Which ev for quiet cruise
Discussion
Morning all, I'm finally considering an ev due to spiralling fuel costs! Family of 4 and on the lower end of the price spectrum via salary sacrifice.
Initial front runner was Citroen eC3 aircross, on further reading it's not the quietest for motorway cruising. Majority of use will be around town, however as I have tinnitus noise is a key factor.
It looks like the Skoda Elroq is well thought of, with 66db cabin noise reported by Autocar at 70 mph which beats eg polestar 2 with 70db. AI tells me the 4db difference will be significant.
If anyone has driven a number of EVs especially those mentioned and can give real world comments I would really appreciate it!
Many thanks in advance
Initial front runner was Citroen eC3 aircross, on further reading it's not the quietest for motorway cruising. Majority of use will be around town, however as I have tinnitus noise is a key factor.
It looks like the Skoda Elroq is well thought of, with 66db cabin noise reported by Autocar at 70 mph which beats eg polestar 2 with 70db. AI tells me the 4db difference will be significant.
If anyone has driven a number of EVs especially those mentioned and can give real world comments I would really appreciate it!
Many thanks in advance
The Citroen e-C4 I had was quiet and comfortable, and fairly decent size, so might be a better bet than an e-C3 Aircross.
I moved to a Polestar 2, I don't notice it being noisy although it probably has slightly more road noise due to the fat tyres. I find it very good and untiring for long trips.
I suspect the Elroq is a chunk better all round than either Citroen if you can stretch to it, although no experience.
ETA: Autocar only noise tested the e-C4 at 50mph, but found 62db which was the same as the Elroq at that speed, so likely on a par for noise.
Check the realistic motorway range of any car before committing https://ev-database.org/uk/ vs what you think you'll need - my early e-C4 was down to 10% after 105 miles at 70mph in winter.
Get the right EV and it'll be super relaxing and pleasant to drive, as well as cheap to run.
Edited by samoht on Tuesday 27th October 11:37
Theclarinettist said:
Morning all, I'm finally considering an ev due to spiralling fuel costs! Family of 4 and on the lower end of the price spectrum via salary sacrifice.
Initial front runner was Citroen eC3 aircross, on further reading it's not the quietest for motorway cruising. Majority of use will be around town, however as I have tinnitus noise is a key factor.
It looks like the Skoda Elroq is well thought of, with 66db cabin noise reported by Autocar at 70 mph which beats eg polestar 2 with 70db. AI tells me the 4db difference will be significant.
If anyone has driven a number of EVs especially those mentioned and can give real world comments I would really appreciate it!
Many thanks in advance
The ears don’t work that way. Human hearing is very insensitive so 80db is double 79db yet you would struggle to hear the difference. Yet a rattle you could easily pin point the direction. Initial front runner was Citroen eC3 aircross, on further reading it's not the quietest for motorway cruising. Majority of use will be around town, however as I have tinnitus noise is a key factor.
It looks like the Skoda Elroq is well thought of, with 66db cabin noise reported by Autocar at 70 mph which beats eg polestar 2 with 70db. AI tells me the 4db difference will be significant.
If anyone has driven a number of EVs especially those mentioned and can give real world comments I would really appreciate it!
Many thanks in advance
The tyre and wind noise of70db is about the same as my 520d so I wouldn’t say exceptional.
More expensive cars like the X5 make around 60db with the iX a half db lower. So not night and day and nothing really to make you choose one over another.
Only at very low speeds and stationary in town are ev’s really quite as there is no wind or tyre noise.
All EVs will feel like a limousine after an ICE car- no vibration, engine noise etc. My wife has a Vauxhall Astra Electric and it's incredibly serene in day to day driving.
My Tesla is quiet but much harsher in ride, which is the real issue with EVs- heavy battery = stiff suspension so make sure your drive the model you land on before you order it.
You'll be pleased with the savings! ££
My Tesla is quiet but much harsher in ride, which is the real issue with EVs- heavy battery = stiff suspension so make sure your drive the model you land on before you order it.
You'll be pleased with the savings! ££
ashenfie said:
The ears don t work that way. Human hearing is very insensitive so 80db is double 79db yet you would struggle to hear the difference. Yet a rattle you could easily pin point the direction.
The tyre and wind noise of70db is about the same as my 520d so I wouldn t say exceptional.
More expensive cars like the X5 make around 60db with the iX a half db lower. So not night and day and nothing really to make you choose one over another.
Only at very low speeds and stationary in town are ev s really quite as there is no wind or tyre noise.
I think you mean 80dB is double 70dB, since it is logarithmic. The tyre and wind noise of70db is about the same as my 520d so I wouldn t say exceptional.
More expensive cars like the X5 make around 60db with the iX a half db lower. So not night and day and nothing really to make you choose one over another.
Only at very low speeds and stationary in town are ev s really quite as there is no wind or tyre noise.
sixor8 said:
ashenfie said:
The ears don t work that way. Human hearing is very insensitive so 80db is double 79db yet you would struggle to hear the difference. Yet a rattle you could easily pin point the direction.
The tyre and wind noise of70db is about the same as my 520d so I wouldn t say exceptional.
More expensive cars like the X5 make around 60db with the iX a half db lower. So not night and day and nothing really to make you choose one over another.
Only at very low speeds and stationary in town are ev s really quite as there is no wind or tyre noise.
I think you mean 80dB is double 70dB, since it is logarithmic. The tyre and wind noise of70db is about the same as my 520d so I wouldn t say exceptional.
More expensive cars like the X5 make around 60db with the iX a half db lower. So not night and day and nothing really to make you choose one over another.
Only at very low speeds and stationary in town are ev s really quite as there is no wind or tyre noise.
ashenfie said:
sixor8 said:
ashenfie said:
The ears don t work that way. Human hearing is very insensitive so 80db is double 79db yet you would struggle to hear the difference. Yet a rattle you could easily pin point the direction.
The tyre and wind noise of70db is about the same as my 520d so I wouldn t say exceptional.
More expensive cars like the X5 make around 60db with the iX a half db lower. So not night and day and nothing really to make you choose one over another.
Only at very low speeds and stationary in town are ev s really quite as there is no wind or tyre noise.
I think you mean 80dB is double 70dB, since it is logarithmic. The tyre and wind noise of70db is about the same as my 520d so I wouldn t say exceptional.
More expensive cars like the X5 make around 60db with the iX a half db lower. So not night and day and nothing really to make you choose one over another.
Only at very low speeds and stationary in town are ev s really quite as there is no wind or tyre noise.
The 4db difference the OP mentioned is not insignificant. It's roughly a perceived 30% increase in volume; quite noticeable.
I would personally take the numbers with a huge dose of salt.
Everyone has sensitivities at different frequencies which also changes through your life, even before accounting for things like tinnitus.
The tests are usually just 'A weighted' which is a one-size-fits-all.
And knowing how manufacturers like to embellish their numbers, I don't think a few db difference should be taken as gospel in any way.
Also, NVH levels can play a bigger part than just noise alone...some people perceive vibrations as 'noise' or disturbance.
Everyone has sensitivities at different frequencies which also changes through your life, even before accounting for things like tinnitus.
The tests are usually just 'A weighted' which is a one-size-fits-all.
And knowing how manufacturers like to embellish their numbers, I don't think a few db difference should be taken as gospel in any way.
Also, NVH levels can play a bigger part than just noise alone...some people perceive vibrations as 'noise' or disturbance.
MinchCS said:
It varies depending on tyres too: worn versus new, and makes. Hankook Ions on my iPace have made a huge difference, much quieter than the Goodyears it came with, even when they were new.
I’m glad you’ve said that as I’m just about to order a set of those for my non EV X350 XJ 4.2 V8 !ashenfie said:
I think model 3 Tesla's are all around the 67db mark depending on what tyres you have and the road you choose.
Model Y Performance: 66 dBhttps://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a69496119/202...
Non-P models of both Y and 3 are as quiet or quieter...
I tried an Elroq, Merc CLA, and Toyota BZ4X a couple of months ago. They were all pretty quiet even at 70, but the Skoda seemed the calmest. That might not have been just noise - it had the best ride.
Worth trying some, there's differing levels/pitches of whine which might be more of an issue than broadband noise with tinnitus.
Worth trying some, there's differing levels/pitches of whine which might be more of an issue than broadband noise with tinnitus.
Piginapoke said:
All EVs will feel like a limousine after an ICE car- no vibration, engine noise etc.
All? A wildly inaccurate and misleading statement. At motorway speeds the vast majority of noise is not from the engine but from the wind and the tyres, both of which (checks notes) are still applicable to BEVs. Our i3 - designed as a city car admittedly, was very noisy at motorway speeds since it had little in the way of sound deadening to save weight. Even my old Hilux was quieter.There are plenty of ICE cars which offer as smooth and quiet a motorway experience as BEVs, and some are many times better.
MinchCS said:
It varies depending on tyres too: worn versus new, and makes. Hankook Ions on my iPace have made a huge difference, much quieter than the Goodyears it came with, even when they were new.
Very much this. Due to engine and drivetrain being almost silent, you do hear other things more prominently even though they are not loud.
Wind noise - sure, a test drive will confirm.
But tyres vary massively on my experience. I've IONs on front and Goodyear on the rear. And the Goodyear are so noisy at an awkward pitch.
WH16 said:
Piginapoke said:
All EVs will feel like a limousine after an ICE car- no vibration, engine noise etc.
All? A wildly inaccurate and misleading statement. At motorway speeds the vast majority of noise is not from the engine but from the wind and the tyres, both of which (checks notes) are still applicable to BEVs. Our i3 - designed as a city car admittedly, was very noisy at motorway speeds since it had little in the way of sound deadening to save weight. Even my old Hilux was quieter.There are plenty of ICE cars which offer as smooth and quiet a motorway experience as BEVs, and some are many times better.
I’d imagine many EVs would benefit from better tyres too rather than focusing on mpg.
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