Tests – · 1 test Owners 58 · 42 reviews
Best test result: #6 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Head-to-head
Updated
Sumitomo HTR Z III vs Falken Azenis FK510 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Azenis FK510 is ahead, 70–63
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Tests 74 · 31 tests Owners 67 · 907 reviews
Best test result: #5 of 10 in 2018 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)
“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.
-
68
Dry
Azenis FK510 +674Why this score
Source HTR Z III Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 72 Reviews found online 68 76 -
64
Wet
Azenis FK510 +1983Why this score
Source HTR Z III Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 87 Reviews found online 62 77 -
37
Snow
Azenis FK510 +1855Why this score
Source HTR Z III Azenis FK510 Reviews found online 15 45 -
67
Comfort
HTR Z III +1552Why this score
Source HTR Z III Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 42 Reviews found online 66 68 -
65
Noise
Azenis FK510 +368Why this score
Source HTR Z III Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) – 68 Reviews found online 64 68 -
66
Treadwear
Level66Why this score
Source HTR Z III Azenis FK510 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 72 Reviews found online 60 57 -
67
Handling
Azenis FK510 +471Why this score
Source HTR Z III Azenis FK510 Reviews found online 67 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Sumitomo HTR Z III | Falken Azenis FK510 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 70 |
| Dry | 68 | 74 |
| Wet | 64 | 83 |
| Snow | 37 | 55 |
| Comfort | 67 | 52 |
| Noise | 65 | 68 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 66 |
| Handling | 67 | 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.
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Recomputed
Headline score
63
/ 100
HTR Z III
70
/ 100
Azenis FK510
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | HTR Z III | Azenis FK510 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tested Tread Life (Miles) | Other | 62% #6/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | 54% #17/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | +7.7 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 24% #17/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | 20% #5/10 · 2018 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test | +3.8 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A HTR Z III
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry handling and steering feedback
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Inconsistent wet-weather side grip during cornering
- Limited traction under heavy acceleration on high-horsepower vehicles
- Not suitable for winter or freezing conditions
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
Tire A
Sumitomo HTR Z III
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
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.
r/Autocross
·4 upvotes ·2023-12-15
“Out of those, the FK510's will be your best all-around considering the rain where you are. They're very grippy and good in the wet.”
r/i20n
·2 upvotes ·2025-07-10
“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”
r/Porsche
·1 upvote ·2025-03-27
“Do you mean FK510? These are mid range UHP tyres and usually perform near the bottom when tested against other UHP tyres: Poor braking performance and oversteer balance would be my main concerns based on those test results. I wouldn't run FK510s on any of my RWD cars but if cost is your main concern then you do you.”
Top themes
#Wet weather grip#Value and pricing#Treadwear and lifespan#Sidewall stiffness and handling#Autocross and track performance
Based on 25 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Sumitomo HTR Z III | B · Falken Azenis FK510 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 1 | 93 |
| Rim diameters | 19″ | 17″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 300 A A | 300 A A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | 50 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
Sumitomo HTR Z III
70
/ 100
Falken Azenis FK510
Winner: Falken Azenis FK510 — better wet, snow and dry. Pick the Sumitomo HTR Z III if comfort matters most to you.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 83 vs 64 on wet.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 55 vs 37 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Sumitomo HTR Z III scores 67 vs 52 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Falken Azenis FK510 scores 74 vs 68 on dry.
Tire A · Sumitomo HTR Z III
Tire B · Falken Azenis FK510
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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.