Tests – · none yet Owners 61 · 22 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 vs Falken FK453 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 22 + 30 owner reviews. How we score
Direzza DZ102 is ahead, 64–55
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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65
Dry
Direzza DZ102 +956Why this score
Source Direzza DZ102 FK453 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 61 (est.) Reviews found online 63 50 Direzza DZ102: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.4 = 65
FK453: 60% × 60.5 (est.) + 40% × 50 = 56
No road tests of dry for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
No road tests of dry for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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67
Wet
Direzza DZ102 +760Why this score
Source Direzza DZ102 FK453 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 66 56 Direzza DZ102: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 65.7 = 67
FK453: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 55.9 = 60
No road tests of wet for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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61
Comfort
Direzza DZ102 +655Why this score
Source Direzza DZ102 FK453 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 58 49 Direzza DZ102: 40% × 66.4 (est.) + 60% × 57.6 = 61
FK453: 40% × 64.7 (est.) + 60% × 48.8 = 55
No road tests of comfort for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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60
Treadwear
Direzza DZ102 +951Why this score
Source Direzza DZ102 FK453 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 63 (est.) ≈ 57 (est.) Reviews found online 56 41 Direzza DZ102: 60% × 62.8 (est.) + 40% × 56.1 = 60
FK453: 60% × 57.4 (est.) + 40% × 41 = 51
No road tests of treadwear for Direzza DZ102. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for FK453. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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61
Handling (owners)
Direzza DZ102 +1645Why this score
Source Direzza DZ102 FK453 Reviews found online 61 45
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Direzza DZ102 | Falken FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 64 | 55 |
| Dry | 65 | 56 |
| Wet | 67 | 60 |
| Comfort | 61 | 55 |
| Treadwear | 60 | 51 |
| Handling (owners) | 61 | 45 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
64
/ 100
Direzza DZ102
55
/ 100
FK453
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Dunlop Direzza DZ102 finished ahead 0 times and Falken FK453 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Direzza DZ102 | FK453 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #7/8 | #6/8 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2015 Australian Motor 235/35 R19 Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
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
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102 | B · Falken FK453 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| UTQG | 460 A A | 240 - 300 A - AA A |
Which one should you actually buy?
64
/ 100
Dunlop Direzza DZ102
55
/ 100
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 61 vs 45 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 65 vs 56 on dry.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 60 vs 51 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop Direzza DZ102 scores 67 vs 60 on wet.
Tire A · Dunlop Direzza DZ102
Tire B · Falken FK453
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Direzza DZ102 or FK453?
Which is better in the wet, Direzza DZ102 or FK453?
Dunlop Direzza DZ102, 67 vs 60 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Direzza DZ102 or FK453?
Dunlop Direzza DZ102, 65 vs 56 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Direzza DZ102 or FK453?
Dunlop Direzza DZ102, 61 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Direzza DZ102 or FK453?
Dunlop Direzza DZ102, 60 vs 51 on our treadwear score.
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.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology