Falken vs Hankook vs Other

[knightjp]

My tire size is 205/55R16.
I changed my tires a year ago and I know probably someone might laugh at the way I chose which ones to go for.
Most sensible people would choose by performance, reputation, technical specs, etc... but I don't know much about that.
I didn't do any of that. I chose by girls.
I basically went on the web, looked a couple of pictures of racequeens and chose the brand based on which models were hotter...
I ended up with Falken Ziex EZ-512s. To my surprise they were the cheapest ones on the market, the based on the reviews I've seen on the web, they're quite good too. However not all the reviews are positive. For me though, they worked perfectly. Compared with the Pirelli P7s I had, they're more comfortable, cheaper and have less road noise.
I need the tires to last me a year or a year and six months. We change our tires every year for safety due to the heat (about 60C in the summer).

However the time has come and I'm thinking of changing the tires again... But this time, I think the Hankook models are hotter....

So if I ignore my crazy method and based on the fact that I'm looking for a budget all season tire with great performance and durability... should I just stick with Falken or should I go in for the Hankook alternative?
Keep in mind that I would like to reduce the road noise and if the tires last longer, the better.

[knightjp]

I'm surprised there hasn't been any replies on this.....

My apologies if anyone gets offended here, but I thought I might attach a few photos to show my problem.....

Anyways, leaving the gorgeous models aside, I would like to hear some comments or experiences on the two brands...

[jdmccright]

If only we could get paid to test tires THIS way.

I have no first-hand experience with either brand, but my preception is that Hankook is building a little better reputation in the budget tire realm. And I've seen a few of their models score fairly well against the expensive brands.

But between the two, I'd say it comes down to aesthetics (hot tire honeys aside), price, and value.

BTW, you buying the Falkens paid for those honeys, you might as well enjoy them!

[knightjp]

Originally Posted by jdmccright

If only we could get paid to test tires THIS way.

I have no first-hand experience with either brand, but my preception is that Hankook is building a little better reputation in the budget tire realm. And I've seen a few of their models score fairly well against the expensive brands.

But between the two, I'd say it comes down to aesthetics (hot tire honeys aside), price, and value.

BTW, you buying the Falkens paid for those honeys, you might as well enjoy them!

Well I guess you can see why I decided on Hankooks this time...
Those ladies are hard to resist.... Just wondering if I was making the right decision.... Probably is (considering there are people who swear by them).

Both brands are trying to make names for themselves in the racing scene. I guess it helps boost reputation and sales; and with those ladies, they're sure to get noticed. And with the racing comes extensive R&D into performance, etc....
Also it appears that they're doing pretty well too. Vaughn Gittin Jr is the current drift champ and he runs a mustang using Falken tires and Grunewald drives a Camaro with Hankooks.
As far as I know, drifting is pretty demanding on the tires and so if those performance tires can take it, I'm pretty sure they could take the pounding of everyday sporty driving.

[knightjp]

Wish there were people putting in votes...
Would help a lot in determining if they're good brands...

[knightjp]

Originally Posted by jdmccright

If only we could get paid to test tires THIS way.

One small step for man; one giant leap for Gearheads everywhere....

[knightjp]

I came across this on youtube....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nuzeXP9IAg

In case you're wondering who are the original singers...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOkh2mlSHw8

[curtis73]

I didn't vote because the only experience I have with either brand is a set of nearly bald Falkens on my Impala SS. They do pretty well, but considering I bought them with the wheels and they were practically bald when I got them, I can't really help.

... And I won't laugh at your choice based on the ladies. Why do you think I put 20s on my Impala?

[curtis73]

I will add, however, there are plenty of brands in your size to consider. I usually spend a little more on tires since I've had some bad experiences with the budget budget tires. Toyo makes a very fine tire. Check out some prices on their Proxes lines. They're big with the autocross crowd so they are known for performance. All the Toyos I had were great tires. All of the high-performance tires will be a little noisier and I found the Toyos to be in the middle on noise (way quieter than my Kumho Ecstas) and a little nicer on the ride than most.

[knightjp]

Like I've said before, you can find bad reviews even on the most reputed performance tires on the market. Granted that the bad reviews are few and far in between; but I chose to go via the ladies, 'cos I didn't know better. I must say that by reading up online though, I am getting to know the subject better on the technical side instead of just the skirt side...

From what I'm reading, Hankook is building a reputation and there are the few who trust in the brand and to be honest there are more better reviews on the Falkens I currently have.
Damn! Why do those Hankook ladies have to be so gorgeous....

Anyways, I would say that I've pretty much chosen the Hankooks. I can say that the skirts are very influencial, but not the only reason I chose them...

[knightjp]

Called up the local dealers to get an estimate on the cost of a set of tyres.
After taking down the size, they said that they have just one type with K114 thread pattern.
The sales person on the phone didn't know whether they were Optimos or Ventus.
She just said to check online for the K114 thread pattern and I should find it if I wanted technical details.
I did and two results came out. Hankook Ventus Me01 and Hankook Optima Me01.
The tyre seems to one specially launched for the middle eastern sector and it was launched during the Dubai Motor Show in 2009.
That and the fact that the thread pattern is K114, are so far the only details I can get for the moment.

There are other dealers I could talk to and see if I can get better information, but it appears that ME01 doesn't show up on the Hankook site so I'm not sure if this model is specific to this region...
Does anyone here have any idea where I can get more info on this???

[knightjp]

Ever heard the term "Sex sells"...
Used by a lot of advertising agencies.... I guess Hankook took it to heart...

Here's more pictures of the ladies.....

[knightjp]

OK... I think I've made up my mind to purchase nothing but Hankook from now on......

[knightjp]

Here are photos of some other tire models....

[knightjp]

I surprised there haven't been any replies after the latest posts... Probably rendered speechless from the pics....