We've got a FWD model Passat, and we use Nokian Hakkapeliitas in the winter We went out on closed (snowed out) roads in southern Oregon We were passing snow plows and SUVs left and right Not even a bit of wheelspin, it was just like being on dry ground, only quieter 4motion is probably worth it in the northeast
I just went through the entire process of fitting 15X7 wheels on my '84 GTI. Many people on Vortex had concerns that this combination would be too tight of a fit with 205/50/15 tires (especially the Falken Azenis tires - as they are supposed to be wider at the shoulder than most). I have not had rubbing problems at the shock/ spring support or the wheel wells (except a little when hitting big ol' bumps... where the outside of the tire will slightly rub the fender - nothing to be too alarmed about... just don't hit em')
Well, I love my Falken Ziex 502s.....possibly one of the best "bang for the buck" tire out there.
I've had my Azenis Tires on now for about two weeks. THe biggest suprise was how quiet they are, at least new. They are much quieter than my nearly worn out Bridgestaone PP S-02's. They have turn in and grip much like my old G-Force T/A R1's (not quite, but close). They are quite good in the wet, although I'd avoid standing water at spead in any case. In street use, they've been grippy, silent, and predictable. They also pick up stones like an R-compound tire
The tires performed great! I'm not really used to autoxing a front drive car - I've been running a B-Stock Miata for a while now, and quickly forgot what an understeer battle it is - but it was clear that the Azenises are somewhere inbetween a street tire and a race tire. They seemed to like about 40 PSI in the front (they were rolling over with 38) and no matter how high the rear was (ended at 54 psi) I couldn't get the car to rotate.
In short, these are by far the stickiest street tires I have ever driven on. They are substantially better than the Kumho Ecsta 712s that I had before. They are also about 1/2" wider for the same section size. These feel more like R-compound tires than summer tires, in that they break away very slowly, and are nearly silent. Exit speed on my favorite off-ramp has increased by about 5 MPH compared to the Kumhos. Wet performance is about equal to the Kumhos. They are quiet on the highway, although very stiff.
Just in case any one is looking at four season tires look at the hakka NRW. Very similar to the hakka Q in tread design but a harder rubber.
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