Motoring Discussion > Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Oldgit Replies: 32
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 Wed 10 Aug 16 22:41 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Oldgit
As you might have seen below, I recently bought a new Golf MK7 Match Edition 1.4TSI BMT.

However, once you become attuned to something the more difficult it is to get it out of your mind.
I am certainly now aware that this new Golf, running on OEM Hankook tyres, unlike my previous two Golf models on Michelins, seem to generate more road noise or roar than I have ever been aware of before, unless on the smoothest of tarmac.
In any road report of this car, I have never read anything that suggested that the MK7 was inferior in this way. I don't know whether it's worth letting the car settle down, as it has done less than 1k miles and then think along the lines of a tyre change but that could be a case of 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' doing this sort of thing and expensive to boot.
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 Wed 10 Aug 16 23:23 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - sooty123
Have you looked at the noise ratings online? Theres rarely more than a couple of dbs between most of them and iirc you need at least 3 to notice a difference. Of course the tests could be of limited value. However might be a good place to start.
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 Wed 10 Aug 16 23:39 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - CGNorwich
"However, once you become attuned to something the more difficult it is to get it out of your mind."

I think therein lies the prolbem. You now believe that the car is noisier thatn the last one whether it is or not. Try to forget about it, put the radio on and try not to get obsessed by it. After a couple of weeks you will no longer notice it. It will simply sound like it always sounds.

Even if it really is a tad noisier that the last vhicle ask yourself "does it really matter in the grand scheme of things?"
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Wed 10 Aug 16 at 23:40
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 00:29 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Stuartli
Most tyre reviews indicate the noise level in dB - every additional 3dB is, of course, double the sound level. Try comparing Hancock with Michelin or whatever is necessary.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 06:19 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Manatee
Perceived loudness is impossible to measure but it is commonly said that +10db or thereabouts sounds "twice as loud".

The other thing about the tyre noise information is that it relates to drive-by noise, although you might reasonably suppose that is some guide to what you hear in the car.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 06:18 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Ian (Cape Town)
Ask your dealer to lend you a set of wheels and tyres off another car - a demo maybe? - for a day. Change them out, drive around a bit, and have a good listen.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 08:40 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Oldgit
All very worthy and sensible inputs on this matter. Indeed, I am my own worst enemy when it comes to things like this. I always have the radio on but SWMBO doesn't, in the main like it, and so I enjoy the car more when I'm alone to be honest.
I have seen some makes of tyre, Goodyear I think and some of their models where the dB about 2 to 3 dB lower than the norm but ultimately it's all subjective and those tyres have other problems related to wet/braking performance etc.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 09:55 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Slidingpillar
road, tyre bearing?
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 10:24 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Oldgit
>> road, tyre bearing?
>>

Well not really but I am not saying a car with only 500 miles can't have a faulty bearing but when I drive over one of those car parks comprised of grass i.e. essentially a field, then there's no perceptible noise evident.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 09:57 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - henry k
I have no experience of the Golf but i like a quiet car.
My previous car a S/H MK2 Mondeo came with a new set of Argentina made mid/ chaep priced tyres. I only really became aware of the noise they made when I switched to Khumos.
I was happy with them and continued to fit them.

My S/H low mileage X Type came with its original Pirellis.
It was far far noisier than my Mondeo. I switched to Khumos and then complained about wind noise around the drivers door mirror.
Last year I needed two new tyres at zero notice and the main dealer fitted a pair of Hankooks
I think they are as quiet as the Khumos.

If you register where quiet road surfaces are near the dealer, perhaps a quick trip in another golf with different brand tyres might help to decide the noise solution.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 10:23 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - VxFan
Presumably the tyres pressures aren't too low and creating a larger footprint on the road?
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 10:30 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Oldgit
The recommended pressures for a light load i.e. 2 up and some luggage is what I consider to be a high-ish pressure at 35psi and so I have reduced these to 33 all round but there is no difference to noise at either pressure.
The full load pressure is 38psi on the front only, I believe and that was the pressure they were at when I drove the car home after the handover ceremony had finished but that was a hard unforgiving ride with two lightweights on board.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 10:39 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - legacylad
Last week I replaced my three brands of Chinese ditchfinders for Michelin X Climates all round. In all honesty I cannot tell any difference in road noise. My first ever diesel car and its a noisy engine.. Focus 1.6 Tdci. I'm comparing apples and oranges here.. I suppose the 330 was just as noisy, especially roof down. Just a different noise overall.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 11:25 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Stuartli
To be honest, I've always noticed the differences in the noise level created by various types of road surfaces than that of the tyres themselves.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 11:29 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Roger.
I've just replaced all 4 tyres on our Jazz from oldish Continentals to Michelin Energy savers.
These latter are rated at 68db (outside test) and although I have not done many miles yet, on a trip to Bakewell yesterday, I think they are a touch less noisy from inside the cab.
BTW.If you visit the town, do try a traditional Bakewell PUDDING (not tart) they are just yummy!
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 11:28 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Dog
Look up your Hankooks on this site and see how they compare wiv the previous Miche's

www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 11:34 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Stuartli
Michelin have - or used to have - a stake in Hankook and shared its technology with the company.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 12:50 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - VxFan
>> Michelin have - or used to have - a stake in Hankook and shared its technology with the company.

Nearly everyone has a stake in everyone else these days.

www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/who-owns-what-tyre-brands.htm
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 13:03 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - henry k
>>www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/who-owns-what-tyre-brands.htm

I am surprised that tyres are flagged as budget wet are fitted as OE on well known cars.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 13:19 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Dog
>>I am surprised that tyres are flagged as budget wet are fitted as OE on well known cars.

Yep, sir prized me too, but then it is VAG :)
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 13:03 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Armel Coussine
Driving a friend's elderly but still sprightly GTI once, went down a long hill on the overrun and at the bottom, the road being straight and clear, floored it to pass a couple of mimsers.

That caused an immense, embarrassing cloud of smoke... the car needed new valve guides and stem seals. I don't think it ever got them though. She just gave me the car but it wasn't worth much although it was a nice rapid jalopy. Would have cost more than it was worth to restore.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 13:04 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - legacylad
Excepting my ex MiL
Nobody's put a stake in her yet
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 14:43 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Stuartli
>> Nearly everyone has a stake in everyone else these days.

www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/who-owns-what-tyre-brands.htm>>

The Continental section doesn't mention Matador...:-)
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 14:35 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Oldgit
>> Look up your Hankooks on this site and see how they compare wiv the previous
>> Miche's
>>
>> www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/
>>

Yes, I have read most of these tyre review and they all seem to have mixed reviews from Joe Public. My favoured tyre and had fitted to my MK6 Golf was the Michelin Primacy 3 which as tyres of this size go, are quite expensive. A set of 4 fitted by a local firm near to where I live cost me £470 over 2 years ago but this did include some 'digital/optical' front and rear tracking which I was persuaded (too easily) to have done. Then there was the obligatory new valves, balancing and tyre disposal etc.
However, if I were to go through this process again, I'd been disposing of tyres with a lifetime of use ahead of them, for somebody.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 15:22 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Dog
>>However, if I were to go through this process again, I'd been disposing of tyres with a lifetime of use ahead of them, for somebody.

You could always sell them. When I bought my old Subaru Forester, it came with 4 x new Chinese tyres, which although they were ok, I'd rather have some rubber that I was happy with, so I forked out for 4 x new Vredestein all-weather jobbies and flogged the old (new) Chinese tyres to the chap who empties my septic tank :)

The way I see it is that we're a long time dead, so, if forking out c£400+ for new tyres makes one H.A.P.P.Y
then so be it - even if I am as poor as a church mouse.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 15:46 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - John Boy
>>... even if I am as poor as a church mouse.
>>
What a lovely turn of phrase that is! It always makes me think of this little creature on a cold, stone floor without a crumb to be seen.
Last edited by: John Boy on Thu 11 Aug 16 at 15:48
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 20:27 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Dog
"Had Hankook Ventus V12 on before and did not like them at all, changed to the Michelin Primacy 3 and the car is transformed.
Steering good again grip superb in all conditions ride nice and supple again and very quite.
I cant get over the difference a tyre can make"

One of the comments on the tyrereviews site Re: Primacy 3's. www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Michelin/Primacy-3.htm
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 22:38 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Lygonos
Could it be the suspension?

I recall (perhaps it was the Mk6) the Golf had a simpler/cheaper rear suspension of the cars with engines under 140hp (eg the 122hp TSi engine) with 140+hp variants having more costly multi-link sussies.

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 Fri 12 Aug 16 08:52 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Oldgit
>> Could it be the suspension?
>>
>> I recall (perhaps it was the Mk6) the Golf had a simpler/cheaper rear suspension of
>> the cars with engines under 140hp (eg the 122hp TSi engine) with 140+hp variants having
>> more costly multi-link sussies.
>>

The MK7 Golf from the 125ps upwards, has the more sophisticated multilink suspension so mine does (I hope!)
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 23:01 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - CGNorwich
"I cant get over the difference a tyre can make""

I guess that very much depends on how you drive. Fast cornering and hard braking and driving nearer the limits of your vehicle will certainly reveal difference in tyres. For many (most?) people I doubt whether they would detect one brand from another if of roughly similar specification. There is a awful lot of marketing hype with tyres.
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 Thu 11 Aug 16 23:28 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Mr Moo
I'm in a 6 month old Fiesta loan car for a few days. Drove home in it with the radio off and thought it seemed noisy from the left rear. Had a look round outside when I got home. Nice new Continental something or others on every corner, aside from the left rear, which was fitted with a Landsail Ditchfinder!

Presume somebody borrowing it had a puncture and bought the cheapest replacement tyre they could find!
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 Fri 12 Aug 16 11:28 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Bill Payer
>> "I cant get over the difference a tyre can make""
>>
>> I guess that very much depends on how you drive.

When I had leased company cars the leasing company use to replace original tyres with Firestone and they were very skittish in wet weather - but noticeably much quieter. Both, I guess, due to harder compound.

On Peugeot 406's (we had 2 litre turbo petrol's) I thought the wet grip was sufficently bad that I got Peugeot to say the they didn't approve those tyres and the company then insisted tyres should be changed like-for-like.

When I got my Merc, nearly new, it had Bridgestone Turanza's. Only 16" so a decent profile. It was like driving on iron rings, even at minimum pressures. Changed the rears to Michelin Primacy and was surprised is didn't make any obvious difference. Eventually changed the fronts to the same and the difference in ride was considerable.
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 Mon 15 Aug 16 20:29 
 Volkswagen - Road or tyre noise in my Golf MK7 - Roger.
Well the Michelin Energy Savers have had the factory fresh smoothness rubbed off them.
On good surfaces (Motorway and decent A roads) I am reasonably sure that they are quieter than the Continentals which they replaced.
A far as ride comfort is concerned, again on good surfaces there is an improvement.
On poor surfaces, I think that the potholes, unevenness, patching and general rubbish state of too many A class roads results in a more "jiggly" ride for the Jazz, which, to be fair, is criticised for this aspect in a fair number of reviews.
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