SL/R230: Is your SL550 noisy inside?
09-11-2009, 05:35 PM
#1
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Is your SL550 noisy inside?
Just replaced 4 of my tires(rears bad, fronts fine) with the michelin PS2's, thinking it would be quieter. The ride seems smooth enough but I must have forgotten that inside this car is somewhat noisy in comparison to other cars I have had. Not sure if it's the air, or what, as when I turn the air off, it's still fairly loud...........Is it just me getting old or what?
09-11-2009, 07:40 PM
#2
It is not as quiet a car as the S550, but it is reasonably quiet for a GT with a top that can be lowered. Tire noise depends to a large extent on the road surface with concrete being worse than asphalt.
If you want a totally quiet car, then try the Lexus LS.
If you want a totally quiet car, then try the Lexus LS.
09-11-2009, 08:49 PM
#3
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04 SL 500, 09 R350, 09 E63, 2010 Prius
also has to do with rims... much quieter with stock 18's than the aftermarket 20's. PS2's are soft rubber and should be more on the quiet side. Recent issue of Car and Driver or Road and Track had a test on a bunch of wheels and one of them is on noise level.. see if I can dig that out and post which tires are the least noisy...
09-11-2009, 09:25 PM
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Wheels cause extra noise? Didn't know that..I just can't remember how it was when I first got her, 14 months ago now. Just didn't think she sounded so loud inside.. I have the AMG 19's package, so I wasn't exactly thrilled today to spend nearly $1600.00 on new tires, thinking it would drastically cut the road noise down and it hasn't?? Mind you, it was raining......
09-12-2009, 12:44 AM
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04 SL 500, 09 R350, 09 E63, 2010 Prius
If you have wind noise, check your door seals. If it's just road noise... don't know what else you can do... Bigger wheels are louder because of the thinner profile tires they run on, less cushion, more noise. But I agree with the previous posters, for a convertible, this car is very quiet. The old BMW convertible cloth tops... they were loud! If you want ultra quiet, get an S or a Lexus. 
Oh, by the way, got the tire compare issue, Car & Driver August 2009 on p.97. The Michellin PS2 was used as the "standard" to be compared to. Bridgestone Potenza RE760, Hankook Ventus V12 EVO, and Yokohama S. Drive were ranked only 1 decible less noisy than the PS2. All the tires are pretty much the same, the worse being BF Goodrich G Force KDW at 2 decibles over the PS2. So, the best of the group was at 61 dbs, and the worst at 64dbs. not sure how much of a difference that really makes. The tires tested were all 225/45R-17's.
Oh, by the way, got the tire compare issue, Car & Driver August 2009 on p.97. The Michellin PS2 was used as the "standard" to be compared to. Bridgestone Potenza RE760, Hankook Ventus V12 EVO, and Yokohama S. Drive were ranked only 1 decible less noisy than the PS2. All the tires are pretty much the same, the worse being BF Goodrich G Force KDW at 2 decibles over the PS2. So, the best of the group was at 61 dbs, and the worst at 64dbs. not sure how much of a difference that really makes. The tires tested were all 225/45R-17's.
