How quiet is the cabin at cruising speed?
 

I love the BRZ and can't wait to get one. :party0030: I am wondering from those that have driven one, how does the interior sound? I currently drive a Scion TC. This thing is a rattle trap. I hate it. My wife just got a 2012 Chevy Cruze, and by comparison the Cruze is dead silent at highway speeds. What should I expect from the BRZ?

I thought it was quite composed at highway speeds; a little wind and tire noise, but nothing too intrusive.

Good to know, thanks!

I was just researching this topic the other night, as I wanted to compare my current DD (2nd in the list) to BRZ.


CABIN SILENCE (according to Insideline):

Lexus IS 350 (2006):
Sound level @ idle (dB) 40
@ Full throttle (dB) 73
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 68

BMW 335i sedan (2007):
Sound level @ idle (dB) 46.9
@ Full throttle (dB) 76.3
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 62.5


BRZ Interior Sound Level (according to Car & Driver)

IDLE ....................................... 42 dBA
FULL THROTTLE ........................ 85 dBA
70-MPH CRUISING ..................... 73 dBA


Not bad I think. At 65 MPH in 335i, I could talk on the speaker phone via bluetooth without the other party noticing that I'm driving. I guess not with the BRZ. lol

Are these figures based on engine noise? I'd expect it to be quite high compared to luxury brands since the car is funneling engine noise into the cabin intentionally.. I'd be more concerned with wind and tire noise.

a good sound system would solve all of the above anyway?

Here's the source for the BRZ sound level (bottom 2nd page).

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...napoleon-1.pdf

Why take numbers from different magazine?


IL BRZ test:
Sound level @ idle (dB) 44.2
@ Full throttle (dB) 81.6
@ 70 mph cruise (dB) 69.0

And 1 dB is quite a bit more noise.

As for tire noise, I'd suppose the BRZ is more quiet with the 215/45/17 'grand touring summer' rated Michelin Primacy compared to my staggered RFTs (225/40/18, 255/35/18). Run flat tires are terribly harsh and noisy.

The BRZ has better aerodynamics and would beat the sedans hands down in that category.

So I think the BRZ's piped-in engine noise contributes to the majority of the 73 dB at 70 mph.

Those numbers would mean that it's as noisy on the interstate as my '03 WRX. It's not obnoxiously loud, but it will mean you'll need to turn the stereo up, and IMO it starts to get tiresome after about 30 minutes (I wear earplugs on extended drives). It will be ~50% noisier on the highway than your wife's Cruze.

I can't want to see a comparison where someone measures cabin noise and then removes that Bose-wave-radio-snorkel-dorkel coming off the inlet pipe and shows how much quieter it gets.

I personally don't need anything piped in to my cabin. If the car ain't good enough to hear on it's own, it ain't worth piping into the cabin. Same complaint with the new BMW M5 -- apparently it has some stereo integration to simulate engine sounds. What is the world coming to?

/Rant. :D

I think you have just given Lexus an idea to integrate engine-noise-cancelling-sound into their sound system.

The alternative would be to develop a valve that would be closed below a certain RPM or throttle position to block the noise, but open at higher RPMs or a wider throttle opening to allow the sound to come through.

Actually they've had active noise cancellation for a long time. Other makers too. Here's an illustration of the system in the Toyota Crown Hybrid (JDM).

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english...53489/ch33.jpg

PS: With all that leg room, nobody would mistake this for an FRS illustration! :lol:

Even Honda uses it with their VCM implementation. It makes for a seamless transition between 6 and 3/4-cylinder operation.

I prefer the German solution: woofers in the tailpipes.

http://www.eberspaecher.com/en/press...eries/419.html

Interesting. Did not know that. I can see how the change in sound would confuse a lot of people and they'd worry the car was malfunctioning. But it's still a little weird.

old greg, this is neat! The other stuff was more geared toward cabin noise but this one also makes a difference on the outside. I looked up some videos of it - very cool! It is said to save a little weight and also perform better (more free-flowing). That's cool.

Still, I bet it will be pricey to fix in 20 years. Less is more. I'm glad the FRS doesn't have stuff like this.

At least the Bose-wave-radio-snorkel-dorkel is a cheap plastic pipe that won't be hard to replace later on.

Well what else would you expect from an old German car? ;)

Good point. :bellyroll:

That's why we're both on the FT86Club.

I agree that, if you think weighted sound measurements are significant, you might as well use the same source. The Car and Driver manual test is 1 db louder than the 2012 Impreza manual at 70 MPH, and that car certainly doesn't seem quiet at interstate speeds in my opinion. The automatic would have lower engine RPMs at 70 MPH than the manual, but it would likely return a similar weighted sound measurement. Highway noise is largely subjective in my opinion, where two cars can measure similarly but give a different impression, and personally I expect with the extra 500-600 pounds of the Cruze they have tried to make the car seem quiet at highway speeds. I'm certainly not expecting the BRZ to be competitive with the Cruze for subjective highway noise.

The rep who was driving the car around New England said the car was very quiet inside. I'm not too worried about it. As long as it's quieter than the mid-engine cars I'm used to driving (not hard to do at all), I'll be fine. Sure it won't touch my Audi in terms of interior silence, but I don't want the car to weigh 3850lbs, either ;)

Don't expect this car to be quieter than a corolla, if close to that. I still don't see why people are expecting the car to be quiet, yet be as light weight as it is. Most luxury cars are quiet due to the added materials that also add weight. I have also read reviews that state there is plenty of wind noise, it is very common on these cars, and one of the biggest consumer complaints from cars in general.

Also, most people that want this car want the noise, otherwise I can't imagine any of them purchasing an exhaust system or intake for the "added HP" because there simply isn't enough gain to compensate for the added noise. In other words, most people that do these mods want the noise, or they simply believe the added noise = more performance.

I definitely agree with andcas7's logic. You can't get a light weight sports car and expect it to insulate you from sound the same way a luxury sedan does. It'd be like buying an Aston Martin and wondering why it doesn't shoot missiles and turn into a boat when you're close to water.

The BRZ is designed for one purpose, balance and back to basics sports car fun. Which, according to most of the reviews I've seen, it achieves in spades.

Wind noise is probably due in part to the frameless windows. I plan on removing the intake duct into the cabin and instead going with a slightly louder exhaust system.

All the reviews say the car is too quiet. It just needs a better exhaust system.

I hope there's a quick DIY fix for the pipes that funnel in engine noise into the cabin. If it's not an LFA I don't want any part of that.

I am with you, the LFA has the best engine and exhaust sound of any car. But the FRS\86\BRZ has one of the best sounding flat 4 bangers, it just does not have enough sound. But it is smooth. Somebody will come out with some good exhaust. It would have been cool if Yahama had tuned this car like they did the LFA. I think this is where Toyota\Subaru dropped the ball a bit...

Not trying to be a killjoy but I was inferring to having the ability to plug up that pipe. I'd rather have it quiet in the cabin.

I understand some folks want to hear the engine sound, probably why they build those pipes to begin with. All i'm asking is.. for those of us who do not want to hear it, I hope there's a way to plug it up. I thought I heard a rumor TRD was offering a way to do that via an accessory?

Hopefully some aftermarket company offers a way to easily remove the horrible idea, but judging by how many reviewers basically still complain the car doesn't sound cool, I can somehow understand why they did it. Clearly this is what the car needs:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYQVd6BJm2Q"]Instant Supercar Infomercial - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfFCPTeUJiU"]XLR8 Test Drive - YouTube[/ame]

FWIW, my one car is a Miata... according to R&T

Idle in neutral: 52
Maximum in 1st gear: 82
Constant 50mph: 74
Constant 70mph: 77


So the BRZ would be quieter than my Miata, but damn, one loses its top and the other doesn't.

IIRC Jack Hollis was quoted as saying that TRD would be releasing two filters: one would be suited to those who want more intake noise while the other would be for those who want quiet.