I need to create the quietest vehicle in the universe

[Kremit]

Hey,
I am looking for an entire new car with the only purpose of getting me around in as little noise as possible. I have a 20 year old civic and I would rather start with something quieter before I soundproof it.

There are many models that have things like ANC or dual pane windows. And then there are car salespeople trying to get me to buy a used $40,000 Lexus. Then there is the question of, is the age of the car a factor?

As someone who doesn’t know a lot about cars and what the various companies are using for soundproofing (or lack thereof) I don’t know whether I should spend money on a “quiet car”, or buy a less expensive one and spend money soundproofing the bajeesus out of it. I mean, i would still soundproof the already “quiet car.”

But would a newer, more expensive car be a waste if I can achieve the same thing with soundproofing material in an older car? (Or truck? I don’t know!)

What kinds of things should I be looking for in a car, maybe up to 10 years old? Are there components in the body that make road noise worse? I know to be sure to look for smaller wheels (like 16”.) And my main concern isn’t really the engine, it’s the road noise and vibrations through my body, the wind and noise from the door and window beside me, then wind noise from elsewhere, external traffic noise, then engine.

Thank you for any input and ideas! I am following another thread here from Sep 1 where someone is asking about materials and will be checking out those amazon links. Just wondering if there are lots of people around who know how to get this installed, and installed very well and perfectly.

Thank you!

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[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

Thank you for any input and ideas!

Most sedans are very quiet and smooth on the road. But if tinnitus silence is what you are after, it is best to start with a luxury vehicle. Those will usually only need the trunk area treated to make them super silent. One thing I would stay away from is any turbocharged/supercharged engine. They are difficult to work on if any mechanical repair (starter, compressor, alternator, belt tensioner) is to be done on them, so you will be charged accordingly. Also steer clear of any Direct Fuel Injection engines. At about 60k miles, their intake valves have to be cleaned. Sometimes they have to be walnut shell blasted, which will run you $1500-$2000.
Like you stated, any vehicle can be heavily treated, but it would have to be gutted for best results. Better to start with one that is ~80% done.

 

[just call me KeV 10+ year member]

I would start with a well built sedan with low miles. American or import is up to you. You might want to test drive a few at highway speeds to establish a good baseline. You could use your Honda. It would save on start up costs. Just might have to go the extra mile. I have about a grand in sound deadening my Focus with a variety of materials and it's quieter thatn my BMW 550i ever was.
I live in Chicago and rush hour traffic stop and go and really can't hear much even with a semi next to me. Also there is something to be said about an overdamped interior and I am just noticing this as I had the same goals as you when I started my project about 6 months ago. It is weird not to have much of an ambient noise level in the vehicle and it takes a little getting used to. Just a thought..

Kev

 

[some dude]

It's going to be orders of magnitude cheaper to take your current car and sound proof it yourself.
The only thing I can see is possibly having thinner glass.

If you take the interior out and lay down sound suppressing material, you can cover everything for (I'm sorta guessing here) $1000.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Just FYI, either way you slice this, you will want to completely gut the interior and treat every surface with more than one product. This is likely to be a big undertaking particularly if you're not rather experienced in pulling car interiors apart.

Have you test drove any "luxury" cars yet to get a baseline? How close is anything from the factory to where you feel you want to be in your final result?

 

[metalheadjoe 10+ year member]

The biggest contributors to road noise are door seals and tires. Address those before you go crazy with sound deadening.

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

This^^ Tires make a huge difference.