Are new Prius any quieter?

This is my sense of it too. Sometimes the wife's 23 seems a bit quieter, but I will need to measure on a controlled course/speed to be sure. And that's rather good since her XLE has the 19 inch wheels, contra my 22 Prime's 15 inch. Been meaning to test with meter but haven't yet.

 

I'm going to qualify my previous statement a bit. I was comparing my old gen3 to my current gen5. Thinking it about it some, I think the reason the gen5 seems quieter to me at low speeds is because it's in EV mode far more often than the gen3 was. At low speeds with minimal wind noise, that makes for a quieter car. After a decade of minimal EV driving, it was weird to have the new car drop into EV mode at 55mph and maintain that speed until the battery dropped to about 50% and the engine kicked back in.

 

that makes a lot of sense. i test drove a gen4 and found the engine noisier than gen3, but most here think it's quieter.
without testing, it's hard to know. and even dB testing is different than subjective hearing.

 

I do not know if in US you have the noise labels on your all season tyres, but this is another factor to take in consideration: the 17" & 19" can have very different values.

The Yokohama summer OEM tyres in EU have the labels and are very different in this regard:
the 17" are 67 dB (A class) and the 19" are 71 dB (B class), the difference is huge.

"Tyres with a low noise level have between 67 and 71 dB. The highest level shows sound waves in between 72 and 77 dB. An increase of just a few decibels represents a big difference in noise levels. In fact, a difference of 3dB doubles the amount of external noise the tyre produces."

Understanding the EU Tyre Label Grading | Goodyear Tyres.

 

Bridgestone Ecopia Problems (Explained) - Motor Hungry

Interesting comments on tire noise ratings. It set me on a Google search.

Bridgestone ECOPIA Tires with ENLITEN and ologic Technologies Selected as Original Equipment on New Prius | MarketScreener

Bridgestone ECOPIA Tires with ENLITEN and ologic Technologies Selected as Original Equipment on New Prius

"Tokyo - Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) today announced that its ECOPIA EP510, ECOPIA EP150, and ECOPIA EP422 Plus tires have been selected as original equipment on the new Prius unveiled by Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota).

ECOPIA EP510 and ECOPIA EP150 tires will be supplied for use on vehicles sold in Japan, Europe, and Asia while ECOPIA EP422 Plus tires will be equipped on vehicles marketed in North America.

By supplying tires with the innovative tire technology, 'ENLITEN,' which Bridgestone positions as the new premium in the EV era, the company strives to achieve its corporate commitment for 'Energy: Committed to the realization of a carbon neutral mobility society' described in its 'Bridgestone E8 Commitment.'"


Bridgestone Ecopia is loud. I want quieter tires. Fuel economy be damned. | PriusChat

Bridgestone Ecopia is loud. I want quieter tires. Fuel economy be damned.

"I upgraded from Ecopia to Primacy MXV4 and noticed a big reduction in noise."

"+1 on the Michelin Primacies - I noticed a quieter ride immediately. If "mileage be damned", then set them all at about 35 PSI."

"Michelin Defenders hands down."


Bridgestone Ecopia Problems (Explained) - Motor Hungry

Bridgestone Ecopia Problems (Explained)

You may or may not be aware of the mixed reviews that Bridgestone Ecopia tires have gotten over the years.

That’s why we’ve researched forums and Bridgestone product pages to determine the main Bridgestone Ecopia problems – for both the H/L 422 Plus and EP422 Plus tires.

Some of the main problems with Bridgestone Ecopia tires include loud road noise, rough riding, and bad tread longevity, among others. Many of these problems are flaws in the design that can’t be fixed without replacing the tires.

If you want to learn about some of the other problems that customers have faced with Bridgestone Ecopia tires, keep reading.


So my friends, it appears we are a bit behind the 8-ball on this Ecopia issue. If you want to lower tire noise (the biggest noise remaining on the 2023's), pick up some Michelins. Then sell your (almost) brand new Ecopias to recoup some of the cost.

 

FYI, there's not just one tire on these cars. You could get a Bridgestone Ecopia, a Yokohama BluEarth, possibly a Goodyear Primacy(uncertain if Goodyear got an OE contract), or a Toyo Extensa like I did. There might even be others.

 

I got the Ecopia...

 

with efficiency comes noise, or higher cost. over the years, a few have located efficient tires with lower noise levels. but there's so much to consider. tread wear, handling, braking, wet roads, snow, ice, etc.

 

Well, i had a look to these Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 Plus tyres in EU, where is compulsory to have the noise label. Not identical dimensions but in 3 o 4 close sizes they all have 71 db of index and a RR between class B and C.

Which is the same value for the Prius' Yokohama EU 195/50 R19, 71 db, RR class C.
As i wrote before, the Prius in EU is provided OEM also with 17" YOKOHAMA, top class in RR, class A, but with only 67db, super-silent.

So, i will say that is really possible all way round, better efficiency, less noise (a lot, too).
Another excellent reason to avoid the trims with 19" in EU Prius.

 

True but not true.

The reason we use a logarithmic scale instead of actual intensity is that a doubling of intensity doesn't sound like twice as loud to our ears. I work with sound quite a bit and can tell you from experience that 3dB is hardly noticeable. In fact, a lot of people won't even notice such a small change (to our ears), even though it is putting out twice the volume as far as power is concerned.

 

I think a noise rating is a great idea, I wonder what the test is comprised of

 

I just completed sound meter testing of my 22 Prime and 23 GLE AWD Priuses. The '23 won bigly. Summary of results:

22 Prius Prime Base level, with 15 inch wheels and Bridgestone Ecopia (stock) tires vs. 23 Prius GLE AWD with 19 inch wheels and Toys Extensa (stock) tires. Ran over identical courses and speeds. The results - at 40-45 MPH the 23 AWD was 6 db quieter on average. On really smooth roads the difference was 8-9 db. Tire noise is the dominant contributor on the 23; the engine is quieter. At 50-55 MPH, the 23 AWD was 6-7 db quieter overall. At 60-65 MPH the 23 AWD was 7-9 db quieter overall, except when revving a bit on uphill stretches when it was as much as 10-11 db quieter. Again tire noise was the dominant contributor on the 23 AWD whereas engine noise and wind was more dominant on the 22 Prime.

Testing methodology: (radio and AC off, and windows up) A Radio Shack Sound Meter was employed on driver's side, at just below head height, using A weighting. Raw numbers ranged from 64-74 db on the 22 Prime, and from 58-67 db on the 23 AWD. It would be interesting to test a 23 Prime with SE trim (smaller wheels) and probably different suspension settings where I would expect an even bigger difference from the 22 Prime.

 

I don't mind the car itself being quiter. What about outside noises, like if a siren goes off or something? I kind of like hearing that kind of stuff.

 

it sounds like gen5 with 15" wheels would be amazingly quiet

 

Interesting. I did not get the same results comparing 2019 LE to 2023 LE. I did some checking and my 2019 had Dunlop Enasave 01 tires on it.

Here's a copy/paste of my test results for comparison purposes:

"My 2023 LE on Ecopia 422's.

62.5-66db @ 30-60MPH from right ear (facing interior)
68'ishdb constant @ 30-60MPH from left ear (facing window)

And from my 2019 LE, I got the following on the same road:

59-62db @ 40-60MPH from right ear (facing interior)
65-69db @ 40-60MPH from left ear (facing window)

So it appears from the perspective of the meter, that the interior noise is slightly higher on my 2023. My personal opinion is the noise is primarily road/tire. Maybe that will dissipate a little as the tires wear in a bit? Some quick Googling indicates that tires can get quieter after a break-in period. But old tires with less tread will generally be louder than new, so... my 2019 with at least 75% of the tread gone, might have even been even a bit more quiet a year ago.

Another thing to consider is the suspension. It is MUCH more firm in the new car. While it damps hard bumps really well for as firm as it is, it is still much more rough (IMO) over harsh bumps than my 2019 LE. I mean, it's like comparing a Corvette to a Ford Taurus. The new 2023 REALLY handles well. Surprisingly well... that comes at a cost.

One final thing about the decibel numbers from the window (left ear) perspective compared to the 2019 - even though I said the 2023's windows are blocking much more noise; as has been already discussed, sound is subjective, and not all soundwaves are alike. It could be that the new windows are blocking more higher frequency sounds, which is why the gate alarm and wind seems much quieter to me. But other frequencies are still getting through causing the decibel numbers to remain the same. Who knows.

I would summarize and repeat, that the 2023 LE seems quieter and smoother in ways than my 2019, yet also louder and harsher. It just depends. Add in the fact that many of you will be driving on different tires than me, so truly... your mileage may vary."

 

i guess the glitch in the testing is tires

 

Yes, I should point out my 23 AWD tires are new, and the 22 Prime's have about 13k miles.

 

There are so many variables. Which reminds me: @Downrange, what were the tire pressures in both cars?

My 2019 had only 30k miles and was really treated gentle. I never changed a thing on it before I traded it in. Everything was original all the way down to the windshield wipers. Then I traded it in for what I paid. That's what you call efficiency! LOL

During my test I would hold the DB meter up at head height, either facing out from my right ear, or my left. The meter had a hold button I would depress to freeze the reading when no cars were passing, and I wasn't driving over any kind of road seam. Sounds were constant every time I took a sample. I also had the AC/radio off and was holding the speed steady via cruise.

There is a sense of quiet/increased luxury when driving the G5, but it also has an increased harshness IMO. And that REALLY becomes evident over road bumps or rough/noisy roads. But my oh my does it handle like a dream. On a scale of 1-10, my G4 handled like a 5, and G5 like a 10.

And yes, I'm on Bridgestone Ecopias in the G5. 39/39 cold during the test on both cars.

 

Interesting comments from a Prius review video I just watched and posted in the Prius Reviews section. Matt Maran is an experienced automotive YouTuber. His profile shows he drives a 2019 Bullitt Mustang.