not officially. can you point us to sources? toyota has made no mention of soundproofing differentiation between models, but a few posters here have intimated the probability.
To be clear, I drove a Four (non-Touring) and a 2015 with 15" wheels (and 1 mile on it) both against my 2004 with 140,000 miles and Ecopia's at 44/42.
See my post here link below, post #96 on that thread. It's not too detailed as other have done this. I didn't cover up everything neither. More like 60% -70% on the doors only. It really changed the way the car resonates on the freeway. The car isn't transformed but the way it resonates on the freeway is clearly reduced. That resonance on the freeway was really getting to me! Search for "sound dampening" or "peal and seal". Just knock on your doors from the exterior and listen to that "gong"! Done deal, got my Blizzard White Persona!
I plan on installing some sound deadening material in the front doors of my gen3 this spring. Seems rather "hollow" iPhone ?
Old habits are hard to break! ......I'm old enough to remember when it took at LEAST two swings to close/latch a "G.M." door.......
Interesting. Curb weight of Gen 3 2014 Prius Three Touring is 3080 lbs and the tire is P215/45R17 87V. This includes the Bridgestone EP422 Plus which indeed was 87V. Other models get 195/65R15 89S. Curb weight of Gen 4 2016 Prius Three Touring is also the same exact 3080 lbsand the tire is also P215/45R17. This includes the Bridgestone EP422 Plus, which remains at 87V according to Bridgestone. The other models also get 195/65R15, but now that same Bridgestone EP422 Plus is 91H. So, depending upon whether you get Touring or other, the OEM load index and speed may be 87V (4806 lbs) or else 91H (5423 lbs). A four point load index difference is pretty large (617 lbs in this case), yet it's the heavier car that has the lower load index. Are these 87V and 91H specs reflected in the 2016 manual? EDIT: No they are not. According to the 2016 manual, it is still 89S for the 15" or 87V for the 17". So you can still safely get an 89 rated tire instead of having to jump up to 91 in 2016. Big difference in pressures though. For the 15", it's 39/36. For the 17", it's 33/32.
actually for Non-Eco 15" models = 36/35, see this thread below. Need your help! Prius 4 tire information spreadsheet | PriusChat
My 2016 Prius 4 came with Toyo NanoEnergy A29. I'm ordering 17" wheels and am considering the Toyo Versado Eco 215/45/17. I assume that's the consumer name vs NanoEnergy the OEM.
I'm bored sitting in the dealership for my 5k service... I thought I would add that I do notice a minor noise comming from the left driver side ac vent, between the steering wheel and the window. It is a rattling noise, a little harder than the sound of crinkling paper. Nothing huge, but definitely there. It's a 2016 two eco.
I have a 2016 4T and have also noticed a noise in the same area. It's a resonate buzzing type noise at certain motor RPM/loading or on rougher pavement. I have tried pressing weight on various dash sections while driving but haven't found anything that affects it yet. It's low volume level and I usually don't even hear it when the radio is playing. I will keep trying to solve it.
My UK Excel spec Gen 4 came with the 17" Toyo Nanoenergy R41 tyres and they are a lot quieter than the Gen 3 with Michelin Primacy tyres (supposed to be the quietest at the time) was on most roads but are quite noisy on rough surfaced bends.
The 4th gen Prius Two wouldn't make a difference. The Prius Two comes with the older batteries as the ones in the 3rd gen. This would explain why some people that test drove the 4th Gen Prius Two found no difference while anything else should be "somewhat quieter" "Yes, the outgoing Prius plug-in variant had a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, but this new model is the first regular Prius to offer one; it's standard with every version except for the base trim level, the Prius Two. At 54 pounds, the new Li-ion battery pictured here weighs 35 pounds less than the nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery. And it uses only 56 cells rather than 168 because the Li-ion cells are rated at 3.7 volts versus 1.2 for the NiMH cells. The voltage of the two batteries ends up virtually the same at 202 volts (NiMH) and 207 (Li-ion)."
Alex on Autos on youtube should have a video detailing the Gen 4 this week, but I asked him about the road noise improvement. He said it's better but a mid-size sedan (camry, accord) is still better in terms of comfort. Here is a POV video of 4th gen where you kind of get an idea that the road noise isn't significantly different.
My four has Bridgestones and the tires seem very quiet. What I do hear that I am not used to is a great deal of wind noise when driving 50 plus. Could be my hearing which is shot, and perhaps my hearing aids are exaggerating that frequency of sound. J
My 2016 Three model has 15" Toyo tires. They were terribly noisy when new. After 4 months, and 3200 miles, they actually seem to be quieter. Or maybe I just got more deaf. Great photos, Kevin. Does it say on the sidewall somewhere what is the Max tire pressure?
