Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 211 + 204 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: FK452 and Primacy HP are level at 65.
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Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 211 reviews
“Quote: Originally Posted by D2-AUTOSPORT Falken FK452s is the better tire of those two. That's what I'm running on my Vette, about 16k miles so far, went cross country with them with no problems, and there's still plenty thread wear left.”
Tests – · none yet Owners 63 · 204 reviews
“I have these tires on my 2013 GL550 and they handle really well here in Chicago. They are a little loud for me, but do great in the snow and rain.”
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | FK452 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 66 (est.) | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 65 | 64 |
FK452: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 66
Primacy HP: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.9 = 65
No road tests of dry for FK452. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
No road tests of dry for Primacy HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
| Source | FK452 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 67 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 66 | 65 |
FK452: 60% × 67.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.9 = 67
Primacy HP: 60% × 67.1 (est.) + 40% × 65 = 66
No road tests of wet for FK452. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
No road tests of wet for Primacy HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
| Source | FK452 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 68 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 62 | 61 |
FK452: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 62.1 = 66
Primacy HP: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 61 = 65
No road tests of comfort for FK452 or Primacy HP. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | FK452 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 63 (est.) | ≈ 65 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 58 | 62 |
FK452: 60% × 63.3 (est.) + 40% × 58.2 = 61
Primacy HP: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 62.3 = 64
No road tests of treadwear for FK452. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
No road tests of treadwear for Primacy HP. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
| Source | FK452 | Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 64 | 62 |
| Category | Falken FK452 | Michelin Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 65 |
| Dry | 66 | 65 |
| Wet | 67 | 66 |
| Comfort | 66 | 65 |
| Treadwear | 61 | 64 |
| Handling (owners) | 64 | 62 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
FK452
Primacy HP
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Community opinion on the Falken FK452 is generally favorable, with many drivers praising its balance of solid wet and dry grip, low road noise, and accessible pricing. While regarded as a dependable daily performance tire that also stretches well, notable drawbacks cited by owners include fast tread wear on sports cars, tendency to flat-spot when sitting, and degradation in grip and road noise as the tread gets low.
“for the price, theyre pretty decent. theyre not the stickiest tires available, but theyre alright and imo, theyre pretty predictable when nearing their limits.”
“Dude, I had pretty much the same choice as you... same rims, same vendors, same car Many reviews mentioned that T1Rs have softer sidewall than FK452, thus preferring the steering feel of Falken when you push it in the curves. As for daily driver it probably doesn't make a difference. Also, are you planning to have a different set for the winter? If not, you'll need all seasons. 1010tires . com have plenty of real-world user reviews on those tires. Also, search Google, there were some interesting reviews on BMW & Audi forums.”
“I also have Falken FK452 on my MKII Focus Diesel, in 225/40/18. They're really quite excellent tyres in both wet and dry to be quite honest. Seeing as the Focus isn't really that "sporting", I was quite happy to get 29'000 miles out of the set I last had at the front, which was a lot more than the 14'000 or so I got out of the Goodyear Eagle F1 (but the F1 was sticky as anything!). Only issue: they're not as cheap as they once were. People are getting wise to their performance for the rather sensible price, and I've seen them creep up around £25 a corner for me in the last two years.”
Based on 47 community posts
Community opinion on the Michelin Primacy HP is divided depending on use case: enthusiasts frequently criticize them for lacking grip compared to dedicated Pilot Sport performance tires, though many appreciate their playful, low-traction slide characteristics on cars like the GR86/BRZ. Owners also note their low rolling resistance and suitability for mild climates, but raise occasional discussions around shoulder cracking with age and their limitation as summer-only rubber.
“PSA: The Stock Michelin Primacy HP tires are SUMMER tires! I figured, given that winter has finally arrived in much of the US, I'd make a quick reminder that this car ships in the US with summer only tires. I've noticed that this fact is rarely mentioned in threads about snowy weather or winter tires, and I myself didn't realize this until just before I bought mine. A quick explanation for the non-car guys in the sub. Most cars in the US sell new with all-season tires mounted. These are tires that maintain a balance to allow them to work OK on hot dry pavement, in the rain, and in winter weather. Not great, but OK. They're a jack of all trades, master of none In contrast, these cars (at least in the US market) shipped with summer-only tires. This means that they are NOT OK for use in winter weather--even just cold dry pavement. Summer tires are made of a compound that is too hard in cold weather, therefore not sticky even on clean pavement. In addition, they often lack the open spaces in the tread that are necessary for good snow traction.”
“So long as you’ve got some tread, the stock Primacy HP tires are plenty safe for Bay Area weather all year ‘round. Just don’t drive anywhere that gets real winter weather or freezing temps. I’d avoid trips up to Tahoe in January. And don’t climb Mt. Diablo or Mt. Hamilton when they get their occasional dusting of snow. (I live in upstate NY now, so I’m familiar with tires & winter conditions …but I’m also a Bay Area native.)”
“I have these tires on my 2013 GL550 and they handle really well here in Chicago. They are a little loud for me, but do great in the snow and rain.”
Based on 36 community posts
| Attribute | A · Falken FK452 | B · Michelin Primacy HP |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Falken FK452
Michelin Primacy HP
Too close to call: Falken FK452 and Michelin Primacy HP are within 2 points overall. Michelin Primacy HP is stronger on treadwear.
Michelin Primacy HP scores 64 vs 61 on treadwear.
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Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 66 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 65 on the dry score, within 3 points.
Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 65 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Michelin Primacy HP, 64 vs 61 on our treadwear score.
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
