Are 2010 Prius models Louder and Why ?

My Gen III package V is much quieter than my Gen II off the highway, but the Bridgestone Turanza EL 400-02 OEM tires make the Prius noticibly louder on the highway.

My 06 Gen II was the same until I replaced the OEM Integrity tires with MUCH quieter Goodyear Asurance ComforTred's. I'm already looking around for tires to replace my Gen III OEM's with something quieter on the highway.

 

We skipped from an 2003 Prius to the 2010 and noticed:

• tires - at highway speed, more tire noise compared to our after-market tires
• other vehicles - again at highway speeds, we often hear other vehicle tires
• inverter 'sketer - I sometimes hear the faint, high-pitched whine at low speeds
• brake pump (?) - opening the door, I can hear a faint pump start under the hood
• window air noise - in some cases, we just roll-up the windows and use the fan and outside air

Bob Wilson

 

he bob

- NHW11 52,1
- ZVW30 52,9
up to today your really close in mpg thats what i notice

 

I'm a first-time Prius owner (a V). And COMPLETELY agree with your assessment. If it wasn't for the tire noise this vehicle would be so quiet on the road... I'd have to believe the 15" models are much quieter re tire noise. Would be very interesting to run a comparative test with a db meter.
I believe the tire noise is the result of:
1. Of course the low profile wider 17" tires, just a matter of fact.
2. The hatchback style allows sounds generated from behind the rear seat to reverberate into the passenger cabin.
3. Don't believe that Toyota went top-notch with sound insulation in the side panels around the wheels.
4. Don't believe that Toyota engineered suspension components for sound isolation.

We know it's not a Lexus, but... The pavement condition has a HUGE impact on noise. The coarser the road the louder the noise. And there is tire scrub noise when turning.
Funny - I recall reading quite a few test drive articles months ago; some mentioning that the Gen3 is quieter than the 2, and others the opposite.

 

Speaking of tires for the V (17" wheels), what are some of the quieter/better aftermarket tires? The Bridgestone and Michellin OEMs seem to get bad reviews.

Bob, what aftermarket tires do you have on your 2003?

 

The tires on my 2010 are quieter than the HydroEdges on my 2004, both running at 44/42. The sound was noticeable on cement at 70 MPH, but mostly drown out by the radio.
.

 

Both the Gen II and Gen III Prius are inherently quiet, but lack the heavy sound proofing of luxury cars. This means on good roads with good tires, you hear little noise. On the other hand, if there is noise you will hear it. Grooved roads, noisy tires, and loud external noises are much more noticeable than they are with heavily sound proofed cars. The lack of a lot of engine noise with the Prius makes road noise even more noticeable.

Tom

 

If your referring to exhaust noise that is true on the highway or heavy acceleration. The Gen III Prius has a valve in the muffler and at higher engine RPM's it opens and allows a more direct path for the exhaust to exit to reduce back pressure. This of course means less muffling of noise.

Wayne

 

Overall, I'd say the Gen3 is a quieter ride than the Gen2. There is one external exception to this and one perceived internal exception:

Absolutely the case. It is noticeable only at low speeds, of course, and usually is noticeable only to external observers, unless the windows are down and the radio off.

I'll agree entirely with Tom on this one, also. I believe the engine noise is considerably less noticeable on the Gen3. The real "problem" is the road noise from the tires, and I believe it is the case mainly because you hear practically nothing from the ICE, even at high speed. Every change in surface is noticeable just by the change in tire noise.

 

OK then, knowing that the tires are responsible for some portion of the high-speed road noise, can anyone recommend aftermarket tires that are good for both mpg and noise reduction? Since this is our first Prius I really have no basis to compare noise. Ours has the Yokohama brand and we have noticed the difference that road surface makes in nose levels. I would think they'd laugh me out of the tire store if I went in asking for a set of extra quiet tires, or is this a common request?

 

If you look at surveys of tires at tirerack, noise level is one of the rating categories. You can compare the Yokahamas to other available tires.

 

Hi All,

Just a comment on wheel-well noise insulation on Gen II Prius. There is none. If another car throws up a stone at my flush wheel well covers on the highway - I can hear the oil-canning sound just fine. And that is not that loud. And I am even running noiser Michelin Hydroedge tires.

 

I would hope the tires are not "loud" compared to my current ride... M35 sport (Infiniti) or to other similar cars... on the highway

 

I traded up from a 2008 to a 2010 package V with Navigation. My new Prius came with a sound shield option. I thought that was like the undercoating of 40 years ago but this new car has a flexible shell attached under the entire car ... the material seems similar to the soft liners in the wheel wells. Among the first comments we made about the car was how much QUIETER it is compared to the gen II.

The tech specs on the gen III list the front windshield as being "Laminated (Sound Insulated)" glass.

We tried the gen III with the 15" and the 17" tires ... the 17's were quieter and rode much better ... especially compared to the crappy Goodyears on our 2008. I run 46 psi in the front and 44 psi in the rear tires and ... to be expected with the wide tires ... they are noisy ... but ONLY on some of the cement pavement here in Dallas. On some of the asphalt roads ... 80MPH feels and sounds the same as 40MPH.

On good pavement, the 2010 is as smooth as glass at 80MPH ... and VERY quiet.