Current and Previous gen owners - how bad is the road noise?

[dsc_pat]

Originally Posted by Daedex

So, not to resurrect this thread, but I have to share in my setup, its way worse in this model than last gens for my own car.

I owned a 2013 BRZ limited, 2017 BRZ w/ PP, and now the 2022 BRZ limited. Idk if my memory is foggy or the fact that turning "dirty thirty" in February made me more aware of nuances, but I swear this one is way louder. Specifically wheel noise coming from the rear quarter. Like, I enjoy the sounds and the feel of a "racecar", but it's so bad that cruising at 75-80 literally has the wheel equivalent of gnarly exhaust drone.

It's to the point that I am temped to gut the interior and install dynamat, or stinger roadkill, or some form of sound deadening in the cabin.

Anyone else experience this? Or am I just that lucky and got the lemon in the road noise category?

I feel the same. Coming from a 2015, a 2017 and now a 2022. Not terribly worst, but it is laughable to hear that it is quieter. It is quantitatively not. Back to back testing here, same everything.

[ATreiDes]

Originally Posted by Blighty

Are you able to post a video of it - We might be able to tell you if its just road noise or something else like unbalanced wheels.

Thanks for the reply. I can try and get a better camera/mic and try, but I have tried it with my phone once already, and it just doesn't have the depth to be able to pick it up, no matter how loud it is to my ears.

It is a sound I have never heard with a vehicle before, almost as if the tires are translating every bit of road noise directly up into the frame/pedals/steering wheel and making a metallic vibrating/humming sound.

I honestly just want to hear from someone else that has a similar issue so that I know it is normal/abnormal, then I can try things like tire balancing, new tires, etc.

I will try and get something to take a better video and post it.

Regards,
Atreides

[Rxgolf]

I am in the Toyota twin but imagine noise is about the same, and of course I wish it were quieter. As someone else stated earlier, I seem to adapt to the vehicle over time. In perspective to my 2018 2 door Rubicon on 35inch mud terrains, this one seems pretty dang good. If you jump out of the MB E class my wife prefers, this is noisy as hell.
I think what you come from has a lot to do with your noise perception.

[Robotaz]

Originally Posted by ATreiDes

Thanks for the reply. I can try and get a better camera/mic and try, but I have tried it with my phone once already, and it just doesn't have the depth to be able to pick it up, no matter how loud it is to my ears.

It is a sound I have never heard with a vehicle before, almost as if the tires are translating every bit of road noise directly up into the frame/pedals/steering wheel and making a metallic vibrating/humming sound.

I honestly just want to hear from someone else that has a similar issue so that I know it is normal/abnormal, then I can try things like tire balancing, new tires, etc.

I will try and get something to take a better video and post it.

Regards,
Atreides

The vibrating metallic sound. To me it’s like a slight howl and not at all “road noise” you get with rubber on asphalt.

I have a GR86 I’m struggling with. I bought it Friday and switched the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires to the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S hoping for a difference yesterday and nothing.

I’m getting a strange resonating howling sound I’ve never heard before. People are saying it’s tires, but I’m convinced it is resonating noise traveling through various metal components and concentrating in random areas where the frequencies are super positioning. My next step is to have a dealer confirm other cars do it and start sound deadening. I seriously doubt the whole car needs it. I’m starting with the easiest areas to hit in the front area and going from there. My noise seems to come from the front driver area. I’m starting there. Absorbing noise in some random metallic surfaces may just stop it. We shall see.

[azndavepgh]

Originally Posted by Robotaz

I have a GR86 I’m struggling with. I bought it Friday and switched the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires to the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S hoping for a difference yesterday and nothing.

Tire Rack gave the A/S a pretty low score for noise comfort:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=280

[Robotaz]

Originally Posted by azndavepgh

Tire Rack gave the A/S a pretty low score for noise comfort:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=280

Having driven the PS4 and the A/S back to back I can say there is very little if any difference in road noise. According to multiple sources, the Continental DWS 06+ is a lot better, but I’d be far, far more convinced if members here had any feedback. Reading about random cars and tire sizes is not a good way to figure out a solution on a specific car, although it’s better than nothing.

[indio22]

2014 BRZ owner here. I haven't found the vehicle overly noisy. But then, I come from a 4x4 background, including having driven a CJ-5 daily, sometimes wearing earplugs due to the noise level on longer trips, lol.

I drove the BRZ from Chicago to the U.P. Michigan last summer. And my son drove it 3000 miles or so, round trip from Chicago all around Colorado and back. None of us had any issues in terms of the BRZ noise. And that's with an aftermarket noisier exhaust.

If our BRZ was too noisy inside, my wife would complain about it, and she hasn't. So it can't be too bad. Other than on initial startup, the exhaust sound shakes the windows.

[AK2112]

Originally Posted by Robotaz

Having driven the PS4 and the A/S back to back I can say there is very little if any difference in road noise. According to multiple sources, the Continental DWS 06+ is a lot better, but I’d be far, far more convinced if members here had any feedback. Reading about random cars and tire sizes is not a good way to figure out a solution on a specific car, although it’s better than nothing.

I'm familiar with both the PSAS4 (had them on my Focus ST) and the DWS06+ (wife has them on her Mazda 3).

I never had a serious issue with the noise in the Michelins but that's because the Focus was a surprisingly quiet car. There were some pavement types that would make them sing, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

The Continentals are quieter and have a bit more of a plush ride. Are they so quiet that they'll be night and day better than the Michelins on your BRZ? I don't think it's that dramatic but it would be noticeable.

[Robotaz]

Originally Posted by AK2112

I'm familiar with both the PSAS4 (had them on my Focus ST) and the DWS06+ (wife has them on her Mazda 3).

I never had a serious issue with the noise in the Michelins but that's because the Focus was a surprisingly quiet car. There were some pavement types that would make them sing, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

The Continentals are quieter and have a bit more of a plush ride. Are they so quiet that they'll be night and day better than the Michelins on your BRZ? I don't think it's that dramatic but it would be noticeable.

I appreciate the feedback. Really do.

I think it is something that I can get used to. I also think that although the car rolling on tires is the origin of the noise, that the specific tire is not the cause. I really believe that sound deadening on some of the metal body components will stop the lateral transmission of noise that is building from various places and resonating. It just seems off to me that engineers never came up with a solution to cleverly stop it. It could be very simple if you actually look at what causes it, and that’s pretty basic engineering.

I’m just really curious to drive another one and see if they all do it. I’m betting they do and some of us are just more sensitive or concerned about it for whatever reason.

[Flarpswitch]

All this talk about noise, but are all these observations made with the 'fake engine sound' functional or with it either turned off or unplugged? There is no real-time driver control for on/off or volume level. You are held hostage to whatever sound it makes. What if the sound creator module goes haywire? What about the droning sound that gets blamed on tires and other sources? Could the sound from the sound creator combine with other vehicle sounds? The effect could be magnified sound when certain frequencies are in synch and diminished when out of phase. The most annoying sounds will occur when the frequency of two or more sources are off by just a few Hz and create beat frequencies. I once had a phantom noise that was created by exhaust system heat shielding that had become detached in some places and there were loose connections between two joined sections. The damned thing would not rattle, but they had a tuning fork sort of effect picking up vibrations from the not-so-perfect balance of the multi-section drive shaft. Replacing all the pop rivets and bending the sheet metal back in shape (deformed by running over a raccoon). The ghosts disappeared after repairs. The point is that some noise may be originating in places you might not think of.

[H380]

Originally Posted by Flarpswitch

All this talk about noise, but are all these observations made with the 'fake engine sound' functional or with it either turned off or unplugged? There is no real-time driver control for on/off or volume level. You are held hostage to whatever sound it makes. What if the sound creator module goes haywire? What about the droning sound that gets blamed on tires and other sources? Could the sound from the sound creator combine with other vehicle sounds? The effect could be magnified sound when certain frequencies are in synch and diminished when out of phase. The most annoying sounds will occur when the frequency of two or more sources are off by just a few Hz and create beat frequencies. I once had a phantom noise that was created by exhaust system heat shielding that had become detached in some places and there were loose connections between two joined sections. The damned thing would not rattle, but they had a tuning fork sort of effect picking up vibrations from the not-so-perfect balance of the multi-section drive shaft. Replacing all the pop rivets and bending the sheet metal back in shape (deformed by running over a raccoon). The ghosts disappeared after repairs. The point is that some noise may be originating in places you might not think of.

Put the crack pipe down. Just drive the car on grooved concrete interstate. You literary will have blurred eye sight. Your butt will be numb in 30 minutes from the vibration and you cant hear yourself think. You will need to yell to talk to a passenger in the car.

[Robotaz]

I did deactivate the piped in sound and it has nothing to do with what I’m hearing. It’s a metallic whirring sound like you might hear in a factory, and I think I’ve figured out enough to stop it, but we shall see.

[mr.whiskers]

I drove the car on our shitty roads on winter tires for 2 month, including trips on icy and snowy highways. While the sound insulation is not perfect I think its adequate for an economy sports car.

My previous car was Infiniti M37 and I think for a luxury car it didn't have good sound insulation even on brand new all season tires. I also have a 2010 Toyota Sienna.
While both of these cars are quieter I don't think there is such a big difference, in other words its fine driving the BRZ on the highway even compared to these cars.
My biggest shock in terms of sound insulation was coming from a 1995 Buick Regal to 2008 Subaru WRX, now that was noticeable.

Also disconnecting that stupid speaker thing will make the car much quieter, I was actually really surprised how quiet the engine/exhaust is (I did my highway driving before disconnecting it so even with it its fine). I am pretty sure it adds some noise since the car revs so high at highway speeds.

[Flarpswitch]

Originally Posted by H380

Put the crack pipe down. Just drive the car on grooved concrete interstate. You literary will have blurred eye sight. Your butt will be numb in 30 minutes from the vibration and you cant hear yourself think. You will need to yell to talk to a passenger in the car.

What you are describing is what it was like to take my Norton Commando 750 out for a spin. Compared to my Austin Healeys, MGs, Triumphs and Minis, the BRZ/86 is a limousine. 50 years ago we did not know anything about crack; any brain damage you may detect could be attributed to massive amounts of weed and acid and yes, carbon monoxide.