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Falken ZE512 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Falken ZE512 vs Nexen N Fera SU1 — 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 + 3 road tests and 27 + 164 owner reviews. How we score

N Fera SU1 is ahead, 63–38

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Falken ZE512
Tire AFalken

ZE512

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 23 · 27 reviews

Nexen N Fera SU1
Tire BNexen

N Fera SU1

Summer

± 7

Tests 63 · 3 tests Owners 63 · 164 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 40

    Dry

    N Fera SU1 +19
    59
    Why this score
    SourceZE512N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 50 (est.)55
    Reviews found online2564

    ZE512: 60% × 50.1 (est.) + 40% × 25.4 = 40

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 55 + 40% × 64.2 = 59

    No road tests of dry for ZE512. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 40

    Wet

    N Fera SU1 +24
    64
    Why this score
    SourceZE512N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 47 (est.)62
    Reviews found online2867

    ZE512: 60% × 47.2 (est.) + 40% × 28.2 = 40

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 61.9 + 40% × 67.3 = 64

    No road tests of wet for ZE512. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    58
    Why this score
    SourceZE512N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online–50

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 49.8 = 58

    No road tests of snow for N Fera SU1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 40

    Comfort

    N Fera SU1 +26
    66
    Why this score
    SourceZE512N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 61 (est.)66
    Reviews found online2566

    ZE512: 40% × 61.1 (est.) + 60% × 25.2 = 40

    N Fera SU1: 40% × 65.7 + 60% × 65.5 = 66

    No road tests of comfort for ZE512. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceZE512N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–69
    Reviews found online–70

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 69.3 + 40% × 69.8 = 69

  6. 35

    Treadwear

    N Fera SU1 +31
    66
    Why this score
    SourceZE512N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 49 (est.)70
    Reviews found online1659

    ZE512: 60% × 48.6 (est.) + 40% × 15.7 = 35

    N Fera SU1: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 59.3 = 66

    No road tests of treadwear for ZE512. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 24

    Handling (owners)

    N Fera SU1 +42
    66
    Why this score
    SourceZE512N Fera SU1
    Reviews found online2466
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourceZE512N Fera SU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests–76
Scores at a glance
CategoryFalken ZE512Nexen N Fera SU1
Relative Score 38 63
Dry 40 59
Wet 40 64
Snow – 58
Comfort 40 66
Noise – 69
Treadwear 35 66
Handling (owners) 24 66
Efficiency – 76

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

ZE512

± 7

N Fera SU1

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A ZE512

Pros

  • Affordable price point
  • Satisfactory dry pavement grip when new
  • Generally quiet and comfortable ride quality

Cons

  • Extremely rapid tread wear and short lifespan
  • Poor wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
  • Soft sidewalls prone to damage from potholes and curbs
All owner themes in the ZE512 review

Tire B N Fera SU1

Pros

  • Exceptional value and significantly lower price compared to premium brands
  • Remarkably quiet ride and high overall comfort
  • Strong dry and wet grip for daily commuting and spirited driving

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can cause vague handling, body roll, or a floating sensation on heavier vehicles
  • Faster than average tread wear or inconsistent durability for some users
  • Reports of rubber cracking or splitting along the sidewalls and tread blocks over time
All owner themes in the N Fera SU1 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Falken ZE512 B · Nexen N Fera SU1
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—97
Rim diameters—15″ – 24″
Tread depth—9/32″
UTQG—300 A A
Treadwear warranty—25,000 mi
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken ZE512

Nexen N Fera SU1

Winner: Nexen N Fera SU1 — better handling, treadwear and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Nexen N Fera SU1 scores 66 vs 24 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Nexen N Fera SU1 scores 66 vs 35 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Nexen N Fera SU1 scores 66 vs 40 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Nexen N Fera SU1 scores 64 vs 40 on wet.

Tire A · Falken ZE512
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Tire B · Nexen N Fera SU1
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ZE512 or N Fera SU1?

Which is better in the wet, ZE512 or N Fera SU1?

Nexen N Fera SU1, 64 vs 40 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ZE512 or N Fera SU1?

Nexen N Fera SU1, 59 vs 40 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ZE512 or N Fera SU1?

Nexen N Fera SU1, 66 vs 40 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ZE512 or N Fera SU1?

Nexen N Fera SU1, 66 vs 35 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