I think road noise remains a weakness for the 4G TL.

I hope this new tech makes its way down to the TL.

Out of curiosity to 3G --> 4G owners, is the 4G quieter despite losing active noise cancellation?

 

The 4G I drove was significantly quieter than my '05 TL.

Active noise cancellation only really masks engine noise, not road or wind noise.

 

And usually I want to hear my engine noise but not the road or wind noise so ANC is not so useful for me! lol

 

I think my new TL is very quiet, but I was coming from an '04 G35 Coupe on low profile stretched 19's, HUGE DIFFERENCE. Just took a road trip to the Oregon Coast, it was a great ride!

Prior to this vehicle my boyfriend had a 2G TL and the last generation RL. All the Acura's we have owned have been very comfortable and quiet.

 

The issue is if you insulate the under cabin too much and add ANC you get completely disconnected to the road, with less engine sound and exhaust note. The car is generally quiet inside when it comes to wind and outside interference but a decent amount of road noise through the under cabin can still be heard.

This new tech would help reduce that and should prove to make a difference. It makes sense to have it for the TL MMC as it's seems like an easy enough application. The problem is the 11' RL will finally add another level of distinction over the TL, including this new technology, as well as the 6AT with improved gas mileage and performance, a tweaked engine and software, and a few new electronic features, and that might keep them from wanting to put it in the TL just yet.

The 4G has a better sound proofed cabin IMO and road noise is no worse in the SH compared to the TLS, which is good considering the larger rims, wider track, and AWD. As others have said, I supect the 4G FWD is improved over the 3G as the suspension is toned down for a softer ride and the 17 in rims have a larger tire on them.

 

let me just say this, yesterday i drove my friends 2010 g37 xs sedan , even with sport package and 19 inch rims , that car was super quiet on bumps and potholes. specialy from the back i hear a lot of noise on my TL, and its FWD, I THING front noise ok.

 

Road noise is a probelm in most cars, but I found my 2009 AWD TL to be very quiet, more quiet than my M37S that has active noise cancellation. I did find the Genesis i test drive back then to be ultra quiet at speeds under say 30 MPH after than the TL was very close.

 

ANC became on an option on 07+ TL's

I had 06 TL, 08 TL-S and 09 TL-SH

progressively, every car became quieter and quieter on the inside.. but like others said, ANC really blocks out engine noise/drone... i never knew how great the SH-AWD exhaust sounded, until i heard my girlfriend driving my car away, aggressively

my car is super quiet... however, since my shocks are a lil worn now (about 28k, 15k on H&R springs) the bumps and potholes are getting noisier

4G, despite its "look" is actually quite aerodynamic.

 

The TL compared to our 03 accord is a huge difference. Coming from the TL the accord sounds like a jeep with a soft top.

 

I guess it is comparative, but I most recently compared to a MB M-class and the MB was much quieter wind/road noise-wise at all speeds.

I find it surprising the M37 is noisier. I have heard from some the A4 and C-class are also quieter.

 

^ for 2010 & 2011, Audi A4 is only 2.0T.... 4 cylinders, in general, are louder because they rev higher and work harder

 

I totally agree on this one. I had an 06 Accord EX-L 4cyl 5AT and now I have an 06 TL 5AT and the road noise is definitely less then the Accord

 

It's hard to find comparative guide for noise levels, and the one I go by is consumerguide.
Consumerguide scoring:
TL got a 7/10 (higher better)
TL SHAWD got 6/10 with HPT with mentions of excessive road noise

Audi A4 also got 7 but mainly because of engine noise and not wind/road noise.

Other relevant vehicles on a quick check:
Honda Accord = 5-6
Hyundai Genesis = 8
Infiniti G37 = 6
BMW 3 series = 6-7
Mercedes C class = 8
CTS = 8
Buick LaCrosse = 8
Ford Tauras = 8

Seems pretty fair scoring, so I guess what I'm saying is it'd be nice to get into the 8-range for the TL to stay competitive.

 

I can't say for sure, but those stock Michellin tires are designed to be long life and not so much to be quiet. I'm guessing changing to different tires could make a big difference. It did in my last vehicle.

 

One thing about all hondas and acuras I've driven is that the bump absorbtion is usually pretty poor.

I had the same experience a few months back when i test drove a 2010 G37 sedan. It was much quieter inside, especially over small-midsize bumps. Either the suspension or the sound deadening really worked. (same for the Audi A5) Though large bumps/potholes make all cars (outside of lexus/benz) lose composure, it's just more noticeable on the TL.

For either TL, they're both relatively quiet until you hit bumps, even small or midsized ones. Bumps, dips, cratered roads, imperfections, all really effect the NVH of the TL more than other cars. However, I find actual road and wind noise much lower than other vehicles I've been in recently.

I sure hope acura can find a better balance (work on bump absorbtion!!) for the 4.5 or 5gtl and their future vehicles.

 

^Certainly not my experience with the TL-AWD. Passengers (and I) have marveled over how composed the car is on rough pavement (or at least what passes for rough pavement around here).

No squeaks, rattles, etc,. and the car just goes where you point it. I think NVH is especially good on this car, compared to some of the others I cross-shopped.

 

still my tl very noisy over bumps, i hear not pleasant stuff from the back, i had 08 tsx before this one, and it was much better actualy

 

not entirely true, the A4's engine is relatively quite mainly because it is turbo charged which takes away the intake sound and a lot of the exhaust sound. Plus, the 2.0T's dont work harder than a naturally aspirated engine, its actually quite the opposite.