[carpetflyer88]

I recently purchased my Prelude a few months ago. Believe it or not, it still had the original Bridgestone tires that originally came with the car all the way back in 2000! The car has been in a garage almost all of its life and only has about ~50k on it and it actually still had about 20% tread left. But the tires were starting to crack from old age causing slow leaks so I knew I had to replace them ASAP. Anyway,I decided to go for ultra performance all season tires, which offer the best handling, acceleration, and braking without having to get a separate set of summer/winter tires.

After researching several sites, it seemed that the top performing tire in this category is the French manufactured Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. It had beat out ultra performance all season tires from other top brands such as Bridgestones, Continental, and Pirelli (https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=230). It also has great reviews from owners. Only drawback I found was the price. They sell for about $130 up to $160 a tire. This price doesn't include taxes, shipping and installation costs. This means if I wanted the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, I'd likely have to pay at least $600 installed.

So, I wanted to find better priced alternatives. After searching and searching, I found these Falken Azenis FK450 All season. They are in the same ultra high performance category as the Michelins. They have the same speed rating, W, and same tread and traction grade (500 AA). Falken's treadlife warranty is for 50,000mi. Michelin's are for 45,000mi. They are also made in Japan, not some suspect Chinese manufactured tire. What really got my attention, was that they have a nearly identical tread pattern as the Michelin's. Take a look:

I got these Falken's on a promotion for $67 a tire!!!! This price included tax and shipping. I payed $64 at Costco to install them so my total for four new tires was $332. I think the Michelin Pilot Sport A/s 3+ are excellent tires but I believe they sell at a premium price because of the brand name. Of course, tread pattern doesn't tell the whole story. The rubber compound matters just as much and it's possible the Michelin's have a better compound. Do I think the Falken's are just as good? Probably not equally as good but they are very very comparable in performance for a lot less money. So I think they offer much better value.

On the road, they feel very grippy, very planted. The car accelerates and brakes better than it was before and the ride feels a lot smoother. Here are two more pics of the tires and one pic of the Falken's on my car:

Michelin's

Falken's

Falken's on my 2000 Prelude.

 

[leonsteed84]

I guess I really have to save up for a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. Based on your review, it is worth the price.