Writing about the
Falken ZIEX ZE914 EcoRun given
72% (245-40-18-)
Driving on
a combination of roads for 6000
average miles
I bought my Falkens second hand in New Zealand for $450NZD (about $300 USD). They were in nearly new condition, and the previous owner was selling them because they were too heavy for his liking.
Once I fitted them to the car, I didn't immediately notice a difference from my other tyres (Bridgestone Potenza Re003, 225 50 r17, and Pirelli Dragon sports and Firestones in 245 40 r18 - I have two sets of wheels). I've done about 10,000km or 6000 miles.
In general, they seem to be pretty decent all-rounders, especially considering the price. I generally drive pretty gently but I do enjoy using the car a bit on a nice twisty road, and in a 2 ton plus car, the tyres take a proper beating. I've noticed the tyres get louder as they get warmer, and if you go through a corner a little faster than usual (though not thrashing it), you'll hear them get louder. They'll eventually start squealing, long before they actually lose traction. It's kind of annoying on really smooth quiet asphalt where you can push the car a little through a corner at a speed you know is perfectly safe for the tyres, yet they start getting quite loud. Luckily my car, being an A6, has plenty of sound insulation.
In the wet, again, I have no fears when it comes to cornering. I haven't had a chance to really push them and see where they slip up (I have Quattro so it's not easy to find corners where that's easy and safe to do), but they seem to hold their own relatively well - I've noticed no major downfalls in that regard from my other tyres). I really can't comment on braking because I rarely get into situations where I need to brake hard, but I have no concerns at this point if they're at the right pressure (for my car, around 40ish psi).
Wear again, I can't really comment on much as I've only done 10,000km, but in that time I think they've definitely reduced in tread. Where I live, we go through tyres very quickly because of the nature of our roads (hilly, windy(corner-y), bumpy, chip seal, etc).
Would I buy again? Yeah, I would definitely at that price point. Brand new, I'm not sure how much they'll set you back, but second hand, nearly new, I think I got a pretty good deal.