Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 4 in 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position vs Falken Azenis FK510 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Azenis FK510 is ahead, 72–65
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Tests 74 · 31 tests Owners 67 · 907 reviews
Best test result: #7 of 8 in 2019 Auto Motor und Sport UHP Summer Tire Test R20 (overall ranking)
“I've had a set of Falken Azenis FK510's on my car for a couple of months now, and just this past weekend took a trip through the twisties up to Prescott, and pushed the car as hard as I could heading up the mountain. I was a little nervous as I'd never used Falken tires before, but trusted in Tire Rack's reviews of them and pushed the envelope in every turn I hit. It was a pleasant surprise to find that the tires were gripping just as well as the much more expensive Michelin tires they'd replaced, and I even hit a personal best of .95g going around one of the more nasty turns. During this entire drive I never felt once like the tires weren't gripping perfectly, or that I was going to lose control from them breaking loose. Road noise is pretty much non-existent, and they seem to run pretty smooth over every surface I've driven them on so far. All-in-all I don't regret my purchase one bit, and if their longevity is anything like what I got out of my previous set of Michelins I'll definitely be buying another set once this one is done for.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
69
Dry
Azenis FK510 +574Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 73 Reviews found online 70 76 -
69
Wet
Azenis FK510 +1483Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 87 Reviews found online 69 77 -
–
Snow
No comparison55Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Azenis FK510 Reviews found online – 45 -
66
Comfort
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +1452Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 42 Reviews found online 62 68 -
66
Noise
Azenis FK510 +268Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 67 Reviews found online 65 68 -
56
Treadwear
Azenis FK510 +1066Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 72 Reviews found online 50 57 -
69
Handling
Azenis FK510 +271Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Azenis FK510 Reviews found online 69 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Falken Azenis FK510 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 72 |
| Dry | 69 | 74 |
| Wet | 69 | 83 |
| Snow | – | 55 |
| Comfort | 66 | 52 |
| Noise | 66 | 68 |
| Treadwear | 56 | 66 |
| Handling | 69 | 71 |
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.
Important
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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
65
/ 100
Potenza S-04 Pole Position
72
/ 100
Azenis FK510
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.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Azenis FK510 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 50% #2/4 · 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test | 14% #7/8 · 2019 Auto Motor und Sport UHP Summer Tire Test R20 | +35.7 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Pros
- Excellent dry handling and cornering stability
- Competent performance in wet conditions
- Unexpectedly high levels of ride comfort for a performance-oriented tire
Cons
- Rapid tread wear rate
- Audible road noise or humming on certain surfaces
- Wet-weather performance is good but outperformed by some direct competitors
Tire B Azenis FK510
Pros
- Outstanding grip in both wet and dry conditions
- Exceptional value and lower price point compared to premium brands
- Smooth and comfortable ride quality that absorbs road imperfections well
Cons
- Accelerated tread wear and shorter overall lifespan
- Softer sidewalls can result in slightly delayed initial steering response or a feeling of looseness during aggressive high-speed maneuvers
- Occasional reports of increased tire noise or harshness on specific rough or concrete road surfaces
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Falken Azenis FK510
Community members frequently view the Falken Azenis FK510 as an affordable, budget-friendly alternative to premium tires like Michelin Pilot Sports, offering strong wet weather grip and good everyday road comfort. However, opinions are mixed due to rapid treadwear, with multiple drivers reporting bald tires in 10,000 to 15,000 miles or poor durability during track and autocross sessions. Furthermore, some users note compromises in steering response, road noise, and overall performance compared to top-tier max performance tires.
rennlist.com
“^^ agree not as sticky as the 615's but enough grip for the front's in 255/35/18's”
r/kereta
·3 upvotes ·2024-05-12
“Falken Azenis SUV (FK510) Replaced my Goodyear tires after 2 years. Was using Continental prior to that. Read some good reviews regarding the Falken FK510 SUV, some even mentioned it as the poor man's Michelin tires. Goodyear's tires were a bit rough, every time we drove through a bump or potholes felt really bumpy. Conti was soft, but it's lifespan is a bit short, usually lasts me a year or so. After driving around a day with FK510, it feels nice, somewhat like Conti. Here's hoping that it'll last me 2 years. Read more”
r/TeslaModel3
·1 upvote ·2024-02-10
“I put the fk510 on my 2014 535d msport and the rears only lasted 10-11k or one year. Trying something different. They are a good performance summer tire but not worth replacing every year.”
Top themes
#budget friendly pricing#wet weather traction#fast treadwear#track durability concerns#ride comfort#cabin road noise#daily street driving
Based on 63 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | B · Falken Azenis FK510 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | — | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 93 |
| Rim diameters | — | 17″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
72
/ 100
Falken Azenis FK510
Winner: Falken Azenis FK510 — better wet, treadwear and dry. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position if comfort matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position scores 66 vs 52 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 83 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 66 vs 56 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 74 vs 69 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Tire B · Falken Azenis FK510
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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.