Objective analysis of cabin noise solutions

I want a Z · 01-21-2011, 08:13 AM

I think road noise is a legit concern for some. I have noticed it on some test drives and not on other later test drives, which makes me think Nissan may have silently improved it.

Insideline.com made a big stink about road noise
2009 Nissan 370Z Long-Term Road Test Introduction

Quote:

... Well, how about road noise? As Executive Editor Michael Jordan noted, "About 90 minutes of driving at a time proved to be as much as I could stand. It's the tire roar. It's bad enough when you're driving on asphalt, but the grooved concrete of freeways in Southern California really makes this car a penalty box on any kind of real trip. And it's not the tires themselves; it's the lack of acoustic refinement from the car. It makes the 2009 Nissan 370Z seem like a cross between a dump truck and a National Guard Humvee. As near as I can remember it, the 350Z was a whisper-quiet limousine in comparison."

And another editor said, "This is a sports car, so why doesn't it sound like one? And it's all well and good that the interior is nicer than a G37's, but why does it have more road noise than an '87 Pathfinder?!" Added Vehicle Testing Manager Mike Schmidt, "I don't remember the tire noise from our Nissan 370Z being so loud the last time I drove it. It's obnoxious. My ears were bleeding before I could crank the radio loud enough to drown out the tire drone."

And then again from that first guy, "And I like the Z-car. Seating position, ride quality, good navigation, satellite radio. And there'd be a good trip across the Coast Range at Coalinga and then a drive in the Santa Cruz mountains on Skyline and then down Page Mill when I get there, which is the whole reason for taking the Z-car in the first place. Then I thought about the sound of those tires filling the cabin on the trip up Interstate 5. Like being 50 feet from a cement truck for five hours. So I decided not to go at all."

Think we're just being whiny? We're not. The tire noise, apparently, comes from less-than-ideal cabin-air extractors, and a fix for the problem is in the pipeline. Future 370Z owners, you're welcome.

But even when that's fixed, there is still the issue of engine noise: "The 3.7-liter V6 makes big power, but it sounds like a Frontier on steroids." And then there was this: "Good grief this car is noisy. I know we keep going on about it, but there's really not much else to dislike about this car — but it's damn near a deal-breaker. The solution? Loud music. Really, really loud music." ...

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