Top 10 passenger cars with the best noise insulation in 2021

The human brain badly perceives obsessive noises that do not carry any semantic load, and a car is a place in which such sounds are inevitable. And if the engine was not separated from the passenger compartment by a partition, being in the car would be unbearable. Tires in contact with the roadbed and oncoming vehicles also contribute. High-quality sound insulation allows you to minimize extraneous noise load, such cars are especially comfortable and, as a rule, expensive.

However, today there are many exceptions to this rule, and we want to acquaint our readers with the best models of this kind.

About rating

Even if you do not plan to buy a new car in the foreseeable future, even if sound insulation is far from the most important criterion for you, you need to familiarize yourself with this topic at least for self-education.

It is clear that completely isolating the interior from the penetration of sounds from the outside is an unrealistic task. Yes, it is in principle feasible, but the price of such a technical solution would be too high. Therefore, automakers are forced to make compromises, trying to reduce the noise load in the cabin as much as possible without compromising the rest of the vehicle's characteristics.

In an ordinary car, the background noise on a busy highway is about 80-85 dBA. This is a little quieter than a chainsaw. It is clear that if you spend several hours in such an environment, this will inevitably affect the driver's condition: his attention will decrease, a state of irritability will develop, and fatigue will accumulate. All these factors have the most direct impact on road safety. The soundproofing of the cabin is precisely aimed at reducing the noise level, and when compiling the rating, the readings of the sound level meter were taken into account in the first place. The second important criterion was the assessments of car owners, and in order to form a more or less objective picture, one had to work hard in order to collect a sufficient number of assessments from the point of view of statistics. The rating is broken down into three categories of cars, the most common in any major city - crossovers, sedans and subcompact cars.

Crossovers with the best noise isolation

One of the characteristic features of SUVs is the increased size of the wheel arches, as well as more powerful engines than those of the same hatchbacks and sedans. For these reasons, in the crossover, all other things being equal, the noise level is higher, therefore, increased attention is paid to the issues of noise isolation. So, get acquainted with a small list of cars with good sound insulation in this class.

Honda pilot

The car is not premium, but you can't call it budget either. Still, 3.25 million rubles, even for a full-size crossover, is a solid amount. What about acoustic comfort here? During tests at a speed of 80 km / h while driving on a busy road, the sound level meter showed no more than 58.6 dBA. An excellent indicator for a SUV, achieved both through the use of high-quality sound-insulating materials, and with the help of an active noise reduction system, which uses a standard speaker system in its work.

Owner reviews are no less optimistic. The deafening sound of music outside in the Pilot is perceived as quiet when the windows are closed. The engine idling is not audible at all and is almost inaudible when driving with the ECO mode on, in which the cylinders are turned off at low speeds.

Note that acoustic protection of this level is the lot of premium cars, and even then not all. That is why the Honda Pilot tops the list of crossovers with the best noise isolation.

Kia sorento prime

But for an inexpensive SUV for 1.75 million rubles, a high-quality "Shumka" is generally an utter rarity. And it was Sorento Prime that turned out to be such a chosen one, making its owners happy with a noiseless interior.

Since we started the review with measurements of the sound level meter, let's give the data for this model as well. They were obtained as a result of numerous independent tests carried out by auto experts, and the results obtained did not differ significantly, recording the acoustic noise level typical for a premium car. So, according to the data of the well-known domestic auto-publication, the device recorded only 58.8 dBA in the Sorento Prime cabin. A confident second place in the list of off-road vehicles with the best noise insulation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8UD0yTuqYI

The owners' reviews are mostly enthusiastic, although there are also negative responses - most likely, they are caused by objective reasons, such as the installation of high-noise all-terrain tires.

Bmw x4

The fact that a well-known German brand cares about the comfort of its car owners will not surprise anyone. But in this case it is worth surprising - despite the powerful motors, the noise level in the cabin when driving in city traffic is low - 59.1 dBA. Yes, if you put cheap, noisy tires, this figure will grow, but you can hardly expect this from the owner of a car that costs 3.5 million rubles or more.

If you carefully study the numbers, then we dare to assure you that the difference between 58.6 and 59.1 is so insignificant that only the device can catch it. The human ear will not feel it at all, unless you are the conductor of a symphony orchestra, of course.

A good noise reduction effect was achieved thanks to the use of high-quality materials for the interior upholstery, the use of velor carpet and rugs from the same material. One has only to close the doors of the crossover, and you immediately feel your isolation from the outside world.

Porsche macan

The premium brand keeps its mark even in the crossover. It is all the more surprising that a 250 horsepower unit is hidden under the hood of this compact all-wheel drive SUV. The car closed the rating of cars with good sound insulation in the class of crossovers - when measured with a sound level meter at a speed of 60 km / h, the arrows of the device fluctuated around 60.7 dBA.

Note that the Macan took fourth place solely according to the results of measurements, but it is as quiet in it as in the leader's cabin. Moving from one car to another, you will not feel the difference.

The opinions of car owners in this regard are unanimous - no one complains about acoustic noises, and many also call excellent sound insulation among the advantages. But most of them consider it a self-evident fact - after all, the brand obliges.

Sedans with better noise isolation

Traditionally, the sedan is considered the most popular type of body in our country, and its features allow you to do a lot in terms of acoustic protection of the cabin. Let's see which cars in this category have good sound insulation. And yes, we decided not to include premium sedans in the rating - almost all of them have appropriate characteristics. We focused on models that are in high demand in Russia.

Volkswagen passat

It is difficult to even roughly calculate how many Passat cars are driving on Russian roads. One thing is certain - this sedan is loved by our compatriots for its true German quality and reliability. And even the owners of diesel versions note a good level of sound insulation, regardless of the year of manufacture of the car.

As for the sedan of the last eighth generation, here the designers have done a great job, raising the acoustic protection of the cabin to new, previously unattainable heights.

The use of innovative materials with improved sound absorption characteristics made it possible to bring the noise level in the cabin when driving on busy roads to 61.8 dBA. And this is the comfort of a premium car!

Skoda Octavia A7

Skoda is considered by many to be a German Volkswagen clone. This is partly true - their engine lines overlap, transmissions too. Nevertheless, the designers from Mlada Boleslav have been granted extensive powers with access to the technologies of the parent company. The results are well known to everyone - the brand is known far beyond the borders of the Old World. As for the Octavia A7, here the silence in the cabin was achieved not only thanks to the arrangement of a high-quality noise-insulating layer - the well-thought-out design of the power unit, engine and transmission also contributes to the reduction of external noise.

When measured, the sound level meter gives an average result of 63.4 dBA, which allowed the sedan to get into our list of the quietest cars.

According to car owners, the weakest point of the model is the wheel arches, so this factor must be taken into account when changing tires.

Audi a6

Closing the rating of sedans with good sound insulation is another German model. When tested at a speed of 100 km / h, the sound level meter readings did not exceed 68.0 dBA. For example, on Grant, the level of acoustic noise in the cabin at the same speed will be about 20 decibels more. The components of success are the use of quality materials, excellent aerodynamics of the car and the use of panels inside the cabin.

The opinion of the owners of the new Audi A6 coincides with the above assessment - the cabin is really very quiet and comfortable, external noises absolutely do not interfere with the conversations between the driver and passengers without using raised tones.

Urban runabouts with better noise isolation

The demand for this category of cars is growing not by years, but by months, especially in light of the economic instability of recent years. It would seem that it is difficult to provide decent sound insulation in a small car. But this is not so, even in this class there are models with decent acoustic characteristics.

Ford Fiesta

A car costing from 900 thousand rubles is one of the most affordable foreign cars, even taking into account the fact that the model is assembled in Russia. The test results are surprising - the level of acoustic noise in the cabin was within 65.8 dBA. Even for sedans, this level of soundproofing is rare. So the Fiesta is the undisputed leader in its class in terms of sound insulation performance.

The owners of the model note the quiet operation of both the engine and the suspension, the low level of noise from the arches. In a word, no additional modifications are required for this car.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class A200

Despite belonging to the small class of city cars, the A200 has a fairly spacious interior, but the comfort of the car is determined not only by this. The finishing materials used delight with their premium quality, and sound insulation is no exception. Yes, if we compare it with the elite Mercedes-Benz models, then the small car is inferior here for obvious reasons, but in general the car deserves second place in the list of the quietest city cars.

The engine in the car is practically inaudible, only sounds from the wheel arches make their way into the salon. A noteworthy fact: one of the owners claims that, while waiting at the railway crossing, with the windows closed, the clatter of the wheels of the passing train is not at all audible.

Volkswagen polo

The most budget car with excellent noise insulation is the famous Polo. After the last restyling, many characteristics of the model have improved, including the acoustic protection of the interior.

And if earlier some car owners complained about the lack of standard soundproofing, now there is no need for its implementation at all. The small sedan has become even more comfortable, which, given the affordability of the model, is a significant factor in its favor.

Note that car ratings are a rather subjective thing, since it is necessary to take into account a whole range of factors. In this case, there is a fairly objective digital assessment measured by the device. So this top 10 really deserves attention.