Drivers Crave Quiet

Washington DC March 27, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that drivers have come to expect cars with features such as good handling and cushy seating....now they are demanding another: silence.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a vehicle's interior noise level worsens as the car ages and its flaws become more pronounced. The biggest offender of all is wind noise, meaning the whistling sound that air makes as it flows along the contour of a vehicle.

To counteract the din, car companies including GM, Hyundai, and Ford are competing to minimize noise by using new materials and manufacturing techniques as well as by having the engineers who oversee noise control.

Hyundai is using electronically adjustable engine mounts and extra-thick, lightweight foam insulation on its new Veracruz sport-utility vehicle to minimize engine noise at a wider range of speeds.

Since motorists typically associate interior quietness with superior quality, the spread of what's known in the industry as "quiet tuning" means the overall quality and comfort level of everyday cars is merging with that of luxury models.

Noise is a problem that car makers have known about for decades, in part because it keeps resurfacing as vehicles change in size, shape and construction materials.