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Home Health Noise Pollution

The Price of Quiet Driving – A Noise Study of 35 Passenger Cars

Magnus Kähler by Magnus Kähler
August 3, 2013 - Updated on October 29, 2015
in Noise Pollution, Quiet Cars
Reading Time: 4 mins read
102
Lexus LS 600h - The Quietest Passenger Car in the World
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Lexus LS 600h - The Quietest Passenger Car in the World

What is the cost of experiencing a quiet driving experience? That question was posed when Swedish automotive magazine Vi Bilägare conducted a thorough measurement of the noise level at different speeds in 35 different passenger cars.

When speaking of noise inside the cabin of the car, there are three main types: road noise, wind noise and engine noise.

The test by Vi Bilägare was conducted on Swedish roads, which may well be the noisiest in the ‘developed world’. The rough asphalt used in Sweden is merciless on passenger cars, which are often poorly isolated. The result is pretty fierce road noise – the roughness of the asphalt creates vibrations that, via the wheels, are transported into the chassis, producing a low-frequency road noise. As stated by Vi Bilägare, this type of noise is the most treacherous since its monotonous sound makes drivers tired and dangerous drivers.

Automotive journalists Mikael Schultz and Erik Rönnblom spent a few days in the summer of 2008, measuring the cabin noise in 35 different vehicles. They collected more than 600 sound measurements via a professional decibel meter and then created a noise index.

The test crystallized a clear winner. Luxury car Lexus LS 600h had, by far, the lowest noise rating. It was the quietest car at all speeds measured; 50, 70, 90 and 110 kilometers per hour. Lexus thereby proves that it’s possible to drastically reduce the cabin noise – granted, this is a vehicle with a price tag of around 180 000 USD. Hence, quiet, comfortable driving comes at a steep price.

See below the top 10 quietest and loudest vehicles respectively when driven on rough Swedish asphalt. This is just the directional top-line results measured at 90 kilometers per hour. In order to really understand the individual decibel ratings, it is also relevant to look at the tire size and specific tire model used on each car that was part of the test. Merely changing to a different tire size and model can make a big difference in terms of road noise.

Top 10 Quietest Cars

Lexus LS 600h                   65.9 dBA
Mercedes S-class               68.7
BMW 5-series                     69.1
Volvo V70                            69.5
Renault Mègane                 69.6
Audi A6                                 69.9
Volvo S80                            70.6
VW Tiguan                          70.7
Toyota Prius                        71.3
VW Passat                           71.4

An interesting finding above is that the Volvo V70 Station Wagon was found to be quieter than the Volvo S80 Sedan – two cars that are built on the exact same technical platform. Traditionally, it has been said that the acoustics of the larger space at the back of a Station Wagon makes it noisier than a Sedan. But as can be seen in this case, that general rule of thumb wasn’t valid. Hence, if you really want a versatile Station Wagon with large boot space, yet wish for the car to be quiet, test drive a selection of cars and compare Station Wagons vs. Sedans to see which are noisier.

Top 10 Noisiest Cars

Citroën C1                             77.4
Nissan 350Z                        76.8
Ford Focus/Opel Astra     75.2
Skoda Fabia                         74.5
Toyota Auris                        74.4
Skoda Octavia                     74.1
Kia Cee´d 5d                        74.0
VW Golf                                73.9
Kia Cee´d SW                      73.8
Peugeot 308                         73.7

As can be concluded from the study, larger cars are generally substantially quieter than smaller ones. Driving around in a Citroën C1 with over 77 decibels at 90 km/h must be a rather painful experience. For those who are used to turning up the music to drown out the noise may not pay much attention to it. But it is a fact that increasing numbers of drivers are reacting negatively towards cabin noise, considering noise as a key parameter when buying a car.

The automotive industry should start paying more attention to acoustics to provide a more comfortable driving experience to the masses of people who crave smooth and relaxing car journeys that have them feeling refreshed upon arriving. It doesn’t cut it that you have to be wealthy enough to get a Lexus LS 600h in order to enjoy quiet motoring.

Do you agree? Which car do you currently drive – do you find it noisy or quiet? Please, comment below.

If you’re on the look-out for a quiet car, also check out our guide to getting a quiet car.

To learn more about cars and sound/noise, get your copy of the Quiet Cars eBook – Your Guide to a Quieter Ride – plus join the Quiet Cars online community.

Image: Lexus

Tags: automotive industrydecibel meterengine noiseLexus LS 600hMercedes S Classnoise measurementnoisy carsnoisy roadsquiet carsroad noisesound measurementsound meterVolvo V70wind noise
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Magnus Kähler

Magnus Kähler

Swedish founder of Elevating Sound - Your Sound Guide to a Sound World. I have set out to inform and educate about progressive sound thinking, leading sound innovations and issues around noise in society.If you wish to support the initiative and help Elevating Sound increase its impact, please CLICK HERE to become a patron.

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Comments 102

  1. John P says:
    8 years ago

    I have a 2010 Nissan Versa Hatchback and measured the interior noise at aprox. 85dB while driving 75Mph on a recent road trip. Min (dB): 82.1, Max (dB): 92.8, Peak (dB): 100.9, Leq (dB): 86.8

    That’s loud enough to cause hearing damage over a four hour trip.

    Reply
  2. Ibrahim Yousif says:
    9 years ago

    First of all, Thank you for this thread I enjoyed reading it. And yes I do Agree with it. I currently drive a 2008 Mercedes C300. it’s very quite but I still want it quieter. I wanted to buy a 2016 C300 I took it on a test drive and the road noise was very bad made me keep hanging with my 2008 c300 instead. Run flat tires increase the road noise so much. I’m still searching for a quieter car and that was the reason to come here and read this

    Reply
  3. Pingback: Make Your Drive Cleaner, Safer and Prettier — Custom Carpters for Your Car | 1302 Super
  4. Magnus Kahler says:
    10 years ago

    Thanks for all engaging comments on this post! I’m excited to announce that I am about to launch an eBook about Quiet Cars accompanied by an exclusive Facebook-based online community. The Quiet Cars community will be a great place for anyone interested in cars and sound/noise to share thoughts and insights with like-minded individuals worldwide. Get the eBook and join the community here: http://gum.co/quietcars

    Reply
  5. Derek Weinrich says:
    10 years ago

    I actually drive a Nissan 350Z. I’ve driven it for 5 years with many 500 mile trips. Last year I bought a 1997 BMW 740iL as a winter car and am astonished how quiet it is on the highway during trips! I can actually whisper to my passengers at 70 mph! Every time I return from a trip in it, I cannot stand to take my 350Z on the highway even for a minute, the road noise is SO BAD I cannot focus on my audio CDs! I am currently looking into putting dynamat below the carpet in the cockpit, trunk and in the doors. People on the forums say it really reduces the decibils at highway speed. I didn’t realize until now my 350Z is the 2nd noisiest vehicle (in the test)!

    Reply
  6. stuart thomson says:
    10 years ago

    Hi All
    I live in Central Scotland and the quality of the road surfaces poor, I have two Skoda’s 2009 Octavia estate 1.8tsi which is not quiet on rough road surfaces I purchased a set of Dunlop tires which should have been the quietest in reviews not made any difference
    2013 1.6 Greenline diesel Yeti I purchased a sound insulation kit and fitted it. It has made a difference its quieter than the octavia but not ideal
    I have test driven a few new cars to find quieter ones new Golf quieter , Audi A6 allroad nice and quiet but out of my price range
    I have taken out the new skoda Octavia and its not any quieter than mine which I’m very disappointed about and have said to Skoda Uk they don’t seem bothered I really rate the Skoda’s but I won’t be buying another until they address the noise issue
    Cheers
    Stuart

    Reply
    • Ed says:
      9 years ago

      I had 2007 Octavia RS with TFSI petrol engine and found road noise on coarse surfaces very high. What I did is straipped down all interior and used fleece insulation wherenever possible. It did help me a lot of course it is nowhere near BMW 7 quiet but it made huge difference.

      Reply
  7. Ronald Ouellette says:
    10 years ago

    Keep this forum alive- it is a worthy subject with too little attention, and the manufacturers need to know people are paying attention. There are remedies manufacturers can take that would pay big dividends yet would not increase cost of production all that much, like acoustic foam in the right places. But there is little incentive for them to do so because many people would not buy a high-end car if they could get a mid-level car that was just as quiet.

    I had a 92 Audi 100 that was so quiet it was like driving an electric vehicle. This was due to a combination of factors including tight-fitting double door and window gaskets, normal profile 60 series tires, a vibration damping flywheel, and double walled exhaust pipes.

    But one day I had to lift some carpeting to route a few wires and was amazed to find the entire floor and transmission tunnel covered with tightly fitting neoprene (think wetsuit) about a half inch thick. This car was so quiet you could floor it at 40 mph and bring it up to 80 in a few seconds and hear nothing at all. Neoprene may be too costly for manufacturers to install in a cheap car, but there must be something similar they could do. But the problem is that such improvements are hidden and not conducive to marketing unless the manufacturers know we are paying attention to the RESULTS- noise reduction.

    Reply
    • ReasonedOpinion says:
      10 years ago

      I agree. My current objective is to find a really quiet car for the looong journeys I frequently make. 1000km in a day.
      I need quiet at a reasonable price, don’t really care about cornering/handling on the twisties since 99% of my driving is not a “race”, but rather about getting there quietly, comfortably and unstressed. Currently looking at Chevrolet Impala. Will be looking at high profile tires.

      Reply
    • Magnus Kahler says:
      10 years ago

      Hi Ronald, thanks for sharing! I would love to build a community around this topic to spread knowledge and put more attention on cabin noise. I intend to continue with this site in a more active fashion moving forward, but I have now also decided to launch an eBook on Quiet Cars plus form a Facebook-based Quiet Cars community to make discussions more dynamic and interactive. If you’re interested, get the eBook and join the community here: http://gum.co/quietcars

      Reply
  8. Rob says:
    10 years ago

    My 2013 VW Jetta is quieter than the VW Passat, they should have tested it, I have no wind noise, and the road noise is very low also. The VW Passat has known annoying wind noise. The jetta is one of the quietest cars for the price I think, and I’m very picky about noise.

    Reply
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  10. Arne Svendsen says:
    10 years ago

    A quiet driving experience and good suspension are the two most important qualities of a car. Who wants to listen to wind noise and feel every bump in the road. I dont understand how this can be so hard to understand for the automotive industry. Just isolate those cars for god sake.

    Reply
    • Magnus Kahler says:
      10 years ago

      Arne, I fully agree with you. Quiet value propositions are on the rise in numerous different product categories and I’m hoping it will soon reach the car industry as well. There is a sizable crowd of car owners who would love a nice and quiet ride in all price segments.

      Reply
  11. Pingback: 7 seater cars - Dnews
  12. Worto says:
    10 years ago

    I agree with pdxpaul: we need quiet cars to deal with Oregon’s poor road surfaces. Too many folks are using studded tires when they don’t need them, damaging the roads.
    I would love to find a quiet mid or small car. Things have gotten way out of control with the wagon wheel/thin tire fad. No one ever approaches the traction limits of even a 60 profile tire, so who needs a 50? We’re not driving on race tracks.

    Reply
    • Magnus Kahler says:
      10 years ago

      Thanks for your comment! It seems that the roads in the northwestern part of the US share similarities with the rough road surfaces in Sweden. Agree, it’s hard to understand why the automotive media focuses so much on the handling of cars driven at high speeds in steep curves as if driving on race tracks.

      Reply
  13. Justme says:
    10 years ago

    How can VW Golf be on the most noisiest list, it is supposed to be one of the most quiet cars out there?

    Reply
    • Magnus Kahler says:
      10 years ago

      I have never perceived the VW Golf as one of the most quiet cars out there. Where do you live? Has that image been built through the Volkswagen advertising? Although, in its sub-category the Golf is probably doing quite well.

      Reply
      • Justme says:
        10 years ago

        I have driven VW Tiguan (2007 and 2010) and have found it capable of luxury quietness given the right conditions and tire selection. Based on many reviews the VW Golf (well, any recent one say 2010 onwards) is almost always described as very well insulated with very little noise. But I guess that is a relative sub-category thing, then. I must take both a Renault Megane and a VW Golf for a test drive to compare… I was not aware that the Megane excels in quietness and always assumed quietness was a VW Golf specialty for smaller cars. Thank you for this very interesting article!

        Reply
    • Sean says:
      9 years ago

      I had a 2009 Golf GTI and the road noise was so bad I drove around with ear plugs. Easy for me to believe it is one of the noisiest.

      Reply
  14. Russell Rutter says:
    11 years ago

    Buick Lacrosse is up there in ratings according to edmunds and the cars you tested.

    Reply
    • Magnus Kahler says:
      10 years ago

      Yeah, I have read in numerous places that Buick is a brand that offers fairly quiet vehicles. I have yet to test drive one of the Buicks myself. Do you own a Buick Lacrosse?

      Reply
      • Russ says:
        10 years ago

        yes i own a 2014 model.
        I bought it because of how quiet it was.

        Reply
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