I'm in the market for a new vehicle to replace my 2003 Forester.  I have some hearing problems (ringing in my ears [tinnitus], and some hearing loss starting).  Wind and road noise really stir things up. I need the quietest vehicle possible... but I'd really like to have AWD, and stick with Subaru if possible.  So... what do folks think is the quietest model of recent year Subarus?  I would most likely go with a 2008-2012 model, not a 2013 or new one.

 

Thanks!

Richard in Colorado

Tires make a huge difference in noise, but the issue with subarus are the boxer engines they all have that subaru thump to them and will not go fully away. You can always add sound deadning under the carpet that will help alot. If the thumping from the motor is the issue you might want to try another brand and see which one suits your needs for the price range your looking in.

Richard,

 

There is an audio technology available that uses microphones built into the vehicle. They pick up the"noise" you are complaining about, and then in milliseconds send it to the radio's amplifier to reverse the phase and pump it out the car's speakers at exactly the same volume. Essentially the two sounds, because they are in opposite phase and at the same volume, cancel each other out to make a perfectly silent cabin. Your normal radio program is not affected at all.

 

Some high end cars carry this technology now. It may be worth you searching the web for car audio manufacturers who have this noise cancelling feature in their product line (Mark Levison, Alpine, etc.). It may be an expensive purchase, but depending on how its configured, it may allow you to move it from one car to another as you trade vehicles. Just an idea tha may be worth lokking in to.

Tribeca must be the quietest model. It's stuffed with insulation to compete with Lexus and the like. But as far as engine noise, 6-cyl seems to be quieter than 4-cyl. Anyway, Forester of that vintage has very little soundproofing, same as Impreza on which it was based. Perhaps just switching to the Legacy line will be good enough.

Legacy or Outback would be my first choice.

New Tribeca would probably be the quietest but its also the most expensive and the largest, and only comes with a 6cyl. If you want the biggest most expensive gas hungry vehicle the Tribeca is perfect.

On the second thought, in the 2008-12 range the OP is looking for, anything will be noticeably quieter than the 2003 Forester.

Edited November 21, 201312 yr by avk

Parked

You probably want a wagon since you're replacing a Forester, but IMO a sedan of a given model will be quieter than a wagon.  On our three wagons you can really hear noise from the rear of the cars when the seats are folded down, so I would think further isolation from that area would only help quiet things down.

Plus tire choice is huge for road noise, removing roof racks will have a big impact on wind noise.

Thanks everyone for the responses!  Any opinions as to quietness vs model years? Specifically, the Forester had a redesign in 2009, and the Outback and the Legacy sedan in 2010. Any opinions on whether each of these models are quieter before or after the redesigns?  Thanks!

why not head down to your local subbie store and test drive a bunch of pre-owned, no matter what we say you are the one that needs to pick what is right for you.

"Quietest" is subjective, so I agree with Downbound. Go and test drive some models for you to find out which one suits your needs/preferences.

I can say that my mother-in-law's 2011 Outback Premium is "noiser" than my 2013 Legacy Limited. There is more wind, transmission and engine noise. Since the Outback is a wagon you can also hear more coming from the back, the CVT and the engine are the "older" designs that had changes in the 2013 models.

 

I'm not saying that the 2011 Outback is loud on it's own, but the 2013 sedan is noticably quieter.

Edited November 27, 201312 yr by Suzam