2023 Prius Road Noise

I got ahold of an actual decibel meter and have been doing some testing. I tested from both ears with the microphone facing out (right ear facing middle car, left ear facing driver's window).

40-45 MPH I averaged 59.3 in my right ear, and 65.4 in my left.
55-60 MPH I averaged 61.8 in my right ear, and 68.5 in my left.

The road surface was fairly pure asphalt (not a lot of rock mixed in).

My tires are kept around 39 psi cold. This was a low-80's day so they were likely in the low 40's at the time.

The car is a 2019 LE, with original tires and about 25% of wear left. Didn't pay attention if the motor was running as it doesn't really make a sound at cruising speed.

One interesting note: when driving in an older, more urban part of town, I found myself driving on a fairly heavy asphalt-rock mix. You could clearly hear the hum driving over it. I had really never paid attention before. At around 40 MPH, I was getting high 60's on the db meter from my RIGHT ear! That's about a 10 db penalty based on road composition in my car. The penalty will be less in a Lexus, but the road is going to make quite a difference in any car. This is why there is so much variation in new Prius tests. If you drive the 2023 on a crappy road, you are going to hear it, just like you would on nearly every car. If you pump your tires up a bit like I do, you'll hear it even more. If you are runnin' 19'sssssssss, even more. But you get to corner harder bringing extra smiles.

https://www.aptnj.com/how-asphalt-pavement-reduces-noise-from-traffic-highways/#:~:text=Open%20graded%20asphalt%20and%20rubberized,as%203%20to%205%20decibels.

Here's ^^ an interesting story on road composition technology. Rubberized asphalt!

When my 2023 LE is delivered (hopefully next week *hands folded in prayer*), you will get the definitive sound comparison.

 

I'm in Kansas also (Salina) and I think my '23 is a LOT quieter than the '22 Limited I traded in for it. Matter of fact, I think this is probably the quietest of all the cars I've owned. Could be you might have a leak somewhere.

 

Not believing it, although I have never ridden in one of those 2010 Dodge Ram 5.7 V8 trucks.

 

I was testing the 2019. I'll be testing the 2023 very soon on the same path and speed.

 

Still trying to formulate my opinion on the varying sound levels in the cabin. It is quite different in many ways compared to my 2019. I still need a bit more time to get official decibel readings.

First off: the windows are more noise cancelling in the 2023 LE compared to the 2019. I routinely drive through a gate with an alarm and it's at least 50% quieter in the 2023 than before. I also notice the wind noise to be appreciably less in the 2023.

What I do find louder is the Pedestrian Warning sound (especially in reverse), but after reading various threads on this, it appears they jacked the sound up a few years prior. Sure wish it was more like my 2019.

I believe the engine is quieter also. I used to be able to clearly hear when the ICE kicked in. Now sometimes I can't tell, even at lower speeds.

Road/tire noise can be rather loud. But it depends on the road construction. The car is quieter than before on smooth roads, but as loud (or maybe even slightly louder) on rough roads. I would attribute that to the tighter suspension. I do keep my tires at 39 psi cold though, so I'm gonna hear more than the person running at 35.

I think this is the best I can explain it. Quieter in most ways, but probably at least as loud on a rough road. I'll have new decibel numbers soon.

 

Has anyone been able to compare the 2023 Crown's road noise vs. the 2023 Prius' road noise? One of the things I dislike about my 2012 Prius Plug-In is the road noise and wind noise.

Noise cancellation? Is there another source that mentions this?

What is the recommended PSI, and how would your tire pressures affect the noise?

I assume you mean noise isolating, not noise cancelling. Anyhow, it's good to know that wind noise is likely reduced.

 

I have a 23 Crown XLE and it is much quieter than my 23 Prius.
Much more comfortable also but I like driving my Prius over the Crown, more fun.
But for comfort, the Crown wins hands down.

 

"Noise cancellation? Is there another source that mentions this?"

-I don't think that video is fully reliable. There's no info out on 2024's yet that I know of.

"What is the recommended PSI, and how would your tire pressures affect the noise?"

-Those levels are found inside the driver's door area. Usually around 35 psi. **EDIT** Manual says (pg. 524-55), 36/35psi Frnt/Rear on 17 inch wheels, and 35/33 psi F/R on 19in wheels (add 3psi all around - on 19's - if driving over 100mph).

How would tire pressure affect noise? A harder tire will absorb less shock?

"I assume you mean noise isolating, not noise cancelling. Anyhow, it's good to know that wind noise is likely reduced."

-Noise blocking, noise isolating, yeah... whatever. I can say with full confidence that the 2023 LE's driver side window defeats more outside noise, than the 2019 LE.

 

My 2017 Honda CRV had active noise canceling.

 

At least in Canada, it turns out the Crown has Active Noise Control for all three available packages, XLE, XLE Limited, and Platinum. (All are AWD.)

In contrast, Active Noise Control is not available on either of the two Prius packages, XLE AWD and Limited AWD. So, that would explain it.

It looks like my two choices for Toyota are the red Crown XLE Limited (CA$54459.50 + tax = 61539.24) vs. red Prius Limited AWD (CA$46455.00 + tax = 52494.15). Hmmm... For a $9000 difference, I guess I can forgo the Active Noise Control.

EDIT:

Why specifically do you like the drive of the Prius better? In what ways do you find it more fun? Just curious. If the Crown drives like a boat, that would be a turn off.

 

And here we go!

I consolidated the numbers for ease of reading.

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.

 

Bruce: Back to your original question, after 3 weeks we finally took our car out for a modest road trip (100 miles each way) and just once may have heard what you heard, some kind of whistling from the rear cargo area. It was kinda windy but not super windy and we only heard it once for a few minutes and it went away. The wind was pretty consistent, so wondering if maybe it was related to the direction the wind was coming from. We were on windy Colorado mountain roads, so if dependent on wind direction, that is pretty random. It didn't last long and didn't hear it again on the rest of that trip or the drive back.

Is the noise always there for you or only occasionally?

As to the general topic of noise, this replaced my Gen1 where road/wind noise were a LOT more prominent to the point where I was scaring myself the first week speeding as this car is so quiet (relatively) that I was speeding without knowing it. I've retrained myself to start looking at the speedometer again instead of just listening to road noise like I got used to on my Gen1.

will

 

Has anyone used the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds for noise cancellation? The latest info appears to indicate that it works well. As for noise cancellation in 2024 Toyotas, I just did a quick search and found no press releases on that for US cars. Please tell me I am wrong.