New Avensis Road Noise - Tyre Type

[Stevet555]

I have just started driving my new Avensis D4D Tspirit

The car itself is brilliant, comfortable and a pleasure to drive, my one complaint for the car is the amount of road noise on some road surfaces. I've just changed from a Hdi Xantia, this was much quieter.

I have the 17" 10 spoke alloys with the low profile tyre fitted with Dunlop SP3000 215/45/R17

Is this road noise normal for these tyres ?

Has anyone changed their tyres to find an improvement in the amount of road noise ?

If so which tyre do you use now ?

[ulro]

I guess you must accept more road noise with low profile such as 215/45. Read my posting on thread

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22408

Avensis T25 road noise is a big issue her in Sweden to the extent that Toyota is re-building the cars with more insulation etc.

I also have the Dunlop SP 3000 tyres and I think they are noiser than the Bridgestone Turanza ER 300 that the Avensis also use as std.

// Ulro

[prince]

I also have the same tyres on my 2.4 T-Spirit and the road noise from these tyres is normal according to my Dealer, it's a minor issue for me. My Cousin has an S Type jag with 17's and the noise from the tyre's on that is similer to the Avensis.

[Stevet555]

I guess you must accept more road noise with low profile such as 215/45. Read my posting on thread

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22408

Avensis T25 road noise is a big issue her in Sweden to the extent that Toyota is re-building the cars with more insulation etc.

I also have the Dunlop SP 3000 tyres and I think they are noiser than the Bridgestone Turanza ER 300 that the Avensis also use as std.

// Ulro

Thanks for the reply, have you had your sound insulation fitted yet ?

if so much difference?

I'm considering complaining to my local Toyota dealer to see what they say

[ulro]

Thanks for the reply, have you had your sound insulation fitted yet ?

if so much difference?

I'm considering complaining to my local Toyota dealer to see what they say

No not yet, will be done next week. A swedish car magazine got to test drive an "insulated" car and found a big improvement, not so much the level (lowered 3 dB) but the character of the noise was changed to the better.

I will post my impression of the modification once I have it done.

// Ulro

[MarcusStone]

I have an "03" Avensis T-Spirit and the road noise is really bad. I have done around 43,000 miles in it, most of it on the motorways, and cannot drive it unless the radio is on.

I also have another tyre related problem. About 3 months ago I started noticing a "whoooing" noise coming from the real wheels. This was obviously speed related and sounded worse at around 20mph when I guess the other noises (wind etc) died down.

I took the car to the local dealer and the mechanic came for a drive in it and was convinced that it was the bearings that were wearing. But when they got it back to the garage they told me the noise was due to the fact that the back tyres were worn unevenly, hence this was causing the noise.

To the obvious question, do you know what has caused both tyres to wear unevenly?, I was given the reply that it was probably due to faulty tyres and I should just change the tyres. Maybe I could except one faulty tyre, but two!

I am still running the tyres and will replace them around Christmas when they will probably need to be done anyway due to wear. I will replace the car early next year and I wont be going for a Toyoya again.

Anyone else experienced something similar?

[Airbag]

The advice in the manual for my RAV4 was to rotate the tyres every 6000 miles (?) or so to even out the wear. I used to get my dealer to do it at each service. Has it been done on your car? I think there's a reference to it in the handbook.

I know motorbike tyres are a different kettle of fish, but uneven wear was always noticable - the offside of the tyre wore more than the near, presumably due to road camber, or tearing round roundabouts. Other riders reported the opposite, though. My Avensis has done 15000 miles, there's no noticable difference in wear on any tyres yet, perhaps time will tell.

"About 3 months ago I started noticing a "whoooing" noise coming from the real wheels. This was obviously speed related and sounded worse at around 20mph when I guess the other noises (wind etc) died down."

This was noticeable although less so on the RAV and was at its worse on concrete slab motorways like the M25. There is more tyre noise than I'd like on the Avensis, but the payback for me is much better handling than either of my previous two large saloon cars. But this does sound like worn tyres ! Have you had those tyres for the whole 43,000 miles? I've never had a tyre last longer than 33,000!

[MarcusStone]

Thank for the info regrding the roatation of tyres on my Avensis. I was unaware that this could be a recommendation as I have never had to do it on any other car I have ever had. I do not doubt that the tyres have worn incorrectly, my concern is why? I am about to replace the tyres now anyway and so I wil keep an eye on the new ones, but I just wanted to know if there could potentilly be a more serious problem with the car that was causing the tyres to wear unevenly.

As regard your comment as to the mileage, then no these are not the original set of tyres. Thats one of the problems - one rear tyre was replaced in February 2004 (after a blwo ut) and the other rear tyre was replaced in July 2004 and so they both have quite a bit of tread pattern left on them.

[Airbag]

""Thats one of the problems - one rear tyre was replaced in February 2004 (after a blwo ut) and the other rear tyre was replaced in July 2004 and so they both have quite a bit of tread pattern left on them."

Ah, then that's not so good. Something out of alignment, low/high tyre pressures, carrying bodies in the boot? Tyre pressures for speeds over 160kph(!) are quite high according to Toyota at 35 psi, I normally keep mine at 33 psi, plus a bit more if I have long motorway trips ahead.

I checked the Avensis '03 manual yissterday, rotate tyres every 6000 miles it sez.. But it sounds like you have a problem (camber?) there..

Do keep us informed.

[Steinar]

Thanks for the reply, have you had your sound insulation fitted yet ?

if so much difference?

I'm considering complaining to my local Toyota dealer to see what they say

No not yet, will be done next week. A swedish car magazine got to test drive an "insulated" car and found a big improvement, not so much the level (lowered 3 dB) but the character of the noise was changed to the better.

I will post my impression of the modification once I have it done.

// Ulro

←

The dB-scale is logaritmic. This means that a 3 dB noise-reduction equals 50% reduction.

My 2004 D4-D is fitted with some kind of "carpet-like" fabric as a lining for the "plastic covers over the rear wheels" (sorry, dont have the english word). This must be some kind of noise-killer.

With the winter tyres (205/55-16) its really a quiet and comfy ride. The 215/45-17 Kumho Ecsta in the summer makes a big difference - more noise and a bumpy ride on poor Norwegian roads.

Best regards

Steinar

[davitak]

I guess you must accept more road noise with low profile such as 215/45. Read my posting on thread

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22408

Avensis T25 road noise is a big issue her in Sweden to the extent that Toyota is re-building the cars with more insulation etc.

I also have the Dunlop SP 3000 tyres and I think they are noiser than the Bridgestone Turanza ER 300  that the Avensis also use as std.

//  Ulro

←

Do you know if the Toyota dealers will do the work on car under warranty conditions?

I'm honesly so tired of the noise that I'm considering selling the car.

David.

[runboy]

Had my Avensis for a couple of days now and I can honestly say I am very pleased with the noise levels. OK, I moved up from a Corolla so it is bound to be better.

I can hear tyre noise, but it isn't intrusive for a car of this value. Maybe in a £100,000 Rolls Royce you may feels short-changed, but an Avensis could never really compare.

But good luck on finding a solution! I hope it works out OK for you.

[Realistbear]

I have owned my 53 plate Avensis T3sAuto for a couple of weeks now and also find road noise to be excessive. I have owned several Toyotas in the past including a couple of Camrys (while living in the US) and this one really does roar when travelling on most road surfaces. I wish I had given it a more extensive test drive at the time of purchase as I would probably have passed.

What is the latest on this issue? Has Toyota come out with any sound deadening kits?

I am also suffering with a noisy dash which sets up quite a squeaky rattle noise on rough road surfaces as if something is rubbing rather than something loose. Of course, it promptly dissapears when the dealer looks for it. Any ideas?

Apart from those two issues the car handles well and is roomy. Fit and finish not quite up to my previous Camrys (Jap built) and certainly far behind my old P plate Audi A4 which I am still hanging onto as I don't quite trust the Toyota yet! Wow--Toyota have dropped from a vehicle I used to think could be trusted 100% to something I need back up for.

[mickey.j]

I have owned my 53 plate Avensis T3sAuto for a couple of weeks now and also find road noise to be excessive. I have owned several Toyotas in the past including a couple of Camrys (while linving in the US) and this one really does roar when travelling on most road surfaces. I wish I had given it a more extensive test drive at the time of purchase as I would probably have passed.

What is the latest on this issue? Has Toyota come out with any sound deadening kits?

I am also suffering with a noisy dash which sets up quite a squeaky rattle noise on rough road surfaces as if something is rubbing rather than something loose. Of course, it promptly dissapears when the dealer looks for it. Any ideas?

Apasr from those two issues the car handles well and is roomy. Fit and finish not quite up to my previous Camrys (Jap built) and certainly far behind my old P plate Audi A4 which I am still hanging onto as I don't quite trust the Toyota yet! Wow--Toyota have dropped from a vehicle I used to think could be trusted 100% to something I need bnack up for.

greetings. real bear.

i currently am driving a 05 plate avensis 18 t3x hatch,which is running on michelin premacy tyres.measuring 205/55 r 16.91v. what a mouth full. i would say it is pretty quiet on this make of tyre.

have you been back to a toyta dealer and tried a similar avensis on differnt tyres,as i have noticed that mr.t. does seem to swap and change the makes he fits. bridgestones seem a current favourite.

good luck in sorting it.

mickey.j.

[Realistbear]

Thanks Mickey--Michelins would be my choice but mine are failry new with lots of wear left. My daughter has the Premacy's (195-65-15s) on her 03 plate Merc C class and I would say that the road noise is somewhat better than the Toyota.

I am not sure what make the Tyres are (the car is currently at the dealer) but I think they may be made in Holland. They are quite low profile 16's and I am used to driving with Goodyear NCT's 195-65-15's on my Audi which is quite a noisy car due to the high revving 1.8. The Toyota is much quieter at 70 mph engine-wise and that may have something to do with it!

Mine is a hatchback and I am wondering if the saloon is quieter. The huge boot may be taking tyhe road noise and amplifying it. I may look into some sound deadening material to lay under the boot carpet to see if that makes any difference.

There are a lot of plusses with the car which include a very nice automatic transmission and the MPG seems good also. The SAT-Nav is not much use though and I have simply continued with my Navman F20. I guess my expectations may have been too high on the noise issue for a Toyota?

[Chris Dance]

My Avensis T4 53 plate is the most noisy car I have owned. It depends on the road surface. On the M25 you have to shout to your passenger if you wish to be heard. I spoke to the dealer about this some time ago he said low profile tyres are always noisy no matter what car it is. My car has dunlops but I feel sure michelins would be quieter???. On a good road surface the noice level is acceptable. Toyota Avensis is a good car but the road noise does seem excessive to me. My wife's Carina is so quiet compared to the Avensis.

[Desmond22]

My Avensis T4 53 plate is the most noisy car I have owned. It depends on the road surface. On the M25 you have to shout to your passenger if you wish to be heard. I spoke to the dealer about this some time ago he said low profile tyres are always noisy no matter what car it is. My car has dunlops but I feel sure michelins would be quieter???. On a good road surface the noice level is acceptable. Toyota Avensis is a good car but the road noise does seem excessive to me. My wife's Carina is so quiet compared to the Avensis.

My 53 plate was the same. The only long term fix is to change the wheels to 16" and change the tyres. Michelins seem favourite but there have been other suggestions on here. Toyota do seem to have worked on this problem a bit. My 07 is definitely quieter on 17" wheels with Goodyears and the ride is a lot less harsh.

[Realistbear]

My Avensis T4 53 plate is the most noisy car I have owned. It depends on the road surface. On the M25 you have to shout to your passenger if you wish to be heard. I spoke to the dealer about this some time ago he said low profile tyres are always noisy no matter what car it is. My car has dunlops but I feel sure michelins would be quieter???. On a good road surface the noice level is acceptable. Toyota Avensis is a good car but the road noise does seem excessive to me. My wife's Carina is so quiet compared to the Avensis.

My 53 plate was the same. The only long term fix is to change the wheels to 16" and change the tyres. Michelins seem favourite but there have been other suggestions on here. Toyota do seem to have worked on this problem a bit. My 07 is definitely quieter on 17" wheels with Goodyears and the ride is a lot less harsh.

Do you know what Toyota did to improve the 07's? I am wondering if they have a sound deading "kit" but this seems unlikely as it would be an admission of failure!

Mine has 16 inch tyres on the standard alloys but I have found that unless the tyres are rubbish the difference between a Michelin and a Bridgestone, for example, is probably more psychological. There is probably something wrong with the acoustics that set up and amplify the noise throughout the cabin. Almost every road test I have read so far on this car states the same thing: great car but noisy. For me, excessive noise is a huge negative.

I am wondering if this problem is peculiar to the hatchback, which I have, and not the saloon? If it is only the HB that is noisy there may be some hope as some felt under the boot carpet and around the sides of the boot may do the trick.

Any saloon owners out there find their Avensis noisy??

[Stelios]

Hi guys. Are you talking about the "old" Avensis? because I have the new model of Avensis 06/07 and it is very quite.

Stelios

[Desmond22]

My Avensis T4 53 plate is the most noisy car I have owned. It depends on the road surface. On the M25 you have to shout to your passenger if you wish to be heard. I spoke to the dealer about this some time ago he said low profile tyres are always noisy no matter what car it is. My car has dunlops but I feel sure michelins would be quieter???. On a good road surface the noice level is acceptable. Toyota Avensis is a good car but the road noise does seem excessive to me. My wife's Carina is so quiet compared to the Avensis.

My 53 plate was the same. The only long term fix is to change the wheels to 16" and change the tyres. Michelins seem favourite but there have been other suggestions on here. Toyota do seem to have worked on this problem a bit. My 07 is definitely quieter on 17" wheels with Goodyears and the ride is a lot less harsh.

Do you know what Toyota did to improve the 07's? I am wondering if they have a sound deading "kit" but this seems unlikely as it would be an admission of failure!

Mine has 16 inch tyres on the standard alloys but I have found that unless the tyres are rubbish the difference between a Michelin and a Bridgestone, for example, is probably more psychological. There is probably something wrong with the acoustics that set up and amplify the noise throughout the cabin. Almost every road test I have read so far on this car states the same thing: great car but noisy. For me, excessive noise is a huge negative.

I am wondering if this problem is peculiar to the hatchback, which I have, and not the saloon? If it is only the HB that is noisy there may be some hope as some felt under the boot carpet and around the sides of the boot may do the trick.

Any saloon owners out there find their Avensis noisy??

My 53 plate was a saloon. The 07 is a hatch and is much quieter!

I don't know what mods Toyota have made but they do work. The only answer I could find to the problem on the 53 version was to change the wheels to 16". :D

[Scoobs]

I concur with the comments about the 07 version. There is certainly no road noise problems on my 07 hatch - 17 inch wheels with Goodyear NCT5s. It's a quiet car and corners fairly well. My only suggestion to those with the noisier earlier models is to go with the quietest tyre available. On the last Auto Express tyre test it was Matador Elite 2 MP42V (70.1dba) followed by Goodyear Hydragrip V, Hankook Optimo K406 H, and Maxxis Surpasa MA-V1V (all on 70.5 dba). Unfortunately, out of these only the Goodyear was any good as an all-rounder - the Matador was particularly bad. From the previous year the Maloya Futura Primato (budget brand of Vredestein) was about the best choice in terms of noise (came out best) and overall performance/price (came 2nd overall).

In both years the Dunlops finished either very close to the bottom (in terms of noise) or mid-table, so improvements in road noise should be possible.

[Realistbear]

"What Car" notes the noise issue in their Avensis test report. I have written* to Toyota to see if they do a "kit" but doubt that they would make any admissions as to a noise problem as that would mean that there was an imperfection forcing the design team responsible to commit hari kari. Even the idea of an after-market "kit" to fix a design problem would be anathema to most manufacturers and especially proud Japanese.

I may go on the net to see if some sound deadening material is available. I accept that some of the racket is because of the tyres but mine has newish premium Dutch 16s". I am left to conclude that there is insufficient sound insulation or there is an acoustic problem with road noise being amplified into the cabin. Sound is a complex issue and the strangest and loudest noises can be generated from seemingly inocuous sources.

I once owned a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar that had a resonating buzz that could not be fixed. The sound was amplified through the pickups and expert repariers had difficulty in locating its source. It turned out to be a "sympathetic" rattle coming from the neck whenever the right frequency of sound was generated. The level of noise such a tiny defect caused was remarkable. Fender refused to admit the problem but their expert repairer dropped them in it by writing up a report that the problem was real and could not be repaired short of replacing the entire neck. It goes to show that manufacturers fiind it very hard to admit to failures. The ship has to be sinking before the Japanese will admit to a failure!

I lived in the US for a number of years and had 4 different Camrys and a Hi-Lux pickup which was much quieter than the Avensis. I also owned an MR2 which was a LOT noisier than jst about anything I have ever owned but then you expect it for a full-on sports car. The Camrys felt more like a Jag for quietness so I know Toyota are capable of building a quiet car.

________________________

The use of premium "revenue sharing" toll numbers such as 0845 and 0870 should not be tolerated by consumers in this country. Just say "NO" and find their 0800 number or write!

http://www.saynoto0870.com/

[Realistbear]

I just drove back from the dealer after having the air-con fixed and the noise from the tyres really is horrendous--even at low speed. On inspection, I see that the car is fitted with Dutch VREDESTEIN Sportrac 2 205-55-R16s.* My local tyre dealer said these were expensive and the "sportrac" designation confirms they are built for handling more than quiet cruising.

Does anyone think that by dumping the VRedesteins and purchasing Michelin Primacys or Pirelli 6000s that the noise issue would be improved enough to justify new tyres (the tyres on the car are not that old)?

Apart from the noise this is a very good car!

If anyone is interested in buying an almost new set of sporty, albeit noisy, tyres let me know! I live near Redditch-Alcester in South Warcks.

__________________________

* http://www.blackcircles.com/tyres/vredestein

Vredestein Sportrac 2

The Vredestein Sportrac 2 is a text book sports tyre. Built for speed some of the benefits of this tyre are that it is extremely quiet, it is very responsive in the wet and winter weather and it looks good. Vredestein have been building tyres for the European winter tyre market for years, and they are successful at it and ell respected. The Vredestein Sportrac 2 tyre is a direct competitor for the many mid market performance tyres and we feel it lets itself down as it is hard to get hold of Vrederstein tyres and when you eventually do they are quite expensive. We would recommend a Toyo Proxes T1-R or a GT Champiro for the price conscious of you.

[Scoobs]

Does anyone think that by dumping the VRedesteins and purchasing Michelin Primacys or Pirelli 6000s that the noise issue would be improved enough to justify new tyres (the tyres on the car are not that old)?

The Vredesteins are generally aimed at wet weather performance so they have bigger grooves in the treads. That's what causes the higher amount of noise. The Michelins are not particularly quiet, I recall. I would suggest sticking to the list I gave in the post above, otherwise you're just guessing.

[uumode]

My Avensis T4 53 plate is the most noisy car I have owned. It depends on the road surface. On the M25 you have to shout to your passenger if you wish to be heard. I spoke to the dealer about this some time ago he said low profile tyres are always noisy no matter what car it is. My car has dunlops but I feel sure michelins would be quieter???. On a good road surface the noice level is acceptable. Toyota Avensis is a good car but the road noise does seem excessive to me. My wife's Carina is so quiet compared to the Avensis.

That's odd, I have the same T4 trim, same wheels, and same dunlops, yet I don't think the noise is that obtrusive. The wind noise is quieter than my Mercedes E Class so this accentuates the noise of the tyres in the Avensis.

However, I have the hatch, and when the parcel shelf is removed the noise increases considerably, just like a cheap hatch, like my Pug 205 and Rover Metro. (and I can hear things rolling about in the rear boot area, as there is sound leakage into the cabin from the gaps in the folding seats)

This didn't happen in my VW Polo, and was refined without the parcel shelf - you would not know you are driving a hatch without the parcel shelf.