Tests – · none yet Owners 53 · 173 reviews
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx vs Falken Azenis FK510 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Azenis FK510 is ahead, 70–58
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Tests 74 · 31 tests Owners 67 · 907 reviews
“ST feels boaty on new Falken’s I recently purchased a set of 245/40/18 Falken Azenis FK510 to put on my stock wheels. After, the car feels like it’s constantly driving on a wet road. Even after getting heat into the tires, the car feels boaty and like the rear end doesn’t want to follow the front. Any tips? Or did I make a bad choice in tire?”
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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61
Dry
Azenis FK510 +1374Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 73 Reviews found online 58 76 -
61
Wet
Azenis FK510 +2283Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 87 Reviews found online 57 77 -
54
Snow
Azenis FK510 +155Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx Azenis FK510 Reviews found online 44 45 -
60
Comfort
SP Sport Maxx +852Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 42 Reviews found online 51 68 -
62
Noise
Azenis FK510 +668Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 67 Reviews found online 56 68 -
56
Treadwear
Azenis FK510 +1066Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 72 Reviews found online 49 57 -
55
Handling
Azenis FK510 +1671Why this score
Source SP Sport Maxx Azenis FK510 Reviews found online 55 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SP Sport Maxx | Falken Azenis FK510 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 58 | 70 |
| Dry | 61 | 74 |
| Wet | 61 | 83 |
| Snow | 54 | 55 |
| Comfort | 60 | 52 |
| Noise | 62 | 68 |
| Treadwear | 56 | 66 |
| Handling | 55 | 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.
SP Sport Maxx
Azenis FK510
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A SP Sport Maxx
Pros
- Strong dry and wet grip when brand new
- Responsive handling and sharp cornering precision
- Low initial road noise and good ride comfort on smooth surfaces
Cons
- Rapid and uneven tread wear (often wearing out in under 10,000–15,000 miles)
- High road noise and 'sawtoothing' issues as the tires age
- Noticeable drop in wet-weather traction and sudden loss of grip near the end of their lifespan
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
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Falken Azenis FK510
Community opinions on the Falken Azenis FK510 are generally mixed, balancing praise for their value pricing and strong wet-weather grip against complaints regarding soft sidewalls, rapid tread wear on heavy or track-driven vehicles, and handling that some drivers describe as "boaty." While many view them as a cost-effective alternative to premium tires like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, others note that recent price hikes and mixed performance in testing make them a secondary choice compared to dedicated track or alternative ultra-high-performance tires.
“2022 MS Plaid on 21" archnids. Factory Michelins replaced at 7,500 miles (at wear markers). FK510's after 9,000 miles on the rubber are at 7/32. Expecting another 5,000 miles or so. They're comparable treadwear rating but last longer. Heavy car with lots of torque will inevitably go through tires sooner than the rated mileage. I'm fortunate to have decent alignment from the factory as the wear was even. Good luck on the next set of tires.”
“Accidentally bought a Falken FK510 at discount tire when my other rear tire is a FK460A/S I have a brand new 460A/S on my driver rear a week ago and I went to discount yesterday and accidentally bought the 510 for my passenger rear. My biggest concerns is the difference in grip and wear and for the torsen limited slip on my GT PP1. I just daily my car to work and floor it at lights and don’t do canyon or track runs. I saw discount tire has a return / exchange policy, has anyone gone this route?”
“I have Fallen FK510s and live where it rains 300 days a year, they perform great and I'm sure the 520 is even better”
Based on 25 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx | B · Falken Azenis FK510 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 8 | 93 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 21″ | 17″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
Falken Azenis FK510
Winner: Falken Azenis FK510 — better wet, handling and dry. Pick the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx if comfort matters most to you.
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 83 vs 61 on wet.
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 71 vs 55 on handling.
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 74 vs 61 on dry.
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 66 vs 56 on treadwear.
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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.