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Dunlop Direzza DZ102 vs Falken FK453 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Direzza DZ102 is ahead, 65–57

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Tire ADunlop

Direzza DZ102

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 22 reviews

Best test result: #7 of 8 in 2015 Australian Motor 235/35 R19 Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BFalken

FK453

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 52 · 30 reviews

Best test result: #25 of 44 in 2012 Autobild 50 Tyre Braking Test (overall ranking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 67

    Dry

    Direzza DZ102 +8
    59
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102FK453
    Reviews found online6653
  2. 67

    Wet

    Direzza DZ102 +6
    61
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102FK453
    Reviews found online6658
  3. 65

    Comfort

    Direzza DZ102 +4
    61
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102FK453
    Reviews found online6154
  4. 65

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102FK453
    Reviews found online63–
  5. 62

    Treadwear

    Direzza DZ102 +8
    54
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102FK453
    Reviews found online5946
  6. 64

    Handling

    Direzza DZ102 +15
    49
    Why this score
    SourceDirezza DZ102FK453
    Reviews found online6449
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Direzza DZ102Falken FK453
Relative Score 65 57
Dry 67 59
Wet 67 61
Comfort 65 61
Noise 65 –
Treadwear 62 54
Handling 64 49

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Direzza DZ102

FK453

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryDirezza DZ102FK453ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 14% #7/8 · 2015 Australian Motor 235/35 R19 Tyre Test 4% #25/44 · 2012 Autobild 50 Tyre Braking Test +10.3 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Direzza DZ102

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong dry pavement grip and cornering stability
  • Surprisingly high levels of ride comfort for a performance tire

Cons

  • Rapid or inconsistent tread wear
  • Inconsistent wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Increased road noise as the tire ages
All owner themes in the Direzza DZ102 review

Tire B FK453

Pros

  • Strong dry weather traction and cornering grip
  • Competitive price point offering good value for money
  • Aesthetically pleasing sidewall design

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, particularly on rear axles
  • Harsh ride quality and high road noise
  • Unstable handling characteristics at high speeds
All owner themes in the FK453 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102 B · Falken FK453
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Direzza DZ102

Falken FK453

Winner: Dunlop Direzza DZ102 — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 64 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 67 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 62 vs 54 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 67 vs 61 on wet.

Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102
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Tire B · Falken FK453
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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

65

Leads

Direzza DZ102

Amazon