Falken ZIEX ZE912 in 195/60 R14 on our Getz 1.3

Nikhilb2008 · 25th January 2010, 22:58

Well, this is my review of the Falken tyre.

We bought the Getz in 2008 for my mom. It still is my mom's car. There are a few occassions when I get to drive it and enjoy it if it involves long distance highway driving. It's a pain in the traffic. Will explain later. We immediately changed to 14" Aura alloys and 195/60 R14 Falken ZIEX ZE 912 tyres.

It's covered 14890 kms as of today and I've driven this car extensively. City, highway, hard cornering and I thought it's time to heap praise on a poor, unappreciated piece of rubber!

The tyre looks like this. It's got an asymmetrical design and I love the pattern. The feel of the tyre when it's new is also very nice. Exactly like a Michelin. It's got a very high end feel to it. I cant describe it in words. People who have experienced the feel of a Michelin and then compared it with a Bridgestone, Goodyear, even a Yoko will understand.

It has that smooth feel even after almost 15,000 kms.

Falken ZIEX ZE912 in 195/60 R14 on our Getz 1.3-ziexze912.jpg

Falken ZIEX ZE912 in 195/60 R14 on our Getz 1.3-falken_ze912.88205423.jpg

These are pics of our car with alloys. I think it looks really fantastic! These black magic alloys were stunning looking alloys. Almost two years and the finish on them is EXACTLY like how it was on day one. This is why I say Aura's quality is unmatched by most alloy wheel manufacturers!

In our car, the red goes superbly with the alloys.

Falken ZIEX ZE912 in 195/60 R14 on our Getz 1.3-image1037.jpg

Falken ZIEX ZE912 in 195/60 R14 on our Getz 1.3-image1039.jpg

Falken ZIEX ZE912 in 195/60 R14 on our Getz 1.3-image1040.jpg

Falken ZIEX ZE912 in 195/60 R14 on our Getz 1.3-image1041.jpg

This car was bought and fitted with the tyres before I got into the business! So, I was like a total noobie. I wanted a red Getz as the red was a brilliant vibrant red. Thankfully, my parents agreed. Then, my dad brought home two different alloy wheels to take our opinion. We agreed on this particular model and the next day, everything was fitted.

I didnt know, nor did I care which tyre was installed and what size! It was only many months later that I actually got interested!

Anyway, coming to the tyre.

The ZE912 is marketed and sold as a mid-high end tyre. It's priced very well when compared to bigger brands like Michelin. The ZE912 is the highest selling tyre for Falken in India. Not only in India, but even outside India. This tyre is made in the Stamford Tyre factory outside Bangkok in Thailand.

Basically Sumitomo Rubber Corporation own the Falken company. SRC has an agreement with Stamford Tyres of Thailand. Stamford Tyres have the rights to the Falken brand name in a few countries like Thailand, India, etc. Also, SRC has tied up with Stamford to manufacture the tyres in Thailand.

In India, the Falken tyres are marketed and sold by the Stamford Tyres India Pvt Ltd. So, we get the ZE912s made in their Thailand factory. I've visited their factory and it is completely modern. As an outsider, I obviously couldnt take pics and being my first visit to a tyre factory had nothing in my mind to compare it to. But with my limited knowledge, I could gather that this was a very high tech operation.

Hardly 10 people inside the factory. Usually tyres are made in two halves and then the two halves are joined together. This ZE912 is made by a different process where the entire tyre is made in one shot. This feature is touted a lot by the company.

However, now, with my slightly increased knowledge, I can say that this is not the only reason for the tyre being this good. It is also due to the tyre compound.

The sidewall of the tyre is pretty soft. You can feel the softness when you apply pressure on the sidewall. However, the 195/60 is reasonably high profile and we have never had any sidewall bulge or anything. It also helps that this car isnt used much on the highways.

The tyre is extremely comfortable. Inspite of upsizing from 13" to 14", the ride quality is really good. It is also extremely silent. Even at 120kmph, the engine makes more noise even in 5th gear. It's really silent.

The Getz that we have is the top end version. Comes with ABS(no EBD or Airbags though). I have never felt the ABS kick in with these tyres. And trust me, I've tried! In wet and dry conditions. The braking is absolutely superb. ZERO complaints there.

The cornering is something I hadnt tried very aggressively until a few weeks ago and again today. It is very very good. Much better than any XM1+ or BS. The steering feedback is also fantastic! The steering feels perfectly weighted(as much as possible given that it is still a Getz). When you are pushing hard, you can push confidently. You feel connected to the tyres.

The tyres squeal when pushed really hard, but they dont lose grip. I've pushed hard enough to make the NHC with AD07s slide, but I havent managed to make the Getz with the ZE912s slide yet. Of course, I've driven a lot more in the Vtec and I've pushed it much harder than I've pushed the Getz, but every time I corner harder and harder on the Getz, I'm pleasantly surprised.

This tyre has incredible amounts of grip and most normal people on our roads will not be able to break it unless you try to take a 180 degree tightening curve at 80kmph and above!!!

The only thing which I dont like about the car is that the upsize from 155 to 195 section tyres has resulted in a massive drop in low end torque. This makes it a pain in city traffic. Also, the engine in this is rubbish. It doesnt have any power in 1st gear and once you shift to 2nd, there is no torque in the lower rpms. You need to keep shifting and it's a pain. The NHC or even the Santro on the other hand are so much better in the city. The gearbox is also not the best. It's very rubbery. Initially I loved it as it was so smooth and light. But now, with the driving experiences of more cars under my belt, I dont like it. It's too smooth and doesnt click into place like the NHC or the Mitsubishis.

Now, I dont have any bad thing to say about this tyre from my personal experience, but since a lot of people ask me for my opinions on various tyres and being in the business, it's my moral right to reveal that these ZE 912s have had a few sidewall bulges. All on customer cars. In ALL these cases it is due to an external hit, but these are not as rugged as the Michelin XM1+s and the Bridgestones.

However, our car also has been driven in the same Bangalore that we share with all our customers and we havent had a single problem. I have always said that imported high end tyres need to be treated with some TLC. I stand by my words.

All in all, this is a fantastic tyre in my experience. It is extremely comfortable, silent and grippy. Highly recommended. Just dont expect it to stand upto driving over potholes at high speed like MRFs and Bridgestones!

black12rr · 25th January 2010, 23:58

Nice alloys and nice rubbers too.

BTW did you get wheel balancing and alignment done after the upgrade ?. if not you should .

. How much per tyre ?

Nikhilb2008 · 26th January 2010, 11:03

I got all that done free!

This is around 4k per tyre.

Jaggu · 26th January 2010, 15:32

What are the other size options with this model?

Nikhilb2008 · 26th January 2010, 16:54

Many many upsizes in 12", 13", 14" and 15". 195/60 R14, 185/60 R14, 175/60 R14, 175/60 R13, 165/60 R12, 165/60 R13, 185/60 R13, 205/65 R15, 205/55 R16, 195/60 R15, 195/55 R15, etc...

mtnrajdeep · 12th February 2010, 17:57

Is 195/65 R14 available in this tyre model?

PatienceWins · 15th February 2010, 11:51

Is 185/65 R14 available in this model?

Nikhilb2008 · 15th February 2010, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtnrajdeep

Is 195/65 R14 available in this tyre model?

Yes. It comes in this size as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

Is 185/65 R14 available in this model?

Yes. It is easily available in that size. 185/65 R14 is a fast moving size.

anachronix · 15th February 2010, 14:23

Anything for 195/55 R15

Nikhilb2008 · 15th February 2010, 14:39

Yes. Available.

However, I have better news for you....

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ml#post1733476

Nikhilb2008 · 6th August 2010, 23:54

Time for some nice updates.

The getz has been mine for the past week and a half. I've driven around 500 kms in this time and am having a blast! No thanks to the pathetic engine. But the tyres are FANTASTIC! It takes a lot of effort to get them to squeal. They grip beautifully.

Corners can be taken at any speed and the tyres just cope. No drama, no fuss, just a little bit of tyre squeal. And the tyres are DEAD Silent even at 150 kmph.

I've been doing a lot of high speed driving on the Electronic City expressway and I absolutely LOVE the way these tyres hold the road. I tried some highway driving and even at 160 kmph, the car was dead steady and the tyres were silent!

I was driving at 120kmph in the wet another time and the confidence these tyres inspired was simply phenomenal.

I have no hesitation in saying that these tyres are currently my second choice after the Advan Neovas. If only the availability was better! :(

the only gripe is the short life. The car has done about 19k kms and the tyres look like they have less than half their usable life left.

Absolutely FANTASTIC tyres. Their pricing is also very neat. Always cheaper than the Michelins and Continentals and priced on par with the mainstream Yokohamas but significantly better.

Akshay1234 · 7th August 2010, 00:10

The tread looks very similar to the Advan Sport's tread. Probably that is why it has some qualities of the Advan Sport. BTW are these available in 225/50 r17?

Nikhilb2008 · 7th August 2010, 11:02

Should be. Am not too sure. Their warehouse is in Bombay only. You should be able to source some tyres if they are available in that size easily.

tsk13 · 8th August 2010, 17:44

Nikhil, are Falkens officially available in in India or all are personal imports?

Nikhilb2008 · 8th August 2010, 20:55

They are all legal imports. If they werent, you wouldnt have found them on my car!

25th January 2010, 22:58	#1
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	Falken ZIEX ZE912 in 195/60 R14 on our Getz 1.3 Well, this is my review of the Falken tyre. We bought the Getz in 2008 for my mom. It still is my mom's car. There are a few occassions when I get to drive it and enjoy it if it involves long distance highway driving. It's a pain in the traffic. Will explain later. We immediately changed to 14" Aura alloys and 195/60 R14 Falken ZIEX ZE 912 tyres. It's covered 14890 kms as of today and I've driven this car extensively. City, highway, hard cornering and I thought it's time to heap praise on a poor, unappreciated piece of rubber! The tyre looks like this. It's got an asymmetrical design and I love the pattern. The feel of the tyre when it's new is also very nice. Exactly like a Michelin. It's got a very high end feel to it. I cant describe it in words. People who have experienced the feel of a Michelin and then compared it with a Bridgestone, Goodyear, even a Yoko will understand. It has that smooth feel even after almost 15,000 kms. These are pics of our car with alloys. I think it looks really fantastic! These black magic alloys were stunning looking alloys. Almost two years and the finish on them is EXACTLY like how it was on day one. This is why I say Aura's quality is unmatched by most alloy wheel manufacturers! In our car, the red goes superbly with the alloys. This car was bought and fitted with the tyres before I got into the business! So, I was like a total noobie. I wanted a red Getz as the red was a brilliant vibrant red. Thankfully, my parents agreed. Then, my dad brought home two different alloy wheels to take our opinion. We agreed on this particular model and the next day, everything was fitted. I didnt know, nor did I care which tyre was installed and what size! It was only many months later that I actually got interested! Anyway, coming to the tyre. The ZE912 is marketed and sold as a mid-high end tyre. It's priced very well when compared to bigger brands like Michelin. The ZE912 is the highest selling tyre for Falken in India. Not only in India, but even outside India. This tyre is made in the Stamford Tyre factory outside Bangkok in Thailand. Basically Sumitomo Rubber Corporation own the Falken company. SRC has an agreement with Stamford Tyres of Thailand. Stamford Tyres have the rights to the Falken brand name in a few countries like Thailand, India, etc. Also, SRC has tied up with Stamford to manufacture the tyres in Thailand. In India, the Falken tyres are marketed and sold by the Stamford Tyres India Pvt Ltd. So, we get the ZE912s made in their Thailand factory. I've visited their factory and it is completely modern. As an outsider, I obviously couldnt take pics and being my first visit to a tyre factory had nothing in my mind to compare it to. But with my limited knowledge, I could gather that this was a very high tech operation. Hardly 10 people inside the factory. Usually tyres are made in two halves and then the two halves are joined together. This ZE912 is made by a different process where the entire tyre is made in one shot. This feature is touted a lot by the company. However, now, with my slightly increased knowledge, I can say that this is not the only reason for the tyre being this good. It is also due to the tyre compound. The sidewall of the tyre is pretty soft. You can feel the softness when you apply pressure on the sidewall. However, the 195/60 is reasonably high profile and we have never had any sidewall bulge or anything. It also helps that this car isnt used much on the highways. The tyre is extremely comfortable. Inspite of upsizing from 13" to 14", the ride quality is really good. It is also extremely silent. Even at 120kmph, the engine makes more noise even in 5th gear. It's really silent. The Getz that we have is the top end version. Comes with ABS(no EBD or Airbags though). I have never felt the ABS kick in with these tyres. And trust me, I've tried! In wet and dry conditions. The braking is absolutely superb. ZERO complaints there. The cornering is something I hadnt tried very aggressively until a few weeks ago and again today. It is very very good. Much better than any XM1+ or BS. The steering feedback is also fantastic! The steering feels perfectly weighted(as much as possible given that it is still a Getz). When you are pushing hard, you can push confidently. You feel connected to the tyres. The tyres squeal when pushed really hard, but they dont lose grip. I've pushed hard enough to make the NHC with AD07s slide, but I havent managed to make the Getz with the ZE912s slide yet. Of course, I've driven a lot more in the Vtec and I've pushed it much harder than I've pushed the Getz, but every time I corner harder and harder on the Getz, I'm pleasantly surprised. This tyre has incredible amounts of grip and most normal people on our roads will not be able to break it unless you try to take a 180 degree tightening curve at 80kmph and above!!! The only thing which I dont like about the car is that the upsize from 155 to 195 section tyres has resulted in a massive drop in low end torque. This makes it a pain in city traffic. Also, the engine in this is rubbish. It doesnt have any power in 1st gear and once you shift to 2nd, there is no torque in the lower rpms. You need to keep shifting and it's a pain. The NHC or even the Santro on the other hand are so much better in the city. The gearbox is also not the best. It's very rubbery. Initially I loved it as it was so smooth and light. But now, with the driving experiences of more cars under my belt, I dont like it. It's too smooth and doesnt click into place like the NHC or the Mitsubishis. Now, I dont have any bad thing to say about this tyre from my personal experience, but since a lot of people ask me for my opinions on various tyres and being in the business, it's my moral right to reveal that these ZE 912s have had a few sidewall bulges. All on customer cars. In ALL these cases it is due to an external hit, but these are not as rugged as the Michelin XM1+s and the Bridgestones. However, our car also has been driven in the same Bangalore that we share with all our customers and we havent had a single problem. I have always said that imported high end tyres need to be treated with some TLC. I stand by my words. All in all, this is a fantastic tyre in my experience. It is extremely comfortable, silent and grippy. Highly recommended. Just dont expect it to stand upto driving over potholes at high speed like MRFs and Bridgestones!
	(1) Thanks

25th January 2010, 23:58	#2
black12rr Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ridin earth now Posts: 1,278 Thanked: 339 Times	Nice alloys and nice rubbers too. BTW did you get wheel balancing and alignment done after the upgrade ?. if not you should . . How much per tyre ? Last edited by black12rr : 26th January 2010 at 00:01.
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 11:03	#3
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	I got all that done free! This is around 4k per tyre.
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 15:32	#4
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,907 Times	What are the other size options with this model?
	() Thanks

26th January 2010, 16:54	#5
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	Many many upsizes in 12", 13", 14" and 15". 195/60 R14, 185/60 R14, 175/60 R14, 175/60 R13, 165/60 R12, 165/60 R13, 185/60 R13, 205/65 R15, 205/55 R16, 195/60 R15, 195/55 R15, etc...
	() Thanks

12th February 2010, 17:57	#6
mtnrajdeep BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 904 Thanked: 338 Times View My Garage	Is 195/65 R14 available in this tyre model?
	() Thanks

15th February 2010, 11:51	#7
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,416 Thanked: 807 Times View My Garage	Is 185/65 R14 available in this model?
	() Thanks

15th February 2010, 14:23	#9
anachronix Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Madras Posts: 3,286 Thanked: 1,336 Times View My Garage	Anything for 195/55 R15
	() Thanks

15th February 2010, 14:39	#10
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	Yes. Available. However, I have better news for you.... http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ml#post1733476
	() Thanks

6th August 2010, 23:54	#11
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	Time for some nice updates. The getz has been mine for the past week and a half. I've driven around 500 kms in this time and am having a blast! No thanks to the pathetic engine. But the tyres are FANTASTIC! It takes a lot of effort to get them to squeal. They grip beautifully. Corners can be taken at any speed and the tyres just cope. No drama, no fuss, just a little bit of tyre squeal. And the tyres are DEAD Silent even at 150 kmph. I've been doing a lot of high speed driving on the Electronic City expressway and I absolutely LOVE the way these tyres hold the road. I tried some highway driving and even at 160 kmph, the car was dead steady and the tyres were silent! I was driving at 120kmph in the wet another time and the confidence these tyres inspired was simply phenomenal. I have no hesitation in saying that these tyres are currently my second choice after the Advan Neovas. If only the availability was better! :( the only gripe is the short life. The car has done about 19k kms and the tyres look like they have less than half their usable life left. Absolutely FANTASTIC tyres. Their pricing is also very neat. Always cheaper than the Michelins and Continentals and priced on par with the mainstream Yokohamas but significantly better.
	() Thanks

7th August 2010, 00:10	#12
Akshay1234 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 10,265 Thanked: 12,317 Times	The tread looks very similar to the Advan Sport's tread. Probably that is why it has some qualities of the Advan Sport. BTW are these available in 225/50 r17?
	() Thanks

7th August 2010, 11:02	#13
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	Should be. Am not too sure. Their warehouse is in Bombay only. You should be able to source some tyres if they are available in that size easily.
	() Thanks

8th August 2010, 17:44	#14
tsk13 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 1,256 Thanked: 361 Times	Nikhil, are Falkens officially available in in India or all are personal imports?
	() Thanks

8th August 2010, 20:55	#15
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	They are all legal imports. If they werent, you wouldnt have found them on my car!
	() Thanks