Advice regarding cabin noise

[WPJoe]

I recently test drove the Stinger and came away very excited.

I am definitely looking for a car that has a reasonably quiet cabin.

One of the things I noticed was that after driving the V6 my ears were almost "humming" a little bit - I guess from the engine/exhaust note? I had a similar experience when I test drove a jaguar and didnt like it for that reason.

I know...I know...a lot of people love that, but maybe its not just for my ears!

I am curious if anyone has experience on which engine will actually be quieter in the cabin between the V4 and V6? Sometimes the louder noise from a stronger engine is outweighed by the noise from straining a weaker engine...and I am curious if people know how these two compare in this regard?

Thank you!

 

[Falaris]

Sorry I cannot compare the 2.0 to the 3.3 as I own and have only driven the 3.3 but I can suggest that you ensure the "Enhanced Engine Sound" is set to a minimum on your next test drive. Depending on the mode it is set to it can make a sizable difference in the in cabin noise level. If you were in sport mode (of course you were why not!) it defaults to a louder in cabin enhancement.

Hope this helps,

-Fal

 

[Kamauxx]

I haven't compared both in the Stinger but my experience with other cars has been the smaller the engine the louder.

If what you're asking about is the synthetic engine noise it can be adjusted to be less intrusive.

 

[eflyguy]

I would also expect it was the "enhanced sound" that you were hearing.

I have test driven a couple of GT2s, and they are MUCH quieter from a road/wind noise perspective than my Sorento.

 

[mldavis2]

One of MANY problems when test driving a car other people have been playing with. As advised, check the engine sound setting.

 

[WPJoe]

Thanks everyone for the feedback - is it the general consensus that the V6 should give an overall quieter experience than the 4 cylinder?

 

[Kia Stinger]

Thanks everyone for the feedback - is it the general consensus that the V6 should give an overall quieter experience than the 4 cylinder?

Welcome aboard, Joe! And thank you for signing up. Yes, sir - the general consensus is that the V6 has the quieter interior. You just need to adjust that piped-in sound you're hearing...

 

[Marc Collins]

I recently test drove the Stinger and came away very excited.

I am definitely looking for a car that has a reasonably quiet cabin.

One of the things I noticed was that after driving the V6 my ears were almost "humming" a little bit - I guess from the engine/exhaust note? I had a similar experience when I test drove a jaguar and didnt like it for that reason.

I know...I know...a lot of people love that, but maybe its not just for my ears!

I am curious if anyone has experience on which engine will actually be quieter in the cabin between the V4 and V6? Sometimes the louder noise from a stronger engine is outweighed by the noise from straining a weaker engine...and I am curious if people know how these two compare in this regard?

Thank you!

It could also be the noise cancellation technology. If you understand how it works, it is far from impossible that it could bother some people's hearing. Was the car you drove equipped with the upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system?

 

[md_device]

A vast majority of cabin noise is from the tires. Buick was focused on cabin noise with the new regal. They commissioned special tires with foam liners for the 2018s, the when it came to putting the wagon regal stateside they backed out on that at the last minute. No where near as quite as the opel concept and test cars that the auto reviewers got to sit in.

I don't remember too much noise but my guess is that the summer Michelin's would be better than the Bridgestone All Seasons

 

[Atif]

I recently test drove the Stinger and came away very excited.

I am definitely looking for a car that has a reasonably quiet cabin.

One of the things I noticed was that after driving the V6 my ears were almost "humming" a little bit - I guess from the engine/exhaust note? I had a similar experience when I test drove a jaguar and didnt like it for that reason.

I know...I know...a lot of people love that, but maybe its not just for my ears!


Thank you!

I observed similar "humming" couple of times but that could be a combination of road and load in the car or some noise canceling tech.

 

[Robs]

Quietness would be subjective but i’ll try to be as precise as possible. Test drove the 3.3L V6 and 2.0L I4 back to back. Cabin wise both are extremely quiet and insulated, until you step on right side pedal. That’s when things go different sound wise, noticeably some intake and engine sound, plus the stuff that gets piped-in.

In the 2.0L I4, which is what I ended up buying, it’s quiet as there is hardly any noticeable intake sound and engine only gets noticeable after 2,500 rpms. I reckon due to the 8 speed gearbox/transmission, the engine doesn’t need to strain to get the car going and is buttery smooth.

Another factor would be what drive mode you’re in. In Comfort mode, both variants are quiet and refined so conversations are easy to make or just enjoy the sound systems. In Sport, even in traffic/city driving can get loud as the revs are kept up and shifts held longer.

Personally, the 2.0L I4 took a little getting used to as it was so quiet, even more than my MIL’s Mercedes E200! But that car is NA and has a smaller displacement, 7 speed gearbox too so it struggles. However, the end result is a car that is Lexus-like silent and smooth, and has substantial power over 1,500 rpms so overtaking and going fast is fun but silent haha.

Am really enjoying cruising around and the the occasional WOTs but what’s important is the music playing as it’s so quiet! Hope this helps, either way you’ll be smiling and staring at the car a lot!

 

[Marc Collins]

Quietness would be subjective but i’ll try to be as precise as possible. Test drove the 3.3L V6 and 2.0L I4 back to back. Cabin wise both are extremely quiet and insulated, until you step on right side pedal. That’s when things go different sound wise, noticeably some intake and engine sound, plus the stuff that gets piped-in.

In the 2.0L I4, which is what I ended up buying, it’s quiet as there is hardly any noticeable intake sound and engine only gets noticeable after 2,500 rpms. I reckon due to the 8 speed gearbox/transmission, the engine doesn’t need to strain to get the car going and is buttery smooth.

Another factor would be what drive mode you’re in. In Comfort mode, both variants are quiet and refined so conversations are easy to make or just enjoy the sound systems. In Sport, even in traffic/city driving can get loud as the revs are kept up and shifts held longer.

Personally, the 2.0L I4 took a little getting used to as it was so quiet, even more than my MIL’s Mercedes E200! But that car is NA and has a smaller displacement, 7 speed gearbox too so it struggles. However, the end result is a car that is Lexus-like silent and smooth, and has substantial power over 1,500 rpms so overtaking and going fast is fun but silent haha.

Am really enjoying cruising around and the the occasional WOTs but what’s important is the music playing as it’s so quiet! Hope this helps, either way you’ll be smiling and staring at the car a lot!

Did you turn the fake engine sound down to the lowest setting in the 3.3? If not, then that's probably what you were hearing. It should have an OFF setting and be there by default.

 

[WPJoe]

Did you turn the fake engine sound down to the lowest setting in the 3.3? If not, then that's probably what you were hearing. It should have an OFF setting and be there by default.

It was a GT2 so it does have the noise canceling. Is there any way to mess with that and see whether that is what was bothering me?

Regarding the fake engine sound - I did see that you can adjust that but I did not see an OFF setting. There were three settings and I feel like the lowest was "minimal" or something like that...?

Thank you all for your advice.

 

[Berzerker]

It was a GT2 so it does have the noise canceling. Is there any way to mess with that and see whether that is what was bothering me?

Regarding the fake engine sound - I did see that you can adjust that but I did not see an OFF setting. There were three settings and I feel like the lowest was "minimal" or something like that...?

Thank you all for your advice.

Yes, you can't actually turn it off, the lowest you can set it to is "minimized." You can't even hear it in that mode though. You can barely hear it in "Enhanced."

 

[WPJoe]

Yes, you can't actually turn it off, the lowest you can set it to is "minimized." You can't even hear it in that mode though. You can barely hear it in "Enhanced."

Thanks for the reply - and does anyone have advice on the noise canceling function? I imagine thats not controllable but is there any way to see if that is what might be bothering my ears?

 

[Berzerker]

I don't think there's anything that says we have Active Noise cancellation. With the amount of road noise there is (not a lot, but definitely there), I'm inclined to think we don't have it.

It's listed on Kia's "technologies" site but nothing specifically for the Stinger.

 

[TJH]

Quietness would be subjective but i’ll try to be as precise as possible. Test drove the 3.3L V6 and 2.0L I4 back to back. Cabin wise both are extremely quiet and insulated, until you step on right side pedal. That’s when things go different sound wise, noticeably some intake and engine sound, plus the stuff that gets piped-in.

In the 2.0L I4, which is what I ended up buying, it’s quiet as there is hardly any noticeable intake sound and engine only gets noticeable after 2,500 rpms. I reckon due to the 8 speed gearbox/transmission, the engine doesn’t need to strain to get the car going and is buttery smooth.

Another factor would be what drive mode you’re in. In Comfort mode, both variants are quiet and refined so conversations are easy to make or just enjoy the sound systems. In Sport, even in traffic/city driving can get loud as the revs are kept up and shifts held longer.

Personally, the 2.0L I4 took a little getting used to as it was so quiet, even more than my MIL’s Mercedes E200! But that car is NA and has a smaller displacement, 7 speed gearbox too so it struggles. However, the end result is a car that is Lexus-like silent and smooth, and has substantial power over 1,500 rpms so overtaking and going fast is fun but silent haha.

Am really enjoying cruising around and the the occasional WOTs but what’s important is the music playing as it’s so quiet! Hope this helps, either way you’ll be smiling and staring at the car a lot!

Very useful! Are your tires Continental Sports Contact 5? What do you think of the tire noise over rough expressway patches like those on our Pan Island Expressway, eg. just before Tampines exit? My WRX is rather loud over there; how does the road noise in your Stinger compare to your MIL's Mercedes in such situations?

 

[Robs]

Very useful! Are your tires Continental Sports Contact 5? What do you think of the tire noise over rough expressway patches like those on our Pan Island Expressway, eg. just before Tampines exit? My WRX is rather loud over there; how does the road noise in your Stinger compare to your MIL's Mercedes in such situations?

Yes CSC5 225/45/18. Very quiet with low rumble over bad tarmac. I reckon it’s also thanks to the cabin insulation. The E Class was on lower profile tyres and cabin is definitely not as well insulated, suspension also pretty terrible IMO.

Have you ordered one?

 

[TJH]

Yes CSC5 225/45/18. Very quiet with low rumble over bad tarmac. I reckon it’s also thanks to the cabin insulation. The E Class was on lower profile tyres and cabin is definitely not as well insulated, suspension also pretty terrible IMO.

Have you ordered one?

No, not really time to change cars yet... but, keeping the Stinger in mind; and maybe the G70 if the price is right.

 

[jboulukos]

Did you turn the fake engine sound down to the lowest setting in the 3.3? If not, then that's probably what you were hearing. It should have an OFF setting and be there by default.

A question related to the fake engine sound feature discussed...Does the 2.0L have this as well?