Skip to content
Updated September 2026

Falken Azenis FK520 review

The Falken Azenis FK520 is widely regarded as a high-value, performance-oriented summer tire that bridges the gap between budget options and premium tier offerings. While users consistently praise its dry grip, steering responsiveness, and value, opinions on wet weather performance and ride comfort are polarized, with some users noting susceptibility to aquaplaning and a stiff sidewall character.

Relative score
79/100
tests + owners
Owner reviews
83/100
38 reviews
Road tests
86/100
19 published tests
Community sentiment Mixed Read the buzz
#Wet and dry grip#Price and value comparison#Touring vs UHP performance#Steering feel and feedback#Tire stretch and fitment
Falken Azenis FK520
Scores

Two scoring systems, side by side

Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.

By owner reviews

83%
Would buy again 82%
Dry
Overall dry
89%
Wet
Overall wet
86%
Comfort
Overall comfort
83%
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
78%
Handling
Overall handling
84%
By source
DriverReviews90%517 reviews Tyre Reviews83%38 reviews

By road tests

86%
Dry
82.3%
Wet
82.3%
Comfort
76.1%
Noise
61.4%
From owners

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 38 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.

The Falken Azenis FK520 is widely regarded as a high-value, performance-oriented summer tire that bridges the gap between budget options and premium tier offerings. While users consistently praise its dry grip, steering responsiveness, and value, opinions on wet weather performance and ride comfort are polarized, with some users noting susceptibility to aquaplaning and a stiff sidewall character.

Pros

  • Excellent value for money compared to premium competitors
  • Strong dry grip and progressive handling characteristics
  • Improved steering responsiveness and turn-in precision
  • Quiet operation and good comfort levels for daily driving

Cons

  • Inconsistent performance in heavy rain and standing water
  • Stiff sidewalls can transmit road imperfections into the cabin
  • Requires a warm-up period to reach optimal grip levels
  • Reports of vibration or lack of feedback during aggressive cornering

Worth knowing

  • Drivers of heavier SUVs and sedans report improved steering directness and fuel efficiency, though some note a harsher ride due to the stiff sidewalls.
  • Lightweight sports car owners generally appreciate the progressive grip, though some report that the tire's performance is highly sensitive to tire pressure adjustments.
  • Users with larger rim diameters (18-19 inch) occasionally report highway vibrations not present with previous tire sets.
Test results

19 published test appearances

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2026 Summer SUV tire Test · 255/45 R 19

8th of 9
Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 9th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking2nd of 9
Wet Handling8th of 9
Wet Circle5th of 9
Dry Braking1st of 9
Dry Handling9th of 9
Rolling Resistance3rd of 9
Straight Aqua7th of 9
Curved Aquaplaning9th of 9
Noise5th of 9
Gravel Handling7th of 9
Gravel Traction9th of 9
Sand Traction1st of 9
Grass Traction5th of 9

2026 Sport Auto Summer tire Test · 205/45 R 17

3rd of 7
Best: Dry Braking · 1st Weakest: Curved Aquaplaning · 7th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking2nd of 7
Wet Handling6th of 7
Wet Circle4th of 7
Dry Braking1st of 7
Dry Handling6th of 7
Rolling Resistance5th of 7
Straight Aqua6th of 7
Curved Aquaplaning7th of 7
Subj. Dry Handling4th of 7
Subj. Comfort3rd of 7
Subj. Wet Handling3rd of 7
Noise3rd of 7

2026 Autobild Summer tire Test · 245/45 R19

14th of 20
Best: Abrasion · 3rd Weakest: Dry Handling · 20th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking10th of 20
Wet Handling17th of 20
Dry Braking19th of 20
Dry Handling20th of 20
Rolling Resistance7th of 20
Straight Aqua11th of 20
Subj. Dry Handling18th of 20
Subj. Comfort13th of 20
Subj. Wet Handling11th of 20
Noise11th of 20
Value10th of 20
Wear5th of 20
Abrasion3rd of 20
Total Cost of Ownership4th of 20

2026 Summer Braking Super tire Test - How do 52 tires Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? · 245/45 R19

14th of 50
Best: Wet Braking · 10th Weakest: Dry Braking · 20th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking10th of 50
Dry Braking20th of 50

2026 ACE Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

4th of 10
DisciplinePlacementField position

Best Performance tires For 2025 · 225/40 R18

5th of 7
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Dry Handling · 6th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Handling4th of 7
Dry Handling6th of 7
Rolling Resistance5th of 7
Straight Aqua1st of 7
Curved Aquaplaning5th of 7
Subj. Comfort6th of 7
Noise2nd of 7

2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer tire Test · 255/55 R18

2nd of 10
Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Straight Aqua · 9th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking3rd of 10
Wet Handling1st of 10
Dry Braking1st of 10
Dry Handling2nd of 10
Rolling Resistance2nd of 10
Straight Aqua9th of 10
Curved Aquaplaning8th of 10
Noise6th of 10
Gravel Handling3rd of 10
Gravel Traction7th of 10
Sand Traction6th of 10
Grass Traction8th of 10

2025 AZ Summer tire Test · 225/45 R18

8th of 10
Best: Subj. Comfort · 2nd Weakest: Wet Braking · 8th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking8th of 10
Wet Handling8th of 10
Wet Circle6th of 10
Dry Braking7th of 10
Dry Handling5th of 10
Rolling Resistance5th of 10
Straight Aqua4th of 10
Subj. Comfort2nd of 10
Noise5th of 10
Value2nd of 10
Wear4th of 10
Abrasion3rd of 10
Total Cost of Ownership4th of 10

2025 ADAC Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

8th of 18
Best: Abrasion · 3rd Weakest: Curved Aquaplaning · 15th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking6th of 18
Dry Braking8th of 18
Straight Aqua10th of 18
Curved Aquaplaning15th of 18
Noise5th of 18
Value7th of 18
Wear5th of 18
Fuel Consumption11th of 18
Abrasion3rd of 18
Wet Braking - Concrete8th of 18

2024 EVO Summer tire Test · 235/35 R19

7th of 7
Best: Curved Aquaplaning · 1st Weakest: Wet Handling · 7th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking5th of 7
Wet Handling7th of 7
Dry Braking4th of 7
Dry Handling7th of 7
Rolling Resistance2nd of 7
Straight Aqua5th of 7
Curved Aquaplaning1st of 7
Subj. Dry Handling7th of 7
Subj. Wet Handling7th of 7
Subj. Noise7th of 7

2024 AMS Summer SUV tire Test · 235/55 R18

7th of 8
Best: Straight Aqua · 1st Weakest: Rolling Resistance · 6th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking5th of 8
Wet Handling5th of 8
Wet Circle5th of 8
Dry Braking2nd of 8
Dry Handling3rd of 8
Rolling Resistance6th of 8
Straight Aqua1st of 8
Curved Aquaplaning5th of 8
Noise6th of 8

2023 The Best Electric Vehicle tires VS UHP tires · 255/45 R20

7th of 10
Best: Wet Braking · 3rd Weakest: Noise · 9th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking3rd of 10
Wet Handling8th of 10
Dry Braking7th of 10
Dry Handling3rd of 10
Rolling Resistance6th of 10
Straight Aqua6th of 10
Noise9th of 10
Price4th of 10
Energy Consumption5th of 10

2023 Sport Auto UHP tire Test · 225/40 R18

7th of 11
Best: Straight Aqua · 3rd Weakest: Wet Handling · 11th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking6th of 11
Wet Handling11th of 11
Dry Braking10th of 11
Dry Handling6th of 11
Rolling Resistance4th of 11
Straight Aqua3rd of 11
Noise7th of 11
Price3rd of 11

2023 AutoBild UHP Summer tire Test · 225/45 R18

8th of 20
Best: Value · 3rd Weakest: Wet Handling · 19th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking13th of 20
Wet Handling19th of 20
Dry Braking5th of 20
Dry Handling6th of 20
Rolling Resistance17th of 20
Straight Aqua11th of 20
Noise10th of 20
Value3rd of 20
Price9th of 20
Wear4th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership10th of 20

2023 AZ UHP Summer tire Test · 235/35 R19

6th of 10
Best: Dry Braking · 3rd Weakest: Straight Aqua · 8th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking5th of 10
Wet Handling6th of 10
Dry Braking3rd of 10
Dry Handling4th of 10
Rolling Resistance6th of 10
Straight Aqua8th of 10
Noise5th of 10
Price3rd of 10

2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

7th of 13
Best: Noise · 2nd Weakest: Wet Braking · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking10th of 13
Wet Handling8th of 13
Wet Circle10th of 13
Dry Braking8th of 13
Dry Handling7th of 13
Rolling Resistance8th of 13
Straight Aqua5th of 13
Noise2nd of 13
Price5th of 13

2023 Summer tire Market Overview · 225/45 R18

8th of 48
Best: Dry Braking · 4th Weakest: Wet Braking · 13th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking13th of 48
Dry Braking4th of 48

2023 ACE / Gute Fahrt UHP Summer tire Test · 235/35 R19

7th of 7
DisciplinePlacementField position

2022 Auto Express Summer tire Test · 225/40 R18

5th of 7
DisciplinePlacementField position
Where to buy

Falken Azenis FK520 specs & sizes

Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Community buzz

What owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of the scores above.

Community opinion on the Falken Azenis FK520 is generally mixed, with users praising its good value, attractive looks, strong EU wet/efficiency ratings, and comfort, while some enthusiast drivers feel it lacks steering feel and leans closer to a touring tire than a true ultra-high-performance (UHP) option. Discussions also frequently compare its pricing and performance against competitors like Hankook, Goodyear, and Michelin.

Sentiment breakdown
Positive40%
Mixed60%
Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Price and value comparison#Touring vs UHP performance#Steering feel and feedback#Tire stretch and fitment

From 10 threads and comments.