Buying new tires for your car, every car owner is guided by the main criteria of choice, such as:
- Size
- Season
- The manner of driving
- Tread
- Price
And, although, noisiness is not the most important characteristic of car tires, and is not included in the list of the main priorities, today we will focus on it.
Among all the variety of rubber presented in the market, to make a choice is not so easy. In this matter, it is necessary to consider a number of factors. To make it easier for you to decide on a model, we have compiled a rating of the quietest summer tires of 2023.
What Affects Tire Noise
The following factors influence the level of noise while driving:
- The softness of the rubber from which the tires are made. This criterion is important when choosing summer tires. Soft rubber for the summer season will make much less noise when rubbing against the road surface dynamically.
- The width of the car tread. With the smallest area of contact of the product with the road when driving there will be less noise.
- Tread pattern. The tire pattern affects not only the function of grip with the road, but also affects the noise level. The more aggressive the tread pattern, the noisier the rubber will be on the asphalt.
In short, the tread pattern, as well as the design of the sipes on the wheel surface, significantly determines the level of sound produced. Different frequencies of sound are produced as the individual sections collide with the asphalt surface.
What to pay attention to
The perfect tire requires the optimal combination of a very large number of features. The softer the tire, the less noise it makes. But there is a downside – braking on such rubber will be smeared on the asphalt, and the tread itself will wear out very quickly.
Very soft rubber in summer may just not stop at the right moment, at the same time in winter soft tires are a good choice.
Wide tires make more noise than the same but narrow ones. This is especially noticeable at high speeds.
Top 10 Quietest Tires of 2023
Pirelli P Zero
The strength of the P Zero tire is its maneuverability. According to the results of various tests, these tires have the best indicators of maximum “overtaking” speed on dry and wet asphalt. For a sporty, the rubber is well-balanced in terms of stiffness. It is moderately soft, so it does not “catch” hernias, even with careless driving, while being comfortable. A high durability provides safe driving on broken roads – the tires have high resistance to impact. Buyers appreciated the model, noting that they are reliable and hard-wearing tires. There are only complaints about the cost, the price for the set is higher than that of neighboring brands.
Continental SportContact 6
Quiet summer rubber came to replace the popular model ContiSportContact 5 and is also designed for high-speed driving. The tires impress with controllability on dry and wet asphalt – the car accurately, precisely and quickly reacts to steering wheel rotation. As good sports tires are supposed to do, this model has excellent traction, according to car owners’ reviews, the car literally sticks to the road surface. And the rubber retains its qualities even at high speeds. The flip side of the excellent performance is the average wear resistance, the set will last about 3 seasons, depending on the kilometers traveled and driving style.
Michelin Defender T + H
The Michelin Defender stands out as a high-performance all-season tire. In this model, the manufacturer has tuned the tread pattern to optimize comfort and quietness, making it one of the quietest tires available on the market today. The Michelin Defender contains a large amount of silica added to the tread to increase traction on wet roads. The tire features sharp edges as well as sipes to increase the traction of your vehicle.
Key features of the Michelin Defender tires also include Intellisipe Technology, which increases traction, and Comfort Control Technology, which increases stability and comfort. These tires use an Evertread compound that provides wet traction throughout the life of the tire.
Cooper Discoverer HTP
Although the Cooper Discoverer is primarily designed for light trucks and SUVs, it is also well-suited for many crossovers. Excellent traction and a tough design make it ideal for dirt roads.
This all-season tire with a non-directional tread design provides a quiet driving experience. It also has a rounded mold profile and a protective casing. This not only improves traction, but also extends tread life.
Goodyear Wrangler Radial Tire
This tire model is known for its high quality on- and off-road traction, while being very quiet. Compared to other tires on the market, the Goodyear Wrangler Radial Tire provides excellent traction on both wet and dry roads. This is all thanks to an optimized tread design that increases traction in a variety of conditions.
In addition to traction, these tires are also known for their confident handling. The main “secret to the Wrangler Radial’s success” is its large tread blocks, which provide reliable handling and a stable footprint.
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
According to the results of the tests of the German Auto Motor und Sport, this tire has the shortest braking distance in the competition with premium tires. In addition, these car tires showed good acoustic properties and were very comfortable on different road surfaces. The model won the first place in the overall standings, which indicates the best characteristics.
According to customer reviews, the tires instantly respond to steering commands, behave predictably on dry or wet roads. And even in heavy rain at high speed the car is perfectly controllable. The car owners also noted the softness of the ride and low noise level.
Bridgestone Turanza T005
This is an almost perfect car tire model for everyday commuting on city and highway roads. An international test winner and medalist, the Turanza T005 has shown high braking and handling performance on wet and dry surfaces. Like the premium Alenza 001 tires, Tuzanza T005 is made with innovative NanoPro Tech rubber compound technology. Moreover, Turanza is the primary tire for popular European and Japanese car brands.
Michelin CrossClimate +
Despite belonging to the summer type of tires, the CrossClimate has an all-season design. According to the manufacturer, this model allows you to prolong summer and wait out lines at tire dealers. In mild and warm winters the tires can be used all year round, but they are not suitable for the harsh weather of the northern regions.
Accordingly, the main advantages of this model should include Temperature-resistance – rubber keeps elasticity under fluctuating temperatures and sudden cold spells. Also worth mentioning is the aquaplaning resistance of these tires – although the tread does not have longitudinal channels traditional for rain tires, tests show excellent resistance to water wedging.
Continental UltraContact
The UltraContact car model achieves the performance of premium models at a very affordable price. The tires are distinguished by special production technology and a new generation compound, unique to the Continental brand. The Pluses of this model is the Diamond Blend compound, which increases the acceleration performance, traction quality and braking efficiency.
Another distinctive feature of Continental – Diamond Edge Technology – a special form of chamfers on the edges of the tread zone increases the contact patch at high speed. Effective noise reduction in this model is achieved by a combination of innovative solutions, which made it possible to achieve a minimum noise level on different types of surfaces and at any speed.
Michelin Energy XM2+
The Energy XM2+ is one of Michelin’s most functional low-cost models for compact and midsize cars. The new model differs from the basic XM2 by its upgraded carcass and breaker, as well as a modified polymer compound. The design of the tread is the same as its predecessor.
High durability of these tires is achieved due to the improved mixture and reinforced side parts, which increased resistance to deformation under heat and contact with an obstacle. Also worth noting is the excellent handling in the rain – sipes of different depths increase the number of traction faces. And the innovative compound has reduced the wear time by 10% compared to the previous model.
FAQs
What makes a tire noisy?
The main cause of noise is the tread, then you should choose it according to the operating conditions. In practice, noisy tires are characterized by structural stiffness, increased width and depth of the tread. Therefore, if you are facing a tire with a higher noise level, it is guaranteed to emit more noise.
How does pavement and speed affect noise?
A tire’s contact with the road surface creates a rustling noise. The faster the wheel rotates, the louder the rustle becomes. The condition of the road surface plays a key role. For example, driving on a wet road is much noisier. It is not possible to get rid of the formation of noise, it is only possible to reduce it.
Does the size matter?
The smaller tires have smaller voids and blocks, which means, they produce less vibration and noise, hence, yes, the larger the tire — the more noise it generates.
Summer vs. Winter tires – which are quieter?
The summer tires are quieter, as there is less piles on them, thus they generate less vibration when touching the road, and less noise.
Conclusion
Tyre noise is an important parameter for a comfortable ride. Producing silent car tires, manufacturers are guided by the existing norms and regulations. The sound produced by the tire at the speed of 80 km/h should remain within the limits of 72-84 decibels. Noise itself depends on many nuances. This is the composition of the rubber mixture, drawing, tread design, road uniformity. Let us highlight the ratio of the minimum parameters. If the width of the tire is 165-185 mm, the limit is 74 dB. If the width is 185-215 mm, the limit is 75 dB. Tire width greater than 215 mm – 76 dB.
Developers are constantly striving to improve acoustic comfort. The use of “quiet” car tires reduces the car’s impact on the environment. Just a few decibels can significantly increase the noise level, considering the fact that tens of thousands of motorists drive on the highways every day.