I am looking to buy a TSX. I have test driven, but only once, there is not an Acura Dealer in my town.

My question is about Road Noise, I have an Accord and an S2000. THe Accord is my everyday driver as it is quite as a church mouse on the highway. The S2000 is the loudest new car I have ever ridden in on the highway.

I have thought about getting the the new 04 Accord, but like the TSX (comparably priced) My question is about road noise. THis is important to me as my job requires me to drive upwards of 1 to 2 hours per day on the highway, and I value a quite ride. Don't get my wrong, I like power and control. But I spend a more time going 80 in a straight line than anything else.

Please give any experiences you have with road noise of the TSX.

 

To me it's pretty quiet on the highway. But then again I'm coming from an Integra GSR so a lot of cars have less road noise . I've taken my car on a couple of road trips and to me the car soaks up the road noise and the bumps quite well. My passangers have never complained either.

 

I find that my TSX is quieter than the '03 Accord EX-V6 my ex-wife drove. I did a lot of research, and found that better tires really help, the Michelin tires that come stock on the TSX are crap, either the Pirelli P-Zero Nero M&S or the Continental ContiExtremeContact are much better tires. I put the Continental's on, and they are definitely quieter, and much much better traction in the snow. (I was torn between the Pirelli's and the Continental's, if I didn't live in snow country, I would have gotten the Pirelli's....)

04 TSX auto, Navi, Meteor Silver

 

I have the same model as gpsiir. I've been noticing a fair amount of road noise, and bumpiness when I go over manhole covers (I never noticed how many there are before).

I had the car in for its first service yesterday, and asked them to check it out. They examined the suspension, and made sure the struts weren't leaking, etc. They said everything was fine.

Afterwards, the car seemed to ride a bit smoother, so they may have made some minor adjustments that helped it out.

To placate me, the service guy said that the 04 TL has an even stiffer ride than the TSX. I was very surprised, and he repeated it 2-3 times for emphasis.

All in all, there's many cars that ride smoother. I like being able to feel the road conditions. Bottom line, you're going to have to make your own call.

 

If road noise is the only thing holding you back from buying the car you want you would be amazed how much of a difference a little DynaMat can make. Here's a good article on the subject: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...ng-6-2003.html

If you are a DIY sort of guy and have some time one weekend you can do it for about $200 but if you need someone to install it you can figure on about a grand. You don't need to go as extreme as the guys in the article because some small changes can make a big difference. I did the doors in my old Golf and it felt like I was driving a Mercedes! Good stuff.....

 

It's pretty quiet, but road noise definitely intrudes on coarse pavement. If you spend that much time on the highway, I'd also focus on whether you like the highway ride or not. I find the ride 'comfortably firm' but I prefer our other car on the highway which has a softer suspension (passat).

 

It all depends on the road surface. Last time when there it snowed, it was VERY LOUD on salted road.

 

I have found that like most cars these days, the TSX road noise is determined by
1: What type of road surface you are driving on.
2: Type of tires

That being said I have found the TSX no noisier than most new cars.

 

For me the TSX is plenty quiet but on less than perfect highways the ride can be somewhat choppy. I love my TSX, but if I was going to spend 1 to 2 hours on the highway each day I would consider a car that leaned more to the luxury side of sport luxury. I would probably get a car that had a bit softer suspension like the Accord or the Passat. The Passat in particular has a wonderfully refined highway ride and was very quiet to my ears yet still reasonably fun in the twisties. I did not test drive the Accord while I was car shopping but certainly would have if I was going to do alot of highway driving. Test them all and see what YOU think.

 

My TSX is a lot quieter than my son's '98 Accord, and that's with the stock tires. That was the main reason I traded in my '02 CRV,road noise. With a 50 mile commute each day, I had to get something quieter and smoother. My TSX made my wish come true!

 

If you want something quite...don't get TSX....fun to drive...but
still rattles....won't leave you alone. I bought mine on end of October....and it rattles so bad I can't even spot them all. If you want something nice and quite in $28000~$30000 I would consider getting either Accord or if you want to spend little more how about Lexus IS300? My friend drives one...and it's very quite.