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Yeah, I agree it's road noise too. Thanks for that engine blanket suggestion, I might look into that.
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I do remember that one early owner review of the standard Leon said that they had experienced noise whilst driving the car, but more to do with that from the angular-shaped wing mirrors (I think that was a petrol-engined car, but cannot be sure).
Tyre choice, and not just the size, can make a HUGE difference as well. In my experience, OEM tyres are not fitted because they are the best-suited tyre for that car, more like the car manufacturer has agreed a lucrative deal with a tyre manufacturer to promote them in return for a substantial discount on the tyres.
The OEM tyres fitted to my Mazda3 were, in my opinion, awful from about 6 months or so and changing them made a HUGE positive difference to the road noise. Worth looking on tyrereviews.co.uk and look up your car to see if the OEMs are any good or not in that regard (as well as others) - changing could make a sizeable difference.
I still suspect the engine and soundproofing are a big factor, but don't discount the wing mirrors and tyre choice.
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I honestly dont believe different tyres make a huge difference. Perhaps different tyre sizes - 16 inch 205 wide tyres might be quieter than 17 inch 225 wide. But I dont really have the option to change them anyway as it's a company car. And reading tyre reviews i dont believe the Bridgestones fitted to mine are excessively noisy.
I think road noise is more related to soundproofing, suspension, and tyre size. Obviously there will be some variation with different makes of tyre but really, so much?
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reading tyre reviews i dont believe the Bridgestones fitted to mine are excessively noisy.
The Bridgestone Turanzas (16" wheels) on my 2012 petrol Octavia hatchback were dreadfully noisy. The dominant noise at all speeds.
Replaced by Goodyear Vector 4 season and the tyre noise went from spoiling the car to not an issue. Although the Goodyears had a low noise rating i couldn't believe how much quieter they were.
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reading tyre reviews i dont believe the Bridgestones fitted to mine are excessively noisy.
The Bridgestone Turanzas (16" wheels) on my 2012 petrol Octavia hatchback were dreadfully noisy. The dominant noise at all speeds.
Replaced by Goodyear Vector 4 season and the tyre noise went from spoiling the car to not an issue. Although the Goodyears had a low noise rating i couldn't believe how much quieter they were.
You do know that the noise rating on tyres is for external noise not internal noise?
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You do know that the noise rating on tyres is for external noise not internal noise?
It is. And it is measured by the manufacturer with no agreed method. Thus they could choose a car that absorbs some of the noise rather than reflecting it sideways.
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You do know that the noise rating on tyres is for external noise not internal noise?
It is. And it is measured by the manufacturer with no agreed method. Thus they could choose a car that absorbs some of the noise rather than reflecting it sideways.
...which is why owner review for car and tyres (and why the tyrereviews website is particularly useful, as the user reviews state the car, tyre used [including all size aspects], distance covered on the tyre and the driving style of the owner) are really important, far more so than than the manufacturer's EU test results, just like car mpg figures.
I've seen first hand what difference a change of tyre size and make does to the road noise, both separately and together, paritcularly if the car is driven hard or on certain types of road surface, e.g. concrete or top-dressed.
Just changing my own car's 16in (standard) tyres from one make to another (which I had researched to find it was reasonably quiet, and was far more than the old set [even when not that old] once they were fitted). Similarly test driving a car on 205/60 R16 tyres and essentially the same car on 215/45 R18 made a noticeable difference to the road noise as well as the ride quality, even on a new car. This would probably be even more so as the car, tyres and suspension wears.
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reading tyre reviews i dont believe the Bridgestones fitted to mine are excessively noisy.
The Bridgestone Turanzas (16" wheels) on my 2012 petrol Octavia hatchback were dreadfully noisy. The dominant noise at all speeds.
Replaced by Goodyear Vector 4 season and the tyre noise went from spoiling the car to not an issue. Although the Goodyears had a low noise rating i couldn't believe how much quieter they were.
You do know that the noise rating on tyres is for external noise not internal noise?
Yes, however it is the only tyre noise ratings we have as far as I know. While there are going to be variations in the way measurements are taken they are surely far less than attempting to measure tyre noise inside cars. All tests would need to use the same model of car for example.
Most sources of sound emit in every direction so assuming for the sake of argument the quoted figures are correct a 67Db tyre is likely to be quieter than a 73Db tyre.
The Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons are a dirdctional tyre with a open tread pattern which is incidentally one of the factors likely to make a tyre quieter according to this article.
Another factor is a soft compound. Are all seaason tyres a so fter compound?
www.oponeo.co.uk/tyre-article/tyre-noise
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I believe they are, to varying degrees, as are (even more so) full winter tyres, and why they have higher levels of tread than 'summer' tyres, because, outside of winter, they wear quicker.
The Goodyears are more 'traditional' all-season tyres, more biased towards the winter than summer, and as such work better in colder conditions (as well as snow and ice) than the Michelin CrossClimate range, which is a summer-baised all-season tyre (but which works increasingly better when the temperature is above 7deg C).
Both generally are more quiet than many summer tyres (though not all, including some premium 'touring' ones), but, like many tyres, their overall performance still varies quite a bit between different cars, as you'll see on the tyrereviews website when you look at user reviews (not the magazine reviews). Some tyres seem great or fine on most cars, yet are (to the owner) terrible on another - even for noise.
I suspect that three factors have a large effect on how tyres perform from one car to another that owners often forget about, even when factoring out differences in tyre and wheel size:
- The type of roads driven on (especially the material and quality - my old Bridgestones were terrible [even when relatively new] on concrete and top-dressed surfaces);
- The driving style of the driver;
- The type of car - FWD, RWD or 4WD.
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You can also buy complete soundproofing kits from that same company, but obviously a lot more money, and a much bigger job to fit. You would have to strip out the seats carpet, a lot of the trim, etc. But the engine blanket looks very easy and straightforward to fit, plus the reviews suggest, despite appearances, it is very effective. The only reason i have not already purchased one is due to the excessive shipping charges to North East Scotland, which is a real thorny issue for me!. My folks will be going to visit relatives in Wigan during the summer, so i plan to sweet talk them into having a run to Oldham to pick one up for me!.
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As most regulars know we had a 2013 1.4 TSi SE 140PS for about 4 years and we could not fault it. The engine was silent and there was no appreciable road noise on the 205 55 16 Michelins or Kleber Quadraxer tyres. When we swapped it for something bigger we were tempted by the ST but we could not get the 140 (actually it was a 150 PS by then) with the SE trim and we did not want the 225 45 17 tyres, lowered sports suspension and sports seats the FR inflicted on you. We did have a quick look and the fact that there was no more rear seat space than in the hatch ruled it out instantly.
The Skoda Superb hatch we bought does ride a bit better and is a bit quieter but there is not that much in it (other than the space the Superb offers).
The Leons are a really good car and I would have another (petrol) without hesitation.
One tip, do not even look at a Skoda Octavia estate. We have driven 3 now, 2 1.4 TSi's and one 2.0 diesel and they have all been dreadful for road noise. No idea about engine noise, no chance of hearing any because of the din the tyres were making. Drove a 1.4 TSi Octavia hatch and that was fine. Is there a similar problem here with the common platform that Skoda use for the Octavia estate and Seat use for the Leon ST. Appears there may be similar acoustic issues.
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As most regulars know we had a 2013 1.4 TSi SE 140PS for about 4 years and we could not fault it. The engine was silent and there was no appreciable road noise on the 205 55 16 Michelins or Kleber Quadraxer tyres. When we swapped it for something bigger we were tempted by the ST but we could not get the 140 (actually it was a 150 PS by then) with the SE trim and we did not want the 225 45 17 tyres, lowered sports suspension and sports seats the FR inflicted on you. We did have a quick look and the fact that there was no more rear seat space than in the hatch ruled it out instantly.
The Skoda Superb hatch we bought does ride a bit better and is a bit quieter but there is not that much in it (other than the space the Superb offers).
The Leons are a really good car and I would have another (petrol) without hesitation.
One tip, do not even look at a Skoda Octavia estate. We have driven 3 now, 2 1.4 TSi's and one 2.0 diesel and they have all been dreadful for road noise. No idea about engine noise, no chance of hearing any because of the din the tyres were making. Drove a 1.4 TSi Octavia hatch and that was fine. Is there a similar problem here with the common platform that Skoda use for the Octavia estate and Seat use for the Leon ST. Appears there may be similar acoustic issues.
Odd why only certain sub-models have a problem. I would've though they all have similar (if not the same) sound-proofing, so unless there's a design flaw such as a lack of soundproofing where there should be, or a component that's slightly differently configured transmitting the road/tyre noise through the car, then my money's still on the tyres, whether size combo and/or the actual make and model fitted. Might even be worth checking the tyre pressures - I've seen tyre dealers and main dealers pump them up WAY too much, the other side being they may be down on pressure and not running right. Just a thought, and easy to check.
I somehow doubt that the OP has an option to install bolt-on soundproofing (BBD), as its a company car, makes the car heavier as well. I suppose at least the car doesn't come with the 18in rims and tyres, which is what you get on the equivalent Golf.
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As most regulars know we had a 2013 1.4 TSi SE 140PS for about 4 years and we could not fault it. The engine was silent and there was no appreciable road noise on the 205 55 16 Michelins or Kleber Quadraxer tyres. When we swapped it for something bigger we were tempted by the ST but we could not get the 140 (actually it was a 150 PS by then) with the SE trim and we did not want the 225 45 17 tyres, lowered sports suspension and sports seats the FR inflicted on you. We did have a quick look and the fact that there was no more rear seat space than in the hatch ruled it out instantly.
The Skoda Superb hatch we bought does ride a bit better and is a bit quieter but there is not that much in it (other than the space the Superb offers).
The Leons are a really good car and I would have another (petrol) without hesitation.
One tip, do not even look at a Skoda Octavia estate. We have driven 3 now, 2 1.4 TSi's and one 2.0 diesel and they have all been dreadful for road noise. No idea about engine noise, no chance of hearing any because of the din the tyres were making. Drove a 1.4 TSi Octavia hatch and that was fine. Is there a similar problem here with the common platform that Skoda use for the Octavia estate and Seat use for the Leon ST. Appears there may be similar acoustic issues.
Odd why only certain sub-models have a problem. I would've though they all have similar (if not the same) sound-proofing, so unless there's a design flaw such as a lack of soundproofing where there should be, or a component that's slightly differently configured transmitting the road/tyre noise through the car, then my money's still on the tyres, whether size combo and/or the actual make and model fitted. Might even be worth checking the tyre pressures - I've seen tyre dealers and main dealers pump them up WAY too much, the other side being they may be down on pressure and not running right. Just a thought, and easy to check.
I somehow doubt that the OP has an option to install bolt-on soundproofing (BBD), as its a company car, makes the car heavier as well. I suppose at least the car doesn't come with the 18in rims and tyres, which is what you get on the equivalent Golf.
The accoustic engine blanket doesn't bolt on, it is strapped on to the top of the engine, and the 'small' size which the OP would need weighs 3kg. That is why i suggested it as the OP specifically mentioned engine noise to start with. There is no reason the engine blanket couldn't be used despite being a company car, as it is easily transferable from one vehicle to the next and does not involve damaging or modifying anything.
The soundproofing kits are obviously not practical for a company car, i was just mentioning that they are available for the sake of being informative rather than actually suggsting the OP go for this.
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I've read reviews of the sound blanket and think I'll definitely get one.
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There's no way tyres would make that much difference.
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My Leon has 18inch wheels. Though admittedly they are slightly noisier than 17 on the previous SC I had it isn’t obtrusive at all.
I do find the 5dr much quieter than the three dr SC though.
I did read in HJ Telegraph column that someone put Michelin Cross Climates on theirs and it made a great difference.
I will try them next time as I do find it pretty much useless in snow.
Not noticed any noise around the wing mirrors at all.
I’m on my third Latest generation Leon and it is a great car if missing a little sense of occasion.
I swapped to. BMW 1-Series and a Giulietta and ended up swapping back to the Leon.
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I can only go from my own experience. SWMBO's Audi A1 came with Bridgestone tyres which puroduced far too much road noise. I've never heard that road noise is a characteristic of the A1, and indeed when I put Goodyear all-season tyres on last autumn it made a big difference - echoing IRC's experience above.
I never had a problem with road noise on any of the three Octavia estates that I had, yet Skidpan has encountered it on each Octavia that he's tried. Either the VRS (which they all were) has extra soundproofing or it's down to the tyres again.
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Whenever I read tyre reviews and they measure road noise from tyres they only tend to vary buy about 3db. Admittedly I dont know what sort of road surface they use for the tests - out on public roads there's a massive variation in road surfaces and the noise levels they produce.
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Whenever I read tyre reviews and they measure road noise from tyres they only tend to vary buy about 3db. Admittedly I dont know what sort of road surface they use for the tests - out on public roads there's a massive variation in road surfaces and the noise levels they produce.
3db is a factor of two. I searched for my car and the range was 6 dB with Bridgestone the worst, Goodyear’s were almost the best. Admittedly these tests do not even mandate the road surface, so it could be argued that they are useless, but large variations within a brand are seen and you might expect the same methodology for testing those.
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Well when I need new tyres I'll ask for Goodyear or Pirelli and see if they help.
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Well when I need new tyres I'll ask for Goodyear or Pirelli and see if they help.
Our Superb is fitted with Pirelli P7's and they are quiet and comfortable with more than enough grip. But on the Skoda forum they are heavilly criticised to the extent that members are encoraged to change them immediately they take delivery. And not just for noise, apparantly they are dangerous in respect of wet grip.
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I experienced dreadful road noise with the 2008 Oct estate I had for 4 years. I never got to the bottom of it, Tyre change made no difference. I also had significant transmission noise which I also couldn't solve . I agree with skidpan that this variant is inherently noisy this one being based on the mk v golf floorpan. I don't know if the later model is any better in this respect.
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Well when I need new tyres I'll ask for Goodyear or Pirelli and see if they help.
Our Superb is fitted with Pirelli P7's and they are quiet and comfortable with more than enough grip. But on the Skoda forum they are heavilly criticised to the extent that members are encoraged to change them immediately they take delivery. And not just for noise, apparantly they are dangerous in respect of wet grip.
Odd because P7s have always done well in tyre tests.
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Twice now i have improved tyre noise by removing Michelins and replacing with other makes, when replaced with Vredestein Sportracs not only did the noise reduce, but the previous unpleasant torque steer disappeared immediately and the ride was softer to boot, win all round.
It's strange how some tyres do well on some cars but not others, Pirelli P6000 was often criticised at the time but the set fitted to a Merc estate we owned woulkd not slip, whilst the OE Pirelli Scorpions fitted to our Hilux were awful on that vehicle and i removed them within 1000 miles, General UHP which replaced them were completely different.
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I agree with skidpan that this variant is inherently noisy this one being based on the mk v golf floorpan. I don't know if the later model is any better in this respect
2 of the estates were 2010 cars, the 3rd was a 2016 car. We were hoping for better with the 2016 car, it it had been we intended to buy one. The 4th was a 2016 hatch, that was acceptable for road noise but there was some anoying wind noise from the top of the screen. We debated about the hatch for a few days and decided to try another to see if the wind noise was a one off (we suspected it was). Don't like the shape of the Octavia hatch really but if the deal was good enough we would have got one. All came to nothing since Skoda had stopped taking orders (early November 2016) until February 2017 when the updated one was due.
Did us a favour really, the Superb is absolutely magic.
Pirelli P6000 was often criticised at the time
We had P6000's on 2 cars (Puma and Mondeo) and found them absolutely fine, replaced them with the same when worn out.
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