Falken Sincera SN828 Tire Review

The Falken Sincera SN828 is an all-season performance touring tire. However, it is replaced by the newer Sincera SN201 A/S and SN250 A/S respectively. So what’s the verdict? If you can get the Sincera SN828 at a much lower price than the newer SN201 and SN250, why not? If all you need is a decent set of all-terrain tires, it’s good to know the Sincera SN828 won’t let you down.

In this review of the Falken Sincera SN828, I will discuss how the tire performs compared to other cheap alternatives. But from the start, you can’t expect the old to outshine the new. If there’s any consideration in choosing an older or outdated tire model, it will have to be the price.

It’s true the Falken Sincera SN828 A/S will be sold at a lower price due to the introduction of the SN250 A/s a couple of years back. But like I said, if you simply want a good tire for your compact sedan or minivan, it’s hard to go wrong with the Falken name.

Falken Sincera SN828 A/S Review: Performance Tread

My single biggest gripe with the Falken Sincera SN828 has nothing to do with all-weather traction and grip. In fact, it offers good levels of wet and dry traction at slow to medium speeds, but I’ll talk more about that later.

In the meantime, the biggest complaint with the Sincera SN828 is the tire wear. This is surprising given the touring capabilities of the rubber. But it’s the truth. It’s not as bad as those cheap China-made tires, but it’s definitely not as good as the wear characteristics of the newer Sincera SN201 and SN250 A/S.

For this purpose, Falken was kind enough to give the Sincera SN828 with tire rotation indicators. The indicators are slight depressions on the face of the tread. If the indicators change their shape from a circle to a square, it means the tire only has 1/3 of the intended lifespan left in the tread. If you use your car regularly, this can happen sooner than later. But for the price, it’s hard to ignore the SN828, especially considering the modest level of performance.

But even though it’s an older tire, the Falken Sincera SN828 A/S is constructed from a silica-enriched rubber compound. This enables the rubber to deliver acceptable levels of traction and grip on all types of roads, including wet or snowy pavements. The symmetrical tread design is combined with chunky shoulder blocks to improve steering and handling.

And since the Sincera SN828 A/S is primarily conceived to be a touring tire, it is also equipped with a five-phase pitch variation tread design to deliver a quieter and smoother ride.

Tire Review in Different Conditions

Let’s see how the tires will perform under various driving conditions.

Dry Handling

At low to medium speeds the Falken Sincera SN828 felt marginally capable over dry roads. But as the speed increases, the tires felt they were hunting for traction as I sped on dry roads peppered with light dust and sand.

 Of course, it is foolish to expect sporty handling from an all-season tire (and an outdated one at that). So if you have a sporty car or if you like to drive fast, it is better to get yourself a proper set of performance touring or ultra-high performance rubber. But for everyday city driving and short highway jaunts, the tires will be more than willing to oblige.

Wet Performance

The Falken Sincera SN828 felt a bit nervous as I cruised on long stretch of wet highway. I didn’t feel the tires were hydroplaning or aquaplaning, but it felt like it was trying desperately to keep the treads planted in the presence of small water puddles. The trick is to keep the speed down and you’re going to be fine. Again, if you like driving fast (even over wet roads or drenched highways), your car will feel more secure and stable with a set of high-performance tires.

Snow

The Falken Sincera SN828 had no problems dealing with very light snow, and I’m being super accurate here. When I say very light snow, I mean it. If the intent is to drive over snow-covered roads, you’re better off with snow tires. Braking also felt tricky as the tires had a tire time searching for grip over slippery and icy surfaces. In all honesty, both the newer Falken Sincera SN201 and SN250 A/S will feel more capable over light snow.

Comfort

This is the biggest attribute of the Falken Sincera SN828. Driving at medium speeds on the highway will make these tires grin from ear-to-ear. This is what the Sincera SN828 is designed to do. After all, we’re talking about a true touring tire. Again, the newer versions of the Sincera are better in this regard, but not by much. In terms of comfort, the Sincera SN828 is still top notch.

Handling and Noise

The handling characteristics are not as immediate or as sporty as I would like in an all-season tire. But for city driving or average commuting, the Falken Sincera SN828 offers terrific value. However, if you’re concerned about road noise, you better look elsewhere. It is probably one of the buzziest and noisiest tires in the segment, which is surprising given the comfort levels of the Sincera SN828. In this regard, the Sincera SN201 and SN250 is miles better. And it’s the same issue with tire wear, too.

You can see more Falken Sincera SN828 Review here: videos created by ReifenDirekt TV

The Bottom Line

If I were to choose an affordable all-season performance touring tire, I will seriously consider the Falken Sincera SN250 instead of the Sincera SN828. But as I previously mentioned above, it you can get the Sincera SN828 for a really low price, there’s no reason you should avoid doing so.

But if performance, comfort, road noise, and longer wear is your primary concern in a touring tire, I highly suggest you check out the Falken Sincera SN201 or Sincera SN250 A/S instead.