Luke and all,

What tyre makes the least noise for longest - ie stays quiet throughout its life. Plenty of tyres are advertised as quiet but an objective comparison on this criteria alone would be good. Does anyone know of such a review?

David

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My previous car was a Honda

I have given up trying to pin tires (tyres) down to a specific criteria on forums. I only look for extreme experiences like a tire that is consistently noisy no matter who tries them for example the Pirelli P7000 Supersports, or one that wears quickly no matter what car its put on like the Yokohama Parada.
But to pin a tire a decent tire down to something like noise level is very hard because people have different cars, different suspension setups and different tire pressures. Some tires will get noisy if you go 2 or 3 pounds in either direction Some people think a little rumble on concrete is fine but if you live in California with their concrete freeways that would be a no no. Here in NY we get concrete on mainly bridges so it may be fine.

You get the picture....

That said, touring tires tend to be very quiet. Bridgeston Turanza LS is pretty quiet I hear.

My Michelin MXV4s are pretty quiet and after 60,000 miles on them now they are still smooth, quiet and round.

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Ali Al-Chalabi

2001 CLK55
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel
2002 Harley-Davidson Fatboy
Merlin Extralight w/ Campy Record

I also think the Michelin MXV4s are the quietest and I think they are the most comfortable. They are not great in the rain, however, and they tend to squeal around corners. To me, it seems like the Michelins are more "supple" than other tires I have tried.

I want to try the Bridgestone Turanza LS, but I am worried about road noise and comfort. The Turanza beat the Michelins in most categories in a head to head Tirerack test, but as I remember the Michelin may have eked out small victories in the quiet and comfort categories.

I would definitely like it if my new tires were better in the rain. I would also love to fit 225/50/16 sized tires on my 16 x 7.5 ET37 AMG Monoblocks, but I would hate it if they rubbed on the outside of my fenders. It sounds some W124 owners are able to fit 225s without rubbing and some are not and the 215/55/16 is too tall. Right now I have the "play it safe" size of 205/55/16, but I would love to see my car parked with the big fat 225s.

__________________
I just couldn't give up on my 1995 E320.

I think it might be like always going back to that same bad relationship with an ex girlfriend.
You feel you love them too much, or you are just too stupid to know any better.



Flickr slideshow of my 1995 E320
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24145497@N06/sets/72157616572140057/

Yokohama AVS DB S2 ...... is the correct answer

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Please, call me to place orders or for more info
use my name for on-line orders

Thanks everyone - sounds like Yokos are the go. They certainly get good reviews on tyre rack.

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My previous car was a Honda

It looks like the Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S was slightly better than the Yoko in the Tirerack test.

How do you think the Ultra-High Performance tires compare to the quiet and comfort of a Grand Touring tire? Tirerack doesn’t ever compare tires from different categories, so it is hard for me to figure out how an 8 in one category compares to an 8 in another category of tire.

Does anyone really think that Max Performance or Ultra Performance tires are quieter or more comfortable than Grand Touring tires? In general, do you guys think dedicated Summer tires should be quieter than All-Season tires? To me it seems that a more aggressive tread, designed for adverse weather conditions, should be noisier on a dry road. Are All-Season tread patterns noisier? Grand Touring tires are often All-Season tires and yet I think that they are generally considered to be quieter than any of the Performance tires.

I am just trying to figure all of this out before my next tire purchase from Tirerack.

__________________
I just couldn't give up on my 1995 E320.

I think it might be like always going back to that same bad relationship with an ex girlfriend.
You feel you love them too much, or you are just too stupid to know any better.



Flickr slideshow of my 1995 E320
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24145497@N06/sets/72157616572140057/

ksing44, exactly!... I would like to know: a) what design factors cause/reduce tire noise; and b) db readings from the cabins of some luxury cars for the range of tyres rated as being quiet (new and with simulated tread wear). Maybe Tirerack could do a test like this for its more sedate customers... ;-)

I'll will pass that request on to the proper personnel

__________________

Please, call me to place orders or for more info
use my name for on-line orders

I have been wondering how much faster you can drive with a Max-Performance tire compared to a Grand Touring tire. For example, how much faster is the exact same car with the exact same size tires, running Bridgestone LS vs. Bridgestone SO3? Of course I would also like to see a road noise and comfort comparison for performance vs. touring tires. I am also curious about H-Rated vs. V-Rated tires. For example, Bridgestone LSH vs. Bridgestone LSV.

For whatever reason, and I may be totally wrong about this, I think the Grand Touring tires may be the very best all-around tires. In particular it seams the All-Season version of the Grand Touring tires are the most desireable tires. If they are not the best, why are they selected as factory equipment on so many vehicles? It is not because they are the cheapest tires, so why are they the most common tires as original equipment on so many vehicles?

I have to say that Tirerack is a great site for information and a great place to buy tires and Luke is always helpful with expert advice.

__________________
I just couldn't give up on my 1995 E320.

I think it might be like always going back to that same bad relationship with an ex girlfriend.
You feel you love them too much, or you are just too stupid to know any better.



Flickr slideshow of my 1995 E320
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24145497@N06/sets/72157616572140057/

Thanks Luke - and thank the website team for me too, for providing such an excellent resource. It 'drives' like a Merc! Actually, it drives quite a bit better than my Merc

The style of tread you are searching for if "quiet" is paramount...

A smooth tight tread pattern, with a well rounded [inner/outer] heel...

Unfortuneately rounded heels/shoulders lead to faster worn out tires...

Because a third of the heel is gone before the tire has the first mile/kilometer placed upon it...

The kind of tire that is not so great in stormy weather...

Good stormy weather tires need more cornered heels/shoulders with somewhat aggressive patterns for more bite... hence more noise...

Hope this info helps someone who is about to invest in quiet high speed tires...

Or someone considering multipurpose tires for all weather driving...

Thanks.