I have an offer of a set of wheels with the Falken Aesni 615's on them (100 miles, 2 ATX's), and I wonder if anyone can speak to the wet and winter performance of such a tire?

I'm looking for a set of 15" spare rims to put bad weather rubber on my Cabrio (I run the performance run-flats on 17" rims on my car currently), and wonder if I'm just going to have to strip the Falken's off as soon as I buy the wheels, or if people think they can run OK in the wet? If snow more than 1/2" falls, I'll just take my 4WD Suburban to work, but Fall and Spring in Ohio can be wet and I want more grip than i hearthe performance tires will give.

Reviews online for the Falkens seem to be all over the place- some say they're only for ATX use, others list them as good-performance All Seasons... has anyone run these in the rain/slush and, if so, how did they hold up?

Thanks!

 

I've run them in a downpour and they're fine (both the old 215s and new 615s).

I wouldn't drive them in snow, though. There is a difference between what works in rain and what works in snow.

 

I have owned the Falken Azenis and now the RT-615's. They are definitely not all season tires. Take them near snow and freezing tempertures at your peril. Light rain, ok. Heavy rain with standing water, and you're asking for hydroplaning.

That said, they are not autocross only. I have used mine as my only tires during two different summers. I autocross on the weekend and keep them on for all of my other driving including my commute to and from work.

 

Well, the wqorst I expect would be a sudden snow that happens while I'm at work- I live about 2 miles from my workplace in a town that salts VERY heavily- I'm much more worried about rain and such, as its wet here for weeks at a stretch in the winter and spring at times. If it snows enough to turn the road white, I'm driving my 4WD.

 

I run Falken RT-615s (215/40R16) on my summer wheels and have had no problems in very wet conditions. In fact it was raining all weekend here in the Denver area (a rare occurence) - the tires performed well on the highway at speed through sections of pooled water. The car did hydroplane a bit on one occassion, but it was a deep section of standing water that I don't beleive any tire could handle.

I have also driven them in semi-slushy conditions during a late spring snow storm, but quite slowly and carefully. They got me home, but since they are a dedicated performance summer tire (that do quite well at the track too), I would not recommend them for mixed conditions.

For the winter I bolt up my stock wheels with Dunlop Wintersport M3s (195/55R16)...

 

Hmmm... I'm so torn. the price the fellow NAMer is quoting me is reasonable and quite fair, but just high enough that if I have to spend money on TOP of the rims, it will exceed my budget. Hopefully he'll dicker a bit, since it sounds like I'll be pulling that rubber off sooner rather than later.

Thanks!

PS- what do people think of the Pirelli snow tires? I've seen them for as low as $60 or $70 a tire, and I always loved Pirelli rubber on my bikes. Totally different compound, though.

 

Instead of repeatedly swapping tires on one set of wheels, I highly recommend having two sets of wheels. It costs more up front, but IMO is worthwhile over time. With a jack and a torque wrench, you can bolt up wheels in less than 30 min., and thus save yourself the hassle of going to and from the tire shop (and also trying to time the "swap" right when Fall is turning to Winter and Winter to Spring).

 

:: Nods ::

That's exactly my plan... Someone has a set of the 15" holeys (I love the look, even though they're the most "basic" Mini OEM rim) with a set of the Falkens on them, and I'm trying to see if I can afford his wheels PLUS a full set of replacement rubber before winter comes (since it sounds like the Falken's might not stick real well below freezing).

I run the high performance run flats on my 17" wheels now, and I'll swap the 15" wheels with all seasons for the larger ones during the hot months. I figure the tires will last longer that way, too, since I'll be spreading my miles between two sets of tires. Thanks!

 

My Falken RT-215's still pickup rocks when it's cold outside. I think you're fine in every weather condition except snow.

I haven't run the RT-615's, but my RT-215's were pretty noisy. I've heard the 615's are the same. They are fine at first, but get louder as you put more miles on them. I've been looking at the Hankook Ventus R-S2 Z212 for this reason. They don't stick quite as well as the Falkens (they're pretty close!) but they car quieter with a slightly softer sidewall. They also make a 225/45-15 that would be awesome for 15 inch rims.

 

Hmmm... good info thanks! Has anyone else noticed the noise issue? Not that I'd notice, most likely, over the stereo, but...

 

I love the 615's. I just put them on a couple of weeks ago to get them scrubbed a bit before last weekends auto-x. I found them to be excellent. The dry grip as expected is awesome. We had some good rain today and I had a chance to get a good feel for them. Very comparable to the 215's I had before (different size and car but close). They did hydroplane a bit in some significant puddles but not much more than the oem runflats. I would expect same rules apply as they did to my 215's. Great dry. Great wet when new. However, post 50% tread new rules: great dry, ok wet. any less and you should give up on the wet quickly. I would also assume that when the temps really drop the predicatble nature is gone. ie if below freezing your azenis would be more like the plastic tires from a kids toy than actual tire...note the key in the last part "assume".... IMHO its a high performance tire, winter should not be attempted with them. The noise factor is higher than the oem runflats but again not enough to matter to me for the grip. When I have the radio on at all I do not notice the noise difference. Good luck

 

Were you in that down pour tonight!? I thought my MINI was going to drown! I also plan on getting the 615's as soon as I can, but not having them, I cannot comment.

And Ohio salts.... What salt!?

-Cody

 

I drove my MINI with Azenis (the older 215 model) for about 3 miles in the winter, 30°F and a really light snow, to get it to the local mall where it was in a car show. Never again. Summer tires in general do not work well at all below around 50°F.