Falken ZE912 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Falken ZE912 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 21 road tests and 200 + 12,691 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 4 is ahead, 82–66

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Falken ZE912
Tire AFalken

ZE912

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 200 reviews

“I just put a set of Falken ZE912's on my wife's CLK and found them to be a lot quieter and smoother than the previous tires that were on the car. They aren't as precise handling as the Michelin or Pirelli's that were on there before, but definately more comfortable.”

Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 4

Summer

Tests 84 · 21 tests Owners 74 · 12,691 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 45 in 2019 Summer 53 Tyre Braking Shootout (dry braking)

“Those are Pilot sport 4 (all season). If it had s after the 4 it would be the summer high performance version. I put the pilot sport 4 on wife's GTI autobahn 2016. Great handling tire, stiff side walls, not the smoothest ride but best overall.”

Category by category

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

  1. 66

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 4 +20
    86
    Why this score
    SourceZE912Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests≈ 67 (est.)89
    Reviews found online6581

    ZE912: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 65 = 66

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 88.5 + 40% × 81.1 = 86

    No road tests of dry for ZE912. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 4 +19
    87
    Why this score
    SourceZE912Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 20 tests≈ 68 (est.)92
    Reviews found online6781

    ZE912: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 67.3 = 68

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 91.5 + 40% × 80.5 = 87

    No road tests of wet for ZE912. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 68

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 4 +10
    78
    Why this score
    SourceZE912Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 69 (est.)83
    Reviews found online6671

    ZE912: 60% × 68.6 (est.) + 40% × 66.3 = 68

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 83.2 + 40% × 71.3 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for ZE912. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    73
    Why this score
    SourceZE912Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests–73
    Reviews found online–73

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 72.8 = 73

  5. 63

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 4 +7
    70
    Why this score
    SourceZE912Pilot Sport 4
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 64 (est.)76
    Reviews found online6061

    ZE912: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 60.4 = 63

    Pilot Sport 4: 60% × 76.3 + 40% × 61 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for ZE912. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  6. 63

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 4 +15
    78
    Why this score
    SourceZE912Pilot Sport 4
    Reviews found online6378
Scores at a glance
Falken ZE912 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryFalken ZE912Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Relative Score 66 82
Dry 66 86
Wet 68 87
Comfort 68 78
Noise – 73
Treadwear 63 70
Handling (owners) 63 78

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
Recomputed
Headline score

ZE912

Pilot Sport 4

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

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.

DisciplineCategoryZE912Pilot Sport 4ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #13/14 2011 European Summer Tyre Test - 195/65 R15 #7/9 2022 AUTO Straßenverkehr Summer Tire Test R19 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A ZE912

Pros

  • Excellent value for money compared to premium brands
  • Low road noise and high ride comfort
  • Strong dry-weather grip and predictable handling

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life, with many reports of premature wear
  • Soft sidewalls can lead to a 'squishy' feel or lack of steering precision
  • Wet-weather performance is frequently described as unpredictable or lacking at the limit
All owner themes in the ZE912 review

Tire B Pilot Sport 4

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry traction with outstanding resistance to aquaplaning
  • Noticeable improvement in ride comfort and a reduction in cabin noise compared to standard run-flat tires
  • Progressive and predictable breakaway limits during spirited driving

Cons

  • Faster-than-average treadwear, particularly under aggressive driving or on rear-wheel-drive performance cars
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to a slight lack of initial steering precision and a vague feel at the limit for hardcore enthusiasts
  • Performance drops off significantly in cold, freezing, or snowy winter conditions
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 4 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Falken ZE912

Mixed

Community consensus on the Falken Ziex ZE912 highlights it as an affordable, comfortable, and relatively quiet all-season tire with decent dry and predictable wet traction. However, users frequently criticize its rapid treadwear, poor winter/snow grip, tendency to develop road noise over time, and softer sidewalls compared to dedicated performance summer tires.

Top themes
#affordable pricing and value#quiet and comfortable ride#poor snow and winter performance#noise level over time#treadwear and longevity#sidewall stiffness and handling#wet road traction

Based on 50 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Positive

The community widely regards the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 line as a premium upgrade offering exceptional dry and wet grip, precise handling, and superior ride comfort compared to OEM or run-flat tires. While celebrated for performance, users frequently discuss its high price tag, faster treadwear, and noticeable drop in EV efficiency. Some drivers also note increased road noise and reduced traction when temperatures drop near freezing.

Top themes
#Wet and dry grip#Run-flat replacement upgrade#Treadwear and longevity#Cold weather performance#Road noise and comfort#EV range and efficiency#Comparison to Continental tires

Based on 246 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Falken ZE912 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—62
Rim diameters—16″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken ZE912

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 86 vs 66 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 87 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 63 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 scores 78 vs 68 on comfort.

Tire A · Falken ZE912
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 4

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ZE912 or Pilot Sport 4?

Which is better in the wet, ZE912 or Pilot Sport 4?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 87 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ZE912 or Pilot Sport 4?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 86 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, ZE912 or Pilot Sport 4?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 78 vs 68 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ZE912 or Pilot Sport 4?

Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 70 vs 63 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