Any interior dB readings for 2020?

[jkjjpc]

I’m considering a Model 3 for my next car. Love many aspects, but read a lot about interior noise complaints. I know there were reports of improved sound starting from last October production, but I have not been able to find any updated dB readings for newer cars. Has anyone tested the dB of the interior since the update? I will try to do this myself once I’m able to test drive again once the COVID-19 situation settles down.

Thanks

 

[manddarran]

i did some tests in the new 2020s before I bought. The difference between earlier 2019s and the 2020s for me was huge. I wouldnt buy the 19s cause of it. I am pleased with my 2020. I do remember the 19 inch wheels were about 5db louder, but I was using my phone as a meter, so nothing too scientific. The 2020 with 18s (what I bought) was about as quiet as my 2018 Volt.

 

[XLR82XS]

No db readings here but as manddarran states the 2020 is quieter than previous years. I'm sure the stiffer windows seals assist with wind noise reduction as well as the wheel liners not flapping around.

 

[amarti]

I just took delivery of a 2020 AWD model 3 with the performance upgrade. The ride is in my opinion very quiet. There is some slight wind noise on the A pillar on the driver side at speeds above 65 but nothing like what people have been saying on youtube videos.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

I get 85 db on my iphone app at around 70mph on concrete freeways. It's very loud and my ears are ringing after a couple hour drive. It's one of the big things I miss about my Jag.

 

[giantshark18]

I think wind noise is pretty good. However, road noise on certain surfaces can be distracting at times. I'm coming from a 2007 truck, so not exactly used to serene environments. It's my only real complaint about the car.

 

[Stickboy46]

I get 85 db on my iphone app at around 70mph on concrete freeways. It's very loud and my ears are ringing after a couple hour drive. It's one of the big things I miss about my Jag.

It varies so much car to car. My 2020 LR AWD measured 60 dbs at 80 mph freeway. That's 5 less than my wife's Charger

 

[holmgang]

unless the measurement device is calibrated, you might as well throw away the results

its somewhat valid if someone uses their same device on 2 different cars.

 

[XLR82XS]

I just took delivery of a 2020 AWD model 3 with the performance upgrade. The ride is in my opinion very quiet. There is some slight wind noise on the A pillar on the driver side at speeds above 65 but nothing like what people have been saying on youtube videos.

Try this in the gap at the A-pillar/fenders: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NHL17BC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I stuffed it in those spots and it seems to reduce some wind noise at 70+mph. My 2020 is quiet with the exception of wind noise around the top of the windshield at 70+mph. I did install that tubing at the glass gap at the top but it flew off a few days after installation.

 

[XLR82XS]

I get 85 db on my iphone app at around 70mph on concrete freeways. It's very loud and my ears are ringing after a couple hour drive. It's one of the big things I miss about my Jag.

Concrete roads definitely promote road noise. On fresh and/or good condition asphalt the tire noise is severely reduced. This is with OE Continental tires.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Concrete roads definitely promote road noise. On fresh and/or good condition asphalt the tire noise is severely reduced. This is with OE Continental tires.

True! It’s all about road surface because the Model 3 is so poorly insulated from road noise. With true luxury cars that are well engineered, they are quiet with any road surface.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

unless the measurement device is calibrated, you might as well throw away the results

its somewhat valid if someone uses their same device on 2 different cars.

somewhat?? It’s 100% valid to use same device to compare between cars otherwise your statement about calibration is false.

 

[WilliamG]

True! It’s all about road surface because the Model 3 is so poorly insulated from road noise. With true luxury cars that are well engineered, they are quiet with any road surface.

It’s so funny reading these threads. There’s nothing useful to be gleaned really. Confirmation bias, different tires, different road surfaces, different wind speeds. Unless a professional test is carried out as far as I’m concerned all these cars sound the same.

Feel free to prove me wrong.

 

[jjrandorin]

It’s so funny reading these threads. There’s nothing useful to be gleaned really. Confirmation bias, different tires, different road surfaces, different wind speeds. Unless a professional test is carried out as far as I’m concerned all these cars sound the same.

Feel free to prove me wrong.

This is mostly true, however if one is driving the same roads at the same general times in the same general weather conditions (like a drive to work and back, for example), over time, one can get a feel for how one car performs vs another in various categories.

My model 3 is a little louder on the same roads (just from regular listening, not measuring) than my 2016 435 was, however not appreciably so. One thing that people always seem to leave out is, the sound of the ENGINE drowns out some of the other noises in a regular ICE car. Even if you like the way the engine sounds ( I did, in my 435), it still drowns out some of the road noise.

Since there is no engine noise in a model 3 (other than the electrical whine that many can hear, including me), with no music on, the perception of road noise is amplified. My wifes 2019 X3 is noticeably more quiet than either my 435 was or my model 3, but that doesnt make it more enjoyable than my model 3 to drive for me.

 

[holmgang]

somewhat?? It’s 100% valid to use same device to compare between cars otherwise your statement about calibration is false.

typically the device is a smartphone. even on the same phone, different apps yield drastically different results because of different weighting algo

assuming they
-use the same device
-have access to both car
-hold it in the exact same position
-record it over the exact same stretch of road
-in the same exact lane (obviously at same speed)
-with the same neighboring traffic, and same wind speed
....

then its valid. some of these factors are easily controlled for. others are not.

net effect is asking other people for "any db reading?" as a basis for comparison, is fraught with error

even the person above who measured something about 19" wheels being 5db higher..... +5db SPL equates to roughly 1.5x more perceived loudness (psychoacoustically speaking). do you think a model year change, and/or a 1" wheel change, results in 1.5x more noise?

****

the point is this: unless tested very scientifically, take all these numbers with a gigantic block of salt

 

[IDRVSLO]

FWIW...
I used this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECCZWWI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_LScHEb10TE9E2

I wasn’t quite sure that the wind noise I heard was normal from the windows so I borrowed a friend’s 2019 SR+ and drove it about 200 miles round trip for work on Monday. Turns out her wind noise from the windows was about the same as my 2020 performance. Noise in the car was about 75-78 db average when going above 75mph. I half expected her car to be quieter given she has the aero wheels and tires while I have the 20inch rims.

 

[jkjjpc]

So, no one has responded with any testing comparing a 2019 before "improvements" and 2020 after "improvements". I recognize sound is subjective. One of the frustrations I have with comparative car reviews in magazines like Car and Driver and Motor Trend is that they do not consistently do interior noise testing, even though they often give a NVH score. I understand why they might not report such data for individual car reviews since the road surface has a major impact on interior noise, but for comparison tests they have the cars in the same location and could easily include some dB testing. I recall in the past that reviews often included idle and 60 or 70 mph highway interior noise ratings, but I have not seem them reported much recently. Consumer Reports includes a noise rating, but it is on a 5 point categorical scale and I have not seen any reference to what the scale points translate to on the dB scale. Has anyone seen testing of the Model 3 in any of the car magazine reports? I have not been able to find one. I did see a recent Youtube comparison of the Model 3 and the Model Y, the Y was slightly less noisy in that video.

I could do my own testing (imperfect as it is with testing equipment) and compare some of the cars I am considering, but that is not easy to do during the COVID pandemic when most dealerships are closed. I am coming from a BWW 5 series, which is very quiet, so I may be more sensitive to increased noise compared to others transitioning from cars with interior noise more on par to the Model 3.

 

[IDRVSLO]

So, no one has responded with any testing comparing a 2019 before "improvements" and 2020 after "improvements". I recognize sound is subjective. One of the frustrations I have with comparative car reviews in magazines like Car and Driver and Motor Trend is that they do not consistently do interior noise testing, even though they often give a NVH score. I understand why they might not report such data for individual car reviews since the road surface has a major impact on interior noise, but for comparison tests they have the cars in the same location and could easily include some dB testing. I recall in the past that reviews often included idle and 60 or 70 mph highway interior noise ratings, but I have not seem them reported much recently. Consumer Reports includes a noise rating, but it is on a 5 point categorical scale and I have not seen any reference to what the scale points translate to on the dB scale. Has anyone seen testing of the Model 3 in any of the car magazine reports? I have not been able to find one. I did see a recent Youtube comparison of the Model 3 and the Model Y, the Y was slightly less noisy in that video.

I could do my own testing (imperfect as it is with testing equipment) and compare some of the cars I am considering, but that is not easy to do during the COVID pandemic when most dealerships are closed. I am coming from a BWW 5 series, which is very quiet, so I may be more sensitive to increased noise compared to others transitioning from cars with interior noise more on par to the Model 3.

My reply before your post: the 2019 SR+ was from pre-HW3 of 2019 and mine is a Performance from February of 2020. Overall the noise measurements were the same and my ears seemed to agree. Other than the abnormal noise from the drive side window, I didn’t notice mine was any quieter even though nearly a year newer.

My previous car was a 08 e60 BMW M5 and as loud as that was, it was way more quiet than the 3.

 

[jkjjpc]

I was able to do an extended test drive in two Model 3's this past weekend. The first was a LR AWD with the 19" sport wheels. It was built in 2/20. I used the NIOSH SLM app on my iPhone X. I held the phone in my hand to the right of the steering wheel to avoid vibration from the car. The Model 3 was clearly noisier than my current BMW 540i, which is not surprising given the luxury nature of the BMW. The main component of the noise was road noise from the tires, especially over rougher asphalt and concrete bridges, causeways, or road segments. At a steady 70 mph on a smooth asphalt interstate in the DC area the average dB was about 70. I did notice some wind noise at the highway speeds such that it contributed to part of the interior noise (tire noise was less on the highway except for bridges and expansion joints), but it did not seem excessive in the car I drove. By contrast, my 540i records about 65-66 dB on similar smooth interstate at 70 mph.

The first car had a problem in that the Autopilot was not working properly, so I returned it to Tesla and they provided me a replacement M3 for my overnight test drive. This time I asked for LR AWD with the 18" Aero wheels (covers were on). I did not check the build date, but the car was new (the advisor had to remove plastic protective material from the steering wheel, etc.). I noticed this car had lower interior noise levels compared to the 19" and the difference was most notable on rough road surfaces and concrete bridges. The car also had a smoother ride, but was not as solid in its handling characteristics. At a steady 70 on the same segment of smooth interstate the dB reading averaged around 68 dB. The tires were inflated to 45 PSI, so I lowered the tires to 40 PSI and repeated my test drives. This made a considerable difference in interior noise levels and further improved ride quality. At 70 on the interstate the dB reading averaged about 65. The car was much more pleasant to drive with the reduced noise levels. I did not try to test the impact of the lowered PSI on efficiency, but I would expect some decrease.

Some caveats. The app/phone combo were not calibrated. The NIOSH information about the app claims it is accurate within 2 dB. So, the actual dB readings might not match up perfectly with professional calibrated equipment, but the data are useful for comparing across cars since the app/phone were the same in all tests, I took readings on the same roads, and all readings were done on the same day with temperatures in the 60's.

If I decide to purchase a Model 3, I will go with the 18" Aero wheels and probably remove the covers so the wheels are more sporty and attractive. I am interested in hearing feedback on any issues beyond efficiency that may arise by using a PSI below the 45-46 recommended by Tesla.

Kudos to the staff at Tesla's center in Tyson's Corner VA. They were very accommodating to my request for an overnight test drive. They do not allow anyone in the showroom, you either speak with them by phone or at a distance while staying outside. They disinfected the car before it was made available to me.

 

[manddarran]

I did the exact same test and ended with 18s same results, but I didnt lower the air pressure. that is next. thanks for the tip!