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 Toyo Proxes TR1 — 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 + 1 road tests and 27 + 900 owner reviews. How we score

Proxes TR1 is ahead, 64–38

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Falken ZE512
Tire AFalken

ZE512

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 23 · 27 reviews

Toyo Proxes TR1
Tire BToyo

Proxes TR1

Summer

± 8

Tests 62 · 1 test Owners 66 · 900 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 6 in 2024 TopTireReview Best UHP Tyres for Asia Test (comfort (tester's mark))

“Avoid TR1.. the sound will become unbearable.. I suggest Yokohama ES32..”

Category by category

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

  1. 40

    Dry

    Proxes TR1 +20
    60
    Why this score
    SourceZE512Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 50 (est.)53
    Reviews found online2570

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

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 52.9 + 40% × 69.8 = 60

    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

    Proxes TR1 +28
    68
    Why this score
    SourceZE512Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 47 (est.)66
    Reviews found online2870

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

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 66.5 + 40% × 69.6 = 68

    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. 40

    Comfort

    Proxes TR1 +23
    63
    Why this score
    SourceZE512Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 61 (est.)68
    Reviews found online2560

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

    Proxes TR1: 40% × 68.2 + 60% × 59.6 = 63

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

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    68
    Why this score
    SourceZE512Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–68
    Reviews found online–≈ 67 (est.)

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 68.2 + 40% × 66.6 (est.) = 68

    No owner ratings of noise for Proxes TR1. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 35

    Treadwear

    Proxes TR1 +27
    62
    Why this score
    SourceZE512Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 49 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online1660

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

    Proxes TR1: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 60 = 62

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for Proxes TR1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  6. 24

    Handling (owners)

    Proxes TR1 +48
    72
    Why this score
    SourceZE512Proxes TR1
    Reviews found online2472
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceZE512Proxes TR1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–71
Scores at a glance
Falken ZE512 vs Toyo Proxes TR1: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFalken ZE512Toyo Proxes TR1
Relative Score 38 64
Dry 40 60
Wet 40 68
Comfort 40 63
Noise – 68
Treadwear 35 62
Handling (owners) 24 72
Efficiency – 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 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
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

± 8

Proxes TR1

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 Proxes TR1

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and responsive steering feedback
  • High value-for-money proposition compared to premium tier-one brands
  • Attractive and aggressive directional tread design

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise and humming sounds at certain speeds
  • Soft sidewalls that can cause a slight squirm or delayed initial steering response
  • Rapid tread wear, particularly under aggressive driving or on rear axles
All owner themes in the Proxes TR1 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Falken ZE512

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Toyo Proxes TR1

Mixed

Community sentiment regarding the Toyo Proxes TR1 is mixed, with users frequently noting an attractive price point and smooth, comfortable ride when compared to factory tires or run-flats. However, multiple drivers report shortcomings in wet-weather performance, cold grip, and road noise as mileage increases, while several criticize its soft sidewalls for creating imprecise handling at the limit.

r/subaru ·1 upvote ·2026-06-25

“Bekomme ich mit unterschiedliche Reifen Modelle Probleme mit dem Verteiler Getriebe? Hallo, ich habe mal eine Frage bezüglich Reifen und dem Verteilergetriebe. Ich habe vor ein paar Jahren einen gebrauchten Felgensatz gekauft auf dem Reifen aus dem Jahr 2016 waren Profiltiefe der Reifen war bei allen neuwertig. Anfang diesen Jahres habe ich mir dann hinten links einen Platten gefahren. Ich habe dann die Reifen hinten achsweise getauscht mit dem selben Reifen was verbaut war (neue toyo proxes tr1 Reifen. Unglücklicherweise habe ich jetzt wieder einen platten Reifen, allerdings vorne. Nun wollte ich wieder 2 neue Reifen für vorne bestellen (ebenfalls toyo proxes tr1). Leider läuft dieses Modell wohl aus und sind nicht mehr verfügbar. Meine Frage jetzt, kann ich andere Reifen Modelle nutzen (toyo comfort in den selben Maßen wie den Proxes tr1) oder sind diese problematisch? Vielen Dank im Voraus 🙂 Read more”

r/tires ·1 upvote ·2025-08-22

“Alla fine cosa hai preso? su ZC31S con quella misura sono un pochino deluso dalle TR1 spalla troppo morbida la cosa buffa è che più le gonfiavo e più si amplificava il difetto per guida al limite diventano imprecise ma hanno davvero un sacco di grip se avessero la spalla più rigida best buy!”

corvetteforum.com

“Quote: Originally Posted by gamisou 70l46 did you get yours mounted and balanced for that price? I picked mine up at tiredealsforless.com for $765.12 shipped. They had the best prices that I have seen. Yep, $859 is mounted/balanced and 6% Michigan sales tax. Got them from Tireman, a Ohio/Michigan tire retailer & service center.”

Top themes
#Wet grip performance#Soft sidewall stiffness#Affordable price point#Road noise issues#Ride comfort comparison#Handling at limit#T1R model confusion

Based on 36 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Falken ZE512 B · Toyo Proxes TR1
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—61
Rim diameters—14″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken ZE512

Toyo Proxes TR1

Winner: Toyo Proxes TR1 — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Toyo Proxes TR1 scores 72 vs 24 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Toyo Proxes TR1 scores 68 vs 40 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Toyo Proxes TR1 scores 62 vs 35 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Toyo Proxes TR1 scores 63 vs 40 on comfort.

Tire A · Falken ZE512
Tire B · Toyo Proxes TR1

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ZE512 or Proxes TR1?

Which is better in the wet, ZE512 or Proxes TR1?

Toyo Proxes TR1, 68 vs 40 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ZE512 or Proxes TR1?

Toyo Proxes TR1, 60 vs 40 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ZE512 or Proxes TR1?

Toyo Proxes TR1, 63 vs 40 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ZE512 or Proxes TR1?

Toyo Proxes TR1, 62 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