Fahrer

20 inch rims with low profile UHP tires are the noisiest ( all brands). You might want to consider all season H rated tires ( good for 130mph) these would be quieter and would last longer. 18 and 19 inch tires generally would also be quieter. Finally, tire treads that are relatively continuous rather than "blocky" wold be more quiet.

badziewo

I was using Iphone Decibel x to check noise level in my car.
Driving 100km/h the noise level was 74.6 to 76.1 decibel

Audible_Red

bing bang bong we have winner...My car had a few open recalls to fix for free so finally got off my lazy butt and brought it to the dealer.

Bad front driver wheel bearing.
They gave me a 2018 A6 loaner with 19" rims and holy cow what a difference. Obviously quieter since no bad bearing but the ride is so much smoother. I've only driven an A6 on 20's and i clinch and brace at every pothole i hit (not in fear of damage but because they are so jolting) but the 19s go right over like nothing. i wonder if its purely the tire or if the 2018 A6 has a better suspension than the 2012 (I'll eventually search). If its mostly the 19 vs 20, i can't wait to see what an 18 feels like.

I should have the care back later this week but suspect thats the main issue.... $800
Also have 2 leaking flex pipes...they don't do repair but would replace both for $1600 which seems reasonable from what i've read. car has 142k miles and need it to last 4 more years. I figure an exhaust replacement would be better for that than a weld job at a muffler shop?
Sadly the sub on my B&O speakers is blown and thats a whopping $1200! maybe i'll find one from a salvage yard

I'll report back after i get it back

Thanks! I really like the dampening layer idea regardless of anything else...would make any ride quieter

Stevereddy

JRomulus

I remember after getting the wheel bearing fixed after a month listening to that, it was like "aaaahhhhhh" ...so quiet.
Tires and different road surfaces do make a big difference. Here in the Midwest USA with the winters we have, it's crazy dodging potholes for 6 months of the year.. until they fix them, then deja vu a year later.
I like my 19" Conti's for the summer, and the 18" Michelin's for the winter.... and no, the Michelins do not ever last for their warranty period of 45,000 miles, but you get a prorated refund when you buy a new set, you just need to keep a log of your tire rotations if you do them your self.

mdkv5

You are comparing apples to oranges. It's not just the tires, the facelift cars have increased sound dampening and double paned glass!

lalo2323

Any thoughts on very quiet tires for my C7? (18" wheels.) I have a hearing problem and road noise is grating. (No stupid jokes about the disability please.)

I have gone on Tire Rack but trying to get more info from C7 owners.

The Contipro Contact OEM tires are lousy. I had a loaner and the Pirelli P7 Cinturato's were much quieter and smoother. Grip seemed the same. But on Tire Rack, there seem to be about four different Cinturatos for a C7.

Thanks!

newmoon

I have the Michelin Premier A/S 18" tires and am very satisfied with how quiet and comfortable they are. However, they start off with 8.5/32" tread and after 7,500 miles the fronts are down to 7.5/32" and the REARS are down to 6.5/32" on my FWD A6. They will only last 25k miles at this rate! So I rotated them, and since I used to run 33 psi all around, but now I reduced the rears to 30 psi to see if that helps.

The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus (the 'Plus' at the end indicates an improved compound) is also highly rated for low noise by Tire Rack testers and their customer surveys.

lalo2323

Aah, the "Plus" at the end of Cinturato may help me figure out which ones to order. Thanks!

So I will consider the Michelin Premiers, which get great ratings, but jees, that is pretty mediocre durability. Two other tires might be the Yokohama Advan and surprisingly, the Michelin Pilot Sport AS . I don't need W rated but the Pilot Sport gets super high ratings for everything, including comfort and is $250 less than the Premier for four tires.

subterFUSE

I have a 2013 S6 with 20" wheels and a 2012 Mercedes S63 AMG with 20" wheels. Have had the same tires on both cars, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

The Mercedes is incredibly more quiet than the Audi, it's not even a fair comparison. I have done extensive acoustic treatments to both cars, of course. CLD tiles + mass loaded vinyl and closed cell foam in both cars. Regardless, the Audi always has a hum with the tires that just can't be avoided.

I just put new Michelin Pilot AS3+ tires on the Audi, and even with fresh tires and an alignment I still get tire hum. The Mercedes is just on a whole different level when it comes to quiet ride quality.