[DragonQ]

Long story short, my Seat Leon (2014 1.6 TDi) is hugely quieter than my wife's Hyundai i30 (2018 1.6 TDi), particularly at cruising speeds of 60+ mph. Even an hour trip just gives me a headache after a while. It sounds like road noise, a low rumbling - it may not actually be a difference in pure dB but maybe just a difference in pitch that makes it much more annoying? The Seat Leon has cheap Toyo tyres, whereas the i30 has supposedly good Michelin Primacy 3s that came with the car when she bought it (225/45 R17). Are there any alternatives that are quieter? Any other changes that can be made aside from the tyres to reduce road noise?

Thanks for any advice.

[Lorian]

Plenty of debate to be had about tyres - I  found goodyear efficientgrip a little quieter but there is not much in it. they have very soft side walls.

A lot of the noise comes from the boot - a nice piece of thick carpet or rubber mat in there helps.

There are  several threads on here about tyres and noise reduction. not many things that help are value for money.

[Surferdude]

Are the tyres on your Seat also 17"?
If they are 16 or even 15, that would account for the difference.
Lower sidewalls give more feedback in both feel and sound.

Not the only reason of course but a good starting point.

[AlanHo]

My quest to find quiet tyres because of my deafness has cost me a wad of money. Having a professional to fit soundproofing in my GD i30 made a marginal difference - but hardly worth the £600 it cost.

I agree with Lorian - I find Goodyear Efficient Grip the best of the Dunlop, Bridgestone and Michelin tyres I have tried over the past 7 years.

[Mister Paul]

Our other car is a Roomster. Compared to it, our i30 is like floating on a silent cloud.

[BrendanP]

My 2015 diesel has the 15" wheels, and I found the Michelin cross-climate to be quieter than the Michelin Energy tyres that were factory fit.

[DragonQ]

Are the tyres on your Seat also 17"?
If they are 16 or even 15, that would account for the difference.
Lower sidewalls give more feedback in both feel and sound.

Not the only reason of course but a good starting point.

I think you're right - the larger wheels and thus thinner tyres are likely making a big difference. My Seat has 16" alloys I believe.

Plenty of debate to be had about tyres - I  found goodyear efficientgrip a little quieter but there is not much in it. they have very soft side walls.

A lot of the noise comes from the boot - a nice piece of thick carpet or rubber mat in there helps.

There are  several threads on here about tyres and noise reduction. not many things that help are value for money.

That's an interesting observation. Next time we go on a fast road I'll sit in the back and see if I can hear the same thing (that a lot of sound comes from the boot). Also thanks for the tyre tip - when they need replacing I'll look into those.

[Surferdude]

Are the tyres on your Seat also 17"?
If they are 16 or even 15, that would account for the difference.
Lower sidewalls give more feedback in both feel and sound.

Not the only reason of course but a good starting point.

I think you're right - the larger wheels and thus thinner tyres are likely making a big difference. My Seat has 16" alloys I believe.

Plenty of debate to be had about tyres - I  found goodyear efficientgrip a little quieter but there is not much in it. they have very soft side walls.

A lot of the noise comes from the boot - a nice piece of thick carpet or rubber mat in there helps.

There are  several threads on here about tyres and noise reduction. not many things that help are value for money.

That's an interesting observation. Next time we go on a fast road I'll sit in the back and see if I can hear the same thing (that a lot of sound comes from the boot). Also thanks for the tyre tip - when they need replacing I'll look into those.

You can get a sense of the noise from the boot by driving with the cover tray removed.

[TerryT]

You can get a sense of the noise from the boot by driving with the cover tray removed.

Good tip.   I had not thought of that...I'll blame it on Covid-19. 

[need4speed]

Goodyear Efficient Grip are really good. But all tyres are now labelled for noise in a range of roughly 60dba to 75dba, where 75 is noisy and 60 is quiet.