Noise
If you're going to be doing long trips, droning road noise can be very draining.
The test
There are standard industry tests which measure the noise a tyre makes from the side of the road, to ensure it meets the current legislation. But at present, no official assessments are carried out for inside the cabin. So we developed our own.
Cabin noise and comfort are closely linked – rubber that roars as you drive along the road can soon become irritating, and make long journeys tiring. So this is an important factor for many motorists.
We accelerated up to 62mph in our test car, and then slipped into neutral and allowed it to coast for 15 seconds over the same piece of tarmac. A certified meter was then used to measure the noise it made.
We carried out a series of runs, and took an average figure.
Providing the quietest ride among our off-roader tyres was the Continental, which was closely followed by the Kumho and Goodyear. There wasn’t much between this trio, and you could feel the difference from behind the wheel compared to the rest.
After a small gap came the Pirelli and Hankook, which again were closely matched. Michelin’s Latitude was by far the noisiest tyre on test – and we didn’t need a meter to tell that!
Noise
Continental 100.0
Kumho 99.7
Goodyear 99.2
Pirelli 98.3
Hankook 97.9
Michelin 95.9
