If you want quiet and smooth riding - a Leaf is the one.

Wait time 62kw

Morning, has any one else ordered a new leaf, Only to be told it’s a 4 month delivery timescale. If you have ordered a new one recently how long did it take?

www.speakev.com

 

I obviously don’t know about the new Niro EV. However, I can say that there is a considerable road surface/tyre rumble noise in my 2020 E-Niro. It varies a lot from one road surface type to another, but is always present. It was one of my main disappointments when I got the car. It is remarkably rattle free and taut when going over bumps etc, not a single rattle anywhere (except be careful with sun specs stored in the dedicated overhead compartment!). Maybe different tyres might help a bit come the replacement time? Though Michelin are a top class brand so I doubt they can be improved on much.

I’ve sort of got used to it but it still annoys me sometimes. Passengers have also noticed it occasionally.
I suppose the total lack of engine/transmission noise might make the road induced noise appear louder still relatively. Peter

 

One video review I've seen says the new Niro EV is quieter than the previous e-Niro.
Having had a LEAF and first and then an e-niro, I'd agree the e-niro is a little noisier (road/tyre noise only, no rattles or squeaks) but the impression on my first long trip was that it comes into its own at motorway speeds. Very relaxed driving, adaptive cruise control works nicely and it certainly didn't feel noisy, though I don't know what a SPL meter would have measured.

Frankly, the worst noises in that car are the deliberate VESS and reversing bongs!

 

This is a concern so a test drive asap will be needed.....plenty of time as delivery is expected in late August but what else to buy? Not many affordable options which aren't subject to extended delivery times.

 

... but what else to buy? Not many affordable options which aren't subject to extended delivery times.

From my research before ordering the Niro EV, you either have to add £10k to the budget, or drop your expectations and go down to a Leaf or an MG, possible the Renault Megane E-Tech.

None of them can match the spec for the money, or the delivery time, which does make the Niro EV something of a unicorn...

 

Hopefully though the 'noise' is not a problem.

The reviews so far have been generally favourable on that topic, only one that I've seen kept referring to it and that may be more of a personal thing or an unrealistic expectation that EV = silent...

 

Agreed, I'm crossing figures as the Niro EV ticks lots of boxes....

 

I have a Soul EV First Ed at the moment. It is noticeably quieter than any ICE car I have had before, but there is undoubtedly some tyre noise depending on the surface of the road. I suspect it is much the same in the current e-niro.

The reviews I have seen of the Niro EV are that it is a more 'grown up' version of its previous iteration, with small incremental improvements in driving dynamics and refinement. Therefore, what I am expecting when mine arrives is that noise wise, it is better than my Soul, but not necessarily the best on the market. I am not paying the premium needed for that so I am not expecting total silence. If I can sense a clear improvement over what I have now (which is not at all bad in the first place), then I'll be OK with that.

 

I've test driven the Hybrid, you will not have a problem with noise, it was no louder than my Leaf on the road.

 

I have a Leaf (2.0 2018) and my wife picked up her e-Niro last week. The e-Niro is noticeability louder than the leaf when driving.

 

The Leaf is a very quiet car, but we are talking about the Niro EV, not the e-Niro so we will have to see once more of us have driven it...

 

I have an e-niro 2021. Without fail, EVERYONE i've taken in it comments on how quiet it is. See how it goes on the test drive, if you usually drive with music then make sure you put some on to guage if it's an acceptable level or not...

 

Yes of course the Eniro will seem quiet to anyone who may not familiar with EVs. I think any EV would seem really quiet in that scenario. They are all referring to the distinct lack of engine noise. I think we are talking about road noise relative to other EVs here. Also, the road surface type makes a huge difference.

I play my music quite loud but sometimes the road noise is clearly audible even with the music on.
Most if the time it’s not a problem as I’m accustomed to it. Just now and again it niggles me a bit.
I thought the road noise was fairly poor on my previous car (Prius) but it’s an order of magnitude louder on this car, on our local roads. There are some roads where it almost disappears completely. Peter

 

I think most EVs are quiet at low speeds. The lack of engine noise is exploited by many EV makers, in that they can save money by not fitting ICE-level sound insulation. My Soul is quiet around town etc, but anything over 60 mph and our old Volvo 1.6 diesel is much quieter. Some of that's due to the Soul being more brick-like, but I've heard that even Model 3s aren't as quiet as you'd expect at motorway speeds.
Maybe DIY soundproofing kits could be fitted to our EVs until the makers have a better solution.

 

Some of that's due to the Soul being more brick-like, but I've heard that even Model 3s aren't as quiet as you'd expect at motorway speeds.

Yes, IMO a Model 3 is nosier than a similarly-priced (ie luxury vehicle) ICE cruising at motorway speeds. Whether it actually is or if it's just that the road noise is more noticable I couldn't say, but it's not as quite as I'd imagined it would be.

 

I can remember back in the 1960's there were sound proofing kits you could buy for cars so that you got the quiet luxury car experience. Perhaps a marketing opportunity for someone. When I picked up my EV it did seem strange as I drove off, the silence was weird, there is obviously road noise, particularly on a notorious section of the M27. However I can't say that I've felt that it is obtrusive, and there's always the volume knob

 

There's still lots of DIY soundproofing stuff available for cars. I did a VW Caddy van a few years ago with materials from Sound Deadening Shop. You can get similar stuff on Amazon and eBay.
I did consider doing some sound reduction on my e-niro, but frankly I can't be bothered. It is a very quiet car compared with most, just not the quietest EV.

 

Those sound deadening kits do work well, I've used similar myself. The best type is a lead/foam sandwich but of course it's heavy. I used it to quieten my boat engine - what a difference.

My comment about some EVs is about why expensive models should not come with decent sound insulation in the first place.

Of course road noise can be reduced by changing to a different tyre brand. OEM tyres are the cheapest the manufacturer can get from the lowest tender.

There are better riding and lower noise choices. (so when tyres ar due for changing don't replace them like for like)

 

Be careful here. I believe the tyre label noise ratings are just the external noise that radiates outside from the tyre through the air. Not the direct mechanically conducted noise that transmits up to the car body via the undercarriage etc. I believe that conducted noise isolation is not specified. Having said that, there may be at least some correlation between the two noise propagation methods.

It would be good if we could share experiences of this with actual trials on the car. Maybe eventually we could end up with the best group considered tyre for quietness inside the Eniro?

On my Prius, I ended up using Dunlop Bluresponse and found them to be noticeably quieter than some others. They were also available in extra load rating (which had much thicker side walls as the standard ones were super thin like balloons!). I am certain we must only use the correct load rated tyres on this car. It’s nearly 2 tons even before loading up with passengers and baggage!

Actually the noise we are discussing might well be directly caused by the need to have high load rated tyres. The side walls will presumably be thicker and so have less noise and vibration isolation and decoupling than typical standard load tyres would.
Peter

 

Be careful here. I believe the tyre label noise ratings are just the external noise that radiates outside from the tyre through the air. Not the direct mechanically conducted noise that transmits up to the car body via the undercarriage etc. I believe that conducted noise isolation is not specified. Having said that, there may be at least some correlation between the two noise propagation methods.

It would be good if we could share experiences of this with actual trials on the car. Maybe eventually we could end up with the best group considered tyre for quietness inside the Eniro?

On my Prius, I ended up using Dunlop Bluresponse and found them to be noticeably quieter than some others. They were also available in extra load rating (which had much thicker side walls as the standard ones were super thin like balloons!). I am certain we must only use the correct load rated tyres on this car. It’s nearly 2 tons even before loading up with passengers and baggage!

Actually the noise we are discussing might well be directly caused by the need to have high load rated tyres. The side walls will presumably be thicker and so have less noise and vibration isolation and decoupling than typical standard load tyres would.
Peter

Good point and yes, you must use the correct load ratings, but not XL/extra load unless also specified. (weren't for the Leaf or GTE)

It would be good to produce a tyre comparison for EVs, but not easy to achieve consistency when so much would inevitably be subjective.

 

I am getting Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 2 fitted in a couple of weeks. I will move the Primacy 3s from the rear to the front and the Goodyears will go on the rear. Will post about my findings once I have done some rides.

In another post a couple of days ago I posted about a noise that I started hearing. I am now inclined to believe it's the front tyres that are starting to become noisy. The noise is a low frequency drone, like a dodgy wheel bearing. It is worse with heat (less noise in relatively cool mornings, more noise when it's +30). I an hoping the new tyres will solve this issue.

 

The Niro EV comes with EcoContact™ 6 Q tyres which are marketed at 68db so shouldn't be especially noisy

 

The quietest EV I have driven is the VW ID.4. But because it's a bit slower out of the gate I did not replace my Niro-EV after that comparative test drive. It's arguable that the VW has a plusher interior as well.

 

I find road noise to be pretty good, though also find the Niro to be noisier than other EVs.
On braking or regen, there's a funny sort of whooshy noise (not the helicopter noise others have reported), almost like something is rubbing on the brake disc(s). Very noticeable with the windows down.
I've heard it on every eNiro that has driven past me, and pretty much every Hyundai.

 

Xinix: I need to replace some of the tyres on my eNiro and was looking at the Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 2 so any feedback appreciated.

 

Hi,

What can I say. They're good I guess.. as to noise I think they suffer a bit more from a low rumble but the Michelins may be a bit noisier on rough roads.. also have the feeling the Goodyear tires have better grip.

Other than that, I hope they last longer than the Michelins. IMO they are shite in that respect.

 

I used to run those on my S-Max, never had an issue with them.

 

I find the Michelins incredibly noisy inside the car on my 2020 Eniro, though it is very road surface type dependant. It’s remarkable the sudden change in noise level when crossing from one surface type to another sometimes. I’m hoping that when they do need replacement, that I can fit something generally very much quieter. In fact quietness will be my number one desired tyre characteristic, even above best grip and rolling resistance! Peter

 

I have Michelin X Green tires on my e-Niro and lately I have been noticing an increasing "singing" noice from the rear. It sounds an awful lot like a wheel bearing problem, but I read that cupping and wheel bearing noice are almost indistinguishable. The tires have just done 25.000 km so should be good for a while. I also noticed that, when stroking the wheel surface, I can clearly feel the groove edges one way, but not the other way. I have no better way of explaining this. I also read (thanks @prawlin ) that my Michelins are noisy to begin with. Another thing I found out: stuffing the rear with luggage does not dampen the sound so I guess it is eminating from the wheel wells, who were not covered by luggage.