Robert.Rdx

Hello,

I just recently purchased a 2012 RDX, SH-AWD, but have found there is quite a bit of road noise. Had I consulted here prior, that wouldn’t have been too much a surprise. I think the worst of it is coming from tire noise, and I will change out the tires. The car came with new Michelin Premier A/S, but they appear to be very noisy, and in particular at highway speeds, on concrete. Going from tar to concrete, noise goes from 3/10 to 10/10.

Any recommendation of new tires would be appreciated. I’ve searched extensively, these forums and online. But opinions/experiences with noise are not always consistent. Either way, the tires I’m considering the most now are:

Yokohama Avid Ascend
Yokohama Y580 (through DiscountTire)
Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring

But any other tires would be considered. Once again, the most concern is road noise, highway speeds, concrete.

Robert

pjhalifax

I have about 10,000 miles on the Turanza Serenity Plus from Bridgestone and I've been really happy with them. Very quiet compared to what was on the car when I got it (Sailun something or other...not good). Nice handling, wearing well -- only down slightly over 1/32 of tread so far. Reviewers noted that they don't perform well in snow but that's not an issue where I am so I didn't factor that into the decision. I've taken the car on several long road trips and have been pleased with the ride noise level at highway speed.

Only odd thing I noticed was a slight radial hum right around 50-55 mph for the first 1000 miles or so. I either got used to it or the sound went away.

That being said, it seems like the first gen RDXs are just noisy overall. The new tires helped but my 08 is still so much louder than my other car, a Saab 9-3 that's practically silent by comparison.

I had the CS5 on my list along with the Toyo Versado CUV, Continental ExtremeContact, and Nitto NT850 if you're looking for some others to check out. I had a list of 4-5 likely candidates and then a Bridgestone rebate appeared and that sealed the deal for me.

Robert.Rdx

Great. I originally had them on my consideration list, but removed because of a review that complained about noise at high speeds and coarse pavement, and others that said noise increases with mileage. But based on your experience, I'll put them back on.

I've read of tires generating noise initially, which goes away after the break-in period.


Nice. The Nissan Murano I had test driven was like that, quiet and smooth. But it kind of felt driving a boat, and not as responsive or connected to the road as something like an RDX. But I've regretted not taking it, since more suited for extended highway travel.

Ok, thanks for the reply, and the additional options.

mrgold35

I have an MDX and TSX along with a RDX all with Conti DWS tires. The Conti DWS did an excellent job with road noise on my TSX and MDX. I usually do a road force balance when new and balance/rotation/cross rotation every oil change (free with Discount Tires). I find cross rotations help with road noise as the tread gets below 50% (I stay away from directional tires so I can cross rotate).

Unfortunately, the RDX is just a noisy vehicle and the road noise reduction wasn't as great as in my other vehicles with the Conti DWS (still better than worn OEM tires). The noise is much worse on concrete and old asphalt (nearly silent on new asphalt). The ELS stereo at level 10 and treating the sound like background white noise is how I deal with it.

Robert.Rdx

Ok, that sounds wise. I'll keep it in mind.

Thanks for the reply

Tomtwtwtw

The Michelin Premier A/S was a very solid improvement in terms of road noise compared to OEM tires, but I concur with the rest of the folks here in that the 1G RDX is a little on the loud side in general when it comes to road noise. It's so quiet in other aspects though - almost as though the road noise wouldn't be as problematic if there were other sounds to drown it out...

DRR98

Anyone tried Dynamat?

Dynamat.com | Dynamat Xtreme For Automotive And Restoration Use

Szwed

I just put on a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's and they're quite noisy, even on asphalt. They do grip significantly better then my old all seasons though.

I had some Michelin Pilot MXM4's on previously and they were very quiet but I had very little tread left on them, not sure if that was a factor. When I went to the tire shop the MXM4's were almost $100 more per tire so I decided to go with the sports.

Just gotta crank the music louder haha

Robert.Rdx

I ended up going with Yokohama Avid Ascend, based on comments I've seen here, and other reviews. That included first gen RDX owners that said the road noise was cut own substantially with them. But after a road trip this weekend, unfortunately they don't appear much better than the Michelin Premier A/S they replaced. Around town, no problem. Or at highway speeds on new tar pavement, library quiet. But anything else is a problem at highway speeds. In order from quietest to loudest is: new tar pavement, old tar pavement, new concrete, worn concrete. I could try some different tires, but this level of noise with 1G RDX may just be a fact of life, with any tire. As the car is meant for mainly highway travel, I may have to seek out a sale or trade. Anybody looking? Is too bad, since it is one of the more fun vehicles I've ever driven.

goldORsilver

I was planning to dynamat the doors and footwells if it's easy to take up the carpet. Dynamat works extremely well but costs a pretty penny. Still hunting for some door removal pics...I don't want to break anything.

goldORsilver

*door panel removal

Robert.Rdx

I ended up replacing the Yokogawa Avid Ascends, with Pirelli Verde All Season Plus. But there hasn't been much reduction in noise, if any, particularly on the highway. They were rated good all around, though, on tirerack, including noise. I haven't sold the RDX, mainly because there would be a large financial loss at this point. I'll continue to look for a possible sale, while trying to enjoy the vehicle, despite the road noise. Everything else about it is perfect, in my view. I'll also start to consider both the Dynamat or Ziebart sound deadening routes (anybody tried Ziebart?). My concern with both, though, is introducing toxins into the indoor cabin air. One of the reasons I had selected the 2012 RDX is because it's one of the least toxic cars out there, at least per the analysis done in 2012, as discussed here:

New-car smell less toxic but not safe, Ecology Center says | Autoweek

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.