 treadware rating. I’ve put nearly 10k on this set and they’re far from half over. Under moderate driving, I’m expecting a good 30 to 40k! They appear to have excellent endurance and durability. All things taken into account, I would say I’ve found a new favorite tire.

But wait! There’s more. Remember at the beginning of the review I mentioned that the Falken AZENIS ST115s were designed for the car audio enthusiast? As an audiophile, my biggest pet peeve is noisy performance tires cutting in on my car audio listening experience. Falken has answered that with one of the quietest performance tires I’ve ever had the pleasure of not hearing.

My final thoughts on Falken’s new tire for the car audiophile? A great performance tire that you can enjoy while still being able to hear your high quality tunes!

Price & Contact: $100 to $300 (depending on size); 800-723-2553, www.falkentire.com.